Our Scripture today is Romans 1:16: The NIV reads: *I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.* (Rom. 1:16 – NIV)
The New Living Translation reads: *For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles.* (Rom. 1:16 – NLT)
Will you please join me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we love you and we want to know more about you. Thank you for your word given to us in the Bible. We believe that your word is true. Please open our hearts and minds to what you have to share with us today. May your Holy Spirit show us how we can put Your words into practice in our lives. In Jesus Name - Amen
Today we are going to look at some of the reasons why first century Christians might have been ashamed of the Gospel and then the situation today in our own country and culture. Next we will define The Gospel message itself and then deal with some objections and concerns that Christians have about evangelism.
As I was looking at Romans 1:16 one of the first questions I asked was: *Why did Paul even mention being ashamed of the Gospel?* After all, isn*t Paul the bold, fearless apostle who hiked thousands of miles telling people the Good News about Christ and planting churches throughout Asia and Europe. What did he have to be ashamed of?
In the first century it was the height of absurdity to say that the world was saved by a peasant Jew that was crucified by the Romans. At that point in time the Jews were totally despised by everyone but themselves. When Paul went to Mars Hill and began to preach to the philosophers they essentially asked: *Who is this *seed picker* that is bringing strange things to our ears.* (See Acts 17:16-33)
Mars Hill (part of the Acropolis of Athens) is a very impressive place. Some of the temples to the Greek gods have been standing for more than 2,500 years. Paul going there and speaking with the most learned people of his age would be like one of us going to Oxford and telling the academic community that they are all wrong and that the solution to all of the world*s problems is found in a Jewish carpenter who was executed as a criminal. We would get laughed right off the campus. The interesting thing to me is that some of the philosophers did believe.
Paul is writing this letter (The Epistle to the Romans) to the church in Rome. Rome was the seat of political power for the entire Roman Empire. Throughout the Roman world Christians were the subject of persecution. In many cases they were ostracized by their families, they often lost their means of income and they were in constant physical danger. During his ministry Paul himself was ridiculed, beaten, stoned, jailed and eventually executed.
Under the reign of Emperor Caesar Nero the execution of Christians was a form of public entertainment. Some were killed by covering them with skins of wild animals and letting dogs tear them apart. Others were covered with pitch, attached to stakes and used as human torches. I remember several years ago standing in the Coliseum in Rome and thinking about all of our brave brothers and sisters in Christ who were not ashamed of the Gospel no matter what the consequences.
Some people during that time decided it was better to blend in with the rest of the culture than to become a true Christian and be a witness of the basic, simple and yet foolish sounding message of the Gospel. Others preached a different Jesus or a different Gospel. The Judaizers added the Law to the Gospel and the Gnostics claimed that they had a higher understanding.
What was Paul*s answer to these challenges? He said that another Gospel was *…no Gospel at all.* (Gal. 1:7 - NIV) He also warned believers: *See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.* (Col.2:8 - NIV)
Paul had an eternal perspective. He knew he needed to be faithful to his calling from God and that God would take care of the details. He told Timothy: *Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.* (2 Timothy 4:8 - NIV)
We have look at things from a first century perspective. What is the situation in the United States today? Do we have reasons to be ashamed of the Gospel? Here are a few recent examples of why we might be tempted to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A high school student in Florida was suspended for handing out religious literature before and after - but not during - school hours. A Christian employee of Hewlett Packard was fired for posting Bible verses on his desk. When we say *Merry Christmas* to those outside of our church family the answer is often a quizzical look and the politically correct response *Happy Holidays.*
God*s truth about creation cannot be taught in the public schools. It has been replaced with the secular humanistic theory about evolution which is taught as fact event though it cannot be proven to be true. The Reverend Patrick Mahoney was arrested for praying on the steps of the Supreme Court. In my personal experience, when I mentioned the Bible recently to one of my co-workers, he said: *Isn*t that just a bunch of myths and fables?*
Unfortunately many church leaders today are responding to these challenges by becoming friends with the world. They try to mix psychology and Christianity. They try to find ways to mesh creation and evolution. They preach messages that do not use supposedly offensive words like sin, repent, holy and wrath. They use marketing surveys to try and determine *felt needs.* They advise Christians to avoid using Scripture when they share the Gospel.
James does not pull any punches as he tells us God*s view on this subject. He says: *…don*t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.* (James 4:4 - NIV)
Christians are supposed to have discernment. No matter what we read in a so-called Christian book, no matter what we hear on Christian or secular radio or TV or in a message from a pastor we need to filter it through the lens of the Bible (See Acts 17:11).
