I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

July 11, 2013

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believe………
This is how Webster defines the word ashamed: a·shamed 1. feeling shame; distressed or embarrassed by feelings of guilt, foolishness, or disgrace: He felt ashamed for having spoken so cruelly. 2. unwilling or restrained because of fear of shame, ridicule, or disapproval: They were ashamed to show their work.

There was the story of a boy who was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sabbath school that day. The boy describes the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt, but when he came to the dramatic portion about the crossing of the Red Sea, here is how he told the story: “Moses took out his walkie-talkie and called in the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians, while the others built a pontoon bridge to crossover the Red Sea.” The boy’s mother asked, “Is that how they told you the story?” He dropped his head and muttered, “Well, no, Mom, but if I told you the story the way they told it to me, you’d never believe it!”

Most of our sentiments exactly. Whenever we read the Bible, we are suddenly thrust into a world which seems out of touch with the reality of what we as humans consider real or believable. For instance. Let’s take a few stories from the Word of God: First story, A world where the world we live in was created in seven days, A world where seas part and where millions of people traveled across on dry ground, A world where one man is able to kill a thousand men with the jawbone of a ass,

A world where a teenager kills a giant with a slingshot and a stone. A world where a man is swollowed by a big fish and lives in his belly for three days before the fish spits him out. A world where Three men are thrown into a furnace of fire, and not get burned, A world where a man is put in a den of hungry lions and they refuse to touch Him. but the ultimate or the most distant oh all the stories in this world we called His holy word is the story about God himself. Who reincarnates His Son into a woman’s body He’s then born in A manger here on earth.

He then lives a sinless life for thirty thee years and doing this time He performs many miracles and at the same time He, proclaims the good news of the gospel and then the Jewish people, His own ancestry, kills Him by Crucifixion on a hill called Calvary and then Jesus raises Himself from the grave and He does all of this for our sins so that we can receive Salvation, but only if we believe and have faith in this fantastic story. And if we do have faith and believe His word one day soon we will go to live with him in a far away place in the sky to a place called heaven for eternity, where sin will no longer exist.

My friends, I just repeated to you, the good news of the gospel, but it is not for the saved Christian. We are beneficiaries of it, but the Gospel is for the lost. the sinner. The adulterous, lying, stealing, gossiping, murdereous, covertness, greedy generation who are seeking a sign. In Mathew 12:39 it says An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. friends history tells us millions of martyrs died for this same gospel some of you are ashamed to proclaim. And most of them were not some skilled competent, proficient orator, or eloquent practitioner.

But the good news of the gospel was mostly proclaimed by the common mediocre man or woman who experienced the transforming power of the holy Spirit in there lives, and just wanted to proclaim this good news of what Christ had done, and was doing in there lives at the time “I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, Now safe am I. Love lifted me! Love lifted me!When nothing else could help Love lifted me!

My friends what a wonderful message to proclaim as you begin to tell how our loving Savior lifted you up and brought you to Safety in His loving, caring and merciful arms. Friends if you are willing to give it all for the Master the Bible will speak for itself through Gods Spirit. Because there is power in the Word! 1 John 2:14 says I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

So, let us all say with Paul, “I AM NOT ASHAME OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.” And we as Christians need never to be ashamed of our Christian faith because of God’s promises in Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 10:11 also says For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” and finally Matthew 24:10-14 “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY