Shame vs. Conviction [Part 2]

Author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. I think always like that is like.

I smell something better than this. You know this is what I'm doing right now. And there's something better than this. This is what's taking place in his heart that Pastor excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series for yourself yourself. Fire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now could be yours for your donation this month to Helen Wright ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program.

Now let's get started with today's teaching here. Alan Wright chapter 15 verse 11 there was a man who had two sons and the younger of them said to his father. Father give me the share of property that's coming to me and he divided his property between them.

It would've been unthinkable for a son to ask his father for his inheritance early. It was like saying I wish you were dead. That's what not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had. He took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property and records living in when he spent everything a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need. So when hired himself out for the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs and unclean animal for the Jewish boy to even associate with. He was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate and no one even anything but verse 17 says when he came to himself. What a great line of Scripture. This is to me a picture of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He came to himself a king himself, and he said how many of my father's hired service have more than enough bread but I perish here with hunger all arise, go to my father how Satan father have sinned against heaven and before you are no longer worthy to be called your son.

Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father so this rebellious younger son squanders his inheritance brings scandal. Remember, this is mid eastern culture that is built around the principles of shame and honor.

He has dishonored his father's name, dishonor his family squandered his and hello inheritance we have the impression it is a wealthy man so this is a lot of money that is been lost. This is a huge error.

This is abject rebellion. This is current behavior and he gets to the point. He's nearly starving to death and he says I'm going to I'm I'm just gonna go home. He doesn't know everything about what is going to be like when he gets home he doesn't know he doesn't know his father's reaction. He just biases. He came to himself that he had this awareness that there's something better than this always like to think of it this that while he is hungering to just even eat the pig slop something in his mind he remembers lamb chops on his father's grill I sold.

I think of the conviction of the Holy Spirit like that is like. I smell something better than this. You know this stinks what I'm doing right now. And there's something better than this. This is what's taking place in his heart.

That's the conviction of the Holy Spirit and that conviction of the Holy Spirit. It just draws him back to his father.

He comes back rehearsing this speech about. I'm no longer worthy. He's sorry he's remorseful but here's what we learn in verse 20 and he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, which means his father was looking for in his father while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him in the sunset father have sinned against heaven and before you will no longer worthy to be called your son. He really does feel bad about a sin. But while he's feeling bad about his sanity says I'm not worthy to be called your son is also called an father. You see the irony of that in any sin. The father's arms. The father's hugging and kissing him and the father said to service bring quickly the Metro put it on him put a ring on his hand shoes on his feet and bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for the son of mine was dead and is alive. He's lost and he is found, and they began to celebrate the conviction that came upon that young man was something better than this.

In my father's house. I may not understand just how wonderful it is this better than this.

This is not what I was made for. This is not who I am when I doing here. Contrast the older son verse 25 was in the field and AC came and drew near the house. He heard music and dancing. He called one of his servants and asked with these things meant a center of your brothers, your father's kill the fattened calf because you receive them back safe and sound, but the older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him the father is pleading with him. Can you hear the father saying please come into the celebration.

This is the greatest moment of our lives. We have the greatest party we've ever had come in, come in.

This this this brother of yours. He was glossy spouting steel.

He was daddy's alive you come in.

The father is pleading with the older brother come in an older brother said he look verse 29. These many years I've served you and I never disobeyed your command that you never gave me a young goat that I may celebrate my friends.

When this son of yours came is devoured your property will prostrate you kill the fattened calf from a set him son, you're always with me and all that is mine is yours, was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this brother was dad is alive is lost.

He was found in the end, the story just ends. It ends with the older brother never coming never and enter the property so the younger brother. All of that sin becomes a picture, the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The older brother who was at home, dutifully's himself his own words, slaving for his father working to try to earn his place and never coming into the celebration and never experiencing the father's embrace. That's a picture of shame.

What's interesting is that the world would applaud the older brother in the world would condemn the younger but in God's economy. It was the conviction that came upon the younger that is celebrated because what does the father want to sign in his arms. I was always taken even before I read the book when I had first seen Rembrandts they missed the return of the prodigal, but after reading now and's book on the subject. It became an object of fascination for me.

Rembrandt never fully explained who all the figures are in.

In this masterpiece we know that the prodigal they are broken in tattered clothes one shoe fallen off his ear.

His face next to the father's heart and the father's tender tender embrace. We know that's the father. We know that's the prodigal were not not hold for sure is the is the figure on the right is this to represent the older brother.

We know he was never actually in the scene but maybe many have said that artistically Rembrandt put them there.