Now our next topic: What is the basic Gospel message that is so offensive to the world at large? Since we are in the first chapter of Romans let*s go to the top of the page and look at the first few verses. In verse 1, we find that Paul is *called* and the he is *set apart for the gospel of God.* In verse 2 we discover that the Gospel was promised by the prophets in the Old Testament. In verse 3 we find that the Gospel is about God*s Son who is both divine and also the descendant of King David in his human nature.
Verse 4 gets closer to the meat of the Gospel so let*s read it: *…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.* (Rom. 1:4 – NIV)
In verse 5 Paul speaks about his calling and we see the word *grace* which is the very essence of the Gospel message and then in verses 6 and 7 Paul indicates that believers are called to belong to Jesus Christ, they are loved by God and they are called to be saints.
Let*s skip down to the most exciting part of the Gospel message. The statement that changed the lives of Martin Luther, John Wesley and many others – Romans 1:17: *For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: *The righteous will live by faith.** (Rom. 1:17 – NIV)
Just think about that for a moment – not our righteousness but God*s righteousness given to us by faith! In the words of one of my favorite Michele Pillar songs: *When He sees me, He sees His righteousness. He sees His Holy Spirit filling up the emptiness. And when He looks at me, He sees the blood He shed. I know He sees Himself each time He looks at me!*
Most of us are familiar with the words of Jesus in John 3:16: *For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.* (John 3:16 – NIV) To get the more complete picture of the Gospel message in this passage we also need to continue with verses 17 and 18: *For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God*s one and only Son.* (John 3:17-18 – NIV)
The central issue of the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 15 of the Book of 1 Corinthians verses 1 through 5 Paul writes: *Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.* (1 Cor. 1:1-5 – NIV) Paul was very careful to state that he was passing on exactly the Gospel he had received.
To sum up what we need to know about the Gospel let*s look at Ephesians 2:8 - 10: *For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God*s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.* (Eph. 2:8-10) We are not saved by our works but when we are saved we are called to do good works.
All of us are called to let others know about the Good News of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said in Mark 16:15: *…Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.* (Mark 16:15 – NIV)
In this verse the Greek word translated preach is *KAH-ruh-SO.* This word speaks of being a herald, officiating as a herald, or proclaiming after the manner of a herald. The word carries with it the concept of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. In the ancient world, before the days of radio and television, official decrees from the government were proclaimed to the citizens by heralds. The herald had an official duty and if he altered the message or failed to proclaim it he could be punished by death.
Jesus* command to us is really just letting us know that we are to do as Jesus did. The first message of Jesus recorded by Mark is: *The time has come … The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!* (Mark 1:15) Jesus was acting as a herald of the Gospel and we should do the same thing.
So let*s summarize with a broad brush what these verses tell us about the Gospel message: Heaven is a free gift from God but to enter Heaven God demands perfection. We cannot get there by our own efforts. All of us have sinned. We have all broken God*s commandments and we are all guilty. The penalty for our sin is death.
God is loving and merciful but He is also just. He must punish our sin but He loved us so much that He made a way for us to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Jesus Christ is both 100% God and 100% man. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was buried and then rose again.
His blood paid the price for all of our sins and purchased a place in heaven for us. His resurrection demonstrated that God was pleased with His sacrifice and looks forward to our own resurrection.
Every person can have the free gift of Heaven and eternal life. It is available to all but it is not automatic. We have a choice. We can receive the free gift - we can repent, turn towards God, believe that Jesus died for our sins and trust in Him alone for our eternal life. Our other choice is to reject Jesus (or just to do nothing) in which case we are already under the judgment of God and we will experience God*s wrath.
As Christians we have not just *Good News* but really fantastic news to share with others. Every other religious system in the world is based, in some way, on individual effort. It is do, do, do and if there is a Heaven and maybe if you are good enough, you might get there.
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really one word: *DONE!* Jesus did it all. When we believe in Jesus and trust Him alone for our eternal life God gives us the perfect righteousness of Jesus.
We cannot ever do enough good things to be righteous enough to earn God*s favor. As believers our righteousness is God*s righteousness. It is given to us as a free gift because of God*s grace and faith in Jesus. Our salvation is not based on just faith – it rests on the object of that faith – Jesus Christ.
We have looked at the situation in the first century, in America today and also at the basic Gospel message. Next we will take up concerns Christians have about sharing their faith.
As Christians we are official ambassadors of Jesus Christ (See 2 Cor. 5:20). We are called by Him to herald the Good News. So why are we ashamed to tell others about the free gift of heaven and eternal life? Let*s look at five concerns and also at some possible solutions.
