Set Free From Shame — Carter Conlon

Set Free From Shame — Carter Conlon

This message is one of the Times Square Church pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge PO Box 260 Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling 903 -963 -8626.

None of these messages are copyrighted and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends.

Bible Study on Truth and Freedom

Let me see your Bibles if you brought your Bibles with you tonight. This is Bible study night as well as service night at Times Square Church. I want to encourage you to do something tonight. If you could take your Bible and get the index of your Bible because we're going to do a Bible study tonight.

And it's going to you're going to have to move fast with me to be able to get through it. We're going to be reading a lot of scripture together. Now. I believe with all of my heart That you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

That's what Jesus promised free from sin free from the power of sin free from the guilt of sin free from the shame of sin free from the effects of sin free from the controlling power of sin to live a brand new life a Resurrected life with the power of God within us a light that brings glory to his name tonight.

I'm going to ask that you would ask the Holy Spirit to have a heart that in spite of your Experience or in spite of whatever might be going on in your mind or has been controlling your mind that you would declare God this is a higher law.

This is a higher truth. I'm going to embrace this tonight. I'm not going to embrace anything that has been part of my life. That is contrary to what you have declared about me. You have to have that in your heart tonight, or you will not embrace the truth that sets you free.

Deliverance From the Power of Shame

I'm going to be speaking tonight about being delivered from the power of shame. Being delivered from the power of shame father. I thank you God for your word. I love your word Lord and God your word truly sets people free when we embrace your word with our hearts Holy Spirit you are pleased you've been sent of Christ to come and make that word a living reality in all of our lives.

God tonight I'm asking for deliverance in this house Lord. You said the anointing was upon you because you had come to heal those who have been bruised in heart. There are many people here tonight that have been bruised because of those bruises.

They are still in part held in captivity by the powers of darkness. I stand tonight against these powers of darkness. I stand against them by the Word of Almighty God the one who created the universe and died for mankind that whosoever will can come and be saved and be absolutely set free.

Father I thank you tonight that your word has preeminence. Every power of hell must bow. Every knee must bow. Every wicked thought must bow. Lord we thank you tonight that by your word you will bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

Father thank you God. Thank you tonight. The people are going to be set free absolutely set free. Totally set free not only not just for a day. But for the rest of their lives and into eternity. To praise you God for what you have done and for who you are.

Lord we thank you for this in Jesus name. Psalm 25 if you go there with me. Psalm 25 set free from shame. Set free from shame. This is a psalm of David. You know when you consider who David was you begin to realize that all humanity goes through the same struggle.

There's nothing come against you. The Bible says nothing you struggle with. It is not common to all of mankind. Did you know that tonight? There's there's a common struggle in all of humanity. But the Bible says that God will make a way for you to escape it.

Psalm 25 unto thee. O Lord do I lift up my soul? Oh my god. I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Let them be ashamed which transgressed without cause.

Show me thy ways O Lord. Teach me thy past lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation. And on thee do I wait all the day. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies for the loving kindnesses for they have Ever been.

I've been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions. According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake. O Lord good and upright in is the Lord. Therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies for thy name's sake. O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great.

What man is he that feareth the Lord. Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose? His soul shall dwell at ease and his seed shall inherit the earth. This is the plan of God for you tonight. David clearly says it for those who trust those who open their hearts to what God would teach your soul will dwell at ease.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn they unto me and have mercy upon me for I'm desolate and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring thou me out of my distresses look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies for there are many and they hate me with cruel hatred.

Oh Keep my soul and deliver me and let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee let integrity and uprightness Preserve me for I wait on thee redeem Israel. Oh God out of all his troubles. Now back in verse 2 David is saying Oh God, I trust in you.

Let not mine enemies rub my former sins in my face. Let them not steal the victory from me and triumph over me by leaving me downcast and in defeat. There are many many people in the body of Jesus Christ who are still bound by the cords by the shame of their past sin and the enemy comes against them and and Throws these things back in their face continuously.

And it was the cry of David which I believe is the cry I prayed Specifically for this night. I prayed specifically that many of you who are here tonight would be here. I said God bring those that are bound by shame and bring them to the house of God on Friday night.

Move upon their hearts to come because God you're going to set them free not just for a good feeling Friday night. But you're going to set them free for the rest of their lives. Verse 7 David cries out and says don't remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions according to thy mercy.

Remember thou me for thy goodness sake. In verse 11 He says pardon mine iniquity for it is great. In other words, David is saying the things that I did in my youth were great and Oh God I pray that you would pardon before them.