They are looking down looking down on it. Looking looking with a distant sense of observation and and with with with disdain. There are whether the camera captures it or not, there are shadowy figures that are also back in the dark and ran Rembrandt was a master of light and and so you see that there is those that just drifted into the darkness. Who are these who are these figures that watch this spectacle of a son who ashamed his father and the father looking past all the shame because his love is so great. And when what I love about about the painting.

Most of all is where your eye focus is in it comes to the light on the father's face and the light on the father's hand, and I can't look at this masterpiece without out thinking the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you in the Lord make his face to shine upon you and Helen right will have more teaching moment from today's important series to be accepted perfectly free to be yourself with no fear of injection rolled her eyes. Last no more anxious feeling that you feel like the pressure is always on right here in my longing for life with no show in Paradise before sending the world's relationship notion since the fall of the human heart has been around can't be truly comfortable sin condescend tiny perfect in order to meet others to decide who listens on the measure at them as well. Right now the road ahead is pleasing shame and there is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ. How we kind look for yourself yourself exposes the laterals of shame. He leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your cell discomfort freedom joy as you show performance-based living. Shame and fear for good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself. The policy at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past our.work days teaching now can you once again is now in who was such a brilliant man such as such an intellect. Such a teacher, a so eloquent and and yet he said as he wrote in his reflections. In looking at this painting when he stared at it. The original for so many hours in any reflected about how much she said in my own life I wanted to be that one that's there in the father's arms next to the heart of of God and in surrender and and without thought about what others think, but instead is an intellectual academician. He said so often I see myself distant identified with that to a lot of my Christian life earlier. My Christian life I felt like I could say all the right things I like. I wished I was. I could quote the Scriptures and and yet I felt like I was one of these figures a little bit. The distance never quite the one just the right there in the father's embrace and yet that's where I want to be. That's what we all want to be. We want to be there where we are in the brace of the father and and so I'm taken by this and taken by this this this this masterpiece of Rembrandts and it brings it brings some thoughts to mind that we learn from the story. You can always count on these differences between conviction of the Holy Spirit and of what shame does conviction of the Holy Spirit. If it's really God that's moving you and speaking to you. It is going to lead you towards intimacy with the father. The Lord does not want to speak to you, lead you or interact with you in a way that is gonna push you away from his heart. He's drawing you towards him. So if you can spirit experience conviction it will bring intimacy but shame will bring distance as we have been learning shame you don't measure up. You're not worth being loved and to you measure up your not gonna be accepted as we have learned that voice causes you to cover yourself hi and to distance yourself from the very love you need. Also, you realize conviction offers relationship. The conviction of the Holy Spirit will lead you into a deepening relationship with God and as we have been learning shame.

On the other hand offers rules. Shame is never about relationship.

Shame is about rules in this house we have to measure up. We got to keep up appearances.

We got to do this we got it it it it it's about the rules and you hear it in the older brother you hear what he saying he sang. I've been keeping all the rules. Why why why isn't this being celebrated in the father same everything I have is yours. Missing my heart to the heart is for relationship. Christianity is not a religion. It is not a religious system and it is certainly not a set of rules. It is a person, Jesus Christ, and it is an invitation in a spiritual mystery to have him abide with you and you abide with him. The gospel is all about conviction of the Holy Spirit treats us like the errors that we are to love this, that the son comes home and he's rehearsing this speech about.

I'm not worthy to be called your son. The father literally interrupts the speech as is bring the robe bring the ring and bring the sandals. What all of those were symbols of freedom of honor of authority of Royal standing. In other words you right now feel the worst you've ever felt about yourself and your life and you feel totally and completely unworthy. You are my son and you are my air no matter how much you have squandered your living over these past months and so it is that shame may treat you like a slave but conviction of the Holy Spirit will treat you like an area you could always always count on that. If you're hearing the voice that is telling you. Your problem is that you're not keeping up all the rules and you need to start slaving more that message of moralism that religious legalism is from the pit of hell. That's not Jesus. It also reminds me that the conviction of the Holy Spirit moves quickly to celebration. But shame always postpones the party.

One of the symptoms of of the unhealthy shame-based home is at or very little celebration and in a very healthy home filled with the Holy Spirit. There is celebration upon celebration when I got married my wife. I thought there's some wrong with the woman she celebrated so much.

My home was grown up and we had a little bit of silver as we celebrate birthdays and no Christian on wheat we were but but not I mean you bring home straight A's in my family and thereby made a big deal of it. I think all my wife when I married her. I thought what is wrong with her she want to celebrate everything you know, just everything we celebrate. You love to give gifts celebrate things, honor people and we had kids.

