Discover Your True Self - You are Competent, Part 1

Shame is a powerful feeling of regret, self-hatred, and this painful feeling, or experience of believing that were flawed and therefore unworthy of love: some people ignore some people were crippled by what is Jesus answered, shame that welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching up to this program.

Chip continues a series discover your true self.

Just before we get started, let me encourage you to try using message notes notes containers outline scripture references and much more for quick download. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the broadcast or filling notes on the M now this message, you are competent Ephesians chapter 1.

Here's chip.

The first most important thing is how you see God. The second most important thing about you as a person is what comes into your mind when you think about yourself so that collage that mirror how you see yourself. There's all kind of fears that shape us, but there's not just fears that warp our view of ourselves or certain feelings and at the top of the list of the feelings that probably does more damage to how you see yourself and impacts every relationship and nearly all your behavior is a feeling called shame to pull out your notes. I want you to get an actual definition. Shame is a painful feeling of regret, self-hate and dishonor.

Renée Brown describes it as a painful feeling, or experience of believing that you are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging interesting. You can teach something and then have interaction in the interaction after the last service really shape how this one came together what people shared with me. I had a number of really great illustrations that I shared, but they weren't even close to the number of people sitting in this room and last night who live with the shame that there's an abortion in your past and you never shared it with anyone or you're a man who preach someone to have an abortion and one that bubbles up to the surface there is a part of you that feels unlovable and like you're being punished.

There's a number of people in this room that have an un-biblical divorce that they just got fed up and you broke away or someone left you or you have a divorce in your past and literally people don't know is like 20 some years ago, because somehow you think that Mark she was a second-class Christian that it's the unpardonable sin for others. You drug addiction, sexual promiscuity and then you had this major change and now you're walking with God and yet there's there's just parts of your past that when those things come up certain songs you hear on the radio man. The last thing in the world you want is a friend or any of your kids to know sort of what you quote used to be like it's shame and that's shame there's that does something to you. You you are who you are. Some of your struggles driven. Thus, the desire for everything to look good and for your kids to be so much different than you and just shapes us and for others in this room. What wasn't personal things that you did it. Some things that people did to you. It's interesting to meet people that look really great and find yourself in a living room or the coffee shop and as my wife is done every year with different groups of women and I'm hell look great and like within. She never tells me names and she's super with confidentiality. She said chip you cannot believe the pain in our church. One woman broke down in tears as her father committed suicide and its marked her life. I have three women out of the 22 that were sexually abused as children. One woman said she's never told anyone. She currently has a son in prison, but she feels ashamed and therefore what I want to know is shame is debilitating. Shame marks your life. Shame is what keeps you from believing that your were the it's like BBs off of the tank.

When I talk about God as your father and your adopted in your valuable and you redeemed any paid for you and he loves you and and all that is just like BBs off of the tank where you feel like I gotta earn it. And I gotta perform or some of you are living in shame right now with private lives and duplicity in addictions because you medicate and you feel inferior and you're desperately afraid.

Like all the rest of us.

If someone really knew who the real you was that project were to go to very sensitive place.

Notice in your notes. Shame usually results in guilt and self depreciation.

Here's the good news, but can also lead us to search for God and his answers. I know what I just scared. I just wish sometimes I might have a video camera and you can see you the way I see you after what I just shared you could see the faces in the body language you know what you actually feel really good because you would go wow I'm not the only one, and I was trying not to show it to everyone in this room has been deeply marked by shame some far more than others.

In fact, the un-healthy things that happen when that impacts our life is sweet. We have feelings of inferiority.

Often the people never see self-destructive behaviors within the last 12 hours I've heard of two specific suicides of people whose life was going well. They lost their job and they just couldn't face the future, self-pity, past 70 suck some some of you haven't taken a risk and so long you can't remember some of you when we talk about getting in a group or using your gifts no way because you're convinced that you're not competent but your fail and the people will think less of you. Just like your parents did, or that teacher did or your peers withdrawing and hiding is a very common response for some of us we go the other direction on the driven person.

I've covered my shame and my inadequacy and my insecurity by being the ultra overachiever. I was the shame of the shortest kid in my class who couldn't make it and I've been living most of my life, at least, apart from Christ, with all show you all show you what someone really short and really skinny can do if I work harder than everyone else and that imprint that imprint has taken years to transition and understand. I do need to prove anything to anyone. I am loved and accepted by my father.

