Escape for the Scapegoat

*Author and Bible teacher Alan Wright everyone who's ever going to know Christ begins with knowing that glorious news he loves you. He died for you took away your sin by paying the debt for your sin that's faster excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series for yourself yourself. I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now to 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.

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More on that later in the program. Now let's get started with today's teaching here Alan Wright what happens in shame-based homes is that the children often grow up never being instilled with a clear sense of healthy boundaries. They have a sense that I exist to perform or to please others. If you think that you exist in order to please others, then your mind, even as a child is asking what do I need to do to make you happy. What do I need to do so everybody will be pleased with me what what and that child has a hard time even understanding what he or she really wants himself is not validated.

If you take the most extreme form of shame abuse, molestation, which on thinking unthinkable numbers of people have suffered tremendous tragedy. What it says in cases of abuse of Melissa. It says essentially to the child.

You exist for my pleasure. You exist to be used by me and the child. Therefore has no healthy boundaries. If I exist for other people to use me that how that child ever beheld a note how to say yes how to say no how to grow up as a teenage girl and say to the boy.

No, no, are to grow up as a man and be in the workplace and build up to be don't have healthy boundaries about when he says that's enough and I need take some Sabbath now. All of these closures at all just get totally and completely blurred in a shame based on healthy pump in a healthy home.

You see, what happens is that is very clear that the child is honored that yes, there's discipline, but his loving discipline in the child is not used, the child may have tasks and chores.

Of course in a healthy home but it's understood that you are a very valuable human being, in and of yourself. We respect to you are as a person with respect to your issues of privacy respect. Respect the fact that that you don't exist just to please us. We it's you.

We celebrate you you what you want, matters would like to hear what you're thinking all of this just as natural and healthy home.

You're not thinking about it just happens naturally. Child is learning what I want matters and and I've got many wonderful things to give. But what I have and what I and who I am is very important and people should just take that for me that that that's that's healthy there. There is another way of thinking about about boundaries you to think of it as a tale of five fences imagine that you're just riding down the road and you see a farm in Cowles out in the field and and and you see you see field and there's no fence with that would be an example of lost or nonexistent boundaries, no fence whatsoever. Anybody could come and go, cows come and go.

Thanks. Nothing's nothing say, imagine you drive down the road just a little bit further and then you come to a broken fence and there's some places where the fence is healthy but other places where it's just broken. That would be an example of what you might call unclear boundaries.

There are sometimes was unclear us is spotty. It's broken you is is is not clear back to our knowledge of large pickups like your people always try to read you are at was would did you meet wanted to serve in that. Why did you want to give in that way, and it was her art was your time. Not really available in your present doing this week is unclear. Maybe you drive a little further down and you see a partial fence you see that sometimes a defense sometimes is not a fit.

Sometimes offense sometimes not fence this is what you might call boundaries become blurred and and and people around you again that there there unclear about about what what what are you saying maybe drive a little bit further and what you see now is that there's not only offense is a big rigid brick wall tall all the way across and you can see in and there's no gait and you can't see out and you might call this this is become rigid boundaries for some people the way they respond to not having healthy boundaries as it is put a wall up around their heart. I'm not gonna let anybody in, and I'm not gonna let anybody know me wall she that's actually a response to not having healthy boundaries, but if you drove a little further down what you saw was a good fence and had a good gait.

No words the farmer can let anyone in.

He can let anyone out. You can see into the fields. Not like were just have a wall here where you can't see anything is just that there's offense is very clear what the boundary is, but there's also a gate and I can choose to let people and let people out according to what I feel is appropriate. That's that's what healthy boundaries are is interesting in the Scriptures that many people I had time alive. I didn't realize that on one the most important ceremonial days in the life of Israel that the day of atonement, that there were actually two goats on that day.

We know. I think all of us that are Christians know something about how Jesus became the fulfillment of the Old Testament picture of the sacrificial lamb. The sin offering, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world so there was a goat on the day of atonement that was offered for the people.

Sin is that goats blood was shed innocent blood of an innocent animal and unblemished animal shed, symbolically paying the debt for the sins of the people for their guilt. But did you know there were two goats on the day of atonement, Leviticus chapter 16 reading some of the instructions for the day of atonement because chapter 16 verse 15. Speaking of what the priest is to do, he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull sprinkling over the mercy seat in front of the mercy seat. Thus, he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanliness is the people of Israel and because of their transgressions all their sins and so he shall do the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanliness is no one may come to be in the tent of meeting.

