Woodlawn Ev. Lutheran Church 

July 12, 2009 – Pentecost 6

2 Timothy 1:8-14   “Do Not Be Ashamed”

By Pastor Thomas Kneser

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

 

Have you ever felt ashamed?  I think I’m safe in saying that all of us have felt that way at one time or another during our lives.  And maybe we felt that way on all too many occasions.  It usually happens when we are caught doing something wrong, committing some sin.  A few weeks back, the governor of South Carolina expressed shame over the affair he was having with a woman who was not his wife.  Before that it was the police chief in the city of Milwaukee.  Other politicians have faced that same music and then, when caught, have confessed their wrong and talked about how ashamed they are for having done what they did. 

And we often do the same.  Maybe we haven’t cheated on our spouses, but we feel ashamed when we’ve let someone down, when we’ve committed some sin.  That’s why we need to always hear the preaching of the law.  It’s God’s reminder of what his standards are for conducting our lives.  When his law pricks our consciences, it is meant to produce that shame and lead us to repentance, to feel sorry for what we have done and then to look to our Savior for forgiveness.  But first there is that feeling of shame.  And we are all familiar with that.

But now, there’s another kind of shame that we may experience and we may feel it even when we are totally innocent.  Think of the wives of those leaders who have been cheated on.  Their shame is in being the injured party, in being associated with someone who has committed these wrongs.  We might call it “shame by association.”  As parents, we may express it when one of our children has done something wrong at school and we may angrily lash out at them, “I’m ashamed of you.”  We feel some responsibility because we were linked to the person in some way or another.

That’s the kind of shame the apostle Paul is talking about here in his second letter to Timothy.  In the words before us he urges his young co-worker and all of us…

DO NOT BE ASHAMED!

Yes, he says, you will be an object of scorn and there will be suffering simply for being a Christian.  But, he reminds us, look at the power at your disposal, and always keep focused on the end of your labors.

I.

            This second letter of the great apostle to his young apprentice was most likely the last communication he had with Timothy.  Paul was in prison in Rome, having been arrested a second time for the simple fact that he was a leader among the Christians.  In this letter Paul has the strong feeling that he will not be released from his captivity, as happened the previous time.  He recognizes that he may soon be executed for his faith and for testifying that Jesus Christ is the true God and only Savior of the world.  In an empire where Caesar was revered as a god, that message would bring conflict.  Paul was feeling the brunt of that conflict and would soon pay for it with his life.  Did Timothy want to go through that, since he was associated with Paul?  Was he ready to literally put his neck on the line as a follower of Jesus, as a leader in the Christian community?  Would he shrink back, express shame at being linked to someone who was in prison for being an enemy of the state?  Those are thoughts behind Paul’s encouragement here, So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.  But join with me in suffering for the gospel.

            Could we ever find ourselves in such a situation where we would be literally afraid for our lives because of our Christian faith?  Might we be tempted to feel shame because we are linked to Jesus and to his Word?  Oh, maybe there isn’t any organized persecution against Christians in our country today, but there is in other places around the world.  In Muslim countries Christians are treated as second-class citizens who can’t publically evangelize or even gather for worship.

            But even here, think of how Bible believing Christians like us have been labeled as homophobes because we testify to what God tells us in his Word, that homosexual activity is a sin that needs to be repented of.  We are accused of being crazy fanatics because we continue to preach and believe that this world was created in six normal days only several thousand years ago, rather than slowly evolving over billions of years.  We are denounced as judgmental and unloving because we say that Jesus is the true Son of God and that there is no salvation apart from believing in him alone, that all the other religions of the world are false and are leaking people to hell.  Are you ashamed of these teachings from God’s Word?  Do you feel embarrassed to be associated with a church that continues to proclaim that the Bible is our final authority and that Jesus is the world’s only Savior from sin?  Then we need to heed Paul’s admonition, Do not be ashamed. 

II.

            The reason we need not feel ashamed is because of the power that is at our disposal when we continue to follow Jesus and his Word, Join with me in suffering for the gospel, Paul says, by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy life.  There’s no need to be ashamed because God has made us his own dear children and given us places in his family.

            For Paul and Timothy those were special places, special roles.  Paul was called by Jesus directly, called out of a life where he had been a persecutor of Christians, to where he became the greatest missionary of the early church.  Timothy was brought to faith by the Spirit through the ministry of Paul and then joined Paul on his mission journeys, learning from one of the best how to be a leader of God’s people.  Their positions were part of God’s calling for them, putting them into these roles where they then used their talents and abilities to proclaim Jesus as Savior to souls who otherwise would have ended up in hell.  What a great task!  There was no reason to be ashamed of the work they were doing, because it was work given them by God and was accomplishing God’s purpose.