There are some even in this room when you look in the mirror. It's painful because you don't like how you look and if you're a young woman in our world. You have been so overwhelmed with you're not skinny enough.

You're not beautiful enough. You're not smart enough. You're not anything enough. Girls have never been more successful GPA college enrollment all the rest, and may have never felt more like they don't measure up teen depression team suicide boys and girls is off the charts in our day and climbing and a lot of it is parents creating a world that you need to be a Supergirl or a super guy have everything together and if they don't excel at everything in the matter how much they excel there driven to the next level and all with the good intentions of parents who quote want them to be successful and when they don't measure up.

They feel shame turn in your notes and let's get to the answer because shame is powerful and debilitating.

But grace is more powerful. So what's God's antidote to shame. From the first time that shame entered the planet.

It happened in the garden, and it was true. Shame, not false shame. It was the shame of knowing the right thing to do and wanting to be God wanting to usurp God and believing that it if you would do this thing that you would be just like God and God has dealt with shame in that first garden, then the way he does now.

First, he asked a question to get you and me to be honest, have you eaten have you done something wrong. Second question fascia shame. Who told you that you were naked and then finally he covers their shame and he forgives and even repairs and starts a journey of healing.

The Bible's promises that if any man earth. Any woman is in Christ, you are a new creation the old things literally. The tent is passed away there gone.

Behold, it's a process. All things become new. God's antidote to shame as the gospel's antidote to shame is that God the son came and lived a perfect life, died in your place, rose from the dead offers healing and restoration work that's easy to say how does that really work. And if it's true, why are there so many Christians whose lives don't seem to be that much different or that privately or still living with shame after years and years and years of being a follower of Christ. The apostle Paul's shows exactly why that is and how it can be different in the book of Ephesians. The context is he's reminded that Ephesian church in us of this dramatic new standing with God that we have every spiritual blessing in Christ and then in one long sentence versus 314.

He said memory your chosen you're wanted peace in your adopted.

You have the father he said you redeemed your valuable you are secure even sealed with the spirit, all these amazing things he says these things are true of us and then he does something better. Not you. Some of the things I've known have been true me for years and years and years and years and yet I still try to overachieve. I still have the same open. I'm guessing you do to. So how do you get things from your head truth that you agree with two truth it's not just with you, but in you apostle Paul model something for us. Look at verse 15. For this reason.

What reason.

Since all these things are true view. The apostle Paul writes ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. Notice how many times he talks about the power of prayer. I haven't stopped giving thanks for you focus on the change in what's happened in your life remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking present tense continually. I keep on asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father hears his request may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation spirit of wisdom is insight, insight and awareness. It's that aha moment that God would buy his spirit as we pray for others and pray for ourselves would take these truths about adoption and about redemption.

All this is how it actually applies to me and my history and my shame and my failure and not only you give me a spirit of wisdom, but a spirit of revelation.

In other words, the word just means that the truth would be unveiled, that you would see it like never before and the goal is that you would know God better. Please put a box around the word no in your notes. There's two primary words in Greek for no this is one of it means an intimate, personal experience, we know by way of personal experience. He's praying that all those truths will come from their head to their heart so they would know in their soul in their emotions that how they would view themselves would completely change because they begin to actually believe and experience God's my father. I'm actually wanted you know my dad didn't want me but God does.

I'm actually valuable. I was called a loser.

But God says I'm valuable and those things will go from here to here because we would see God for who you but that's only the first burn notice a second prayer. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, you might right above that grammatically it's actually that the eyes of your heart. Having been enlightened, it already occurred the moment that you receive Christ, the eyes, not just of your intellect, but of your heart.

The understanding ability what God is done in your life. It begins and it's a process he's praying that the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, why in order that you may know, and that is going to give us three things you may know, guess what you should do with the second word, no, put a box around that's right. This is the other word for no this is a word for fax completely objective ironclad, it's data, it's true.

2+2 is four equals MC squared.

This is just absolute facts. First time praying for an experiential knowledge of what's true view. Second, I'm to pray that three specific facts are true view you could go yes that's true. Number one.

