SUBJECT: DESTROYING THE SHAME
Text: 11 Samuel 9:1-13
INTRODUCTION: The dictionary defines “shame as a person or thing that brings disgrace; a feeling of distress caused by consciousness of guilt. The Pastoral Dictionary defines “shame” as a feeling which follows when a person realizes that there has been a failure to live up to ideal expectation. Sigmund Freud sees shame as the visibility of genitals. Alfred Adler saw shame as linked to any sense of inferiority (My note: no-one can make you feel inferior without your consent). Erik Erikson, saw shame as an identity crisis. He related it to the stage of toilet training, where there is conflict between autonomy versus shame and doubt. Shame is a powerful tool to help a person change his or her ways for the better. Shame can be used therapeutically
In the Bible shame indicates a crushing hurt, which may be physical but is more likely to involve destruction of pride and confidence. The prophets often relate shame as national defeat. Shame can be a condition of disgrace and public distress.
The text today gives us a name to describe a person: Mephiboseth, a name in the Scripture is either a channel of blessing or judgment. A name record some aspect of a person’s birth example Moses: mean “to draw out” (Exodus 2:10). A name sometime express parental reaction, examples: Isaac means-“laughter”; nabal: means “fool”; Ishbosheth: means “man of shame”; and Mephiboseth: means “man who destroys the shame”. Sometimes new names are given to change a person nature or status. A name is very powerful it can either empowered you or condemn you. Come to think of it this is a very beautiful name “a man who destroys shame”, to give you the smiley’s translation the young man is called “confidence” “victory”, “honor”, a national pride”, “ a goal getter”, “a change agent” and a man who will be judged by the standard of men but the standard of God. He believes that he can make difference despite living in Lo-debar. He will not confine himself to the limit people put on him.
THE SHAME
Ishbosheth whose name means: man of shame died a sudden death similar to his dad and grandfather in the prime of his life. Mephiboseth whose name means: one who destroys shame was honored by King David to remove the shame.
Mephiboseth would be a candidate suitable for psychiatric care because of his family history. Psychiatric care is the treatment of mental illness to relief symptoms, and restitution to coping adequately with normal demands of life. This entails trying to reduce the risk of suicide, working at improving disturbed relationships, and attempting to correct abnormal patterns of thinking and behavior. An important consequence of depressive illness may cause complete loss of religious faith or even the assurance of salvation; but effective treatment will restore that, praise God.
Why would Mephiboseth be a prime candidate for psychiatric care? Heredity: The answer is he came from a family that suffers from mood disorders. Some of these disorders range from depressive disorders, major depressive disorders, bipolar disorders and suicidal tendency. Abnormal shame is link mood disorders, adjustment disorders, with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct and depressed mood. Furthermore, Mephiboseth might very well be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder due to the serious accident he had that causes him to be lame in both legs. In addition to that the serious and sudden death of his father and grand-father as well as his brother Ishbosheth could cause some form of an acute stress disorder.
Many people are so ashamed of the church today; they have removed themselves from the body of Christ. They have surrendered their will to pray, they will tell you I am going to watch and see what will happen. They will tell you it does not make sense any more to do any in the church or for the church. People are not interested in destroying the shame because they have become a de-thatch spectators. Many people have simple lost the desire to make a meaningful contribution to the kingdom of God. Some people have even lost their salvation and do not even know it, but are ashamed to admit.
Today we are living in a shameless and guiltless culture, where there is nothing absolutely right or nothing absolutely wrong as long as you can tolerate it. Our culture believes that pleasure is more important than purity. We have substitute Biblical righteousness for political correctness. What God called abomination we call it alternative lifestyles. What we call common law marriage God calls it fornication. What we call an affair God call it adultery or fornication. What God bless we call it curse and what curse we call it bless, God bless the marriage of the male and the female we curse it, and bless the marriage of the male and male or the female and female.
The glory of God will not fall until the spirit of shame has been removed. If we want to remove the spirit of shame we cannot take God out of the picture. We cannot substitute another form of god for the true and living God of the Bible. If we want the glory of God must break the spirit of shame from our life, from our family, from our church and from the things we do and say. When the shame is destroyed we will be the head and not the tail, a table will be presented before us in the presence of our enemies. When shame is destroyed we will live in Jerusalem physically, mentally, socially, psychologically, and financially. When this happen my friends we will exchange the garment of shame for the garment of praise.
HE WAS LAME IN BOTH FEET
There are people here today that are lame in both feet and they are afraid to admit it. They are lame to things that will get them moving, get them growing like prayer and fasting, like reading the word of God; like loving one another. Many people are today got lame from they were a baby Christian ten even twenty years ago. They have covered their lameness with Band-Aid but still they have not yet manage to destroy the shame. They are still bound up in the past and seize moment to leave Lo-debar and get to Jerusalem.