From the time he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out and made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel, then you shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for this is the description of the blood offering the goat that is offered for the for the sins of the people. But there's another goat also on that day, and in this we read about at verse 20 and when he is made an end of atoning for the holy place in the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. This is a live goat and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, they shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness and the goat shall bear all the iniquities on itself to a remote area and he shall let go go free in the wilderness.

There are two goats on the day of atonement was that there was a sin offering with a they put the weight of the sin of the people on to this on to this goat and they think they slay the goat in the blood that was shed was a symbol of paying for the debt of the sin.

But there's another goat and this was the goat that's called the scapegoat and what their dues, they lay their hands on the scapegoat and wouldn't kill the goat but they send the goat out to well by himself in a solitary place out in the wilderness. You just go out and bear our shame was a goat that was paying for sin and there was a goat that was bearing the shame and the whole point was that goat goes out into a solitary place out in the wilderness alone. You don't have any fellowship with anybody else you're just an outcast from our midst was getting in touch with both the inward sense that there must be a payment for our sin, but something also must bear our shame is is escape the heat on to you.

The shame of Israel. Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series something is holding you back if you could change everything. Is there someone referencing step missing the timeless power on the vision spoken over I will never rise to our God-given tension and move forward confidently under the favor of fees, I turned every curse and blessing in your life and empower the people you have contact us today. Alan Wright snooper the power to Blacks. We have a very special gift of $40 and more ministries listening to copies of the beautiful had had a for you and one for you to share his expression of our gratitude for your generous gift will also include a DVD to important teachings with additional content only against this ministry possible. So please partner with us to help us reach thousands of people with the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. And when you do, you'll become empowered to change the world year draws to a close this final month of the year partnership 877-544-4860 come to our website. Pastor Alan.org blessing your life. Grace filled vision for the rights of free grace and encouragement. Allen writes a daily blessing. It's free.

Just a click away. Pastor got away these teaching you once again is was getting in touch with both the inward sense that there must be a payment for our sin, but something also must bear our shape. It is escape the heat on to you. The shame of Israel while we are all prone when we have shame to want to do something with the pain of that shame and we want to we want to see it transferred somehow to someone else. And so there is always a temptation to make someone into a scapegoat, the perfect picture of the scapegoat is Charlie Brown. Good old Charlie Brown thing about Charlie Brown is why was it Charlie Brown. What was it about Charlie Brown. Was he really a blockhead.

Was he really dumber than the rest of him was he really just plain or was he really just the problem why Charlie Brown not told why Charlie Brown is just Charlie Brown because it's Charlie Brown.

In fact the matter.

The genius of Charles Scholz in the whole character Charlie Brown is there times you realize Charlie Brown is the smartest of them all when he goes out and gets that little Charlie Brown Christmas tree and brings it back. He's actually the only one is capturing the real meaning of Christmas in his heart and in the end there is a little celebration of Charlie Brown but there always a Charlie Brown you blockhead Charlie Brown. You ruined our play Charlie Brown. You've done some dumb things with.

This is the dumbest thing ever done what's going on there. That's a picture of scapegoating we feel bad about our Christmas place of work in a blame you.

Charlie Brown, so we don't have to feel bad about it if we could pick out somebody and say they are the problem. It's like figuratively just laying hands upon the scapegoat and confessing all of our shame, and is sending it out into the wilderness, all on its own. This is at the heart of racism. This is at the heart of any time where there's a whole culture or institution that picks out a whole group of people and says you're the problem, and this becomes something that is quite characteristic and unhealthy homes in a shamefaced home. Often they'll be one of the children will be picked out as the scapegoat. Maybe Johnny is the one who's just getting a little bit more trouble at school and instead of the family dealing with the deep inward issues of shame that are in that family start focusing on Johnny Johnny's the problem. Johnny is is always in trouble, our family would be healthy if it weren't for Johnny and there's Johnny feeling like all the way to the world is been pressed in upon them like the hands of everyone are laid upon him, and all of the wickedness of the family confessed over him and he's got to dwell in an isolated place. So many Christians have experienced in the and in some beautiful way, a sense of what it means for Jesus to pay the debt of your sin and if you've never experienced that if you've never embraced it in its fullness, may remind you of the gospel that the gospel of Jesus Christ announces that there was a debt of sin so great we could never pay it that there was no one who was righteous, who could live a righteous life as a human being and represent humanity and so God sent his only begotten son so that Jesus who was God became flesh, a full human being, so that he could represent all human beings when he paid the debt of sin is so everything that is good about the good news begins with understanding this there.