In verses 16 to 20 David is saying to the Lord look upon my pain. He says turn unto me and have mercy. I'm desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged. Bring me out. I'll bring down me out of my distresses.

Look on my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies for there are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred. Oh keep my soul and deliver me. Let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee.

And this is the cry of many of God's people week in and week out. They come to the house of the Lord have the knowledge that they are saved. Have the knowledge at least Some of the knowledge that their salvation is a complete and a full salvation yet.

Still are prayed to the shame of the things that they have done throughout their lives. Before and even sometimes after they initially came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now we need to understand tonight that there's a purpose for shame.

Shame has its initial purpose is F and I don't turn there with but let me just read it to you. Chapter 3 verse 5. The Prophet says that the unjust know no shame and there is a season I believe in everybody's life when you are without Christ that Many who are here tonight, if you'd be honest, there's a season where you committed things and you knew no shame.

You could go and commit abominable sins and walk out of those places and and because there was an unjustness in your life. You had no connection or relationship to God. There was no shame in you, but it was through the preaching of the word that you began to feel shame and sorrow.

It's only by the knowledge of God's law that shame comes into your heart in the first place. It's just like with the children of Israel when Aaron built the calf and when the word of the Lord returned to them through Moses the people then realized that they were serving their own gods and they had become naked and subject to shame before their enemies and So when the word came to you, you saw your need and shamed turned to sorrow and sorrow turned to repentance.

You see there's a process you come into the house of God. God's Word is preached. You begin to feel ashamed for the things that you've done and that shame gives you a sorrow in your heart. The Apostle Paul speaks about that in 2nd Corinthians and that sorrow brings you to a place of repentance and Repentance is basically saying God.

I don't want to live in sin anymore. I don't want sin. I've been I've grieved you Lord I'm cut off from you because of my sin and I don't want to live in sin anymore. I want to be a new person in Jesus Christ Jeremiah if you'll go there with me, please just go ahead in a couple of a couple of books Jeremiah chapter 31 and in verse 19 The Prophet Jeremiah says it this way Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed.

I smote upon my thigh. That's that's a typical expression for their generation. It means like God I when I was confronted with your word, I turned I had in my heart to turn from my sin and after I was instructed I Smote upon my thigh that would be like a man beating upon his heart today a woman beating upon his heart her heart and say Oh God, how could I have done these things?

How could I have fallen into such a depth of depravity and wickedness before you. And then he goes on to say I Was ashamed. Yeah, even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Now there are many people who go through these experiences.

When they're coming to Jesus Christ, there has to be a knowledge of wrongdoing. Are you really haven't had a genuine conversion? If you are among those who've perhaps come in here tonight and you think you've always been a wonderful person then you've missed the whole point.

Everything that you've done is an abomination when it's when faith is not at the core of it when it's not in a living relationship with the Son of God. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verses 9 and 10.

He says now I've rejoiced not that you were made sorrow. Sorry rather but that you sorrow to repentance for you were sorry after a godly manner. I know I've seen that hundreds of times at this altar people hearing the Word of God.

Coming to the altar of God in the house of God and there is a genuine sorrow. There are a lot of tears and Paul says the purpose of the gospel was not just to make you sorry for your sins. But to bring you to a place where you would have a desire in your heart to turn from those sins.

That's what a godly sorrow was all about. He says there's a sorrow of the world that just works death. That's the man or woman is just simply sorry because of what they did. They're sorry. They got caught.

They're sorry. Consequences into their life and into their home but not sorry enough to want to turn from it and to begin to walk with God and Paul says you were brought in verse 10 to a salvation not to be repented of.

That's incredible thing when you think about it. You sorrowed after a godly sort and you were brought into a salvation. That's not to be repented of now. Paul is saying it's a salvation that does not make you.

Sorry. It is full it is entire and it is complete when you came to Jesus Christ. Those who had a godly sorrow that turned you that created in your heart a desire for repentance you came to a salvation that is absolutely entire and complete a Salvation that was won for you by Christ on Calvary.

You were clothed with the righteousness. That is not your own. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that was given to you. The Bible says clearly that the memory of your sins was was blotted out in heaven and the God who says he can do all Things says I will cause myself to remember your sin no more.

That's an incredible thing. I serve a God tonight who cannot remember my sin that I have committed before I came to Christ. Can you imagine that there is no record of my sin in heaven? You need to know that tonight.

You need to understand that if you get to heaven and stand before the throne of God. You're going to have to tell him about it and everybody around about the throne of God is going to say well. We'll have to take your word for what you did because there is no record of it and we have absolutely no Recollection of anything you did when we look upon you you have been received because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

God looks upon you and you have become the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. That's an incredible truth folks. You have to understand that tonight. You are the righteousness of God. You can be the most struggling saint in the entire church world tonight.

