I Am Not Ashamed of the The Gospel
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Introduction
Introduction
May I ask everybody to rise up as we read the Word of God.
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Let us pray!
Ashamed, and Not Ashamed
A young convert tried to preach in the open air. He could not preach very well, but he did the best he could. Someone interrupted him and said: "Young man, you cannot preach; you ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Said the young man: "So I am, but 1 am not ashamed of my Lord." That is right. Do not be ashamed of Christ—of Him who bought us with His own blood.—Christian Herald (London).
ASHAMED
In the original translation of this verse it means:
Shame - Feelings associated with (but not limited to ) failure, public exposure, social rejection, ridicule.
The study conducted by LifeWay Research found 80 percent of those who attend church one or more times a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith. Yet despite this conviction, 61 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the previous six months.
Three-quarters of churchgoers say they feel comfortable in their ability to effectively communicate the gospel, while 12 percent say they don’t feel comfortable telling others about their faith.
So, what do you think is the problem?
Let’s shift gears, let’s apply this now, do we really understand that we have a responsibility to share our faith?
Why is it our responsibility?
This morning I’d to propose to you that:
(Let’s all read together)
Our commitment to share the Gospel is not dependent on our ability. The Good news is life changing. Its power changed our lives and it can also change the life of others.
3 Take aways from Paul’s life that I want us to remember:
His is CONVINCED about the Gospel : Life Changing
He is CONFIDENT in the Gospel - Because there is power
He was COMPELLED to tell others about the Gospel. The recipient of the Good news: It’s for everybody, don’t keep it to yourself
All Bible believing Christian churches does not force anybody to share the Gospel, churches are here to just remind and encourage believers to share the gospel. Like Paul here, as we have just read the following verses, you will read that he was commending them about their faith, because it’s already being known around the world at that time. Meaning they were telling others about their faith and many have already believed.
When Paul said “I am not ashamed”, he meant he was not ashamed of the gospel to the point of not telling others about it.
When we hear this verse, sometimes what comes across from the pulpit to the congregation, is the idea of “guilt tripping”. You know, that when we weren’t able to share Jesus to others we tend to believe that we did something wrong - that we are “ashamed” to share the good news - right? Does that make sense?
Let me put in tagalog - magkaiba po yung IKINAHIHIYA KO ang mabuting balita versus NAHIHIYA AKO na magsabi ng mabuting balita.
Check this out:
23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
From the original construction of this passage, it means that “it required some courage to bring the message across”.
Paul was not worried about failing or being ridiculed. I believe like many of us here, HE WAS JUST GATHERING COURAGE how to present the Good News to the Jews - who think Jesus was a stumbling block and to the Gentiles who think that it’s all foolishness.
This attitude of his make me see that:
He is so CONVINCED about the Good News. Regardless of what people will say and how people will treat him.
From being the persecutor of the Christians
To encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus
and bringing the Good News to both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Paul was so sold out about the Good News. As I look at it, the good news was so real so that it changed his life entirely. - He made it his number one priority.
- Another factor to consider, his conviction is hinged on his encounter with Jesus.
We can never separate encounter with experience. Although in the thesaurus it’s synonymous, but if closely look at it’s definition:
Encounter means: an unexpected or CASUAL MEETING with someone or something.
Experience means: an event or occurrence that LEAVES AN IMPRESSION on someone.
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
After that that encounter with Jesus, it left an IMPRESSION on Paul and started a journey that changed his life forever.
You can encounter Jesus, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you experienced Him.
It means after acknowledging Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we now have to DAILY get to know Him in a DEEPER LEVEL - we now WANT to experience Jesus.
You walk in in this place, sang the worship songs, listened to the word of God - you encountered Him, you go home, that’s the time to put into practice all that we heard in order for us to experience Him.
Second, Paul was not only CONVINCED, he was also CONFIDENT - he was certain
Paul's experience was not just superficial. He knows the good news and it’s so evident in the way he talks about it.
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
God sent His Son
Jesus died on the cross for you and me
Jesus rose from the dead so we can have eternal life.
We don’t have to be a “Paul” to be able share the Gospel, there’s only one Apostle Paul. But what we have in common is an encounter with Jesus, now all we have to do is to turn that encounter into a daily experience with Jesus.
Illustration:
A minister, a boy scout, and a scientist were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and explained that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot then added, I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and three small children. So he took one and jumped. The scientist jumped up almost immediately and said, I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me. So he took one and jumped.
The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, as I am sure that all of you would, You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.
Then the Boy Scout said, Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out
We can have all the idea about the technical side on how to share the good news, but guess what, it all boils down to our deep understanding and relationship with Jesus Christ.
Why do I say this:
Because one can really be charismatic enough to convince people but it doesn’t mean it’s the real deal.
Case in point, to name a few.
Guyana Tragedy: Jim Jones
founder of Peoples Temple, which started off as an offshoot of a mainstream Protestant sect before becoming a personality cult as time went on. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus. He organized a mass murder suicide at Jonestown, Guyana, made his followers drink punch laced with cyanide, on November 18, 1978.[21] He shot himself after the murders were done.
David Koresh (1959–1993), born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect in Waco, Texas, though never directly claiming to be Jesus himself, proclaimed that he was the final prophet and "the Son of God, the Lamb" in 1983. In 1993, a raid by the U.S. BATF, and the subsequent siege by the FBI ended with Branch Davidian ranch burning to the ground. Koresh, 54 adults and 21 children were found dead after the fire extinguished itself
Apollo Quiboloy (1950–) is the founder and leader of a Philippines-based Restorationist church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. He has made claims that he is the "Appointed Son of God".[49]
This persons, and there are a lot, check it out in Wikipedia, type in “List of people claimed to be Jesus”
One might be so smart, but without a true and deep relationship with Jesus, it means nothing.
Third, Paul was not only CONVINCED, he was not only CONFIDENT, but he was also COMPELLED to tell others about the Gospel.
The Gospel is for everybody. We don’t just keep it to ourselves.
The other side of “just say it” - is the truth that NOT ALL WILL WELCOME THE GOSPEL.
Paul preached several times to the Jews, all they say is that Jesus is a stumbling block.
Even until His crucifixion, the Jews where so adamant.
40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
That’s why Paul shifted gears and went to the Gentiles.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.
NOT EVERYONE WILL ACCEPT THE GOOD NEWS!!
Jesus Himself was not always welcome. He was rejected by the church leaders during His time. He was rejected by the people listening to Him. He was even rejected by His followers because they can’t fathom His teaching.
All of this was happening until that day on the cross of Calvary when Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”! When He breath His last breath, still His love is for all humanity.
He knew people reject Him, so it should not come as a surprise that in our time it’s pretty much the same. But like Jesus, we still should extend the love He gave to us, to others.
So when we read verse 8. it says:
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.
This verse alone, gives proof that the Gospel has spread out, from the time of Jesus, until this very moment as I speak, there are people right here, in this very building, outside, in our neighborhood, in our place of work, or school or even in the bus, - who needs Jesus. And all it takes is for us to tell that person about the salvation that we have found in Jesus.
In closing I’d like to read a section of an article by Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith(available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California
He said, and I quote:
Did you know that the population of humanity has grown from 300 million people in Jesus’ day to almost 7.5 billion today? Cities, towns, and villages across the globe are teeming with people who need to hear about how they can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. If our Lord asked for workers to be sent forth into the fields two thousand years ago that were ripe for harvest, what would His prayer be for the present-day fields that have twenty-five times more people than in His time?
What would He say if He saw so many sheep without a shepherd in your city, in your country, and in other nations around the world? The truth is, our planet is in desperate need of people who are compelled to share the hope of Jesus Christ. We are Jesus’ workers—you, me, and everyone who professes the name of Christ. He is counting on us to take His message to a world that is spiritually bankrupt. Pause for a moment and silence the many distractions competing for your time and attention, and you’ll hear the faint whisper. A gentle yet irresistible call in your spirit. An invitation nudging you toward something greater than you could ever imagine.
Are you a follower of Jesus?
Then you should be CONVINCE about the Gospels, Be CONFIDENT in the Gospel and Be COMPELLED to tell others about the Gospel.
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.