When We're Embarrassed Of Jesus

EVERYONE LOVES JESUS IN CHURCH: Whether I’m embarrassed of Jesus often changes with a spike in the cost.

- Mark 14: 27-31, 50, 67-68.

- It’s easy to love Jesus when there’s no cost involved. It’s easy to love Him when there’s no pressure.

- As the costs increase, so too does the likelihood that we’re embarrassed of Him.

- What do I mean by “a spike in the cost?”

- The cost might be physical danger, like Peter was in (although that would be pretty rare for us).

- The cost might be losing a job.

- The cost might be potentially harming a relationship.

- The cost might be financial.

- The cost might be losing social standing.

- The cost might be embarrassment among our friends.

- Peter’s spike in cost:

a. Mark 14:27-31.

- Surrounded by only disciples, no enemy in sight, cost was low.

b. Mark 14:50.

- They all (Peter included) flee, but in so doing he forsakes but doesn’t deny.

c. Mark 14:67-68.

- One girl accusing, he vaguely denies and walks away.

THE QUESTION TO ANSWER: When is Jesus too expensive for you?

- That raises the question for our lives: when is the cost too high for us to pay it? When are we embarrassed of Jesus?

- We might say, “I’ve never done like Peter and publicly yelled, ‘I don’t know the man.’” And perhaps that’s true, but there may be other ways that we’ve decided that standing for Jesus wasn’t worth the cost.

- I want to look at five examples of times when we face this question of being embarrassed of Jesus. We’ll look at them moving from the least cost to the higher cost. In each, we need to take an honest look at our hearts and ask, “Would I be willing to pay the cost there or would I be embarrassed of Jesus?”

ESCALATING COSTS:

- As we go through these, let’s focus on that phrase “being embarrassed of Jesus.”

- Are these situations where I’m embarrassed of Him or am I proud of Him?

1. Do I acknowledge proudly and publicly that I’m a Christian?

- Romans 1:16.

- There is an idea that a many Christians seem to hold onto today that there is such a thing as “private faith?”

- I can keep my faith just between me and God and that’s perfectly alright.

- Now I’m not saying that we need to be annoying about it and get up in everyone’s face, but do the people around you know that you’re a believe in Jesus?

- We keep it private in little ways:

a. We never bring up anything about the Bible or faith.

b. We never mention going to church.

c. We never mention praying for someone.

- Most of the aspects of our life naturally come up.

- You all know I love golf. You all know I love sports. You all know we lived in Poca. You all know I have four kids. Those things come up without me thinking about them in my conversation because those are things that are important to me.

- If we say that Jesus is important to us but He never comes up in our conversation, then what does that say about how important our faith really is?

- If someone went around to your friends or neighbors or co-workers and asked, “Is so-and-so a Christian?” would the answer be “I think so” or “Maybe”? Or would the answer be “Yes – definitely.”

- If directly asked we would say that we are, but I don’t mean that.

- I mean that we conspire to keep our faith tucked away like our drivers license.

- If you ask me for it I’ll get it out and show it to you, but you have to ask.

- Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.”

- Am I? Are you?

2. In worship, do I focus on what others think?

- John 4:24.

- When we’re in worship, we’re supposed to be focused on praising God and worshiping Jesus.

- Often, though, our focus is on what others are thinking.

- We feel led to say “Amen” but we’re worried what our friend sitting next to us will think.

- We feel like we should go forward to pray at the end of the service, but we worry that someone will think, “What is she going forward for?”

- We feel like raising a hand in praise when we’re singing “Amazing Grace” and the words really hit home, but we don’t want anyone to think we’re crazy.

- We are moved by the sermon and want to shed a tear, but are too embarrassed to do that.

- What do all those have in common: we’re more focused on what the person is thinking than on what Jesus is thinking.