You can be crawling literally when others seem to be running. You're crawling. You're walking through and the devil is there to condemn you at every step of the way but you need to know tonight that you have one that stands before the throne of God the Father and He presents your name even in the midst of your darkest hour.

He is boasting about you before the throne of the Father. He is talking about his love for you. He is talking about your love for him. He is talking to God about what the Holy Spirit is going to accomplish in your life.

He is talking continuously standing before the father and the father looks at him. It says my son I accept this person as absolute and entire. Completely righteous because of what you did for them on Calvary and because they have trusted in you for their salvation.

Shame, Condemnation, and the Finished Work of Christ

Now the enemy loves to use the crippling power of shame to keep God's people from entering in to the fullness of our salvation. Go to Psalm 44, please go back in your Bible. Just a few books. Psalm 44.

Let's hear the rustling of the leaves tonight. Psalm 44 and verse 15 and 16 the enemy loves this power and He because he knows the day that you get out from under the power of shame. That you are going to become appraised to the name of God in the earth.

Your countenance changes your step changes your outlook changes your your your the sense of who God is changes. Everything begins to change when you step out when you are taken out from under that reproach.

The things that you may have done before you came to Christ and keep in mind even after you came to Christ. There are things that you may have done, but if your heart if in your heart you are still trusting in God.

You love Jesus, you know it. He knows it. You are trusting in for your salvation. There is no imputation of your sin to you. Christ took your sin upon himself. You are still clean in the sight of Almighty God.

Psalm 44 verse 15 the psalmist says my confusion is continually before me and the shame of my face has covered me. For the voice of him that reproaches and blasphemes by reason of the enemy and the adventure there is a voice.

They that's the devil's voice. It will come against you all day long and Listen to psalmist is my confusion is continually before me. I'm hearing that I'm righteous in the house of God, but I feel so unclean.

I Go home after church, and I'm all excited and I wake up Monday morning. And that voice is right back there again saying remember what you did. Remember the things that you were involved in remember the sins of your youth and all that you done.

And you'll never amount to anything. You'll never get out from under this and oft times that voice is if the people around you ever knew what you used to be. They would reject you they would cast you away out of their presence.

And then if we swallow that lie, this is the voice keep in mind of the one who blasphemes the work of God. That's what the scripture says in verse 16. He's a black that voice is a Blasphemous voice because that voice is declaring that the work of Jesus Christ is not full and complete and did not cleanse you Completely and there is still a record of the wrongs that you have done in the past.

It's a blaspheming voice and the psalmist cries out and says God deliver me from that blaspheming voice. The only way you will ever get set free is not by emotion in the house of God. It's not by any measure of jumping up and down in God's house.

It's not even by responding to a thousand altar calls. It's when you and I hear the Word of God and we say God this is true and let every other voice be a lie. Let God be true. The scripture says and let every man be a liar.

God your word is true. We make that decision. We said God you're not a man. You can't lie. I'm not going to accuse you of lying if you've said I'm clean God I'm clean. I'm absolutely clean because you said I'm clean hallelujah.

David cries out again in Psalm 25 verses 4 and 5. He says show me thy ways O Lord and teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me for you are the God of my salvation and on you do I wait all.

The day show me and if that's the cry in your heart tonight, then I'm going to open the scriptures with you. And as we read the Word of God I'm believing the Holy Spirit will show you once and for all that the condemner has nothing in you at all.

Jesus’ Mercy Toward the Accused Woman

Go with me to the New Testament the book of John chapter 8 a familiar portion of scripture. Where there was a woman who was caught in adultery in the very act of adultery. Now keep in mind in those days.

Adultery was punishable by death. It was a horrible sin. It was as terrible I suppose as anything that can be committed because it was it was punishable by stoning to death the offending parties. Now chapter 8 of John.

It says that Jesus went up into the Mount of Olives. That's verse 1 and early in the morning He came again into the temple and all the people came to him and and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery and when they had set her in the midst They said to him master.

This woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us. That such should be stoned. But what do you say or what sayest thou? And this. They said tempting him that they might have to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them. Not I'm anxious to get to heaven and I want to look up in God's library. What it was that he was actually writing on the ground at that time.

So when they continued asking him he lifted up himself and said to them he that is without sin among you. Let him first cast a stone at her and again. He stooped down and wrote on the ground and when they had heard it being convicted by their own conscience, they went out one by one beginning at the eldest even unto the last and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst.