Fact the hope to which he has called you and your nose just got my salvation, but like when when the Bible talks about hope it's not like we do in English you know we hope our kids turn out right.

We hope were single we meet the right person, but that's called wishful thinking and there's nothing wrong. I mean, you know, we hope it doesn't rain more having a picnic.

The word hope in the Bible means an absolute certainty. In other words, the blessed hope is Christ is returning. There's a new heaven and new earth. A new life. My hope is in him means it'll never change it. So as a fact not he wants you to understand and believe that this calling.

This new relationship. It's certain there's confidence your past is been put behind you. Second fact is that the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. It's it's a fact that no did you notice earlier we studied.

We talked about our inheritance put a circle around the word. His visit talking about. He wants you know the fact that not only is your hope absolutely secure, but he wants.

Note the riches the glorious riches of God's inheritance in you. I have tried to explain this for many years to there's a sense of all that I that I can't get other people to grasp and I can't put into words until this morning I was thinking of this morning as I was praying and I thought, what's this really be that I thought ship you got to adopt to kids. Yeah, you have your estate plan done when you die those two kids like your other two kids are going to get an inheritance but how had they been your inheritance. I thought for whatever amount of money I'm going to leave them is so minuscule compared to my inheritance. I had two young men become my sons. I watched them grow up and change. They brought joy to me that is inexpressible. I watched them go through ups and downs and then Mary well I watch one write songs that people all around the world.

Worship Jesus through and another one learn a skill that heals people's bodies and tells them about Christ the way he does and then between them. They've given us five grandchildren.

What I realizes my inheritance.

They are so wonderful. Are you ready for this one. If you believe that's how God saw you what you believe that yes you get inheritance. But what if in fact the heavenly father the creator of the world goes. You are my treasure.

And yes, you have your ups and your downs and you failed you, that struggles my son is taking care of that and there's coming a day not only today when you change and you grow and it brings me such joy and you talk to me and we get connected. But then there's going to be a final day were you and I forever and ever and will be no sin to be no shame and you are my treasure.

He says that's what I want you to believe as a fact. The third thing is that incomparable great power, who for us who believe in, and he describes this power and he literally takes out his thesaurus because he just can't communicate clearly enough, the extent of the power that's inside every genuine follower of Christ. He says that power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ and that he gives us three specific like if you want to think about power. I mean, this is like someone to give you three examples of how great Howell surpassing his actual power is inside every single believer. The moment you receive Christ. He says it's the same kind of power that was exerted in Christ when one he was raised from the dead, and not only that, but seated at the father's right hand in the heavenly realms. Where is that far above rule, authority, power and dominion that's in the Jewish mindset. Those were sore.

These classes of angels and principalities, and every title that you be given make in this world are in the world to come second and God placed all things under his feet.

That's authority is at the right hand of God.

This is the authority, and third he appointed him Jesus to be head over everything on the church which is his body us the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

I mean he's reaching, reaching, reaching. Are you ready for this. This first word that a put in bold power. Guess what word we get in English dynamite. It's Dumas.

He says this power that dwells in you when you feel like I can't break through the shame you know I can't. I can never change in you.I can never learn to be patient enough. I'm not a good parent. I'm never gonna I can't break this addiction. He says this power is the power like dynamite that has capacity and potential, the second word is working and we get our word energy. It's an operational power. It's not just capacity but it's a kind of power that makes things happen and brings about change.

The third word is mighty and the word mighty. Here's used to bodily strength or muscular force in the last word is strength in its power to overcome obstacles, resistance or control.

It's literally the apostle Paul goes do you have any idea not only who you really are, but what God is actually giving you the here's the question, how do you access that I mean if you're thinking much with me right now if that is really true of every single person here from the spirit of Christ lives in or anybody watching or listening someday somewhere. How do you hide access that to overcome shame, the fear of punishment. The fear of rejection the fear of death. That's were going to go.

He's going to explain it very very clearly and take this passage that we just taught. I want to now help you see what does this truth look like in your life and mine everyday world.