            They were able to accomplish that work because they were the objects of God’s power and love, just as you and I are.  Paul and Timothy were sinners just like the rest of us.  They needed to hear the good news that Jesus was their Savior.  They needed a miracle to be worked in their hearts so that they would be led by the Spirit to believe in Jesus.

            And that’s where the power and love come from, Through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  Jesus and his word are the power source.  Paul told the Romans, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.  The word translated as power here is our word dynamite.  Jesus’ work has dynamic power in the hearts and lives of people like you and me.  Look what Jesus did.  He came into this world and blew up the power of sin and Satan and death.  He did it by living a perfect life in our place, which he could do because he was God himself.  Then as a display of his love for us he allowed himself to be crucified, offering his holy and precious blood as payment for our sin.  And then, to show that he really had accomplished that, he rose triumphantly on Easter morning, displaying his power over death itself. 

            That’s what Paul means when he says that Jesus has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  Jesus destroyed our spiritual enemies.  Oh, they may test us in this life, trying to get us to turn our backs on Jesus, making the things of this world look attractive and necessary.  But we don’t have to be ashamed of being Jesus’ followers.  WE don’t have to be ashamed of sticking to our guns and living according to his word.  He’s the real champion.  We don’t have to be afraid of death or dying, because he has the power to raise us again, just as he raised himself.  We have life with him, real, eternal, life. 

What a glorious message!  What strength that gives us as we face ridicule from the outside world.  What peace that gives us as we face the temporary setbacks and difficulties of this life.  We have the powerful and saving and loving Lord Jesus on our side.  We don’t have to be ashamed of being his followers.  That’s the message Paul and Timothy kept proclaiming, kept living, even in the face of opposition.

 

That’s the message that has touched our lives and that’s the Savior who has called us to be his followers, called us to live holy lives in praise and honor and thanks to him.  We are now the heralds and teachers of this gospel.  Like Paul and Timothy we want others to feel its power, to be touched by the Spirit so they can share in the blessings of forgiveness, new life and salvation.  We aren’t going to back down from proclaiming that message.  We’re not going to let a recession keep us from doing what Jesus has called us to do.  We will share that word with our neighbors and friends, bringing their children to our Vacation Bible School this week, inviting them to our special outdoor service and picnic next weekend.  We will encourage them to send their children to our Lamb of God school where they will get the best education possible, one that prepares them well for this life, and above all, teaches their children about the Savior who has given them eternal life.  So don’t feel ashamed of that powerful gospel message.

 Instead give the Spirit the opportunity to put that power to work in the hearts and lives of yourselves, your children and your friends. 

III.

            And then, another reason not to be ashamed of Jesus and his Word is that we are to always remember what the final destination is for our lives.  We get to spend eternity in the mansions of heaven.  We get to share in the peace and joys of paradise. 

That’s one of the things that Paul here calls a deposit.  We all know what a deposit is.  We usually use the term in connection with our money, talking about making a deposit at the bank.  We are giving them that money for safe keeping, that they are to watch over it until we need it.  We are entrusting it into their care.

One of the “deposits” here is the fact that Jesus has deposited with Paul, Timothy and all Christians this task of preaching the gospel.  He doesn’t send angels to do it.  He only did it himself for a few years here on earth.  Now he entrusts us, those whose hearts have been warmed by the gospel, entrusts us with the task of spreading that gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit.  That’s what we were talking about before.

But Paul also talks about something that we have entrusted to him, that is, to Jesus, for that day.  Our deposit with Jesus is our eternal futures.  We have placed that, really placed ourselves, into his care until that day when he calls us out of this life or when he comes back again to bring this world to an end.  By placing our faith and trust in Jesus the Bible says that our names have been written in the book of life in heaven.  That’s our bank statement, that because of what Jesus has done for us we have a treasure in heaven.  As long as we remain faithful to him, that deposit is guaranteed.  We will have a place in his eternal kingdom. 

So remain faithful to your Lord Jesus, even in the face of shame or ridicule or persecution.  Stay in the gospel, digging in to that message of love and forgiveness, letting the power of his word guide and direct, comfort and strengthen you.  It is that word that will keep you focused on what has been done for you and what is still to come – our eternal inheritance in heaven.

In the years to come it will very likely be more and more difficult to remain faithful to Jesus as Satan and the world throw all kinds of opposition and obstacles and tempting philosophies in front of us.  There will be challenges to our beliefs.  There will be the growing secularization of our society.  We will be tempted to be ashamed and to give up our faith.

But we have the real power – the love and power of our Savior-God, Jesus Christ.  As we will sing during communion, “Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow his example pure; flee the world which would deceive us.”  At times it may seem to be a lonely walk, a difficult walk.  But look at Paul’s example, the suffering he endured for the sake of his Savior.  He knew he was not alone, not going through his suffering all by himself.  Let us remember the same and be willing to face the same, not being ashamed of Jesus because he is the one who has our eternal future in his hand.  AMEN.