The Cause And Cure Of Shame - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Those most unqualified to condemn you will. Those most unqualified to condemn you will. And the one most qualified to condemn you won't.

The one most qualified to condemn you absolutely will not. There is more grace in God's heart than there is shame in your past. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt.

Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. Lewis Mead states this clearly, this cure. He said, The surest cure for the feeling of shame, of being an unacceptable person, is the discovery that we are accepted by the grace of the one whose acceptance matters most. That's the cure. You see, basically what it means is I see myself as God sees me. I take a bath in the grace of God. You do that and you watch. The shame will leave.

It'll come right off of you. Let me show you a passage that illustrates it. Joshua Chapter five. Joshua Chapter five. Now, the Book of Joshua tells you immediately it's the conquest. They're going into the promised land. Moses is no longer the leader. Joshua is.

Israel has spent 400 years as slaves and 40 years in the wilderness. And now they're about to go in. And you know what these people are filled with at this time? Shame. Shame. By the way, don't you think 400 years of slavery would make you feel shame? Four hundred years, 10 generations of your family slaves, they felt shame, enormous shame. Yes, someone told them that they had an Abrahamic covenant and they were going to be blessed and they are the people of God. But 400 years of reality told them. We're ashamed of ourselves.

We are owned by other people. And then they get out after the deliverance by Moses into the wilderness and instead of going in and taking the land, what did they do? They ignored God. They didn't believe God. They were afraid of the enemies.

What do you think that produced? Shame. These are people just filled with shame. And this is what God says to them. In Joshua, Chapter five, verse six, they're about to enter the land. The Lord said to Joshua today, I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. So the name of that place is called Gilgal. To this day, Gilgal means rolling away.

They got a town they named rolling away. Why does God want a town named rolling away right at the end of the promised land? He said, because that's what I want to do to your shame. He said, I want to just roll it away. It's an amazing thing about God. He doesn't want you to keep that kind of shame. He doesn't want that stigma to be in your life. God says, I want to roll your shame away.

I want it done with it because it's so debilitating to us. That's their past. What about yours? You see, is there anything in your past you just keep holding on to? You feel ashamed of? An assessment someone gave of you. Things were said to you.

How you were victimized or things you've done. And you're carrying the shame with you. God says, Gilgal. Let's just roll that away. You see, let's be done with that. Now, if there's one single thing you remember this morning and I always go just for one. Everything else is laying out.

It's this. There's more grace in God's heart than there is shame in your past. There's more grace in God's heart than there is shame in your past. It's a very important message for you and I to understand. God truly understands shame.

I mean, you might say, are you sure that he does? Yes. Yes, I know it. And I know it because of the cross. In Hebrews chapter six, the whole book of Hebrews is about a bunch of Jewish believers who have decided that it's too difficult to remain a Jewish believer in their world. They've been saved for 20 or 30 years, but the Jewish community has rejected them.

The Greek and Roman communities have rejected them. And so they said, maybe what we ought to do is sort of slide back into Judaism. And that's why the writer of Hebrews says, don't do that.

Whatever you do, don't do that. And so the whole book is showing why Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Judaism. That was a shadow. He is the substance. And so when it gets to chapter six, they thought, maybe we could go back to the sacrificial system of the Jews. And the writer says, don't you dare do that. He said, if you do that as a Christian, you know what you're going to do? You're going to re crucify Jesus Christ. You're going to keep re crucifying him. He's only crucified once and that's forever. And it says you're going to re crucify him and subject him to open shame.

In fact, the writer of Hebrews understood something. That's what the cross is all about. The cross is not just about the forgiveness of sins. It's dealing with the shame. In a wonderful article written by Rodney Clapp called Shame Crucified, he says this.

He said the most dreadful thing about the cross was not physical suffering. It's the shame. This form of execution will reserve for those least worthy of respect. The formula for sentencing anyone to crucifixion read this executioner bind his hands, veil his head and hang him on the tree of shame.

It has always been done publicly. It was always to emphasize disgrace. No wonder Paul wrote Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming the curse force. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Galatians 3 13. You see, what Clapp says is that Jesus Christ understand shame. That he not only crucified sin, but shame.

He then writes this. The shame binders. Jesus was bound. The shame destroy our reputation. Jesus was despised and rejected by men. The shame reduces to silence. He was led as a lamb to slaughter and as a sheep before sheers is silent.

He did not open his mouth. The shame expose our apparent weaknesses by others. They cried out to him.

He saved others, but he cannot save himself. The shame lead us to abandonment. Jesus cried on the cross.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The shame diminish us. Jesus was crucified, naked and exposed to all. He has a sense of shame.

He really understands it. And that I don't think often we deal with the idea very well that not only was sin dealt with on the cross, but shame. Turn to Hebrews Chapter 12 with me. Hebrews Chapter 12. Wonderful chapter. Hebrews 11 is the Hall of Fame of faith. Hebrews 12 is, hey, all those people are rooting for you. That's what that is.

This is how they did it. Now they're all cheering for you. And so he gives us this metaphor of the Christian life, one that everyone can understand.

Let's run a race. Christianity is running a race, much more of a marathon than a sprint. And so he says in verse one of Chapter 12, therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, a whole stadium full of people.

And they're there for one reason, he said, to cheer you on. He says, Let us lay aside every encumbrance and every sin that so easily entangles us. Two things slow us down. Encumbrances are weights. We carry things, wrong priorities.

And the sin that so easily entangles us ties our feet up when we fall. What does a crowd do when we fall? I can tell you what they don't do. They don't laugh at you. They ran the race.

They fell. You know what they do? They cheer for you. What do they cheer? Get up, Bill. Get up, Bill.

That's what they cheer. Get up, Bill. Come on, Bill. You can do this. You see, when I think of that, it's kind of overwhelming.

It's supposed to be. Notice, he says, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Watch. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and the perfecter of our faith.

That's who I'm looking at. And who for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. And there it is, despising the shame. He despised it. He endured the cross. He took the beatings and the mockings.

You see, I despise the shame. How could he do that? He said, because of the joy that was set before me. I knew I could redeem people. I knew I could reconcile sinful people and a holy God. I knew I could bear their sins. I knew I would have a people for my own possession. I knew that.

And that's why I did it. And I despised the shame. And then I sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Boy, you could see this so easy to take that out of the verse. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

But he doesn't want to say that, he said, but he despised the shame. You see, what happened on the cross? Sin lost its power.

Death lost its sting. Shame lost its stranglehold on us. We don't have to hide with fig leaves. We don't have to do that. We don't have to blame others. We don't have to believe we're not good enough. We don't have to have terrible self images. We don't have to let the words of people who were cruel to us or their actions shape who we are as people.

We don't have to do any of that. All we have to do is look at the cross. We just have to bathe in the grace of God. We have to allow God's assessment of us to be our assessment of who we are. I love what Clapp wrote. He said, right there on the cross, he shamed shame.

That's what he did. Not just his, ours. So important for us to understand. Turn with me to Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61. I want to see something because you might be saying right now, but I'm not really that close to the Lord. And I'm not really doing that well. I'm a believer, but things aren't going that well in my life.

That's OK. When Isaiah prophesied to Judah, he was prophesying to a group of people who would not listen to any prophet, including him. And he kept telling him, look, if you don't listen, God's going to take you and he's going to put you in captivity again. This time 70 years in Babylon. He's going to do it.

But. You'll get out of that captivity. And everything he said that he would do for you, he's going to do for you. It's a wonderful thing that he writes. And so he says here in Isaiah 61. In verse two, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. He said, let me comfort you with this right now.

And it's an amazing thing. Here's what he says is going to happen in their future and in yours and mine. Verse seven, instead of your shame. Instead of your shame, you will have a double portion and instead of humiliation, they will shout for joy over their portion. Instead of shame.

Now, these are people who aren't walking with the Lord, but they are the Lord's people. He said, you know what I'm going to give you? I'm going to spend the first thousand years in heaven telling you all the terrible things you never did for me and the bad things you did for you your whole life.

That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make you feel awful. Not at all.

Not at all. He says, you know what I'm going to do for you? Now he's saying this to disobedient people. I'm going to give you the double portion. A double portion.

It's amazing. Double portion is what the first heir gets. He says, and I'm going to give you a double portion, let's say, of joy. How about a double portion of joy? Now, I didn't even know you could double joy. I mean, joy seems like it's quite a bit there. I got joy.

He said, I'll give you a double portion of joy. That's what I'm going to do for you. Notice, instead of your shame. You see, if you can, you can continue to let shame define you now.

You can do that. I guarantee you something, forever you'll never feel it again. Once you go to the presence of the Lord, you'll never have a thought of shame in your life again. Forever.

So why have them now? In fact, notice what he tells them in the imagery here in verse 3. He says, here's what I'm going to grant you. I'm going to give you garland instead of ashes. Now, you may say, well, I think garland is better than ashes, but by how much? I mean, how many of you think today, let's go out and we're going to shop some garland? Because I love garland.

It's imagery. Do you know who gets garland? The victors. Whenever you win the war and you come back, you know what they wrap you up in?

Garland. And when you lose, you know what you come back and do? You put ashes on yourself.

You're the loser. He says to them, that's what I'm going to give you. I'm going to give you the garland instead of the ashes. The oil of gladness instead of mourning. The oil of gladness at their best festivals, they love to put oil on a perfume. And they put oil on everybody.

They really love this. You know, this is a great time. If I was going to say this as a paraphrase in English, I'll tell you what God said he's going to do. You thought you were going to a funeral, but it turned out to be a wedding. You see, instead of mourning, you're going to get a notice. You're going to get an oil of gladness. You're going to a wedding reception.

You're not going to a funeral service. He says, and the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of fainting. The mantle is what you cover over your shoulders.

And here's what he's saying. You know what's going to cover you? Not a fig leaf. Praise. Whose praise? His praise.

The praise of God. God's going to praise you. He's going to praise Judah. He's going to praise you. Then you say, well, I wasn't really that great. He's still going to praise you.

He's going to praise you. You see, when you think of that, you're led to a question, aren't you? Why are you ashamed?

