Shame vs. Conviction [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. This can't be true what you're saying because I need shame in order to curb my sin and it was actually a leader in our church called me up in the middle of that series all those years ago and he said I just want to talk about this is that I don't think I agree with what you're saying and I was already about the 10th week of preaching on this and if so tell me more, and he said well I think we need shame in order to curb our sinful behaviors sit.

Help me understand how that works faster nation this month to Helen Wright ministries that you listed today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us@pastoroutand.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 writing we learn what shame it is a lie. This is, I don't measure up.

And I need to figure out what's wrong and I need to make myself acceptable by measuring up.

We've learned how a stronghold of wrong thinking can be built, and we learn how it can be torn down by the power of the gospel and we have learned the importance of letting go of those painful wounds of healing that comes we really forget. Have we taken some steps of forgiveness.

We have seen the dynamics of shame and maybe you're at this point and you're saying okay well if we don't use shame to curb sin.

How is it that we're going to curb set, don't we need shame. I've heard that over and over. So one my favorite stories is about the mother whose son was living with a female and the mother said that to the sign that she believed it was wrong or man want to be living together like outside of marriage and the son said mother.

It is not a romantic relationship is just a friendship and as a business relationship so that we can share the cost of the apartment but the mother was suspicious of this and one night to the sun and the girl who actually was indeed his girlfriend invited the mother over for supper and that she came over and they had supper together and as the son and his girlfriend were cleaning up afterwards. The girl said I can't seem to find that silver gravy ladle that is used to belong to my grandmother and and she said we use that for serving night. She said is disappeared and the girl said you don't think your mother would've taken it to you. The son said to his local she wouldn't take a while and I'm on take the silver handled gravy ladle and so they said it'll turn up in a week or two went by and it still wasn't there and the girlfriend said I just need you to ask your mom if she took it by any chance, so finally the sun writes an email to his mother and says, dear mom, I'm not saying that you did.

I'm not saying that you didn't but if you took the silver handled gravy ladle. Could you please return it and the mother wrote back a note that was just as succinct dear son.

I'm not saying that you are sleeping with her and I'm not saying that you aren't, but if you weren't sleeping together that she would've found it under the pillow in the other bedroom is that is that shame or is that just some clever conviction of bringing something into the light of the things that we want to make clear is that when we talk about taking shame off of you were not talking about excusing our sin and were not saying that God doesn't care about all of our behaviors. Instead, what were saying is that that shame is is in and of itself, a tool actually of hell that leads us into worse sin, and in the Holy Spirit, who is the greatest teacher was wonderful. What I want to say the most wonderful coach in the world leads you into godly living and considers a different process. I member when I many many years ago I was preaching this series that I was so excited all the healing was taken place and what I realized is not her body like that. In fact, people hated it and still sometimes people hate this message when they first hear it and I don't apply to me or about one of the common responses is. This can't be true what you're saying because I need shame in order to curb my sin and it was actually a leader in our church called me up in the middle of that series all those years ago and he said I just want to talk about this is that I don't think I agree with what you're saying and I was already about the 10th week of preaching on this and so tell me more, and he said well I I think we need shame in order to curb our sinful behaviors that will help me understand how that works.

And he said well and he got quietly got serious and he said this this past week I found some some pornography in my son's room, and realize that he's he's had a problem and he said in the and I think he needs to feel really bad about that.

If he is going to curb that behavior and I said well I'm so sorry to hear that. I know that was upsetting and I continue to talk and he said has actually been a problem for me for many years and I said, more and he went on to tell me he was a leader in the church you want, tell me about his struggles really with a pornography addiction.

One of the most rampant problems. Addictive behaviors that we forgotten our country right now and he said this to me. He said I feel like if I could just really feel worse about this than I could finally maybe over comedy since I don't need to come to church here, shame off you message and I need to hear a message that the it makes me feel ashamed because that's going to be the thing that's going to help me overcome this and I said Tom I said you know I hear what you're saying but the message on proclaiming is saying exactly the opposite I said I don't think that your struggles with pornography are because you haven't had enough shame. I think the shame is actually at the root of it, I said because if you didn't have an anxious heart. If you didn't have wounds in your heart if you didn't have needs of your soul that were not being satisfied and Christ then this temptation would not live so close at hand. I said I think is actually shame that produces anxiety and anxiety calls us out to reach for substitutes to mask that pain and he never got it. Never got it never really got the difference between shame, which is toxic and the conviction of the Holy Spirit which is beautiful. There is no greater story that I know of other than the story of Jesus himself.

