1. Being Ashamed of Jesus -Welcome to Ashley Heights Church of Christ.
-And if you are a visitor here, you are honored guests.
-Good to be here once again worshipping God and I'm glad I've chosen to become a Christian because otherwise, I wouldn't be here and I certainly wouldn't be looking to the future for a life in heaven.
-Today I wanted to talk about the being ashamed of Jesus, and what the bible says about anyone, who is, and how it impacts our lives as Christians.

2. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Mark 8:38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
So are you ashamed of the Lord or what he says?
Think about how this affects us in our lives and how it will affect us in the future.
-Look at what Jesus says in Mark 8:38 and notice that He says it is being ashamed of Him and also His words, and if you are then truly you must be ashamed of God because everything Jesus has said, came from God.
-Question
-In asking this question, I want you to think about how this affects all of us in our lives and how it will affect us in the future. Because as Jesus says, He is talking about His second coming when He will come in judgement.

3. Being Ashamed of Jesus
John 12:42-43 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
The persecution and shame shouldn’t come as a surprise to us.
-First consider that others during His life were ashamed of Him even when they believed His words. John 12:42-43
-So even the rulers believed Him but didn't want to be His disciple or confess Him. They loved the praise of men more.
And really lets think about it, isn't that what a large part of it is about? If not our weak faith but the fact that we love praise of men more. Think about how this is in our lives.
Really if you fear men and what they would says or do because we stand up for Jesus, then we need to think about who do we really want to please. Is our resolve to serve God stopped by our shame of what men could do to us?
-We know that persecution will come, and ...

4. Being Ashamed of Jesus
John 15:18-20 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Luke 6:23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
-John15: Remember that the world, or people hated Jesus first. Jesus wants us to understand that we are not of this world, we don't choose to live the way people chose to follow whatever seems good to them, whether or not it pleases God, so they are going to dislike us, and what we have to say, because you know that at some point when you talk to people about Jesus something Jesus has said will offend them, unless they are willing to conform to God.
-Luke 6:23 We see that even the prophets that God sent were persecuted. (go back vs 22)

5. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
-God gave this as a warning to us, so we would know what to expect and be prepared for it. SO we wouldn't be ashamed.
-Matthew 5:14-16 IN fact we need to know that we will stand out if we serve Jesus, and that if we are to be lights for Him we cannot hide under a basket. We need to make sure that when people see our works that they already know that it isn't for our own glory but for God's. If we are doing what we are supposed to.

6. Being Ashamed of Jesus
How does this manifest itself in our world today?
We are still in a sinful and adulterous generation that is offended at Jesus and His words.
Do we stand up for Christ or hide Him somewhere?
-Question, think about how it shows up in our lives, not just in Church but outside in our lives. How do we react to people and situations in life?
-As it said in focus verse, we are still.... offended at Jesus and His words.
-Do we stand up for Christ or hide Him and our relationship to Him somewhere? What way is that to treat our saviour?

7. Being Ashamed of Jesus What happens when you go to work? John 3:18-21
Or….among Family Matthew 10:33-37
In front of government officials or law. Acts 9:29
Our shame and pride hinders our spreading of the gospel.
-Consider work, how we act at work and whether it is obvoius we are disciples of Jesus. Think about our days off.
John 3:18-12, Do we bring our works to light or are we still content to be in the dark?
-How about Family? Bible teaches it will affect our family life to. Matthew 10:33-37, hopefully we all live in families that all love God but it can happen where we must choose between God and our family. So do we try to be examples to them?
-We may not in our lives run into this but things could happen that force us to choose to disobey law if favor of God Acts 9:29, Ultimately, our shame & pride will hinder our and if you think about it, the more we fall short in any or all of these categories or in other parts of our lives, the less we will work for God and the more we will be pushing Him away until we are only Christians at church and then most likely stop coming altogether.

8. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Matthew 16:26-27 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Can you truly call yourself a disciple if you are ashamed of Christ?
Consider this Matthew 16:26-27, Truly what will we give up so that we can have praise from men? Will we let our shame of Jesus and fear of persecution be powerful enough so that we give up our soul? It isn't material things that can hold us back, but shame. And we will lose our reward.
-Question. Are Christian's people that are ashamed of their saviour and teacher?

9. Being Ashamed of Jesus What should we be doing?
We should be rejoicing in our hardships!
Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Peter and John saw it as an opportunity to grow.
-We've talked about it a little bit, but let's further look at what should we be doing when persecutions come in response to them.
-See that the bible teaches...not that we don't dislike or are hurt by them, even Jesus dispised the reproach he received.
We aren't looking to get hurt, but earlier we saw that it is something that will happen.
-Peter and John, saw themselves as worthy in God's sight to suffer and as an opportunity to grow.

10. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 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.
Let’s see further how they realized that they counted themselves worthy to suffer for His name.
-Romans 5:3-5, we understand that it will help us to grow as better servants of God. That the goal of serving God is to build us up so that we are not ashamed to be in the service of God that our reactions aren't to shy away from service, but to grow stronger because of the tribulations.
That God has truly given us His love that if we endure we will be that much closer to heaven because of our service.
-Further understand why they felt worthy...

11. Being Ashamed of Jesus
I Peter 4:12-13 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
-I Peter 4:12-13, understand we have been warned and we partake in Jesus sufferings, we will share with His hardships because the world first hated Him.

12. Being Ashamed of Jesus
We need to remember that sharing in the rewards and success means also sharing in the hardship.
Matthew 10:24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
-We need to remember that ....in anything we take on in our lives, we know that their is both good times and bad times. Take Marriage for example, but we know that the good things and the love far outwiegh any difficult things that come our way, and how much is heaven and the reward we get now?
-If we choose Jesus, we must know fully that we will receive great blessings but also hardship.

13. Being Ashamed of Jesus
We should be convinced that the glory we will receive is so much better than the trials we may face as a servant of Jesus.
II Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
-we should be convinced... Our faith strengthened.
-Even so much that paul said, II Corinthians 4:17
-This passage is making a comparison between two things, our current difficulty and the future glory and life with God
One is light and short
Other is eternal and weight of glory is massive.

14. Being Ashamed of Jesus Remember that God is for us.
Hebrews 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for HE has prepared a city for them.
-Remember that God is for us.
-Understand that Jesus is not ashamed of us. That while we were sinners Jesus died for us, and now....
-We desire and heavenly country too, God is not ashamed to be our God, as a proof He has prepared us a city.
Jesus went to prepare it.

15. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Our reward is great, much greater than anything here and it will last for eternity.
Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Know also that our reward...
Matthew 5:11-12, once again. reiterating the point.

16. Being Ashamed of Jesus
Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Let us not be ashamed of Jesus or His words and totally commit ourselves to spreading the gospel and being a servant of God.
-Romans 8:18, Paul was convinced thouroghly convinced in numerous passages that he was getting a great reward and that serving God was not something to be ashamed of.
Romans 1:16
-Let us....
-Remember all the things He has given us, Jesus, the gospel, the church, the Holy Spirit (helper), our brothers and sisters.
Turn to those in hard times.

17. Being Ashamed of Jesus Have you become a Christian?
Without Jesus as your savior you will perish in your sins.
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 believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Do you need to repent for some public sin as a Christian?
Invitation, are you a Christian?
-Mark 16:16
-It is the power God has given for salvation, we can be saved by reading and following this book.
-Or are you a Christian in need of prayers?