Bible Text: John 20 | Preacher: Lindsay Reid | Series: Once-Off Sermons | I am a business failure.  3 years ago I took over a business.  A creative business – we hand painted textiles, it was my dream job.  Before I took it on I did all the right things.  I prayed, I waited for God to speak, I bounced the idea off of trusted advisors.
I asked the right questions.  Everyone gave me the green light, I gave myself the green light, and I felt I had heard from God.  So I took it on.

I took over the business with no cash flow – who needs cash when you have God.   One year in I found myself drowning in payments and the dream job that started with so much hope and joy began to suck the life out of me.
It took over my thought life, my prayer life, my family life.  I pushed on , trusting and believing in time it would turn.
Two years in Shaun started to ask me some tough questions.  I pushed on.  6 months later I started to ask myself Shaun’s tough questions.  After 18 months of anguish I finally made the decision to sell it.

I have to say that the only thing I heard from God over this time was trust your husband.
Shew it was so hard to let go.  Once I sold it,  I immediately felt a sense of relief but there were tons of other emotions too.  Heart ache, disappointment. Embarrassment, failure..

The emotions overwhelmed me and I found myself drawing into a space of frustration and pain.  God showed me that I was naked and ashamed.

Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation to me.  Maybe you have failed at something or failed someone.  Maybe its your parenting that makes you feel ashamed, or your marriage.  Maybe someone did something to you that they shouldn’t have and you are stuck in a cycle of shame.

In Genesis 3 we see how Adam and Eve found themselves naked and ashamed before God.  They hid themselves from God presence.
Synonyms for shame are mortification, humiliation, embarrassment
Adam and Eve were in the garden humiliated, ashamed, mortified

John 20.
Besides the marvel of Jesus is alive.  Jesus is alive  There were 3 things that stood out to me in this passage about the resurrection.

God is trustworthy.  He said Jesus would arise and he Did. God fulfills His promises.
The resurrection is personal.  Mary only knew who Jesus was when he said her name. Jesus died for you and for me.  Your name was on His mind when He rose again.
The resurrection gives us peace – Jesus first words to the disciples peace be with you.
The resurrection empowers us – go and tell everyone I am alive.

Everything we need to move from being naked and ashamed is in the resurrection.

God gave me two personal keys to moving into a healthy space –  How am I moving from being naked and ashamed to being naked and unashamed.

1.      Believe that God is who He says He is.  Believe that your sin died with Jesus and your victory rose with him on the third day.  In your heart and in your head – give your life to Him. Believe that He is strong enough to resurrect even the most dead areas of your life. .

2.      Believe that YOU are who GOD says that you are  Dont believe what everyone else says.  Find out who God created you to be.  If you don’t know what that is or looks like.  Spend time with Him, become naked before Him and allow him to take off the clothing – to take off the things that are not you, read His word and wash yourself with it.

I want to add a 3rd point.  – this I my own.  If you are struggling to get out of something if you cannot shake off shame please get help.  We will only function in our marriages, parenting, businesses, friendships when we are whole on the inside.  I am convinced of this.

Was my business a failure, yes on paper it was.  Were the last three years the hardest of my life – yes they were.  Did I die – No I didn’t, in fact I am just beginning to truly live, as God is using something so difficult to redefine and shape me into the person I was always meant to be.

If everyone of us live in victory and freedom we will see revival in our community because we will be brave enough to run into the things God has for us without anything holding back.
We will be men and woman, girls and boys unashamed – celebrating everyone, woman celebrating men and men celebrating woman.  We will not be intimidated by others, or their gifts, but we will celebrate ourselves and live true to who we have been called to be.