If you could pre-mark your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of Luke chapter 7, verse 36, is where we're going to launch our reading. If you do not have a tangible Bible, we will have it projected for you on the screen and also on the lower thirds for everybody watching online and in the overflow. Luke chapter 7, verse 36. If you're ready, shout, I'm ready. If you're not, say, hold up.
All y'all who said hold up, look at the screen. Luke chapter 7, verse 36. It says, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.
When a certain immoral woman From that city, heard he, speaking of Jesus, was eating there, she bought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him and... his feet weeping her tears fell on his feet and she wiped them off with her hair then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this he said to himself if this man were a prophet notice how he's questioning Jesus because of who's touching Jesus if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She's a sinner. This was so funny to me.
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. Did y'all catch that? Jesus answered his thoughts.
Simon, he said to the Pharisee, I have something to ask you. Go ahead, teacher. Then Jesus told him this story. A man loaned money to two people, 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other, but neither of them could repay him. So he kindly forgave them both, canceling.
their debts who do you suppose loved him more after that Simon answered I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt I love this side of Jesus all Jesus says is that's right our clause of concern our verse of emphasis that I want us to put a mental bookmark on is verse 39, the halfway mark of verse 39, where Jesus is talking to this man, but this Pharisee said to himself, if he were a prophet. He would know what kind of woman is touching him. I wonder how many Pharisees we've talked to.
I wonder how many people have been guilty of pharisaism to such a degree where we're not reaching out to touch the feet of Jesus because our reputation is so known about what we've done that we feel disqualified for God's use. Father in this moment would you breathe on our encounter? Use me as your oracle, the soundtrack, the PA system of heaven.
All of the study means absolutely nothing if you aren't magnified and if you aren't glorified. Just like I prayed in private, I'm also praying in public. Anoint me as your oracle.
the soundtrack, the PA system of heaven so your children can hear your voice in the midst of so many voices that are telling us we're too dirty. In Jesus'name we pray. And everybody who agrees to that prayer will just shout. in the room. Amen.
Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, what we are going to deal with on today, what we are going to be going to war with on today is so necessary, so needed, and it's so freeing. If I were to be transparent with you, I wept while engaged in sermon prep this week. As I'm studying and searching, I don't know what God is doing with this Voices series, but this series is hitting different. And as I'm going through the text and studying so that I could serve to the best of my capability, what God wants me to say to his people, I begin to cry because something in me broke personally while preparing the sermon.
Therefore, I have a sneaky suspicion chains are going to break off some minds on today. Chains are going to break off some hearts on today. Chains are going to break off somebody's faith on today. All week long, I've been waiting for you at the door. I've been praying, God, would you breathe on our encounter and breathe on this word to such a degree that somebody who came to church heavy leaves a little lighter.
God, would you do that for the sister? Sister who came here heavy, would you cause for this word to impact her soul to such a degree where she leaves a little lighter? Breathe on this word, God, for one of your sons who came into the house of God heavy, they will leave a little lighter. Everybody in the open.
Overflow and watching online who are going to watch this on YouTube later or listen to the podcast later. I'm praying that after you listen to it, something is going to break off of your heart. Ask God, would you breathe on this word so that it could serve us as a spiritual warfare guide. So that we could identify your voice from all the other voices that are talking to us all day long. Because watch this, to not know.
be taught, or obey the voice of God, by default, is to volunteer for a spiritual death sentence. I need to say that one more time. To not know or to not be taught, that's what this Voices series is doing.
Teaching us how to know the voice of God. I showed us in scripture, we saw Samuel, the prophet Samuel, needed to be taught how to identify when God is calling him. To not know or to be taught and obey the voice of God by default is us volunteering for a spiritual death sentence. We've dealt with the voice of lies and how the enemy is a liar and one of his primary weapons is deception. And he loves to deceive through discussions to hopefully contaminate our decisions.
We talked about that. We've talked about the voice of ignorance. dealing with injury prevention. I was trying to get us to understand pain is imminent when you are making choices before seeking God's face.
We've dealt with that. We've dealt with the voice of confirmation. How you need to be confirmed because you fight different once you've been confirmed. You walk different once you've been confirmed.
Confirmation means... authorization. Therefore, there's a certain level of authority that you're going to have when you walk in a room knowing you've been confirmed. It doesn't matter about the side eyes. It doesn't matter about the comments.
It doesn't matter about the haters. It doesn't matter about the naysayers. Once you know that God has confirmed a word for you, there's a certain level of confidence that you have. We talked about that. But on today, this other voice.
This other voice that has spoken to everybody in here, this sermon is going to touch everybody because this voice has spoken to each and every one of us. Because if we were to tell the truth, we all have chapters. A section or a sentence in our story that we don't want read out loud.
Okay, all right. Right side, I'm going to give you all a chance because last time, the left side. I said, all of us, if we were to be honest, there's a chapter, a section, for the real holy ones, just a sentence in your story that you don't want read out loud. In other words, when you gave your testimony, there was some details you left out. Yep, that was a selective testimony.
God brought me through. You didn't tell everything. There are certain details only you and God know about. There are certain details that only you, God, the person you did it with, or did it to. Y'all don't want to talk to me.
There are only a few people who knew what you really did. Because if everybody knew, it would be embarrassing. If everybody could see that text message that you deleted. If we could all see how often you went to Pornhub.
If we could all see how many OnlyFans page that you're subscribed to. If we all knew about all of our abortions. If we all knew about all of our felonies. And not just the felony, but what you did that caused you to get the felony.
If we all knew about our behind the scenes. It's gonna get real and here on today. I don't know if y'all are ready for this. I don't preach sugar and I don't preach jokes.
It's gonna get real because God wants his people really free. Enough! Enough! Enough with us acting like we're healed over what we're still crying over in secret.
Enough! Enough! With us acting like we're at a certain place of spirituality that we're still battling secretly in the dark. Enough with that.
See, when you act like you're at a place that you're not, by default, you're causing for the people that God sends you to underserve you. Just like the devil sends people, God sends people too. And God will send you people to help you heal. But if you're acting like you're healed.
I'm gonna underserve you because watch this Physicians can't treat patients who don't book appointments Physicians can't treat patients who don't book appointments yet alone you book them but don't show up I don't know about your virus. I don't know about your struggle, bro. I don't know about what you're going through sis The people that God is sending to help you, they're not guilty of underserving you because they don't love you.
It's because you're acting as though you're at a place that you're not. If he were a prophet, then he would know what kind of woman is touching him. One of the things I love about the Bible that I've noticed that I wish we were preached more often is how the Bible is filled with biblical figures and biblical icons who did wonders, did miracles.
I'm talking about men and women that God's power flowed through mightily, but they still had flaws. Watch it. There was a flow, even though they had flaws.
It is intentionally recorded in scripture for us to see that God has used people, his power has flowed through them, but they still had flaws. And it's intentionally recorded so that we can remember divinity and humanity. We all have divinity moments and we also have humanity moments.
The Bible is intentional with showing us how the apostle Peter had power flowing through him as he's walking on water and defying gravity and walking to Jesus. He's not supposed to be able to do that. The Bible is intentional with telling us about how Peter was casting out devils and healing the sick because remember Jesus gave them the authority to do this as he sent them out two by two. The Bible is intentional with teaching us how power flowed through Peter as he was preaching on the day of Pentecost and thousands came to Jesus and surrendered their life and repented. But it also recorded that Peter will curse you out.
It also recorded that Peter stays strapped. I mean, old boy was cutting off a high priest servant's ear. That's like shooting a cop, bro. He cut off a high priest servant's ear. That's equivalent to shooting a cop.
He denied Jesus not once, not twice, but three times until the rooster crowed that reminded him that he was being a chicken. We see that power flow through him, but he still had... Flaws. Biblical candidate after biblical candidate. Scripture lets us know that power was flowing through Noah.
Noah had so much favor with God that his favor benefited everybody who was attached to him. Ooh, can I give y'all a word? This shows us the importance that people come with atmospheres and attachments.
Everybody who was attached to Noah benefited from being being drowned with the storm because Noah had favor. Somebody said Noah had favor. So if you're attached to a Noah you're gonna get protection and coverage because if you're attached to them you're gonna get what's attached to them.
Please don't miss this. If you're attached to them you're gonna get what's attached to them. More Bible. If you're attached to a Jonah, you're going to experience storms and loss. Because Jonah came with the storm.