I thought what is going on here until I began to get a better grasp of the gospel, you know, the kingdom of God is described as a party. It is the great wedding banquet. Biggest of all celebrations was a wedding feast and that's what Jesus said the kingdom of God is like. It is a home-going huge celebration. And anyway, my wife helped me learn much healthier because it's one of things that happens, we can take this message for homes that if our children perform well but they're not celebrated, then what is the message.

The messages once I got a guy got a do around here to to get some affirmation if there celebrated over even the little thing what they can begin to realize is that life has joy and that I don't have to be perfect in order to be celebrated. Ever notice that even even God. Even the Lord himself when he created the first day, let there be light and he said that's good as good an end and he celebrated even though he hadn't finished it yet. He just celebrated each step of creation so there's a all the difference in the world between shame and conviction. And if you begin to see the conviction of the Holy Spirit for what that wonderful gift really has it become actually attractive. Some years ago I saw it this way. I play golf and I talk about golf too much.

Wish I could play better golf used to minigolf illustrations but here comes one so golfers love to get better were funny though is golfers most adult golfers that if they don't take very many lessons we should take lessons, but but lessons really help.

Well, years ago. I just was reading golf magazine I saw this article.

This is many many years ago and it it was quoting some of the figures that compensation that some of the pros would get for doing a business outing a day apart with some corporate outing and what astounded me was Greg Norman who at one time was no more player in the world. It this was many, many years ago how much it costs to get Greg Norman for one day to come and hang out with your business. $200,000 as long time ago to a member thinking at that time I thought if that's Greg Norman. How much would it cost to get Tiger Woods you know the best offer found out you can't get Tiger Woods. He doesn't do them and but let's say you could've gotten Tiger Woods and he would charge $1 million for a day. Let's say that I had $1 million. Let's say I was crazy enough to spend that million dollars to get Tiger Woods for the day. Imagine for just a moment that I got Tiger Woods for a day and Tiger Woods comes out and he is going to help teach me he's going to and I stand up first. He said I will me to see had a few I get up there in a hole get lined up from a first shot, and Tiger goes all second their allies to let me work on that grip right there. I think it will to strongest bring that group that hit write him back over here just a little bit. Could you imagine me saying to Tiger Woods.

Don't tell me how to fix my grip think you are, I bring you out here to teach me something like that hit it well that would be the dumbest thing in the world about the item million dollars that the greatest golfer in the world, give me a few pointers. The last thing I want to do is say don't tell me what to do. Instead, I would embrace it.

Of course every bit I would count it a great honor that he was teaching me something you have living in you, the Holy Spirit, he is the greatest teacher in the world. He's God and what's more is he loves you perfectly. So if the Holy Spirit is going to nudge you teach you convict you correct you, it's not because he has condemnation towards you is because he has so much affection for you and so I invite you to not only recognize the difference between shame and conviction, but reject the voices of shame and welcome the conviction of the Holy Spirit � Alan Wright in today's good news teaching shame or godly conviction from our series for yourself. Be yourself.

Pastor Alan is back in the studio here in just a few moments with today's parting good news thought stick with us like to be accepted perfectly free to be yourself for projection roll their eyes and letting last no more anxious feeling that you feel like the pressure is always on longing for life with no paradise before sin came into the world Bible tells us only in this relationship notion since the fall has been riddled with shame you can't be truly September shame condescend our tiny perfect in order to meet to decide.

Since on the measure at them as well. Right now the road ahead is pleasing shame and there is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ only cleaned look for yourself yourself exposes the laterals of shame. He leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your cell discover freedom joy as you shall performance-based rating shame or fear for good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself.

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We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor our and got to work but you know Pascarella and I think well-meaning Christians will sometimes compare the two are actually quite the two conviction and shame. Well, I think one of the biggest challenge when I first preached a series Daniel was there, the Christians of the will.

Do we need shame we need.

Shame know we need the conviction of the Holy Spirit and is entirely different, as we have been learning as a radical thought. But it's one I want to leave with our listeners. Shame is something that we want to reject and be healed.

But conviction of the Holy Spirit is a gift and therefore the more we mature and understand it as a gift we wouldn't run from it would run toward it, and that doesn't mean that God wants is wallowing about in our sand and thinking about the thoughts of our sin know it just like when we feel distant from the father.

It's not the father that's moved and we're like the prodigal conviction is coming to yourself remembering all that God has for you and who you really are and is a foundational change in your life when you start thinking God's greatest teacher in the world and I am so glad to be his student, so I want everything he has to teach me today's good news message listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries