How Not To Be Ashamed Of Sharing Your Faith Series

How Not To Be Ashamed Of Sharing Your Faith

Passing On The Faith, Part 2

2 Timothy 1:6-18

Last week we began a series

based on Paul’s second letter to Timothy,

called “Passing On The Faith.”

If you have your bible,

turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 6 (pew bible page 817)

And I said last week,

the Christian faith is really like

an incredible chain made up on thousands of links –

a chain that reaches back 2000 years

to Jesus and the apostles;

a chain that has gone from one side of the world to the other.

a chain that involves millions of faithful people,

who generation after generation

passed on their faith,

parents, and grandparents,

teachers,

and pastors, and priests

and Sunday school teachers,

all kinds of people,

that wanted to make sure

the chain of faith passed down to them,

was not broken with them,

but that the chain would continue

through them to others.

The reason why any of us are followers of Christ today

is because generation after generation

of faithful Christians

have forged another link in the chain.

2000 years of passing along the faith.

So the ultimate question is really

whether you and I

will add another link to the chain,

Will we pass along the faith

to our children,

our spouses,

our coworkers,

our classmates,

parents,

and neighbors,

or will that chain that stretches back 2000 years,

and that made it all the way to us,

will it simply end with us –

our generation,

our private faith.

Now, when it comes to

talking to people about our faith,

very few people actually feel confident about it.

Most of the time

people feel a lot of inadequacy or fear or guilt

about sharing their faith,

So if you've ever felt like

you’re just a failure in this area,

I want you to know that

there’s some great Christians

that have done this really, really badly.

How many of you have heard of Eugene Peterson?

Eugene Peterson is a pastor,

He’s also one of the greatest writers and scholars

about Christian faith

alive today.

He’s written a bunch of great books,

But what he’s best known for, is

he’s the guy who translated The Message Bible

if you've ever seen this.

Eugene Peterson writes about how

he grew up in a very devout, Pentecostal Christian home,

but when he started first grade,

a second-grade bully named Garrison Johns

started picking on him every day.

Eugene writes,

"By the time I got to first grade, my parents had helped me memorize, 'Bless those who persecute you', and 'turn the other cheek.'

I don't know how Garrison Johns knew that about me, but most afternoons after school, he would catch me and beat me up. He found out I was a Christian and taunted me with “Jesus-sissy.” And I arrived home most days bruised and humiliated.

My mother told me, this had always been the way of Christians in the world,

and that I had better get used to it. She also said I was supposed to pray for him.

One day I was with 7 or 8 friends when Garrison caught up with us in the afternoon and started jabbing me.

That's when it happened. Something snapped.

For a moment, the Bible verses disappeared from my consciousness,

and I grabbed Garrison.

To my surprise and his, I was stronger than he was.

I wrestled him to the ground, sat on his chest, pinned his arms to the ground with my knees,

and he was helpless at my mercy. It was too good to be true.

I hit him in the face with my fists. It felt good, and I hit him again. Blood spurted from his nose, a lovely crimson in the snow."

This is Eugene Peterson, The Message Bible guy writing this.

"I said to Garrison, 'Say uncle.' He wouldn't say it. I hit him again. More blood.

Then my Christian training reasserted itself.

I said, 'Say I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.'

He wouldn't say it. I hit him again. More blood.

I tried again. Say, 'I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,'

And he said it.

Garrison Johns was my first Christian convert."

When I read that this week,

I realized I’m doing this thing all wrong.

I just need to hire some bullies.

The point is,

if you ever feel guilty or inadequate

about not knowing how to share your faith,

and doing a bad job of it,

then just think of Eugene Peterson.

I’ll bet nobody here has done it worse than him,

He pretty much set the all time low,

so you’re doing great compared to him.

2 Tim 1:6-8

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.