First, many of us really don*t want to be involved in evangelism. We read about what Jesus has told us to do, we hear messages about the Great Commission and we may even attend classes about sharing Jesus with others. The bottom line is that we do not have a burden for the lost. If we were being completely honest with ourselves we would probably have to admit we just don*t care.
If we do not care about our friends, family and neighbors who are lost we are not following Jesus* example. Mark tells us in his Gospel: *When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.* (Mark 6:34 - NIV) Jesus cared enough to tell people with words how to be saved.
How do we solve this issue? Through prayer. Jesus tells us to *bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.* (Luke 6:28 – NIV) The world may not like us but we are commanded to bless them and pray for them. Make a list of people that you need to share the Gospel with. Ask the Lord to open the door of opportunity for you.
Second, we think we don*t know enough, we don*t know what to say and we think that it is the Pastor*s job to preach the Gospel, right? This is sort of like having a Moses syndrome. Did God let Moses off the hook? No.
Peter tells us: *Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…* (1 Peter 3:15 – NIV) David says in Psalm 119: *I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.* (Ps. 119:11 – NIV)
Here is my question – are you reading your Bible every single day? Not sharing the Gospel is a sin of omission. Start memorizing Scripture. Develop your own brief personal testimony. Be ready when a door opens.
One caution about sharing with others. In Romans 1:1 Paul tells us that he is *set apart for the Gospel of God.* (Rom. 1:1 – NIV) Many Christians seem to be set apart not FOR the Gospel but FROM the Gospel. They focus on talking about their views on political hot button issues like same sex marriage or abortion. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ. Keep the main thing as the main thing. Don*t get side tracked and spend time going in circles on rabbit trails.
Now the third concern, some of us do not know very many non-Christians. We talk a lot about relational evangelism or friendship evangelism but who do we hang out with most of the time? Our friends from church, the members of our home fellowship or Community Life group and the people we serve with in ministry here at church.
But, we are not supposed to totally isolate ourselves from everyone who is not a Christian. Jesus prayed in John 17: *My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.* (John 17:15 – NIV) Get involved in your child*s school, volunteer to serve at the Senior Center, help out with the local community festival. We need to be intentional about getting out of our comfort zone and making friends.
How well do you know your next door neighbors or the people across the street? Have a neighborhood barbeque or open house, start a Bible study, take food to someone who is sick. Pray for God*s leading and then take action.
Fourth, we are concerned about what others might think of us if we admit we are Christians or that they might be offended if we ask them questions about their spiritual beliefs and share our faith. Here is what Paul has to say on the subject: *Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.* (Gal. 1:10 – NIV))
From my own personal standpoint I am much more interested about what God thinks than what my neighbors or co-workers my think. Here is what our Lord has to say: *If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father*s glory with the holy angels.* (Mark 8:38 - NIV)
Our fears are mostly the result of spiritual warfare. The last thing the enemy want is for us to share Jesus with others. Our primary offensive weapons in spiritual warfare are the Word of God and prayer (See Eph. 6:16-17). Pray for the peace of God.
Paul tells us: *Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.* (Phil 4:6-7 - NIV)
The other side of this coin is that Jesus told us that the world would hate us (See John 15:18 – NKJV). If everybody loves you, no one ever gets upset with you and you are never persecuted for your faith you may want to ask yourself if Jesus is really shining through you? You may have your lamp hidden under a bowl or in a jar? (See Luke 8:16)
Now for the fifth and final objection – our fear of failure. Surveys show that this is probably the number one reason we do not tell others about Jesus. We must remember that evangelism is not about us. It is all about God. God elects who will be saved (See Rom. 11:17). God calls people to salvation (See Rom. 8:28). The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins (See John 16:8). God gives a person the faith to believe (See Eph. 2:8). Yes, there is the area of human responsibility – everyone has a choice (See 2 Thes. 2:12). But their choice is not up to you. Your job is to proclaim the message. You are the ambassador but you are not the King. You are only His messenger, the herald that God has chosen. But the power is not in the messenger – it is in the message itself.
The word translated as *power* (in Rom. 1:16) is the Greek word *du-nah-mes.* It speaks of inherent power, power residing in something by the virtue of its nature, power for performing miracles. It is the root for our English words dynamite and dynamic.
This is why it is critical to use God*s Word when we share the Good News. The power is in the word of God. The Gospel is *…the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.* (Rom. 1:16 – NIV) *…the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.* (Heb. 4:12 - NIV) The prophet Isaiah records what God thinks about the power of His Word: *so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.* (Isaiah 55:11 - NIV)
When we voice our own opinion and our own ideas we can get ourselves into trouble. We may actually be interfering with what God wants to do. When we speak God*s Word we are speaking with God*s authority. God *wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.* (1 Tim. 2:4 - NIV) But not everyone will be saved because *Many are called but few are chosen.* (Mat. 22:14 - NIV) But we have a responsibility to proclaim God*s message. Jude tells us to: *Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them…* (Jude 1:23 - NIV)
Let*s see what this concept of snatching people from the fire looks like. You are walking down the street in your neighborhood and you notice some of your neighbors up on their second floor balcony. They are barbequing some steaks, drinking beer and watching the super bowl game on TV.
You also notice that there is some smoke coming out of a window on the ground floor of their home. You pray about what to do. The smoke on the ground floor is now flames. You decide to be a witness for Jesus through your lifestyle. You go home, get your Bible and walk up and down in front of your neighbor*s home reading passages about loving your neighbor as yourself. You smile and hope they will notice you.
The fire has now consumed a portion of the first floor of your neighbor*s home and is spreading rapidly. You decide that it would be a good community service project to demonstrate how to fight a fire and maybe your neighbors will get the idea. You get some paper and a match and a fire extinguisher, go back to your neighbor*s house, stand out in front of the balcony, light the paper on fire and then put it out with the extinguisher.
By this time the first floor of the neighbor*s house is fully engulfed in flames. But there is one outside stairway from the balcony down to the ground that is still intact. It is the only way out. But your neighbors are still blissfully ignorant of the entire situation. Are you getting the point? You need to clearly warn them (with words) not just actions that their house is on fire and that they had better make a choice to go to the only escape route and get out of the house quickly or they will die. You may even have to get their attention by running up the stairs where they are so they can hear the words you are speaking. Now that they know the situation the choice is up to them. They can die or they can be saved.
Now I know that this illustration may sound a little bit far fetched. But it typifies the attitude of many Christians towards evangelism and the Gospel. We don*t see the urgency. We get wrapped up in learning about how to share our faith and we spend time supposedly earning the right to talk to others about Jesus while every non-Christian is in a spiritual house that is burning down.
Take your responsibility personally. Paul did – three times in his writings he refers to the Gospel as *my gospel.* (See Rom. 2:16) People need someone to tell them how to be saved - that someone is you, that someone is me and the time is now!
During our study so far we have looked at the concept of not being ashamed of the Gospel. We started in the first century, moved to the 21st century, defined the basic Gospel message and dealt with some common concerns about sharing our faith.
Today – right now - approximately 150,000 people in this world will die. Statistics show that perhaps 1/3 of the world is Christian. This means that at least 100,000 of these people will die without believing in Jesus Christ. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors who are not saved will spend eternity being tormented and separated from God.
Despite the declarations of some liberal theologians there is a final judgment. Revelation 20:15 tells us: *If anyone*s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.* (Rev. 20:15) – NIV) While I have been sharing this message more than 1,400 people have died without being saved and are on their way to Hell.
Have we answered our initial question? Are Christians today ashamed of the Gospel? The answer is *Yes.* Many are ashamed. I know that there have been many times that I knew I should tell others about Jesus but have been reluctant to do so.
We need to stop being so concerned about what others might think of us and think about the eternal well being of those around us. We need to prepare ourselves and pray for God to open hearts and minds to the life changing message of Jesus.
In the dynamite power of the Holy Spirit we must stop being ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel is not *God helps those who help themselves.* The Gospel is not *do unto others as you would have them do unto you.* The Gospel is not living out the phrase *what would Jesus do?* The Gospel is what Jesus has already DONE! We need to let the world know starting in our own neighborhood with words.
Will you please join me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we come before you in the Name of your precious Son Jesus Christ. We thank you for providing Him as the only means of salvation. Lord, help us to have a burden for the lost. Give us your strength and your courage so that we will not be ashamed of the Gospel. Fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for you. Open the doors of opportunity for us to share your plan of salvation with others. Amen.
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Bibliography:
Horton, Michael: Christless Christianity, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2008.
Laurie, Greg: Equipping Believers to Impact Their World, Riverside, CA: Harvest Ministries.
MacArthur, John: Ashamed of the Gospel, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1993.
Pillar, Michelle: When He Sees Me, 1991
Smith, Chuck: The Gospel According to Grace, Costa Mesa, CA: The Word For Today, 2007.