How do we overcome true and false shame that were living in a day when shame is viewed as a psychological term and any shame that you have is not your fault. There is true shame. True shame is, shame of your past failures. Your moral lapses your greed, your immorality and mine are manipulation our lives the way that we use people's stuff that we have done or are doing. We should feel we should feel a sense of regret, a sense of I blew it a sense of I don't measure up. But there's also the shame that's false. Shame cultural standards ones your parents or the culture put on you ones. Even that the church churches made a lot of people feel shameful religion in many ways, regardless of the background is trying to control people through shame and get them to behave in certain ways like shaming them into the honey break through that number one you receive Christ. We talked about last week as many as received Christ today, and he gives that what's her work power to become children of God. Even those who believe in his name and under someone a pause just for a moment here in a church like ours that talks a lot about discipleship.

The talks a lot about spiritual growth. There is a danger that you can come here and you can sit and you can learn and you can think sort of I'm on this gradual journey and I'm kind of putting some of these things in the practice but you even start to agree with what's true, but you've never crossed the line you have to be born again. There has to be a certain day at a certain time when you say it's not about me getting some self-improvement with whole Jesus help, I have sinned before a holy God. I'm in desperate need. But Christ has paid the penalty for my sin. At this moment in time I'm telling you that I don't measure up. I'm placing all my faith in Christ. I'm asking you to come in my life to save me and I want to follow you the rest of my days. If you've never cross that line. Can I encourage you, today's the day.

Don't let it go, but there is no power and everything I'm talking about does not apply to anyone that's outside of Christ, not because God doesn't want you as we kind of want God on our terms. The second, for those of us in Christ and you say will highly overcome this true and false shame asked the father we go any today I want to ask you exactly what I asked the people that were in the room when I taught this. I'm not asking you if you're a nice person, or whether you're trying to be moral and kind to others what I want to ask you is have you ever placed your faith in Christ where you would say to God, Lord, I don't just believe in you and some generic sense or or that you're a deity out there or there some systems and forces at work or there's positive or negative energy, but I believe that you are the creator of all the world and the universe and that you, God the son came and lived a perfect life on this planet and you lived upon the earth, and you help the poor, and you spoke words of life and you heal people to reveal and declare what God the father is really like and that you and the father are one in Jesus. What you did was to come and show me what God is like, and then to give your life on the cross to pay for my sin. But then you told me that I need to receive that as a free gift. If you have never done that. Could I urge you the greatest anxiety in the world is what happens after you die and Jesus says I want to give you peace, my peace I give to you and the PC wants to give you first and foremost is to say come to me just today, right now, call upon me, ask for my help just say Lord Jesus, I need you, I have sinned. I know I've done things wrong, will you forgive all my sins right now and will you please come into my life. I believe you died in my place. I believe you rose from the dead, and I'm receiving your gift of eternal life right now and then thank him in your heart of hearts, Lord, thank you so much. So Lord I pray I pray for the courage of my new brothers and sisters who prayed and ask you for forgiveness and I thank you. You've granted it in Jesus name, amen. If you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at 1-888-333-6003.

We'd love to hear your story and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand the significance of your decision and then give you a couple of next steps on your journey that same resources available if you tap special offers on the app or go to the new believers tab on our website LivingontheEdge.org.

We just want to help you get started and say welcome to the family well. Your strip of a great offer. You don't want to miss. I don't know if you've ever sat down with one other person and learn how to study the Bible how to hear God's voice how to meet with God this fall I'm going to invite you to do daily discipleship with me I'll never talk more than 10 minutes, but during that time we're going to go through Ephesians, chapters 1, two and three and you can discover your true self right from Scripture, and what all do. In addition to that is if you would register with us and commit to do that with me. I'll send you the book for free because what I want you to do is what you study from a passage that I want you to understand what it looks like in your own life and have a tool to share with others. So let me encourage you today join the daily discipleship with Chip begins this fall and let's do this together. Okay have a pen handy. Let me give you all the details on this great offer, beginning September 14 just go sit down with you to do a brand-new daily discipleship study though.

Each session will only be about 10 minutes and over the course of the study. He'll walk you through the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians as an added bonus, if you commit to doing the entire study and register by September 7 will send you his new book, discover your true self, absolutely free to sign up for daily discipleship with Chip. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for more information give us a call at 1-888-333-6003). Great to be together until the next time. This is Dave Drew saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge