Not Ashamed

Introduction

Have you ever had a family member embarrass you in front of your friends or people you really were trying to make an impression with?

Dad’s are notorious for embarrassing their kids and being goofy.

But how many of us act as if we are ashamed of Christ?

The Roman historian Livy who lived around the time that Jesus was born said,

Be assured that when once a woman begins to be ashamed of what she ought not to be ashamed of, she will not be ashamed of what she ought.

Livy

The same could be true of us when it comes to being embarrassed of the gospel of of Jesus and those who serve him.

The call of Scripture to us is do Not be Ashamed and we are going to look at that call tonight.

2 Timothy 1:8 ESV

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

1. Be Loyal to Christ

We need to learn to be loyal to Christ and not be ashamed of Him.

There is no one in our lives that has ever done more for us than Jesus.

Jesus died on the cross and gave His life for us.

There will always be mockers to the faith.

Herod

Luke 23:11 ESV

11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

The Soldiers

Luke 23:36 ESV

36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine

Skeptics

Acts 17:32 ESV

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

Hall of Faith

Hebrews 11:36 ESV

36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

Look ahead to what Paul says is coming.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

This is a pretty incredible list of things that these people will do and making fun of believers is just the beginning.

The gospel is foolish to those who are perishing. It requires faith in order to believe and not everyone has faith.

However, you and I must remain loyal to Christ and not be ashamed of the gospel. We must not add to it or try to change it to make it more acceptable.

Calvin said,

“for he who is armed with the power of God will not tremble at the noise raised by the world, but will reckon it honourable that wicked men mark them with disgrace.”

Application

How can we be ashamed of Christ?

-We don’t want to pray in public.

-We don’t want to read our Bible where others might see us.

-We don’t want to talk about God or invite people to church.

2. Be Loyal to Other Believers

In the same way that we ought not be ashamed of Christ, we also should not be ashamed of other believers, especially those who are suffering for the gospel.

Paul was in prison.

Picture of Roman Prison

Paul was under house arrest in his first imprisonment when he wrote many of the prison epistles, but here Paul is in a Roman prison. Often they would have a hole cut in the floor and the prisoners were piled in. There was a door that led to an underground sewer in this prison and it was cold, dark, and damp.

Many prisoners actually died in these prisons. The fear for Timothy would be that to be associated with Paul might land him in prison. In fact, it later did!

Just like many of the disciples who deserted Jesus when He was arrested, many of Paul’s companions had deserted him as well.

Listen again to what Calvin said of this passage.

When he adds, nor of me; by this word he reminds Timothy not to refuse to be his companion, as in a cause common to both of them; for, when we begin to withdraw from the society of those who, for the name of Christ, suffer persecution, what else do we seek than that the gospel shall be free from all persecution? Now, though there were not wanting many wicked men who thus ridiculed Timothy,—“Do you not see what has befallen your master? Do you not know that the same reward awaits you also? Why do you press upon us a doctrine which you see is hissed at by the whole world?”—still he must have been cheered by this exhortation,—“You have no reason to be ashamed of me, in that which is not shameful, for I am Christ’s prisoner;” that is, “Not for any crime or evil deed, but for his name I am kept in prison.”

and finally

3. Be Loyal to Your Ministry

The final area of our loyalty should be to serving Christ in our ministry that He has assigned us.

Do you know what that is for you?

Whatever it may be, remember this:

God has called us to suffer for him.

I want to go to Calvin one last time tonight.

Calvin said,

Whosoever shall revolt at and shrink from the cross will always be ashamed of the gospel.

Think about that for a moment.

Conclusion

It’s not wrong for us to live in peace and be left alone. It’s not wrong for us to wish that there was no persecution. But, that is not the reality for us as Christians in a hostile world with an enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

We should expect that we are going to be mocked.

We should expect that we are going to be attacked.

We should expect that we will have difficulties in this life as we try to life for Jesus and make a difference.

But, we should never shrink back and we should never flinch. God is with us and the Holy Spirit will strengthen us to stand.