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This message was presented at Friday Chapel on February 12, 2010 at Cypress Church, 6143 Ball Road, Cypress, CA 90630. For more information about the Gospel or if you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your savior please visit: http://www.Decision4Jesus.com
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Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from The New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The New Living Translation reads: *For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles.* (Rom. 1:16 – NLT)
Will you please join me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we love you and we want to know more about you. Thank you for your word given to us in the Bible. We believe that your word is true. Please open our hearts and minds to what you have to share with us today. May your Holy Spirit show us how we can put Your words into practice in our lives. In Jesus Name - Amen
Today we are going to look at some of the reasons why first century Christians might have been ashamed of the Gospel and then the situation today in our own country and culture. Next we will define The Gospel message itself and then deal with some objections and concerns that Christians have about evangelism.
As I was looking at Romans 1:16 one of the first questions I asked was: *Why did Paul even mention being ashamed of the Gospel?* After all, isn*t Paul the bold, fearless apostle who hiked thousands of miles telling people the Good News about Christ and planting churches throughout Asia and Europe. What did he have to be ashamed of?
In the first century it was the height of absurdity to say that the world was saved by a peasant Jew that was crucified by the Romans. At that point in time the Jews were totally despised by everyone but themselves. When Paul went to Mars Hill and began to preach to the philosophers they essentially asked: *Who is this *seed picker* that is bringing strange things to our ears.* (See Acts 17:16-33)
Mars Hill (part of the Acropolis of Athens) is a very impressive place. Some of the temples to the Greek gods have been standing for more than 2,500 years. Paul going there and speaking with the most learned people of his age would be like one of us going to Oxford and telling the academic community that they are all wrong and that the solution to all of the world*s problems is found in a Jewish carpenter who was executed as a criminal. We would get laughed right off the campus. The interesting thing to me is that some of the philosophers did believe.
Paul is writing this letter (The Epistle to the Romans) to the church in Rome. Rome was the seat of political power for the entire Roman Empire. Throughout the Roman world Christians were the subject of persecution. In many cases they were ostracized by their families, they often lost their means of income and they were in constant physical danger. During his ministry Paul himself was ridiculed, beaten, stoned, jailed and eventually executed.
Under the reign of Emperor Caesar Nero the execution of Christians was a form of public entertainment. Some were killed by covering them with skins of wild animals and letting dogs tear them apart. Others were covered with pitch, attached to stakes and used as human torches. I remember several years ago standing in the Coliseum in Rome and thinking about all of our brave brothers and sisters in Christ who were not ashamed of the Gospel no matter what the consequences.
Some people during that time decided it was better to blend in with the rest of the culture than to become a true Christian and be a witness of the basic, simple and yet foolish sounding message of the Gospel. Others preached a different Jesus or a different Gospel. The Judaizers added the Law to the Gospel and the Gnostics claimed that they had a higher understanding.
What was Paul*s answer to these challenges? He said that another Gospel was *…no Gospel at all.* (Gal. 1:7 - NIV) He also warned believers: *See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.* (Col.2:8 - NIV)
Paul had an eternal perspective. He knew he needed to be faithful to his calling from God and that God would take care of the details. He told Timothy: *Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.* (2 Timothy 4:8 - NIV)
We have look at things from a first century perspective. What is the situation in the United States today? Do we have reasons to be ashamed of the Gospel? Here are a few recent examples of why we might be tempted to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A high school student in Florida was suspended for handing out religious literature before and after - but not during - school hours. A Christian employee of Hewlett Packard was fired for posting Bible verses on his desk. When we say *Merry Christmas* to those outside of our church family the answer is often a quizzical look and the politically correct response *Happy Holidays.*
God*s truth about creation cannot be taught in the public schools. It has been replaced with the secular humanistic theory about evolution which is taught as fact event though it cannot be proven to be true. The Reverend Patrick Mahoney was arrested for praying on the steps of the Supreme Court. In my personal experience, when I mentioned the Bible recently to one of my co-workers, he said: *Isn*t that just a bunch of myths and fables?*
Unfortunately many church leaders today are responding to these challenges by becoming friends with the world. They try to mix psychology and Christianity. They try to find ways to mesh creation and evolution. They preach messages that do not use supposedly offensive words like sin, repent, holy and wrath. They use marketing surveys to try and determine *felt needs.* They advise Christians to avoid using Scripture when they share the Gospel.
James does not pull any punches as he tells us God*s view on this subject. He says: *…don*t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.* (James 4:4 - NIV)
Christians are supposed to have discernment. No matter what we read in a so-called Christian book, no matter what we hear on Christian or secular radio or TV or in a message from a pastor we need to filter it through the lens of the Bible (See Acts 17:11).
Now our next topic: What is the basic Gospel message that is so offensive to the world at large? Since we are in the first chapter of Romans let*s go to the top of the page and look at the first few verses. In verse 1, we find that Paul is *called* and the he is *set apart for the gospel of God.* In verse 2 we discover that the Gospel was promised by the prophets in the Old Testament. In verse 3 we find that the Gospel is about God*s Son who is both divine and also the descendant of King David in his human nature.
Verse 4 gets closer to the meat of the Gospel so let*s read it: *…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.* (Rom. 1:4 – NIV)
In verse 5 Paul speaks about his calling and we see the word *grace* which is the very essence of the Gospel message and then in verses 6 and 7 Paul indicates that believers are called to belong to Jesus Christ, they are loved by God and they are called to be saints.
Let*s skip down to the most exciting part of the Gospel message. The statement that changed the lives of Martin Luther, John Wesley and many others – Romans 1:17: *For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: *The righteous will live by faith.** (Rom. 1:17 – NIV)
Just think about that for a moment – not our righteousness but God*s righteousness given to us by faith! In the words of one of my favorite Michele Pillar songs: *When He sees me, He sees His righteousness. He sees His Holy Spirit filling up the emptiness. And when He looks at me, He sees the blood He shed. I know He sees Himself each time He looks at me!*
Most of us are familiar with the words of Jesus in John 3:16: *For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.* (John 3:16 – NIV) To get the more complete picture of the Gospel message in this passage we also need to continue with verses 17 and 18: *For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God*s one and only Son.* (John 3:17-18 – NIV)
The central issue of the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 15 of the Book of 1 Corinthians verses 1 through 5 Paul writes: *Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.* (1 Cor. 1:1-5 – NIV) Paul was very careful to state that he was passing on exactly the Gospel he had received.
To sum up what we need to know about the Gospel let*s look at Ephesians 2:8 - 10: *For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God*s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.* (Eph. 2:8-10) We are not saved by our works but when we are saved we are called to do good works.
All of us are called to let others know about the Good News of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said in Mark 16:15: *…Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.* (Mark 16:15 – NIV)
In this verse the Greek word translated preach is *KAH-ruh-SO.* This word speaks of being a herald, officiating as a herald, or proclaiming after the manner of a herald. The word carries with it the concept of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. In the ancient world, before the days of radio and television, official decrees from the government were proclaimed to the citizens by heralds. The herald had an official duty and if he altered the message or failed to proclaim it he could be punished by death.
Jesus* command to us is really just letting us know that we are to do as Jesus did. The first message of Jesus recorded by Mark is: *The time has come … The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!* (Mark 1:15) Jesus was acting as a herald of the Gospel and we should do the same thing.
So let*s summarize with a broad brush what these verses tell us about the Gospel message: Heaven is a free gift from God but to enter Heaven God demands perfection. We cannot get there by our own efforts. All of us have sinned. We have all broken God*s commandments and we are all guilty. The penalty for our sin is death.
God is loving and merciful but He is also just. He must punish our sin but He loved us so much that He made a way for us to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Jesus Christ is both 100% God and 100% man. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was buried and then rose again.
His blood paid the price for all of our sins and purchased a place in heaven for us. His resurrection demonstrated that God was pleased with His sacrifice and looks forward to our own resurrection.
Every person can have the free gift of Heaven and eternal life. It is available to all but it is not automatic. We have a choice. We can receive the free gift - we can repent, turn towards God, believe that Jesus died for our sins and trust in Him alone for our eternal life. Our other choice is to reject Jesus (or just to do nothing) in which case we are already under the judgment of God and we will experience God*s wrath.
As Christians we have not just *Good News* but really fantastic news to share with others. Every other religious system in the world is based, in some way, on individual effort. It is do, do, do and if there is a Heaven and maybe if you are good enough, you might get there.
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really one word: *DONE!* Jesus did it all. When we believe in Jesus and trust Him alone for our eternal life God gives us the perfect righteousness of Jesus.
We cannot ever do enough good things to be righteous enough to earn God*s favor. As believers our righteousness is God*s righteousness. It is given to us as a free gift because of God*s grace and faith in Jesus. Our salvation is not based on just faith – it rests on the object of that faith – Jesus Christ.
We have looked at the situation in the first century, in America today and also at the basic Gospel message. Next we will take up concerns Christians have about sharing their faith.
As Christians we are official ambassadors of Jesus Christ (See 2 Cor. 5:20). We are called by Him to herald the Good News. So why are we ashamed to tell others about the free gift of heaven and eternal life? Let*s look at five concerns and also at some possible solutions.
First, many of us really don*t want to be involved in evangelism. We read about what Jesus has told us to do, we hear messages about the Great Commission and we may even attend classes about sharing Jesus with others. The bottom line is that we do not have a burden for the lost. If we were being completely honest with ourselves we would probably have to admit we just don*t care.
If we do not care about our friends, family and neighbors who are lost we are not following Jesus* example. Mark tells us in his Gospel: *When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.* (Mark 6:34 - NIV) Jesus cared enough to tell people with words how to be saved.
How do we solve this issue? Through prayer. Jesus tells us to *bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.* (Luke 6:28 – NIV) The world may not like us but we are commanded to bless them and pray for them. Make a list of people that you need to share the Gospel with. Ask the Lord to open the door of opportunity for you.
Second, we think we don*t know enough, we don*t know what to say and we think that it is the Pastor*s job to preach the Gospel, right? This is sort of like having a Moses syndrome. Did God let Moses off the hook? No.
Peter tells us: *Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…* (1 Peter 3:15 – NIV) David says in Psalm 119: *I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.* (Ps. 119:11 – NIV)
Here is my question – are you reading your Bible every single day? Not sharing the Gospel is a sin of omission. Start memorizing Scripture. Develop your own brief personal testimony. Be ready when a door opens.
One caution about sharing with others. In Romans 1:1 Paul tells us that he is *set apart for the Gospel of God.* (Rom. 1:1 – NIV) Many Christians seem to be set apart not FOR the Gospel but FROM the Gospel. They focus on talking about their views on political hot button issues like same sex marriage or abortion. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ. Keep the main thing as the main thing. Don*t get side tracked and spend time going in circles on rabbit trails.
Now the third concern, some of us do not know very many non-Christians. We talk a lot about relational evangelism or friendship evangelism but who do we hang out with most of the time? Our friends from church, the members of our home fellowship or Community Life group and the people we serve with in ministry here at church.
But, we are not supposed to totally isolate ourselves from everyone who is not a Christian. Jesus prayed in John 17: *My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.* (John 17:15 – NIV) Get involved in your child*s school, volunteer to serve at the Senior Center, help out with the local community festival. We need to be intentional about getting out of our comfort zone and making friends.
How well do you know your next door neighbors or the people across the street? Have a neighborhood barbeque or open house, start a Bible study, take food to someone who is sick. Pray for God*s leading and then take action.
Fourth, we are concerned about what others might think of us if we admit we are Christians or that they might be offended if we ask them questions about their spiritual beliefs and share our faith. Here is what Paul has to say on the subject: *Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.* (Gal. 1:10 – NIV))
From my own personal standpoint I am much more interested about what God thinks than what my neighbors or co-workers my think. Here is what our Lord has to say: *If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father*s glory with the holy angels.* (Mark 8:38 - NIV)
Our fears are mostly the result of spiritual warfare. The last thing the enemy want is for us to share Jesus with others. Our primary offensive weapons in spiritual warfare are the Word of God and prayer (See Eph. 6:16-17). Pray for the peace of God.
Paul tells us: *Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.* (Phil 4:6-7 - NIV)
The other side of this coin is that Jesus told us that the world would hate us (See John 15:18 – NKJV). If everybody loves you, no one ever gets upset with you and you are never persecuted for your faith you may want to ask yourself if Jesus is really shining through you? You may have your lamp hidden under a bowl or in a jar? (See Luke 8:16)
Now for the fifth and final objection – our fear of failure. Surveys show that this is probably the number one reason we do not tell others about Jesus. We must remember that evangelism is not about us. It is all about God. God elects who will be saved (See Rom. 11:17). God calls people to salvation (See Rom. 8:28). The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins (See John 16:8). God gives a person the faith to believe (See Eph. 2:8). Yes, there is the area of human responsibility – everyone has a choice (See 2 Thes. 2:12). But their choice is not up to you. Your job is to proclaim the message. You are the ambassador but you are not the King. You are only His messenger, the herald that God has chosen. But the power is not in the messenger – it is in the message itself.
The word translated as *power* (in Rom. 1:16) is the Greek word *du-nah-mes.* It speaks of inherent power, power residing in something by the virtue of its nature, power for performing miracles. It is the root for our English words dynamite and dynamic.