No greater story than the story of what we call the prodigal son is in Luke chapter 15. It is really a story of two sons. It really is a story of a prodigal father prodigal meaning being extravagant or lavish over the top is the father who's the extravagant one in his grace in this incredible story. It is, it is my favorite favorite story and it provides is clear is any place in the Scripture a a picture of the difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and shame is Luke 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 Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series to be accepted perfectly free to be yourself with no fear of injection last no more anxious feeling that you feel like the pressure is always on right here in my longing for life with no show of force and the world's relationship since the fall of the human heart has been around can't be to send out tiny perfect in order to meet my lover.

Now roll the heart is pleasing shame and there is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We cleaned look for yourself yourself exposes the house of soul. He leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your cell discomfort freedom joy as you shall performance-based rating shame or fear for good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself.

The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor.like today's teaching. Now you once again is 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 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 hard himself out for the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs 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.

He can come south and he said how many of my father's hired service have more than enough bread) here with hunger all arise and go to my father sago 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 does honor 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 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 be called your son.

He really does feel bad about us in 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 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, is 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 what 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 having 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 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 prostitute kill the fattened From a set him son, you're always with me at all that is mine is yours, was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this brother was dad is alive. He's lost. He was found in the end, the story just ends. It ends with the older brother never coming never 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 to 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 told 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 it 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. The Lord make his face shine valid right. Today's good news teaching shame or godly conviction. It's from the series for yourself. Be yourself and the conference taught by Pastor Alan were back in the studio here in just a few moments with today's final good news also encourage you to stay with us like to be accepted perfectly free to be yourself with no fear of injection rolled her eyes in front of you. I love you last no more anxious feeling that she feel like the pressure is always on your life with no show in Paradise before sinking into the world and this relationship is since the fall of the human heart has been riddled with shame you can't beat some condescending small tiny perfect in order to meet since I'm not a 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 house 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 a few from good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get today.

We will send you a special offer. 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 out.org back now with pastor and let in our closing thought is we place a bookmark right here with shame or godly conviction.

Question will me should make sure listeners. Be sure to do and in tomorrow to hear the rest of this message, because knowing the difference between shame and godly conviction is one the most important things you could ever know in the Christian life. It is part of our inheritance to be able to leave you follow our shepherd and the Shepherd knows her voice we know his voice and this is part of that and so were actually going to explain what are the differences and will use this famous story Daniel of what we call prodigal son but really it's a story of these two sons that her father had and how the younger comes under what is really conviction, while the other stays in his shame.

And it'll show us that there is all the difference in the world and just to give you a little taste of it. Let me say this, the conviction of sin will draw you to the father but shame will push you away and God wants to draw you to his heart. Shame off you. He wants you near his own heart. Guilt and shame are two words that did typically in the Christian world go hand-in-hand together, but there is a distinction between the two right well will learn a lot about your guilt is a real thing right but commit a crime guilty and I have guilt so were all guilty. We all we all have sin, we all fall short of the glory of God.

To say shame off you is not to soften up on sin was not what it means is not to say that grace means that you get salt on sin either as statuses was the solution. All this and what we're distinguishing between the is what some have called true guilt and and fault guilt. But shame is something that's not just the same thing as false guilt and is not even the same thing exactly his condemnation, but what we learn is that shame really is a system of thought.

It is a whole stronghold of the house of thoughts a way of looking at life way of looking at your own life is subtle at times and you don't realize it. And then there are others who been through the deepest and darkest types of trauma, for whom it is poisonous been taken very deeply, is very toxic, but the conviction of sin is will discover is a good thing. That's a gift from God is good to know how we can go a better way is good to know how the grace of God can lead us into a better way of living.

So that's the grace of God conviction. This is not something to be ever shy about is not something we should run to what is good from God. Shame the shame that I describe in this series, Daniel is something we say it is toxic production. Alan Wright Ministries