Now when Jesus had lifted up himself and he saw none, but the woman he said unto her woman. Where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee and she said no man Lord and Jesus said unto her neither.

Do I condemn thee go and sin no more now? That's an incredible passage of scripture when you begin to understand what it is that God is saying. He's saying that if you even have committed a sin that is worthy of death.

But in your heart you begin to understand who I am and you turn to me. He said I have a voice that is greater than any voice that will ever come against you. I have a power that is greater than any power that will ever try to destroy you and if I have called you clean.

There is nobody around who dares to anymore call you unclean if I don't condemn you because God was speaking to Her if I don't condemn you then no man on this earth. No voice no power of hell has the right to condemn you if I have declared you clean.

If I don't condemn you in other words God's saying he was saying to this woman. There is no judgment in me towards you. I do not hold you accountable for the thing that you have done. He saw something in her heart.

He saw repentance. There was a desire perhaps She she perhaps wrecked some say that this was Mary Magdalene. Bible scholars believe that this was Mary Magdalene who was the one really who went in effect to his tomb after he was crucified.

I don't know that for sure. Or possibly one of the ones that followed him later on and ministered to him out of their substance. But he looked upon this woman and it was the eye of God that was looking at her caught in her sin and says I don't Condemn you.

Peter’s Vision and the Cleansing of the Nations

There is no Judgment in me. There was no condemnation whatsoever because your heart is towards me. Now go to the book of Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10 beginning in verse 9 this is a story about the Apostle Peter going up on a housetop and beginning to pray and As he prayed the Holy Spirit was about to change his thinking about something.

Verse 9 says on the morrow as they went to their journey. Chapter 10 verse 9 of Acts and drew nigh unto the city. Peter went up upon the housetop to pray About the sixth hour and he became very hungry and would have eaten.

But while they made ready he fell into a trance or in other words He began to pray. God began to speak to him. He saw heaven open in a certain vessel Descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air and these were considered unclean despicable things in the sight of Peter and there came a voice to him rise Peter kill and eat and Peter said no not so Lord for I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean and The voice spake to him again the second time and said what God has cleansed call not thou Common.

This was done thrice and the vessel was received up into heaven now. Here's this situation. God was about to tell Peter something. There was a Line of demarcation in society in that generation and those who were not Jews were considered unclean.

They were considered a cast out or outcasts at the presence of God. And with the salvation was for the Jews and for the Jews alone. And the Holy Spirit was now beginning to speak to Peter about something.

A man who considered certain types of people unclean certain things they did unclean perhaps certain practices that they had were considered unclean as unclean as the four-footed beasts and Unclean things that were in that sheet let down from heaven and God began to speak something to Peter and he said Peter I'm about to do something.

I'm about to cleanse the people that you don't understand. You don't understand the nature the depth of my mercy. You don't understand the fullness of my power. You don't yet understand the great depth of my redemption, but Peter I'm telling you what I have cleansed.

I'm about to clean an entire Populace that you consider unclean and when I clean them I give you no power to call them common or unclean anymore. You cannot raise your tongue you cannot raise your hand against the work that I am about to do.

Now I have a question for you tonight as God cleansed you are you still allowing the devil or perhaps you're still letting down the sheet of the past and Calling yourself unclean and many people do that come into the house of God to have a mental ascent I suppose to the truth of God.

But go home and in times of solitude or quiet or prayer or meditation. One more time that sheet comes down from heaven and all the unclean things that you've ever done are in that sheet. And I know I'm speaking to many hearts tonight the memories of the past some you've suffered sexual abuse.

There are others that in your youth and some of the you got involved in homosexual experiences. Or there are all types of things that have gone on. Things that you wished you had never been involved in things you wished you had never done.

But nevertheless they did happen because you were living in sin. And when you go back even with a mental understanding of who you are in Christ again one more time that sheet comes down and all these creeping things are in it and The natural tendency of the human heart is to condemn oneself as unclean.

But God was saying something to Peter the very thing that he's saying to us tonight. He's saying if I have cleansed you you have no right anymore to call yourself unclean. If I declare you clean you don't have a right anymore.

I've not given you the right. God is speaking to us tonight. He's speaking to you tonight. You know, your dilemma is this just this if you are still Calling yourself unclean because of experiences of the past you have in effect thrown Jesus Christ off the throne of your life.

You have taken the throne and you become God in your own life. In other words, you consider yourself a court in effect that's supreme over the Court of Almighty God. You've been declared judicially Set free you've been declared righteous before Almighty God in the highest court in the universe.