You see, why do you let shame shape you? God before you, who could possibly be against you? You see, that's the whole point that he is saying. And this isn't just in an Old Testament book like Isaiah or Genesis.

The last passage I want to look at, let's go to the end of the Bible, Revelation chapter 3. And let's look to another group of people who are a lot like us, a so-so group of believers who probably aren't that spiritual. In fact, he uses a term about us that we probably could use. He said, you know what you guys are? You're lukewarm. You're just a whole lukewarm group. 3.14, the message to Laodicea.

He said to the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God says this. He said, I know your deeds. You're neither cold nor hot. He said, oh, I wish you were cold or hot. I'd rather have you be cold or hot than just lukewarm. You see, if you're cold, you have to deal with the consequences of being cold. That might make you go to God.

If you're hot, you're already right with the Lord. You know what lukewarm people do? They just make nice, nice. A lukewarm Christian is a nice, nice Christian. I call them lobby Christians. They're wonderful.

They're great in the lobby. Just talk to one. Hey, good morning. And the Lord bless you. And the Lord bless you. That's a lukewarm Christian. You know what a hot Christian is?

Someone who's a lot better out there than they are in here. That's a hot Christian. You see? And so he says to him, he says, so because you're lukewarm, either hot or cold, I'll spit you out of my mouth.

Oh, I'll discipline you for this. He said, because you say I'm rich and I become wealthy and I don't have any need of anything. I mean, after all, we have a nice church. We have a building. You know, we're kind of putting it together. I can support my family.

Everything must be great. God says those are all the wrong values. Notice then what he says. He says, and you do not know that you, he said, are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked. You see, you should be feeling a little healthy shame for the way you are spiritually, but you're not.

You don't even know that you're naked. He said, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire. I want you to buy what I'm selling. That's what God says.

What you need is what I have. What does God have? He has grace. He has forgiveness.

He has mercy. You see, he said, I'm selling it. I'd like you to buy it. He says, notice that you may become rich in white garments. Every time you see white garments in the Book of Revelation, it always means the same thing.

The righteous acts of the saints, doing the right thing for God and living in the right way. He said, that's what I want to sell you. I want to sell you forgiveness and mercy and grace and that you live your life the right way.

I'd like you to buy that. Then he says this, and that the shame, there it is, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. And I say to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I want to be done with your shame. You see, I want you to be done with it. Don't cover it up. Don't mask it. Don't hide it. You see, don't do this. Don't become lukewarm and you have all this shame in you, but you're hiding it from everybody.

He said, I don't want you to do any of that. I want you to get rid of it. The cure to shame is to bathe yourself in the grace of God and what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you. That's the cure.

Let me just tell you, this takes time. You've been conditioned to feel ashamed of yourself. Some of you, for decades and decades, you've had this part of your conditioning. And so much of our shame comes from what other people say.

So I want to leave you with these two thoughts. One, those most unqualified, those most unqualified to condemn you will. Those most unqualified to condemn you will. And the one most qualified to condemn you won't. The one most qualified to condemn you absolutely will not. There is more grace in God's heart than there is shame in your past.

Let's pray. Father, I know this is a subject that is kind of private for all of us. It's not something we openly talk about.

But, Father, I know this. For many of us, we struggle with this issue of shame. We have allowed either our past actions or the past sins of others against us to shape us, to make us feel flawed, to make us feel inferior, to make us feel like we have nothing to offer anyone, including you.

We become self-loathing. Father, I pray that we understand from the Word of God, we need to stop that. Father, I pray that we understand that from the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation, you have decided to deal with our shame just as you decided to deal with our sin through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Father, if there's someone here this morning who has never come to Christ because they feel that they have been too sinful in their past, may they understand that they haven't been, that they can use that shame to put their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ and they have the assurance of the Word of God that their sins are forgiven and they have been born again into the family of God. And for those of us, Father, who are believers, who still carry elements of shame in our lives, may we understand that if it's based on actions we have done, you have forgiven those completely and totally, and you have taken our reproach, our shame away.

You have rolled it away at our spiritual gagau. And Father, those of us who have been victimized by the sins of others, who grew up in a shame-based home, who always felt that we were somehow inferior based on what people have said about us, may we understand totally that what they say has no bearing on us whatsoever, that the only assessment that's ever going to count today and forever is yours of us. And Father, you love us and you want to give us all that is yours. Father, you have said you want to give us a double portion of joy. I pray, Father, that we allow you to remove the shame from our lives, for our good, and for your glory.

In Jesus' name, amen. At that website you will find not only today's broadcast, but also many of our previous audio programs as well. At Fellowship in the Word, we are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help this radio ministry continue its broadcast on this radio station, by supporting us monthly or with just a one-time gift. Support for our ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word 4600 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, Louisiana 7006. If you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format, that is as a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible Church, then you should visit our website, fbcnola.org.

That's fbcnola.org. At our website you will find hundreds of Pastor Bill's sermons. You can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series you are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you are looking for, you can listen online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience. And remember, you can do all of this absolutely free of charge. Once again, our website is fbcnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhardt, I'm Jason Gebhardt, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word.