Uncommon Faith

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.

I really love this verse but I wish it applied to me.

The gospel is good news so why would I be ashamed of the gospel?  After all it is the power of God to salvation.  What could be better news than being saved?  If I announced I had cured cancer or had ended world hunger I think people would be interested in hearing about it.  I’d be excited to tell the world.  I would share this with everyone I came in contact with because it would save lives.  It would indeed be exciting and dramatic news.

So why would I be ashamed of the gospel?

If I’m a follower of Jesus Christ and I believe God’s word is true; I should desire to share this good news with everyone I come in contact with and most especially the ones closest to me.  But I struggle in the area of the ones closest to me.  It’s difficult to start the conversation.  I’m afraid of what the reaction might be or I don’t want to invest the time it will take even though I know this contends with scripture.

Matthew 10:27-28 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  I am without excuse.  I know the commands and the words cut to my heart.

I know in these moments I am in sin.  James 4:17 Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.  I know this is “good”, it’s what I was created for, (Ephesians 2:10) so what holds me back?

The answer is self preservation.   I like myself more than I should and I want them to like me more than I should.  I don’t want to be thought of as “that guy” or “Here comes the preacher”…..  But again this denies Christ; it is shame in the gospel.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Well there it is; “the line in the sand.”  The one the Lord uses to define who the true followers will be.  It separates the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats; it’s the difference between the wide road and the narrow path because it’s just hard to do.  In these times the Holy One is asking me questions and the questions demand a response.

What are you going to do Kevin, you going to cross the line?  Who do you love, Me or you?  Are you willing to be hated for My names sake?  Did I suffer and die for you?  Did they beat Me, spit on Me and mock Me so you could serve Me?  Or do you want a “god” that makes your life better?

This battle continues to rage in my mind but daily by God’s grace I am learning to stand with Paul and boldly proclaim “I am NOT ashamed of the gospel” it “IS” the power of God to salvation, not to perfection but to the glory of the One that deserves my praise and obedience.

Consider your life today and ask yourself, if you are ashamed of the gospel?

Kevin

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Do you “hope” or do you have hope?

I asked a man recently where he thinks he will spend eternity.  “Well I hope in heaven” was his response.  Many will say they hope that they will go to heaven or they say I think I will go to heaven…

“On what basis do you think this” is my typical reply?  The answers are predictable.  “I’m a good person”, or “I go to church”, or “I haven’t really thought about it but I just think that”.

This is not a reason for hope but only hoping somehow it’s going to work out for them.  There is no plan, no vision for what the future holds, simply living for today.  I would imagine most people have made some plans for the future.  People plan to get married (well some still do), they plan their retirement, or plan how and where their kids will be educated.  These things most people view as important.

Is eternity important?  Is it important enough to really think about?

Believer you must be prepared to give a defense for your hope, you must always be ready.  We can then encourage others that true hope lies only in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  There is no other hope.  Any other hope is a false hope.

Today I ask you to consider your testimony and if you are ready to share that with others.  I pray that your testimony will impact the life of another to the glory of God when you are willing to step out in faith and take a chance that you might be reviled and defamed.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Be prepared to give hope so they can believe.

Kevin

2 Corinthians 5:20 now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:  we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Today I shared the gospel for the first time in a public setting with a group larger than one.  It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Twice a month I meet with my pastor at a local place and have breakfast.  We’ve been meeting at this place for quite some time and for as long as I can remember there is a group of men that gather at a table close by.  The conversation is typical of what you might expect of a group of retired men.  Mostly politics but occasionally other subjects come up; but for me these conversations get ugly with the ease at which the LORD’s name is used improperly.

We’ve recently been discussing 2 Corinthians 5:20 at our church.  When is the last time you seriously implored someone to be reconciled to God?  I would say for most the answer is never.  For most that is the pastor’s job or the Spirit’s job but I say it’s my job and it’s your job, “if” you are a believer.  This is not a casual suggestion by Paul; it’s a command, just like the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season. (When it’s popular or unpopular)  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

My gospel presentation was met with a variety of responses from complete indifference to outward hostility from the man at a different table who was listening in on the conversation.  A couple men engaged me for a while but probably thought I was pathetic and like the fly buzzing around, wished I would just go away.

Today I did not share the gospel with much style or with much beauty but I did share the gospel because that is the least I can do for my Lord and Savior.  That is my reasonable service.  (Romans 12:1)  My responsibility is to spread seed and God’s responsibility is to grow. (Mark 4:26-27)  I’m thankful salvation isn’t dependent on me.  I’m an utter failure at saving people but He is not.

I can only hope I’ve spread the good seed and the LORD God in His sovereignty removes the hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh.

When I enter glory and I’m called a faithful Doulos it’s only because Christ is worthy and out of loving obedience to Him I will glory in persecutions for His name’s sake.  Matthew 24:9, 2 Corinthians 12:10 1 Thessalonians 1:6.

I hope today you are encouraged to be an ambassador for Christ.

Kevin

Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Its official; July 2012 is the hottest month on record in the 118 years that these records have been kept.  I believe it.  All you need to do is look at my yard and there is no doubt we have had little rain and plenty of hot weather.

I was contemplating after a recent storm how much easier it is to pull weeds when the soil has been softened by a good rain and it occurred to me this is similar to my children’s hearts.  For the record I’m a diehard believer in the doctrines of grace but I know God uses means to reach people and the primary way God desires to reach children is through fathers.

To be obedient to God’s word I’m commanded to bring my children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.  I must, in a sense, pull the weeds of sin out of the hearts of my children. Young children’s hearts represent soft soil.  They have not yet been exposed to as much sin and are much more malleable.  They receive the gospel with all eagerness, whether their soil is good is completely dependent upon God but I’m called to spread the seed and in my analogy to pull the weeds.

But I struggle with this often.  It’s easier to watch the TV than tell them it’s time for us to have our family devotions.  It’s easier to let the weeds grow saying “I’ll get that done tomorrow”.  It’s easier to allow them the subtle sins such as a lack of obedience than correct it immediately.  In effect; I also struggle with pulling my own weeds.

Father’s today pull the weeds of sin from your heart so you can pull the weeds from your children’s hearts, to the glory of God and for love and obedience to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down stronghold, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Kevin