Are You Ashamed?

Rom 1:8-17

 

 

 

Tell story about customs guard in Zambia knowing who John Dillinger was.  Then wanting to know if I was related. 

 

My family name is well known because we are related to John Dillinger the famous gangster of the 30’s.  Today, it is a great conversation starter and people think it’s cool to be related to him.  However, my grandmother applied for a job in the 40’s and when they found out she was related to John, they refused to hire her.  I talked with some people who said they changed their name from Dillinger because of what people thought of John.  They were ashamed of their name.

 

For many people, shame is a part of their life.  They may be ashamed of their past, they might be ashamed of a relative, they might be ashamed of their racial background, they might be ashamed of their circumstances.  Sometimes that shame is warranted and sometimes it isn’t.  Sometimes we are ashamed of things that we should actually be proud of.

 

For a great many Christians, we live under a cloud of shame.  We are ashamed of our heritage.  Oh we’re not ashamed of the general title of Christian, we are ashamed of the personal aspect of Christian.  We don’t mind people knowing we are Christians; we just don’t want them to think we take our faith too seriously.  Too many of us are ashamed of the gospel of Christ on a personal level.

 

PRAYER

 

I.       How We Show Our Shame

A.   My Faith is a personal Thing

1.                 One thing I have heard over and over again by professed Christians is the new catch phrase, “My faith is a personal thing.”

2.                 Somehow we have convinced ourselves that if we say this little magical phrase, it excuses us from sharing our faith with those around us.

a)                We’re not selling out our faith.

b)                We’re not denying Jesus.

c)                 We aren’t abandoning God.

d)                We’re just keeping it to ourselves.

3.                 If it’s personal it frees us up to live a good life and watch complacently while the world around us goes to Hell.

4.                 If it’s personal, we don’t have to leave the sanctuary of the sanctuary.

5.                 If it’s personal, we can pay someone to tell others about the gospel because that’s their job not mine.

6.                 If it’s personal I don’t have to risk ridicule or rejection by sharing the gospel with anyone else.

B.   Bible’s view of a personal faith

1.                 Let’s see if that concept matches to what the Bible has to say about personal faith.

2.                 READ Matt 5:14-16

a)                Hmm, that’s cutting a pretty big hole in my argument.

3.                 READ Acts 8:1-4

a)                Even under great persecution they shared their faith.

b)                It wasn’t just the apostles; it was EVERYONE who had been scattered.

4.                 READ Phil 4:9

a)                What did Paul tell them to do with what he had taught them?

b)                Put it into practice.

c)                 A personal faith is meant to be shared with those around you.  Not to insulate you from everyone.

d)                I think the Bible makes it pretty clear that our “personal faith” better not be so personal that we don’t share it with those around us.

C.   I love Jesus, I just don’t want to get involved in the church

1.                 I can’t tell you how many people who claim to be a Christian, just want to come to church on Sunday morning and that’s it.

a)                Don’t ask me to do anything.

b)                Don’t call on me for leading in worship.

c)                 I just want to come and not be hassled.

2.                 I can’t begin to count the number of people who have left a church when the church leaders stressed that service to each other is a mandatory part of Christianity.

3.                 I can’t tell you how many churches hire several ministers to “do the work of the church” so they don’t have to.

4.                 READ Matt 5:13

5.                 READ Rom 1:8

a)                They actually had to make their faith visible to be reported all over the world.

b)                It couldn’t be a purely personal faith.

c)                 It couldn’t be a faith that was intertwined with deeds of faithful Christians.

6.                 Did you know the phrase “one another” in conjunction with the church is used over 40 times in the New Testament?

7.                 READ Jas 2:14-20

8.                 Just as you faith can’t be personal only, you can’t claim to have a faith and do nothing to show it by your deeds.

II.    I Am Not Ashamed

A.   Living Lives for Jesus

1.                 The book “Jesus Freaks” is about modern Christians who have been willing to take a stand for their faith in the face of ridicule and even death.  One such story was about a converted Russian gangster, Nickolai Kharma.  He was converted in a Russian prison and really changed his life around.  Some time later his minister was arrested for preaching Christianity.  They told the preacher that if he didn’t turn in the names of all the members of his church he would be executed.  He refused.  They the Russian secret police brought in Nickolai.  If you don’t tell us we’ll torture him to death.  Just as the minister was about to give in Nickolai to him not to say anything.  The policeman threatened to gouge out Nickolai’s eyes if the preacher didn’t tell.  Nickoloai looked at him and said, “When they take my eyes, I will see more beauty than any earthly beauty.”  They gouged out his eyes.  Then they said, next we will cut out his tongue.  Again Nickolia spoke for the preacher. “Praise the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have said the highest words that can be said.  Now, if you wish, you can cut out my tongue.”   Nickolai died a martyr’s death.

2.                 Most of us will never be called on to stand up for our faith with such dire consequences.

3.                 Our challenge to stand up for our faith will be much less extreme but just as important.

4.                  Some will be like Renee who had a friend in 4th grade who doesn’t believe in God.  When he told her that, she responded that she couldn’t imagine NOT believing in God.

5.                 Some will be like Amanda who spent time studying the Bible with a friend who was searching for something more meaningful in her life.  They didn’t want to wake the 3rd girl in their room so they read the Bible by the light of their cell phones.

6.                 Some will be like Deb who usually comes to church alone to let her family know that God is more important to her than anything else.

7.                 Some will be like Helene who invites her family to worship with her when they get together, knowing what the answer will be, but always hoping it might change this time.

8.                 Some will be like Aric who takes flak by some at work for standing up for his beliefs and is admired by others for doing the same thing.

9.                 I could go on and on with that type of list, but I think you get the point of how we can live the phrase, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”

B.   Power in the gospel

1.                 I think we sell the gospel short.

2.                 I know I have said too many times, “oh, that person will never be open to the gospel.”

3.                 How do we know that?

a)                It may not be now, but it might be later.

b)                What have we to lose by sharing the gospel anyway?

4.                 Paul tells us it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

5.                 He ends this passage with verse 17.  It ties the righteousness of God to how we live our faith.

6.                 When we are ashamed of the Gospel, we are ashamed of God.

7.                 When we live by our faith, we help reveal the righteousness of God.

8.                 Are you ashamed or proud of your heritage?