You've been declared and and and yet so many people even though God has declared them clean. They say no, it can't be my thoughts have got to be higher than God's thoughts. My ways have got to be higher than God's ways and they sit on the throne of their own heart and they condemn themselves.

Now it's such a tragic thing when you think about it. It's such a foolish thing to do to condemn yourself for something that Jesus says you are absolutely there's no record of it. You're absolutely set free.

You're a brand new creature in Christ a brand new creation as it is in Christ Jesus. Now go to first Corinthians chapter 6 with me, please if you will. Very quiet. Are you always this quiet on Friday nighters?

It's. You're all wondering where pastor Neil is tonight. That's what the problem is. Is that right? Well, it's his birthday tonight. So we gave him the night off and he's out with his wife. Hallelujah now first Corinthians chapter 6 listen to what Paul is saying to the Corinthian church in verse 9.

He says do you not know you're not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived. Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor adulterers nor feminine means homosexuals nor abusers of themselves with mankind.

That'd be the immoral nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. But then he goes on to verse 11 and such were some of you. So he's speaking to a church the Corinthian church and in that church where every one of these things that are listed in verses 9 And 10 but listen what Paul says, but you are washed.

In other words, you're cleansed. You're not that anymore. God has come and with his blood. He has washed you. These things are not part of your life anymore. Even if you you may still be fighting some of these the struggles.

Coming to Christ doesn't mean folks that were not tempted Christ himself. The scripture says was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin to be tempted is not saying it's to give in to the the sanitor and to begin to Joyfully as it is participate in it again.

That is a dangerous place to be in but temptation itself is not sin. The devil would have you believe it is but it isn't such were some of you but you are washed. You are sanctified that means that the Holy Spirit is now in your life.

You have the Spirit of God you have the one who created the universe who is now in you. And Folks, I guess this is the easiest way to explain it what sanctification is. When you came to Jesus Christ The the lawful requirement of God for the punishment of your sins was fully satisfied.

God laid all of his wrath upon his own son. His own son took everything that you deserved and I deserve for every sin we've ever committed. So tonight we have the knowledge that we stand before the throne of God in Christ fully justified.

Absolutely justified. There is no court in the universe that can condemn us. There's no voice that can condemn us. We are justified in the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, that's an incredible truth.

Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification

Now the vibe there's big words we use in the church one of them is Justification and that's what it means. We are completely justified. Now that means the devil can't condemn you anymore. Because if Christ is except that's why Paul said of God before us then who can be against us.

God is for me. There's no voice in in in in in the earth or hell. It can come against me because God is for me. He has declared me in the highest court in the universe free. Absolutely free the price has been paid.

My sin is not imputed to me anymore now. Regeneration is another word we use in regeneration is God's gift to us as the Church of Jesus Christ. When we believed in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came into our life and we were regenerated.

That means we were made alive from the dead. We were brought into it. We were brought into by the power and mercy of God. We were brought into the very life of Jesus Christ. We've been quickened and we live together with him in heavenly places.

That's what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Ephesians. We are his body. He is the head we we are partakers. We we are co-heirs with his life. That life that God the Father gave him when he raised from the dead is yours and it's mine.

We don't have to live under the dominion of sin anymore. We don't have to live in the weakness of the flesh. We've been regenerated. We've been given new life. It's by that power that we become new creations in Christ Jesus and then the scripture says that we are sanctified now sanctification is the Holy Spirit coming into my life and Continuously bringing about in me that the victory or the nature of Almighty God through Jesus Christ.

Now my standing is completely justified, but my state may be way down here and Sanctification is an ongoing process. Sanctification is not making me. Holy. Do you understand that? This is the end of side one.

You may now turn the tape over to some when you understand these things the devil can know. Some people confuse that they they say sanctification has come to make me holy so that I'll be acceptable with God.

No, I am fully acceptable Accepted with God through Jesus Christ. Sanctification now is the Holy Spirit coming and making my standing a reality in my life down here on the earth. That's why Paul says in one of his epistles.

It's not as though I have already attained. He's not talking about salvation. But he says I press on to the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul said I've called. I'm called to something.

I'm called to be a praise to God in the earth. When you understand these things the devil can no longer condemn you. He can't speak against you. He can't point his finger against you. He can't remind you of your past sins because they're gone.

They're in a sea called forgetfulness. And nobody has the right to dig them up again. Not the devil not anybody on the earth not any demon power nor your yourself. Nobody has the right God says I took that right away when I judicially declared you clean.

You're clean. You're clean. You're absolutely clean in the sight of God. I had a friend one time was a marvelous Testimony for Christ and a missionary later on in life, but had a problem and that problem dealt with the past.