Never Ashamed Mark 8:27–38; Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16; Romans 5:1–11

Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom we should never be ashamed.

Our message is Never Ashamed, based on today’s Gospel. 34 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 

38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

I remember going through a stage of life as a young teen, when I was sometimes embarrassed of my parents, especially when I was with my peers. 

I out-grew that, as most people do, and in my college days, it all changed, and I couldn’t wait to show them off to my friends. But to some extent, I still thought I knew better than them.

Then in younger adulthood, I admired them and looked up to them even more, and generally, welcomed their words of wisdom. 

We didn’t always agree; there were those generational differences that all generations have, but I still looked to them for guidance… 

… and now, I miss them, and I’m so thankful for the love they showed and the wisdom they shared with me.

How silly and foolish to have ever been embarrassed of them, or to have taken them for granted.

How much more foolish, to be embarrassed of our Savior, and our faith in Him, and His words of wisdom for us in Scripture, His law and Gospel.

Of all who have ever lived, Jesus is the least and last to be ashamed of.

And of every book ever written, the Bible is the least and the last book to doubt or not believe. 

Likewise, how foolish to take God, and His Word, and His grace, for granted.

How foolish for us to be embarrassed of living a life like Christ, and letting others see Christ in us and through us.

How foolish for us to be embarrassed of talking about Him, and telling others all about Him. 

In May, my first grandchild will be born, a girl, and I can imagine how excited I’ll be to tell others about her, not ashamed at all, but overjoyed.

Let us be even more excited, over-over-joyed, to tell others about the One who has saved our lives, even in a world that may disapprove.

The culture that’s hostile toward Christ and the Gospel, likes to paint His people, His Church in a negative light. Some of that we have coming because of our sin… and some we don’t, some is just slander.

Some is stereotyping, some is misunderstanding authentic, Biblical Christianity, and some is just outright hostility and hatred toward Christ and the Church.

Whatever the reason, in this world, opposition is to be expected for those who live a life that’s devoted to Christ.

The devil’s strategy is to turn the culture against the Christian faith and way of life, and to make things so uncomfortable and difficult in following Christ… 

… to make the social disapproval and disdain toward Christianity so prevalent and so intense, that the followers of Jesus will shrink back from the criticism and public embarrassment, and hide what they believe… 

… and in this way, to silence the Gospel… and cause the Church, the fellowship of the saved, to dwindle.

If we’re embarrassed to be like Christ, and to tell the world about Him, if God’s children are ashamed of Him and silent about Hima and His Word, then how will those who don’t know, ever hear, and ever believe, and live and rejoice? 

Romans 10:13-14 says, 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching… someone speaking and sharing the Good News.

The devil tries to silence us, but thanks be to God, we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, God’s power in us, to make us bold to believe and be like Jesus, and talk about Him, no matter what the world thinks about Him.

May God forgive us for the times we’ve been embarrassed or afraid to act as His chosen… or intimidated to speak up as those who know Christ, and have a message from Him to share with the world. 

May the Holy Spirit make us strong in heart and mind, to not be silent about the Gospel, but to be champions of it, and advocates for it. 

May the influence of Christ in our lives be greater than the influence of the fallen world and secular culture, which would try to pressure us to fall away from Christ… or to be silent about Him…

… or, at least, not to be so devoted, and faithful, and loyal to Him, and His Word, and His Church.

May we never give in to such worldly pressure… may our priorities start with Christ, and all others fall in line from there.

Never Ashamed! 

God make us never ashamed of You, and of Your Son, and of Your Spirit, and of Your Word, and of Your Church.

May God make us to feel about You and Your Gospel, the way the apostles felt… as Paul boldly proclaimed in Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

How can I be ashamed of what has saved my life… of the One who rescued me from all that hates me and would harm me? 

Never Ashamed!

Imagine how ashamed of and disappointed in Adam and Eve, God could have been when they chose to defy Him, and sin against Him, and corrupt His perfect creation. 

Imagine how disappointed He could be in us, given all our sins and failures to love Him and our neighbor… all our failures to honor Christ and bear witness to Him.

We’ve disappointed God with our sin, and selfishness, and fear, and greed, and much more, but it hasn’t stopped Him from loving us… and it didn’t stop Jesus from giving His life for us.

May nothing stop us from loving and trusting Him, and being bold and open about it, not shy or timid.

If the world looks down on us on account of who we love and what we believe, then let that be a price we gladly pay.

The world’s opinion of us means nothing compared to how God loves us, and how He sees us, that’s what matters most.

By faith in Christ, God sees us through His Son… He sees Christ’s love and righteousness as ours, a righteousness for us to treasure and rejoice in… and never be ashamed of.

In spite of our failures and short-comings, our God is not ashamed to call us His children… to make us His own in holy Baptism… to accept our service and praise… to make us His personal friends and witnesses, entrusting us with the spread and proclamation of the good news of love and salvation in Christ, through His death and resurrection for the world… 

… and after our work here is done, He’s not ashamed to share His home with us.

May it be our honor and joy to boldly confess our faith in Christ… to shout our love for Him… to courageously show compassion and kindness in His name… to gratefully serve Him… to unashamedly hold up His Word of truth in the world… and to share His healing love and saving grace with all who will hear and receive. 

And as we do, the peace of God, which passes understanding, will guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, who is never our shame, but always our glory. Amen.