And the sailors were losing cargo trying to keep Jonah on board. What storm are you tolerating? And what are you losing? Maybe your cargo isn't beans, it's peace. Maybe your cargo isn't alcohol or wine.
Your cargo is clarity. And you're throwing that overboard so that you can keep a Jonah. Because when you're attached to them, you get what's attached to them.
I can give you more Bible. Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Imagine what it was like dealing with Kermit the frog because you are a servant to Pharaoh.
We all are dealing with frogs. We all are dealing with boils. We all are dealing with locusts. We all are dealing with hail falling from the sky because Pharaoh is not letting God's people go.
Because if you're attached to them, you're going to get what's attached to them. This could be a good thing as well. Jesus was in Simon's boat and he told Simon, let down your net for a catch. Simon let down his net and the catch was so great that his nets began to break.
And he had to call for his partners to come help him. Not because Jesus was in their boat, but Jesus was in Simon's boat and they were all attached to Simon. So it could end up feeling like your season when it's not even your season depending on who you're attached to.
It could feel like you're in the wrong season. When you're really in season, depending on who you're attached to. The power flowed through Noah as God protected him from a storm.
But then scripture is intentional by letting us know in Genesis chapter 9, Noah was butt naked and drunk. You should read your Bible sometime. Somebody say flows.
Flaws. More Bible. The power of God flowed powerfully through David as he defeated Goliath. You have to be a bad dude to run up to a giant with a slingshot.
And he had five stones. If you research it, Goliath had four brothers. So he was really like, I'm going to knock you out. And if they try to backdoor, I'm going to knock you out, knock you out. The power flowed through David mightily as he's in battle.
They came up with lyrics for David. Saul kills thousands, David kills ten thousands, but then scripture also recorded that David had sex with Bathsheba, got her pregnant, didn't use the latex, so he felt some type of way when he got that latex. Bars.
He tried to get Uriah drunk, then he got Uriah killed. Somebody say flows. Flows.
More Bible. Power flowed mightily through Samson. I'm talking about so much power where Samson beat up a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey.
Power flowed through him, but he had a little woman issue that started in Timnah. We talk about Delilah, but it actually started in Timnah, then it led up into Delilah. Somebody say flows. Flows.
Say flaws. Flaws. Okay. So biblical example after biblical example where we see power flowing through individuals who have flaws. The Bible is intentional with us knowing this so that we can understand grace.
and anointing so that we could distinguish between treasure and vessels. Maybe this is why 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7 tells us we have this treasure in earthly vessels. That's your flesh. Now, if this be true, that everybody who's a follower of Jesus, you will have divinity moments and humanity moments, this means there is a voice. that hell can get behind.
There is a voice that the enemy can campaign and endorse to get us to feel unfit, unclean, disqualified for the master's use and that is the voice of shame. Hoo, hoo, hoo. Since all of us, from the pulpit to the audience, all of us who are striving to be followers of Jesus Since we have divinity moments, what is that? Divinity moments are the moments where God's power is flowing through you.
And then we also have humanity moments. What is that? That's when you're operating in the flesh. That person who cut you off on 290, they got a flesh response, not a kingdom one. When they forgot and didn't get your food right and the lady had an attitude about it, they didn't get a spirit-filled Christian in that moment.
They got fleshed. Are there any real people in the house? So if we are a compilation of divinity moments and humanity moments, then the voice that the enemy could use the most is the voice of shame. Shame.
Shame. Many people right now are battling the voice of shame. So what you're going to do is you're going to billboard your flaws. But then minimize your flaws. When you see yourself, you don't see the flaws.
All you see is the flaws. You see the flaws, and I came here to let you know if the blood flowed on that cross is powerful enough for the prostitute, it's also powerful enough... for the preacher. The blood that flowed on the cross is powerful enough for the choir member and it's also powerful enough to reach the gangbanger.
The blood that flowed on the cross is powerful enough to reach the evangelist, and it's also powerful enough to reach the drug substance dependent individual. The blood is powerful enough to override the flaws. But I wonder, have we been maximizing the flaws and minimizing?
the flow if he knew and if he were a prophet he would know what kind of woman is touching him this religious leader is symbolic of a religious spirited person. This religious leader is actually symbolic of bad doctrine because what he's really saying is, I wouldn't let a woman like that touch me. Remember the text says they knew about her immoral behavior.