When you accept Christ.

You accept the fact that Jesus paid the debt for your sin and incredible exchange took place. The Bible says Jesus who knew no sin became sin so that we would become his righteousness. Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world and everyone who's ever going to know Christ begins with knowing that glorious news he loves you. He died for you took away your standby paying the debt for your sin. Christians understand that, and yet it only begins there because the Christian life is not only discovering I'm saved and went to live with God forever Christian life is discovering how free we are in Christ and in order for that to happen we have to allow Jesus, only to be the Lamb that was slain after also allow him to bear shame.

Isaiah prophesied it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and make his life a guilt offering that was the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, but because we also needed someone to bear our shame. Isaiah said he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. She carried them to hell for us. He carried them to the desolate place. What happens is when you discover the gospel all the messages of your life been communicating to you that you don't matter. You just exist to please others. You don't measure up, and you need to spend your whole life just just trying to figure out what you need to do to please other people, so that finally they will accept you something radical happens, you receive the gospel we receive the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. What you receive as an astounding assurance that in Jesus Christ. You have been forever fully accepted, which means that you are of infinite value and nothing can ever change that in a self-worth that comes into you explodes on the inside of you. Did you realize I matter so much to God that he died for. It doesn't take away from the fact that I was born in sin, it doesn't excuse my wrongdoing. What it means beloved is it you really matter what you want really matters and that the Holy Spirit can lead you about who to say yes to say no to an other words, the gospel is the answer to unhealthy boundaries will never have our boundaries healed simply by studying the techniques will never have it. Never have it fixed by just allowing to put up a big wall and nobody is going to get to me know.

Instead, this is an invitation for your heart to be made supple and open to the leadings and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, you have a lot to give and there's some things that you just need to put out there and let everybody know this is available but there also some things that are very precious things that are precious to God's not calling you to give away things is not calling you to do instead is making it clear to you by his leaving no this is not at the curbside. If you've been hurt. If you've been abused people alive haven't treated you like what you want matters that I pray that you will see Jesus is not only the Lamb who was slain but also that you would see that Jesus is a scapegoat and he has carried your sorrows away. Let Jesus be everything to you, let him be both the Lamb and the scapegoat and may your heart be free pass gospel Allen right in today's teaching escape for the scapegoat from our series for yourself. Be yourself. Pastor Alan is back with us joining us here this to you in just a few moments for today's sporting good news thought stick with this something is holding you back if you could change everything. Is there someone you referencing step need a timeless power we save vision spoken over I will never rise to our God shall move forward confidently under the favor of entering place every curse and blessing in your life and empower the people you love. Contact us today. Pastor Alan writes new power to Blacks we have are very special when you make a gift of $40 and more ministries with engine two copies of the beautiful had had one for you to share as a gift and expression of our gratitude for your generous gift will also include a DVD to important teachings. Additional content straddling your gas only against this ministry possible. So please partner with us to help us reach thousands of people every day gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ. And when you do, you'll become empowered to change the world year draws to a close. In this final month of the year partnership, 877-544-4861 come to our website. Pastor Alan.org blessing your life. Grace filled for signing rights, free grace and encouragement. Alan writes a daily blessing. It's free. Just a click away.

Pastor got away back now with pastor out in the studio with our good news. Thought for the day. Pastor Alan do Christ's words, it is finished really seem to apply right here with this teaching.

It is finished. We don't add to it will take away from it and that's the greatest security we could ever have Daniel know.

Maybe it's important Daniel to leave our parting word with those that have been hurt the most, and maybe 20 a female listener right now and we know the statistics sadly of how many have been in some way abused, misused or molested and I just feel like it's imperative to say you do not exist for the pleasing of others. You do not exist to be used by others. You exist because God made you glorious. He made you beautiful and he made you for wondrous purposes in this world. No one should be allowed to make a scapegoat if you let Christ take all your shame let Christ be the scapegoat and you child of God live free in Jesus name. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online@pastor.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching. Not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching right to your email inbox free. Find out more about these and other resources at pastor out how to work that's pastor out.org.

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