Unashamed
“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” 2 Timothy 1:8-9
Intro: As we watch kids play and grow…,
Kids can be so little and so adorable and so grown up all at the same time....
As a parent or guardian you hear them laugh and you watch them as they learn and understood.
Every parent has those proud moments.
I remember when my boys were 8 and 5.
I had taken them to the park to play.
I was sitting on a bench watching my youngest son Trent playing on one of those turtle toy’s
You know the kind that has the spring on the bottom and rocks back and forth.
When another boy comes up and pushed my son off of the toy.
In an instant my son Brandon was by his side and told that boy firmly
"You leave my little brother alone!"
I started toward the three of them.
I stopped when I heard the other boy apologize
and within minutes the three boys were all playing together.
But knowing Brandon had his little brother's back was awesome.
Maybe it is when their team wins, or they make the honor roll
Or your child sets an example with good manners and good behavior…
One parent recently told me their son would not let them eat until after they said a prayer at the table.
We cherish these moments.
Times when we look into the face of our child and we see a reflection of our self and we are “Unashamed.”
That is the title of today’s message, “Unashamed.”
In the scripture lesson ,the Apostle Paul gives some helpful advice to Timothy
to remain solid and grounded in Christian service
and endure the suffering during the difficult days to come.
It is easy for us to serve Christ when things are well.
Everything is going good.
Life is exciting.
We feel personally rewarded.
But without the proper foundation, it is easy to quit during difficult times.
In a time of mounting persecution,
Timothy may have been afraid to preach the message of Jesus Christ.
He had good reason to be afraid.
The fact that believers were being arrested and put into prison because of their faith.
Or far worse being executed.
Paul told Timothy to expect suffering
But Paul promised Timothy that God would give him strength when it was his turn to suffer.
Even when there is no persecution it can be difficult to share our faith in God.
Fortunately, like Paul and Timothy ,we have the Holy Spirit to call upon to give us courage.
Don’t be ashamed to testify.
I. Unashamed to testify
“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” 2 Timothy 1:8
Tell others what God has done for you.
“God is Good to ME!!!”
Shout it at the top of your lungs and don’t hold back!
Let the whole world know what an awesome God you serve
and all the goodness He has poured into your life and your heart!
And What God has done for me.
God will do it for you.
Paul's testimony: He persecuted the believers before His conversion,
he was called by God,
and ended up preaching the gospel.
Now, what's your testimony?
Where did you come from,
where are you going
and what are you doing now?
That's the important thing about your life.
What are you doing now that counts for Christ?
God help us to live for His glory!
II. Unashamed to be a prisoner for the Lord
“or of me his prisoner” 2 Timothy 1:8
Paul never refers to himself being a prisoner of the Romans or a prisoner of the Jews.
Even while he was in prison
Paul saw himself as a prisoner of the Lord!
He knew he was exactly where God wanted him to be.
Paul did most of his writing from either house arrest or prison.
Paul was well aware of how an angel freed Peter from prison.
Paul was well aware of how Philip just disappeared from one place and appeared in another.
Paul knew that the iron bars and soldiers were not really holding him there.
He knew he was right where God needed him to be,
so he calls himself a prisoner of the Lord instead of a prisoner of man or circumstances.
What are you a prisoner of?
Circumstance?
I will not live in the Pain of the past,
I will not live in fear of the future.
III. Unashamed to suffer for the gospel
“Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel” 2 Timothy 1:8
We’ve been saved to serve,
told to tell,
and won to win!
Because we know the truth in Jesus we are responsible for pedaling that truth.
A choir was in the final rehearsal a Christmas cantata
The chorus had sung through to the point where the soloist would sing a verse of Silent Night Holy Night
The soloist’s technique was perfect
—she had faultless breathing,
accurate note placing,
and flawless enunciation.
After the final note ,all eyes were fixed on choir director for approval.
Instead, the director walked over to the singer and asked,
“Do you know that Christ Your Saviour is Born”
“Why yes,” she answered, “I certainly do.”
“Then sing it!” cried the choir director.
“Tell it to the world so that all will know,
and all who hear you will feel joy and power of Him.”
Brothers and sisters, if you believe it then sing it,
preach it,
tell it,
share it,
give it away!
And be unashamed that you are God’s appointed person to do it.
IV. Unashamed to be saved and to called to live a holy life
“ He has saved us and called us to a holy life” 2 Timothy 1:9
How can I live a holy life?
We must first understand what holy means.
To be holy means to be set apart
To be separated from sin and evil.
God is holy
And it is impossible to be apart from God be holy.
We must have the Holy Spirit indwelling us
and the Holy Spirit filling us with His holiness.
We can only live a holy life through the power of the Spirit
The first step to living a holy life is to accept Jesus as Savior
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved.
Acts 2:38
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Once you have taken these steps of salvation, we are declared righteous or Holy unto God.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, bwe1 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
Then God has a plan or design or purpose for your life
So that we can live a holy life by being obedient to God in all the different areas of life
Knowing God and obeying God’s Word is key.
It’s not always easy to choose obedience to God,
especially if we’re trying to do it all on our own.
Satan would love nothing more than to bring us back into bondage through disobedience.
But we have the promise, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Jesus is the real deal.
Christians win in the end.
We are champions,
I am on the honor roll in heaven!!!
I am unashamed!!!
V. Unashamed of the purpose and grace of Jesus
“because of his own purpose and grace.” 2 Timothy 1:9
Evangelist Dwight L. Moody loved to study the Bible topically,
and it occurred to him one day that he had never studied the subject of grace.
Setting aside a day, Moody gave himself to the study of God’s grace.
But a second day was required.
Even on the third day, Moody had not finished his task.
By the late afternoon of the third day, however, Moody was so filled with his subject
that he had to go out on the street and talk to somebody about it.
Stopping a complete stranger, Moody said, “My friend, do you know anything about grace?”
Surprised at the question, the man replied, “Grace who?”
GOOD QUESTION: Do you know anything about grace, the grace of God?
Closing: There are some things that we do in life that may cause us shame,
but there is one thing for which we should never be ashamed and that’s our faith in Jesus Christ!
We need to live it and shout it from the housetops.
A light is not to be hidden but rather to be put on a stand where it can forth it’s light! Be Unashamed.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
How would your life look different if you lived with zero shame? What would change?
What is keeping you from living life free from shame?
