Easter Message – Breaking the Shame Barrier

Hebrews 12:2-3 (NKJV):

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Acts 2:17:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.

In life, as we begin to pursue the dreams and visions God has placed in us, we tend to grapple with issues of shame and guilt. These will cripple us and thus prevent us from fulfilling our destiny in God.

God has great plans for us, but the devil will always plot against our dreams and visions.

Examples of bible people who broke through the barrier of shame:

1. Joseph in the Bible – he was unwanted; sold by his brothers and accused of raping Potiphar’s wife.

2. Peter – denied Jesus 3 times, felt ashamed of his betrayal of Jesus. He later became an important apostle.

What is Shame?

Shame is a fear-based emotion that makes one believe one is unworthy and unlovable.

-Failure

-Not a good person

-Embarrassed about yourself

Shame is closely linked with guilt. However, there is a difference between the two.

Guilt is feeling sorry and sorrowful for something after it has been done BUT shame is a general feeling about yourself.

5 ways Shame can destroy you:

1. => Shame robs you of the motivation to SEEK CARE.

-You reject care and concern; results in helplessness to hopelessness.

2. =>Shame robs you of HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.
-You lock yourself and become emotionally shutdown.

-It could be past bad experiences that make you as such; that you fear communicating.

3 . =>Shame causes ANGER and AGGRESSION.

-You become angry with people around you who put you in such a spot.

-Bitterness breeds and you are unable to see yourself loving people around you.

4. =>Shame causes PSYCHOLOGICAL problems.

-Eating disorders

-Nightmares

-Very negative mindset

-A mind that is not guarded by salvation

5 . =>Shame causes problematic MORAL behaviors.

-Crime

-Early sexual activities

-BGR

-Drugs

Shame is very destructive to our soul!

Shame is so prevalent in our Asian culture:

‘…Results are worst in the family…shame on you! You are the black sheep of the family…’

BUT thank God, on the cross Jesus:

è Accepted all emotional rejection

è Endured all verbal abuses – the Roman soldiers hit him on his head and asked him to prophesy who had hit him.

è Accepted all physical abuses.

Isaiah 53:3-4 (NLT):

He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.

We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

Verse 5: But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

Shame is a bruising feeling…

ANYTHING you feel, Jesus can heal!