Closet Christians!
Rom 1:13-17
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, 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 at Rome.
16 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.
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."
I attended Promises Keepers ’95 at the Pontiac Silverdome. What a tremendous event! How God moved upon that assembly. The speakers were outstanding. The music was great. The atmosphere was charged. Truly, it was a time to remember.
One of the speakers made a statement that I will never forget. In fact, it formed the basis for this sermon. He was addressing believers. He said, “Men, its time to come out of the closet! We can no longer afford to be “closet Christians.”
I immediately thought of verse 16 of our Scripture: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”
Church, I say to you tonight, Its time for us to come out of the closet—to declare ourselves openly to the world.
Listen to the words of Jesus in Matt.5:14-16: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Eph.5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
II Tim.1:8: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Have you ever been ashamed?
Of your faith?
Of some failure?
Of some sin?
Of some habit you cannot break?
Of carrying your Bible?
Of going to church?
Of speaking for Christ?
Why did the gays stay in?
Moral climate was not right in society
Laws of the land were not in their favor
Afraid of embarrassing family
Might lose their job
Why do Christians stay in the closet?
Ridicule
Embarrassment
Want the best of both worlds
Afraid of being ostracized by family and friends
Afraid they will lose that promotion
Illus.: “Dr. Garl Restored My Sight!”
There was this soft-spoken man who was a commuter on the Long Island Railroad—on the five o’clock local. Every evening, after the train had left the subway, he would begin a journey through the car from front to back. At each seat he would stop and say, “Excuse me. But if any of your friends are blind, tell them to consult Dr. Garl. He restored my sight.”
Why don’t we have that same courage and conviction and boldness?
CHURCH: ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Two ways to be ashamed:
1. Active denial (Peter)
2. Passive denial (silence)
What does it mean to come out?
To be an authentic Christian—everywhere
To say “No!” to our 3 enemies: (world, flesh, devil)
To let our light shine
To take a stand for Christ and against sin
Illus.: An Orange Peeled
Atheist was preaching in a city park; had quite a crowd. Mocked God, the bible and Christianity. When he finished, he asked if anyone would like to ask a question. The town drunkard who had just been converted to Christ made his way to the platform. He took out an orange, peeled it and ate it without saying a word. The speaker asked if he had a question.
He said to the atheist, “Was the orange I just ate sweet or sour?” Angrily, the speaker replied, “You idiot, how can I know whether it was sweet or sour when I never tasted it?” To this the convert said, “And how can you know anything about Christ if you have never experienced Him?”
CHURCH: ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Consider some others who came out:
Noah
Abraham
Joseph
Moses
Joshua
David
Daniel
John the Baptist
Paul
Stephen
ITS TIME FOR US TO COME OUT!
Lets’ look at Romans 1:16 carefully. Let’s break it down.
“I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL”
The Good News
Its more than equal to all “isms”
Because it came from God!
We can have confidence in it
Paul wasn’t ashamed of it. He had endured much because of it. He had been imprisoned in Philippe, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, and told by the citizens of Corinth that his message was foolishness. And after all this, wouldn’t you think he would quit? No, not Paul. He still had his eye on the goal.
Warren Wiersbe, in his book, Be Right, tells of a time when he was a high school student. He was chosen to be an “office monitor.” He was never afraid to interrupt a teacher because his message always came from the principal!
Our message is not our own. It came from the King of kings! And you can’t get any higher than that!
ITS TIME FOR US TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
“for it is the POWER of God”
It is, right now, the POWER of God. Right where you and I live and work. The gospel is just as powerful today as it was when first preached. You see, the Holy Spirit created it and still anoints it.
Illus.: “Is OK Mom, I’m Here Too”
One night a plainly dressed woman stood in the inquiry room after the close of an evangelistic meeting with tears running down her cheeks as she asked Christ to come into her life. When her counselor asked if there was anything else she wanted to share, she replied that she was very afraid of her son. “He drinks a lot,” she said. “And I’m afraid he may beat when he finds out I’ve become a Christian.” Before the counselor could speak, a voice nearby called out, "Its ok mom. I’m here too.”
This Gospel POWER comes from God! That’s what makes it so powerful. It is unique, incomparable, and very potent. The Greek word here for power is dynamis, from which we get our word, dynamite. Why are we ever ashamed of it? Like dynamite, its explodes to reveal God’s love, forgiveness and deliverance.
No wonder Paul was not ashamed. He had seen what the Gospel had done in his own life and in the lives of others.
When they chained him to two prison guards, he witnessed to them. And in his letter to the Philippians we are told that some in Caesar’s household came to know Christ.
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Christianity is a religion of power—the message it brings is a powerful one. The people it produces are people of power.
Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses.”
2 Tim 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
“for SALVATION”
Salvation is the effect or outcome of the presentation of this powerful Gospel.
Illus.: Rebellious Teen Picks Lock at Crusade
A man arrived late at a Billy Graham crusade in London. The doors of the arena had been locked because of the crowd size. A teenage gang-member who was standing nearby saw this man and asked what his problem was. When told that he wanted to get in, the teen picked the lock and the man entered and got saved.
Illus.: “The Pickpocket”
Two men went to a revival meeting to make fun of it. But the Holy Spirit spoke to both of them. When the invitation was given, one of them turned to the other and said, “I’m going forward.” The other said, “So am I. And here’s your wallet back. I took it from you five minutes ago. I’m a pickpocket.”
“For EVERYONE who believes”
This life-transforming power is available for all. To receive it requires faith. And faith here means, “Betting your soul that God is real and that what He has said and done is true.
Ashamed of the Gospel? How could we ever be ashamed of the power it holds? Of the ability that it has to influence and even transform the human heart?
ITS TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Illus.: “Couple Reunited at the Altar”
One night an evangelist was preaching on the home. A divorced man was there with his girlfriend who had been the cause of the breakup of his marriage. The message penetrated his heart, and as he looked up during the invitation, he saw his former wife going forward to give her life to Christ. With tears of remorse, he went and stood beside her. Becoming reconciled not only to God but to the wife he had rejected.
Now that’s power, friends! Let’s come out of the closet.
The times demand it!
Our Lord commands it!
The hearts of the lost need it!
