Sermon Tone Analysis

Good Morning, today we are starting a news series of sermons entitled “Unashamed” .

One day an old man was casually walking along a country lane with his dog and his mule.

Suddenly a speeding pick-up truck careened around the corner, knocking the man, his mule, and his dog into the ditch.The old man decided to sue the driver of the truck, seeking to recoup the cost of the damages.

While the old man was on the stand, the counsel for the defense cross-examined the man by asking a simple question: "I want you to answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following question: Did you or did you not say at the time of the accident that you were 'perfectly fine'"?

And the man said, "Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road … " And the counsel for defense said, "Stop, stop, I asked you, tell me 'yes' or 'no', did you say you were 'perfectly fine' at the time of the accident?"

"Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road and … " The defense attorney appealed to the judge.

"Your honor," he said, "the man is not answering the question.

Would you please insist that he answer the question?"

The judge said, "Well, he obviously wants to tell us something.

Let him speak."

So the man said, "Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road and this truck came around the corner far too fast, knocked us into the ditch.

The driver stopped, got out of his truck, saw my dog was badly injured, went back to his truck, got his rifle, and he shot it.

Then he saw that my mule had broken his leg so he shot it.

Then he said, 'How are you?'

And I said, 'I'm perfectly fine.'"

How often have we responded to the same way when asked, How are you?

That’s standard answer… is what?.... “I’m fine”…

We would rather say that than get into to all the details and open up to our feeling.. I’m okay and you are Okay and the world is doing great.... but not really… Okay.

This morning we we are going to be tackling a subject that is very present in our world and very present in the scriptures - It impacts us different levels personally, socially and culturally — but it is also something we don’t hear about..

And that is the issue of ‘Shame.”

I am really excited to dive into this material.. because I believe that their is tremendous potential for some healing to take place…

Paul tells that Galatian church that they were called to freedom.

The Galatians were going back to the law and ceremonial laws of circumsision.. Paul says don’t go backwards… Go forward… walk towards freedom… Walk towards your true identity..

The word Called is interesting Word in this Verse - It is a verb and means to be assigned the Name --- it Speaks of an identity that is affiliated with something… Paul’s says to the the Church … you have been assigned the name FREEDOM... God has called you to Freedom..

How many have we assigned our own labels — we have said things like …I’m Discouraged, I’m Overwhelmed, I’m Stressed out, i’m burnt out…

God says its freedom..

.This is not freedom to serve yourself or your fleshly desires… But you have been set free so that you might be a blessing to others…

Our Freedom is to serve others … When we are liberated from Shackles and habits… it brings us liberty where are able to help other also gain freedom.

One goal of this series is to help us identify Shame…... recognize it for what is… So we can tag it.. Acknowledge it… and then to believe that God will help us through it.

What I believe will happen over the next several weeks is will begin to recognize it biblically — theological framework..

That it will be powerful because we will be able to identify shame in our ourselves and our families and our circle of relationships…

and through scriptures and HS guidance we will find new freedom found in Christ……

What is Shame?

Psychologist describe SHAME as an individual emotional experience..

Shame has been called the “sleeper emotion”,

‘ because most of us are so unaware of its effect in our lives.

Sigmund Freud used the picture of an iceberg to illustrate how the conscious, subconscious—which he called the preconscious—and the unconscious aspects of our psyche interact.

An iceberg is a good illustration of how much the subconscious and unconscious, which we are mostly unaware of, impacts our conscious behaviour

Shame has also been called the “Master Emotion”

When you think of Shame you wouldn’t naturally think of it as the Master Emotion… because it is hidden.. it’s master emotion because it has influence.

- Shame is said to influence all our other emotions yet it is the most private of all emotions…

Shame experiences in childhood can so mar the personality that its impact is felt for a lifetime.

Interestingly, these shame scars can be so hidden that we do not know what is affecting our behaviour.

We may wonder all our lives what causes our behaviour, never realizing it is due to unhealed shame.

Sometimes people cannot motivate themselves to carry out certain behaviors.

What Shame is not?

Shame is not Guilt.

As Christians we often deal with GUILT as some thing that is Objective.. something that is tangible.. but treat SHAME as something that is SUBJECTIVE..(something that can’t really be defined.

We are familiar with Guilt but not so familiar with shame.

What is the difference between GUILT and what is SHAME?

GUILT focuses on a persons actions or behavior .. We have guilt when we do something wrong… If you have ever taken something that is not yours — that brings about this feeling of Guilt.

Guilt is like a spiritual nerve-response to sin, an emotion in response to wrong behavior (“I acted in a way that was wrong, and I feel guilty”).

Those uncomfortable impulses that stab our conscience are meant to turn us away from the wrong we’re doing and turn us back to God. .

In that sense, guilt is a healthy thing.

Because guilt comes as a result of something you and I do, we can do something about it—change our behavior—and the guilty feeling will go away.

Shame, on the other hand, is not just a feeling, though we often speak of it that way.

Shame is also the belief or mindset that something is wrong with you.

It’s something you can live with and not necessarily be aware of it.

It’s not that you feel bad about your behavior, it’s that you sense or believe you are deficient, defective, or worthless as a human being

SHAME focuses on our WORTH..

GUILT will say — “My actions were bad” Where shame will say “I am bad” —

Consequently, we develop a shame-based way of looking at ourselves.

we accept the view that others might slip up and make mistakes once in a while, but they’re still basically worthwhile people.

But when it comes to ourselves... we are like a mirror image of that: No matter how many times you get it right (whatever it is, according to the standards of your environment) you will never be acceptable.

Deep down, you believe something is wrong with you..

Here are just a few examples how shame manisfests itself..

If someone says the don’t agree with you” translates: “You’re stupid for thinking that way.”

Making a mistake translates: “I am less of a person.”

Spilling your milk translates: “I’m a klutz.”

Someone else having a number of positive circumstances (a promotion, a new car, finding a spouse) translates: “God must not love me as much as them.”

Your children’s misbehaving translates: “I’m a lousy parent.”

Your inability to live up to some “Christian formula” translates: “I’m a defective Christian.”

Your spouse’s feeling sad translates: “I’m a poor husband/wife

Your parents’ being upset translates: “I’m a failure as their child.

If we are going to get victory over shame.. we need to ask..

1.

Where did our Shame Come From?

We are going to start at ground Zero..

Where Shame first entered into the world?

In the book of Genesis 3.

In the garden of Eden we find the perfect world.. everything is balanced…It is in a state of Peace… Shalom — Shalom translates, “The way things are supposed to be.” —

Then man disobeyed God by taking of the forbiden fruit in the garden.. things fell apart.... and Shalom - peaceful existence with God was disturbed.

The Fall has been called the “vandalism of shalom” —Things were not longer the way they were supposed to be…

How did we loose our Peace...

Genesis tells us how this happened…

So Adam and Eve are in the Garden of Eden it is paradise… It is what God has always wanted and intended for mankind and creation… God lives in a whole and life giving relationship with Adam and Eve.

The scripture says they walk with God in the cool of day, and mankind was naked and without shame...

Adam and Eve enjoyed and loved God as God loved and enjoyed them.

Not Ashamed means there was no feeling of shame, feeling of embarrassment, or feelings of remorse.

In the center of the garden of Eden is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The tree is a representation of God’s loving “no trespassing sign.”

The tree represents the idea that humans, rather than God can define what is good and bad.. God gave free choice..

The way that the serpent tempts Eve, is still the major way the enemy tries to deceive us today, by questioning God’s character.

—

The first words we here from Satan in the Bible is a question of God’s Character and authority?

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Satan tries to get Eve to take the fruit, and take life for herself rather than trust what God says about her… Eve takes the Bate… She eats the Fruit then gives some to her husband.

Satan’s first words reveal exactly what he is all about… He opposes God and he is the accuser of God’s people…

He hasn’t change is character..

Satan main purpose when dealing with us is to stop us from being fruitful… Affective...

and one of the ways he does that is by questioning our obedience to God…

Satan knows that on the other-side of our obedience is fruitfulness… If he can fill our minds with all the things that are wrong about us… If he can keep us listening to all the negative voices out there… He can keep us down...