This is why it is critical to use God*s Word when we share the Good News. The power is in the word of God. The Gospel is *…the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.* (Rom. 1:16 – NIV) *…the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.* (Heb. 4:12 - NIV) The prophet Isaiah records what God thinks about the power of His Word: *so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.* (Isaiah 55:11 - NIV)
When we voice our own opinion and our own ideas we can get ourselves into trouble. We may actually be interfering with what God wants to do. When we speak God*s Word we are speaking with God*s authority. God *wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.* (1 Tim. 2:4 - NIV) But not everyone will be saved because *Many are called but few are chosen.* (Mat. 22:14 - NIV) But we have a responsibility to proclaim God*s message. Jude tells us to: *Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them…* (Jude 1:23 - NIV)
Let*s see what this concept of snatching people from the fire looks like. You are walking down the street in your neighborhood and you notice some of your neighbors up on their second floor balcony. They are barbequing some steaks, drinking beer and watching the super bowl game on TV.
You also notice that there is some smoke coming out of a window on the ground floor of their home. You pray about what to do. The smoke on the ground floor is now flames. You decide to be a witness for Jesus through your lifestyle. You go home, get your Bible and walk up and down in front of your neighbor*s home reading passages about loving your neighbor as yourself. You smile and hope they will notice you.
The fire has now consumed a portion of the first floor of your neighbor*s home and is spreading rapidly. You decide that it would be a good community service project to demonstrate how to fight a fire and maybe your neighbors will get the idea. You get some paper and a match and a fire extinguisher, go back to your neighbor*s house, stand out in front of the balcony, light the paper on fire and then put it out with the extinguisher.
By this time the first floor of the neighbor*s house is fully engulfed in flames. But there is one outside stairway from the balcony down to the ground that is still intact. It is the only way out. But your neighbors are still blissfully ignorant of the entire situation. Are you getting the point? You need to clearly warn them (with words) not just actions that their house is on fire and that they had better make a choice to go to the only escape route and get out of the house quickly or they will die. You may even have to get their attention by running up the stairs where they are so they can hear the words you are speaking. Now that they know the situation the choice is up to them. They can die or they can be saved.
Now I know that this illustration may sound a little bit far fetched. But it typifies the attitude of many Christians towards evangelism and the Gospel. We don*t see the urgency. We get wrapped up in learning about how to share our faith and we spend time supposedly earning the right to talk to others about Jesus while every non-Christian is in a spiritual house that is burning down.
Take your responsibility personally. Paul did – three times in his writings he refers to the Gospel as *my gospel.* (See Rom. 2:16) People need someone to tell them how to be saved - that someone is you, that someone is me and the time is now!
During our study so far we have looked at the concept of not being ashamed of the Gospel. We started in the first century, moved to the 21st century, defined the basic Gospel message and dealt with some common concerns about sharing our faith.
Today – right now - approximately 150,000 people in this world will die. Statistics show that perhaps 1/3 of the world is Christian. This means that at least 100,000 of these people will die without believing in Jesus Christ. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors who are not saved will spend eternity being tormented and separated from God.
Despite the declarations of some liberal theologians there is a final judgment. Revelation 20:15 tells us: *If anyone*s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.* (Rev. 20:15) – NIV) While I have been sharing this message more than 1,400 people have died without being saved and are on their way to Hell.
Have we answered our initial question? Are Christians today ashamed of the Gospel? The answer is *Yes.* Many are ashamed. I know that there have been many times that I knew I should tell others about Jesus but have been reluctant to do so.
We need to stop being so concerned about what others might think of us and think about the eternal well being of those around us. We need to prepare ourselves and pray for God to open hearts and minds to the life changing message of Jesus.
In the dynamite power of the Holy Spirit we must stop being ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel is not *God helps those who help themselves.* The Gospel is not *do unto others as you would have them do unto you.* The Gospel is not living out the phrase *what would Jesus do?* The Gospel is what Jesus has already DONE! We need to let the world know starting in our own neighborhood with words.
Will you please join me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we come before you in the Name of your precious Son Jesus Christ. We thank you for providing Him as the only means of salvation. Lord, help us to have a burden for the lost. Give us your strength and your courage so that we will not be ashamed of the Gospel. Fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for you. Open the doors of opportunity for us to share your plan of salvation with others. Amen.
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Bibliography:
Horton, Michael: Christless Christianity, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2008.
Laurie, Greg: Equipping Believers to Impact Their World, Riverside, CA: Harvest Ministries.
MacArthur, John: Ashamed of the Gospel, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1993.
Pillar, Michelle: When He Sees Me, 1991
Smith, Chuck: The Gospel According to Grace, Costa Mesa, CA: The Word For Today, 2007.
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This message was presented at Friday Chapel on February 12, 2010 at Cypress Church, 6143 Ball Road, Cypress, CA 90630. For more information about the Gospel or if you would like to receive Jesus Christ as your savior please visit: http://www.Decision4Jesus.com
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Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from The New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Used by permission. All rights reserved.