They are still in Lode-bar making excuses about why things are not different in their lives
They have become one with the disease of lameness until; they have developed a psychological dependency.
They are always looking for someone to baby sit them; carry them around on their back. Many people become immobile like the man who was at the pool of mercy waiting for someone to put him into the water when the angel stirs up the water (St John 5). The physiology of our body tells us that if our muscles are not use they will become weak. Many people’s faith muscles have become so weak don’t believe that God can turn impossible situations into reality. Some people love muscles have become so weak that they don’t care to love anymore. Some people prayer muscles have become so weak it is on verge of dieing completely. Some people consecration and sanctification muscles are dead today. When muscles are dead the body seized up, and a living organism become a dead organization. When muscles are dead certain vital functions of the body are lose like walking, running, feeding one-self and before you know it, you are confined to a wheel-chair. Weakness of the muscles can totally paralyze a person. It can turn a whole person into three quarter of a person, and then half of a person, then quarter of a person then finally reduces that person into a baby once again. This important is it is to destroy the shame and come out of Lo-debar.
The book of Hebrews says we are competitors in the race of life and we have a great cloud of witnesses. The witnesses are a great host watching us on a footrace, running for the winning post and we are urged on by the crowd. We are not encouraged to look at these witnesses but look at Jesus (Heb 12:2) We should think of ourselves as runners in a relay race, and those who have finished their course have handed us the baton and are watching and encouraging us to keep on going. Since we have such great gallery of witnesses about watching, it is very important that we run well. So we are exhorted, to throw off everything that hinders us. This excess bodily weight similar to what an athlete sheds during training. Athletes carried nothing with them in a race (some even run naked) therefore we as Christians should travel light. There are some things are not wrong in themselves but will hinder progress or our best effort. Beloved let us get rid of these things, even every sin that are besetting. Sins form a crippling hindrance to good running, so let’s run with perseverance.
This is not a short distance or sharp sprint but long distance race that requires endurance and persistence. I know from time to time every one has a desire to do well, but the effort requires to destroyed the shame will take a sustain effort and great determination over the long course to make it happen. This is what Jesus did and the heroes of faith. If we are going to win this race we must have our eyes set on Jesus. There must be no divided attention. The song writer says: “turns your eyes on Jesus and the thing of this world will goes strangely dim in light of his glory and grace”. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
HOW TO DESTROY THE SHAME
The psychology of moral behaviour says: The moral behavior of people may be shaped by their own moral character which in itself is affected by their genetic make up. It may be shaped by social context in which the people’s behaviour is set and the nature of their relationships with significant people in their lives. The social psychologist says a person’s experience and behaviour is strongly influenced by other people. What these psychologists are saying once person is set in his or her own way it is difficult to change. They are telling us that we are creatures of habits and sometime we can never get rid of those habits.
But the Scripture support me today “if any one be in Christ he is a new creation, and old things are passed away and all things become new” (11Cor. 5: 17). How do we destroy the shame with the word of God: “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds?), casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (11Cor. 10:4-6).
How do you destroy the shame by knowing the reality of God word? As He is, so are we in this world He was a winner and more than conqueror and so are we. He endured the cross despise the shame so we can do it. Glory to God! He reigns as king over the power of death and the curse and we are reigning with Him as kings; this is the revelation many Christians have not yet receive Christ liveth in us. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” Isaiah 10:27 (The NIV puts the last clause of the verse this way: “and the yoke will be destroyed from the pressure of the fat”). What will happen here beloved is that the yoke itself will snap, from the pressure of my fat strong neck against it. The application is this in most instances the yoke creates a wound in the fat flesh (as it were in the oxen) by pressure but here the opposite will occurs because of the energy manifesting itself in the anointing. The fatness of the neck will leads to the destruction of the yoke. Some people have predicted that we never come out to be any thing but the opposite occurs. Our necks are getting fat because of the anointing and the burden of shame has been removed from off our shoulders.
Finally, to destroy the shame it will take a therapeutic process by accept personal responsibility?; by creating therapeutic relationships to stimulate positive change in each others through honesty, integrity, and the courage to make a difference; by encouraging one another in love . The core of this therapeutic relationship is respect for each others, with the confidence that we all can make a difference together. We must decide the future direction of our church and our life. We must realize that we don’t have to be victims of our past experiences we can redesign our future. We can free ourselves of traditional shackles and accept the responsibilities that determine our future.
CONCLUSION:
Why should we destroy the shame? Because some need help and God is looking for you and I to make the difference. There is no room for excuses (my feet is lame) God is looking someone to destroy the shame. Who will be the one? Who walk with his Pastor in unity? Who will pray for revival all over the land who will be one? I will be the one; I will be the one. (Isaiah 6:8-10). My faith tells to believe in the power of existential reality, that man has a role to play in cooperation with God for his development and success.