I wouldn't let her touch me. I know. about what she's done.
So technically let's bring this back. This dude is like I got receipts on her. Okay she got pregnant outside of wedlock I got receipts. Okay oh he got arrested before I got receipts.
They got drunk last week and they trying to lead us. I got I got receipts. They've been divorced three times. I got receipts.
She used to be a stripper. Y'all hear this, right? I got receipts.
So let me give you a word. Bad doctrine and religious spirited people are the ink on receipts. Talk. Talk.
Bad preaching and bad doctrine is actually the ink on receipts. Because if we be honest, the most shame people usually feel are from people who claim to be Christians. Church people.
Those Jesus freaks. And as I was preparing this message, I was like, how is it that I get more grace from people who don't know God than people who claim to know God who are saved themselves by grace through faith? Bad teaching. A Pharisee. That's the ink on your receipts.
Let's consider this thought for this particular sermonic journey. Let's speak around this subject, shame on you. Shame on you.
If he were a prophet, then... He would know what kind of woman is touching him. Jesus says, Simon, let me ask you a question. If two people have a debt, one person owes 500 pieces of silver, somebody owes 50 pieces of silver, which one do you think will love the person who forgave them more?
Which one do you think would worship a little harder? So just for the record, maybe the reason I preach until I'm sweating out my clothes each and every week, maybe the reason why Tanisha and all the other choir members worship with so much passion is because we know we owe 500 pieces of silver. If there's somebody on your team, your row their praise seems to be a little strange to you it's because they know i owe 500 pieces of silver if somebody on your row is clapping a little too hard for you you might owe 50 but i know i owe 500. i know what i used to do i know what he brought me out of i know what he redeemed me from i know how he saved my nine i know how he gave me peace i know how he gave me joy i know how he gave gave me hope.
I know how he gave me clarity. I know how he redeemed me. Y'all excuse me. I have 500 pieces.
I have 500 pieces. You can act cute with your 50. But I'm going to be a little more radical when I know he forgave all of that. See, some of us, we sit here because this is how you view it. The rest of us are like, no, boo-boo.
This is how I view it. I got a whole bunch of receipts. A whole bunch of them.
And Jesus threw it in the trash. Yeah. Let's speak around the thought, shame on you.
Coming into the sanctuary on today, somebody came with shame on you. Struggling to lift your hands during praise and... worship and it's not due to immobility or injury it's not due to that workout that you had last night that those reps made you so sore to where you can't lift your hands the reason you won't lift your hands is because of the shackles of shame on you Won't serve in church, not because your work schedule is too busy, but because of the shame on you. The shame on you. It's hard for me to believe God will still want me because I have so much shame on me.
It's the confusion of divinity moments with humanity moments. that causes for us to walk around with shame on you. It's the mixture of sometimes you have spirit-led moments and then other times you have flesh-based responses. Is that anybody? Shame on you.
It's the time when you had devotion in the morning with Jesus and it felt so great. But that same day you watched porn and masturbated and you told Jesus that I wouldn't go back to this, but you did it again. And so now going to prayer is hard because you're coming in prayer with shame on you.
Hard for me to celebrate and to rejoice because there's so much shame on me. When I hear a baby laugh or a baby cry, I had an abortion four, five years ago. Let's talk about it.
Four or five years ago. And when I. Hear that baby cry.
It causes for there to be something tight in my chest. Even though I believe I'm forgiven, I'm still walking around with shame on you. So it's possible we can't hear the voice of God due to the volume of shame.
Due to the volume of shame. Can I get us to say this? I told us something's going to break on today. Can I get us to say this as loud as you can and everybody watching online? Could you put this in the room in all caps?
Can I get us to say shame? You no longer have rights. to hold me captive. It's not what I did. It's what Jesus did.
I'm forgiven. One more time. Shame. Make it personal.
Say shame. Shame. You no longer have rights to hold me captive. It's not what I did. It's what the blood did.
I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven.
Shame on you. If he knew. What kind of woman was touching him? See, the beauty and the power of this text is if Jesus knew his thoughts. Verse 40, just in case y'all missed it.
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. Okay. The power of this text is if Jesus knew Simon's thoughts, This means he knew what kind of woman was touching him and he still let her do it. Because Jesus doesn't put shame on you.
Jesus doesn't put condemnation on you. Jesus takes shame off of you. We put shame on ourselves. We put condemnation on ourselves. Religious atmospheres put shame on us.
Graceless churches, communities, and circles put shame on us. Unrepentant sin puts shame on us. Shameful people put shame on us.
Because watch this, shamed people shame people. This is so good. Shame people. Shame people. So if I'm walking around with all of the shame, it's easy for me to put some on you.
Because shame people, talk to me, shame people. Show me somebody who is hypercritical and you just showed me somebody who battles shame. Show me somebody who's judgmental and you just showed me somebody who's walking around like this and when they have conversations with you, it's just their nature to shame you too.
Girl, I know you're not gonna, who do you think you are? Because that's really how I feel about me. This is so good. Because shamed people shame people.
I wonder how many of us, I see you with your dress and your blazer, but this is really how you're dressed. The fig leaves of shame. I see you with your J's, bro.
I see it since you look fly, even though it's 110 degrees outside. I see you look nice, but maybe it's a little hotter for you because you're also wearing shame. So I can't hear the voice of God due to the volume of shame. And what I believe God wants me to tell somebody on today is that God still wants you. I know what you did, but I still want you.
I still have a plan for you. I have not changed my mind about you. I'm not starting to consider another... because of what you did how about this I knew how crazy you were before I called you and I still called you I knew the bad decisions that you are gonna make before I called you and I still called you.
We have to hear this because shame makes us forget it. I still want you. For whoever thinks you're disqualified, let me mess your head up. You still read the 13 letters that the apostle Paul wrote and he was a murderer. You still read Psalms and David committed adultery and murder.
You still read Proverbs and Ecclesiastics and Solomon had his heart so perverted that he loved all types of women. You still read the Bible, right? Peter denied Jesus, you still read what he wrote. Moses got so mad that he was hitting a rock and disqualified himself.
You still read the first five books of the Bible. So if you could still read beyond somebody's flaw, why do you think God can't still flow through you? This is freeing y'all. Shame on you.
Shame on you. I don't know if God could still use me. God still used Abraham, even though Abraham didn't trust God's timing. Can I go a little deeper?
He still considered himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'm like, why didn't you call yourself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel? Because you changed Abram's name to Abraham.
You changed Jacob's name to Israel. So why don't you refer to yourself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when Jacob means deceiver, when Jacob means thief, when Jacob means... the con artist and God was revealing to me it's because I'm the God of that part too I'm the God of the flawed part of you too I'm the God of the messed up part of you too I'm the God of the screwed up version of you too I don't want just Israel I'm the God of Jacob the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Shane It's so loud in our ears that it's causing for us to not even be able to hear the voice of God.
Shame. That's what your secret addiction is causing for you to experience. That's why nobody else knows, brother, about your porn issue, because of shame.
What would they think if? Well, they think about me if this, and unfortunately it's sad to say this, church is not a safe place. Come as you are until we know their receipts.
So now, it's not all churches, but a lot of them, the place that's supposed to teach you triumph is actually giving you trauma. Because God is striving to teach us as a local body, I want you to remember my original kingdom agenda. See, whenever we want to know God's original thoughts on a thing, we go back to scripture to see where it first falls. Well, what does God think about marriage?
Go to his original agenda of marriage, and then we will see God's organic, original thoughts. So, what is God's original kingdom agenda? I'm glad you asked.
Let's go to Genesis chapter 2, verse 20. Genesis chapter 2, verse 20. I want us to look at this text for a second. It says, so Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept. He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman. He brought her to the man, and Adam said, this is now bone of my bone.
And flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. They shall become one flesh. Look at this. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
I don't want you to just breeze past this. I want you to see what was God's original design. It was for men and women to stand before him naked and unashamed.
I'm not hiding anything. I'm not trying to cover up anything. I'm naked and unashamed. Maybe this is why Jesus says, lest we become like little children.
We cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Have you noticed that little children really don't feel shame? My seven-year-old son, I'm telling you, he runs downstairs butt naked all the time, swaying and everything, just running downstairs. If I go over to my nephew's house, my little nephew Ezra, he will come running outside with his three-year-old self naked. I'm like, bro, what are you doing?
No shame. Melody and Jay hop in the bed, morning breath. Hi, Daddy.
How are you doing? How did you sleep? Good, baby. Let's go brush our teeth.
No shame. Notice how children also forgive faster. Themself and others. I wonder do you remember what it was like to be a child?
I understand that all of us have different childhood experiences but if possible just asking this question could be triggering for some of us I understand but if possible can you imagine and remember what it was like being a child before the trauma? But before the abuse, before you ever cared about looking cool with your friends, do you remember what it was like to be a child? Do you remember what it was like when you didn't care about matching? Anybody who has children, you know, purple, turquoise, blue, it don't matter.
And then we'll get mad when you tell them to go change clothes. They don't, they don't care. Do you remember what it was like to be a child?
Do you remember what it was like to not worry about COVID? it. Happy birthday to such and such. Happy birthday to you. And blow out candles and breathe all over the cake, then try to hand you a slice.
I mean, going bowling, we all sticking our fingers in the plate of fries, eating it, then sticking your hands in a bowling ball, then throwing it, high fiving somebody because you made a strike, then eating more fries. Y'all remember what it was like when you weren't worried about catching COVID. Do you remember what it was like when there was no such thing to you as good hair or bad hair? When there was no such thing as a race card? If your friend was white, Asian, Hispanic, all you wanted to know is, do you want to play freeze tag?
I don't care if you're black, Jamaican, I don't care if you're European, do you want to play dodgeball? Do you remember what it was like unless they become like a child? They will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do you remember what it was like before the molestation?
Before the rape? Before your parents got divorced? Before you ever wondered, why don't I have a daddy?
Why on parent-teacher day do my friends have mom and daddy, but I never met mine? Do you remember what it was like before your parents ever told you what goes on in this house stays in this house? All that did was incubate dysfunction and teach us how to smile in public but cry in private.
PhD in inhaling, GED in exhaling. So, no wonder we have a generation that's so used to Instagram. We've been applying filters our whole life. No wonder.
No wonder we saw our parents live lies, so we post lies. We grew up like this. Do you remember? What it was like to be shameless.
To not have shame. I tried to get us to understand this in the exit strategy series. I put this picture of me up when I was a little boy. This picture of me, I was a little boy, I think I had to be six or seven at the time.
Y'all saying, oh, I had no lineup. What did y'all have me wearing? But I didn't care. I didn't care that I really didn't know how to smile.
I just knew show your teeth. Look, right here, I didn't care about if the sermon was good. Right here, I didn't care, will this series be just as good as Trap House?
Right here, there was no word about being stressed by bills or stressed by COVID. I knew mom and daddy were going to take care of everything. I would sleep, fall asleep fast. Some of us wish we could sleep like our children do.
I mean, asleep anywhere. But it's the fig leaves of shame that cover up this little boy. The fig leaves of society.
The fig leaves of expectation. The fig leaves of acceptance. The fig leaves of a platform that made us lose the little child. The one who felt...
naked and unashamed and was comfortable with it. If you look at the text, you can see Genesis chapter 3 verse 6. It says, so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the... The eye, a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
And she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
The first emotion that mankind feels after sin is shame. Shame and fear. And a lot of us, come here Deidre. A lot of us, we're walking around with all of this shame.
So we don't pray. Because this is what I look like going to prayer. And I get ready to come before God, and this is what Jesus is trying to do.
When I go before Him, first He wants to take the shame and throw it away. But then we're like, no. I'm unworthy. Keep taking it.
I'm not clean enough. No, no, no. You don't understand about all the stuff I've done. You don't understand. And every time we go before him in prayer, he keeps on trying to take the shame.
But really, some of us, this is how we look with the Lord. No, I'm disqualified. No, no, no. You don't understand.
I'm not worthy. This is what it looks like. I'm trying to put your shame in the trash, so why do you keep bringing it before me?
See, he's like, I don't even see that anymore. Your sins are as far as the east is from the west. Please don't get it twisted. Once we repent...
Because some shame we feel is the consequence of sin. Because one of the consequences of sin is it gives you mental torment. Okay, once you repent to me, that's trash.
That's trash. I wonder how we would pray if we were to go before the Lord like this. Verses. going before the Lord like this. I wonder how bold our faith would be if we went before the Lord like this.
I wonder if you would view yourself like a son or a daughter if you went before the Lord like this versus every service, every small group. Every time we have discipleship, you come in there, trying to lift your hands, trying to play your role, because for a lot of us that's what has become a role, trying to serve your part. Jesus is like, let me take the shame, let me take it from you because I'm not holding that against you. Hear me, the voice of shame lies to you that Jesus no longer wants you. But he's still, he's madly in love with you.
Thanks, bro. He's still madly in love with you and desires to serve you. What we're seeing in this text is so powerful because she comes in the room with this fragrance.
This fragrance that she puts on Jesus'feet. Somebody say feet. I got to exegete this and go a little deeper. What are you and I?
The hands and feet. She puts her gift, her reputation is known throughout the city, but she puts her gift at the what? Feet of Jesus.
Go a little deeper. She puts her gift on the body of Jesus. You and I have been given gifts by God to use for the body of Christ.
Did y'all hear what I just said? She's using her gift on the body of Christ because you and I are supposed to use our gift for the body of Christ, not for a platform, not for more money, not so people can like you, not for likes, but for the body of Christ. Your teaching gift is for the body of Christ.
Your business mindset is for the body of Christ. Your worship is for God and to encourage the body of Christ. Your podcast is not about your platform.
It's for the body of Christ. So what does the enemy try to do when we have gifts that can be used for the body? He tries to make you feel ashamed so you won't use them. You won't use them.
So somebody under the sound of my voice right now, you're so gifted, you could probably preach... better than me minister better than me I have no problem with that we're many members of one body it's so powerful but the shame won't let you use your gift and that religious leader is saying if he were a prophet he wouldn't let that type of woman touch him and I'm here to let you know yes he would And we are still talking about her today. Today. How many gifts are collecting dust in these chairs right now?
Pastor, I'm just so lonely in my singleness. I'm so bored. You know why you could be bored? It's because you're letting your gifts go to sleep. I promise you.
I want to be a better prayer. Watch the local news on tonight. You'll get a whole prayer list. The harvest is plentiful.
It's the laborers are few and one of the reasons why we won't labor and serve with our gift is because of. So what what what do we do about this pastor? Point number one this is something that changed my life and this is this is when I said I begin to cry this is the moment I begin to cry.
Number one shift the focus. Shift the focus. What do you mean by that pastor?
The more shame I feel is because the more I'm thinking about me. Shift your focus from what you did to who Jesus is. Gosh man, how many times have we questioned?
What God told us to do. How many times have we tried to fix our apparel because we don't want certain things on our body to show? How many times have we operated with so much insecurity that you're not focused on Jesus, you're focused on you?
Me. Jerry, the building, that's not about you. Shift that weight to me.
The outcome, people complaining in this crowd, that's not your fault. You shift and focus on me. The things that you've done, that you feel disqualified to lead from, I'm not even holding that against you. Shift the you to him. It's what he did.
It's who he was. It's his perfection. It's his anointing. It's his holiness.
It's his goodness. It's his saving power. It's his grace.
It's his mercy. You are so shameful because you're making life all about you and what you've done and all the mistakes you made, but when you focus on who he is, it lifts the shame. Shift the focus from you to he. Number two, how do we turn down the volume of shame?
Repentance. If you are living in a lifestyle of blatant sin, you're going to feel shame all the time because the consequence of sin is mental torment. When we repent, meaning turn away, understand I'm not talking about remorse, snotting, and crying.
You can do all that and not change. Repentance turning away. There is an intentional turning away.
What does that look like practically? Deleting the number. Changing your phone number.
You'll be surprised how free you can become when your past can't reach you. That's repentance. I'm trying. Have you got a new number? Deactivate Facebook.
Not out of legalism, but that's keeping me from his book. When your screen time reminder pops up and shows you that your screen time was up 61% this week and you're talking about you don't have time to pray, that's a distraction. It's intentional efforts to seek God's face so that I can give him the utmost worship and the glory. Number three, how do we turn down the volume of shame?
Know the difference between condemnation, excuse me, conviction and shame. Know the difference between conviction and shame. Conviction is God prompting in our hearts to make a decision that brings us closer to Him. So if you feel that, that's called conviction, not shame. Shame gives you a label that keeps you far from Him.
Conviction makes you want to get closer to Him. I want us to see this text, 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Now, one more point and then I'm done. The Apostle Paul says, I am not sorry.
I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you. Though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to hear for a little while, now I'm glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have.
So you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow, but worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in, look at this church family, spiritual death.
Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you. Such earnestness, such a concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm. such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You show that you have done everything.
The apostle Paul is saying, listen, I'm not sorry that you convicted. Look at what it produced in you, repentance. This is why each and every week there are parts where we laugh, there are parts where we shout, and there are parts where the message comes from your neck. And I'm not sorry.
Because it was those same types of sermons that made me get right. It was those same types of sermons when I'm on Pornhub hearing my mama, you are God's temple, you are holy. Hearing that.
That was bothering me. Anybody try to block out God's voice and enjoy your sin? Anybody? Y'all holy, okay, all right.
Last point, point number four, this is critical. Know where to bleed. Know where to bleed. I can't bleed on Facebook.
I'm not gonna vent on social media. I know where to bleed. A lot of us, the shame is so intense because you're bleeding in front of Pharisees.
You're bleeding. In front of shamed people. I could always tell when I've encountered somebody who has been touched by the power of the gospel because they're extremely gracious. Not minimizing the severity of sin, but as individuals who understand we all have divinity moments and humanity moments. Maybe the reason you're battling so much with shame is you're telling the wrong people.
And your shame becomes their gossip conversation. And so the friend with the ear becomes the enemy with the mouth. Whole series on love is, what does love do? Covers.
There are people who have bad mouthed me, who have hurt me, who have confided in some very, very hurtful things I'll never share. I'm going to go to the grave. Even though they tried to hurt me and I got so much tea. It'll never be sermon content. I'm never going to post about it.
It's going to the grave. Because love covers and the same measure you use is that same measure that will be measured back to you. Whoever you are. Just say this, this is my humanity moment.
I can't wait until we have a larger facility because right now will be altar call moment. Right now we would have a serious fire hazard if we tried everybody from all four overflows to come in the sanctuary. But what we're going to do, just because I know if this broke something off me.
I just have a feeling that it's going to break something off somebody else. If there's anybody who has battled with shame, would you just stand to your feet so I could pray for you? That's it. Not going to come down the aisle and do none of that. Now anybody who thinks your shame is just you, look around.
I think everybody's standing up. Remember I told us, this is a voice that has been talking to all of us. All of us, and I recognize while studying and preparing for this sermon, God telling me, Jerry, a lot of people can't hear me.
All they hear is shame. And this is how they look. Every time they come before me, I have to keep on taking that shame away.
So they don't come to me as sons and daughters. They come to me as guilty, verdict-rendered people that they have given themselves that verdict. But they're innocent to me because they're blood covered. So if we could, we could just lift our hands. Not out of religion, but a sign of surrender.
I have nothing on me. I'm not hiding nothing. God, right now in this moment, your children are extending our hands. Maybe some of us for the first time feeling a little free. Help us to remember, God, that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, because the blood is powerful enough to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Father, we pray as our hands are lifted and our hearts are... attentive that this will be the last day that shame has rights over our freedom, that shame has a voice in our life. It's not totally going to go away, but help us to be able to battle it now. Let the visual aid stick to our mind like adhesive so that we can remember every single time we come before the throne, we can come before your throne boldly as sons and daughters because you have taken the shame away by your blood.
Whoever wrestles with forgiving themselves for what they've done, the list can go on and on and on and on and on of what we've done. So help us to remember this simple truth that all of our sins were blood. covered by the power of the cross. And you knew, you knew, this is the mind-blowing part, you knew, I'm not talking about before Christ, I'm talking about currently, you knew the stuff that we would do even though we asked for you to save us and you still wanted us.
Thank you so much for forgiving us of our large debt. Our Lord is dead and I pray that this will be the day that our brother, our sister feels lighter because we have shifted the focus from us to you. And whoever, under the sound of my voice, with their hands lifted, overflow, sanctuary online, whoever has a gift that has not been using it because of shame, convict them.
Convict them so that they can recognize it's selfish to hoard what you have given us for the body. And from this day forward, like this woman, we will use our alabaster box, our gift for the body of Christ, for your glory. It's in your son's name we pray, in Jesus'name, amen.