Not Ashamed of the Gospel

29 November 2020 AM – Romans 1:16 – Witnessing – Scott Childs
Introduction: Alex Dunlap was the founder and director of The Conversion Center in Havertown, Pennsylvania USA which was a ministry and halfway house for converted Catholic Priests. He was very bold in his witness for the Lord. He told of one time that he went into a catholic church where people were lined up to go to the confession booth. He got in line and when his turn came he stepped into the box where he was to make his confession to the priest through a small hole in the wall. The priest asked him what his sin was and he said, “I have lost faith in the catholic church and this is why.” Then he proceeded to compare what the catholic church taught and what the Bible said as he witnessed though this little hole. (By Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author).
The Apostle Paul, like that man was not ashamed of the Gospel.
Transition: In Romans 1:16, Paul gives us three reasons that we should not be ashamed of the Gospel.
The 1st reason we should not be ashamed of the Gospel is that …
  1. The Gospel is about Christ.
a.         Yes, the Gospel is all about Jesus Christ.
1)         The Gospel is not about religion. It is not about a church. It is not about an ordinary human. It is about Jesus Christ.
2)         Jesus Christ is God. He took on him the body of a human and lived on earth for 33 years. (Matthew 1:23) “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.“
b.         Providing the Gospel was Jesus’ earthly mission.
1)         Just over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, God the Son, left heaven and came to earth. (John 3:17) “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.“
2)         He lived a perfect life, died a terrible death on a Roman cross to pay for man’s eternal death in hell, and then rose from the dead to offer every human forgiveness and eternal life. (John 10:10) “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” That is good news! That is the Gospel!
3)         Though the Gospel is good news of priceless eternal value, it has never been a popular topic. Jesus said, (John 3:19) “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.“
a)         Jesus did nothing but good, yet men hated Him so much that they crucified Him.
b)         Jesus’ disciples proclaimed the good news that Christ died for our sins to give man eternal life, and most of them died as martyrs.
c)         For preaching the Gospel, the Apostle Paul suffered greatly including beatings, shipwrecks, whippings, stoning, prison and execution.
d)         Since the first century, millions of Christians have died for the Gospel.
e)         Even today, people do not want to talk about it.
4)         After all He’s done for us, we should not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is good news!
The 2nd reason we should not be ashamed of the Gospel is that …
2.        The Gospel is the power of God.
a.         It is the power of God unto salvation.
1)         Sin has separated every human from God. Sin comes in many forms. It is disobeying God’s commands. Telling a lie is a sin. Taking something that is not ours is a sin. All sexual activity outside of marriage is sin. Disobeying parents is sin. Swearing is sin. Even coveting something that does not belong to us is a sin. (James 2:10) “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” If you have done even one of these sins, you are guilty before God. The wages or payment for sin is eternal death. (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
2)         The Gospel of Christ has power to save a sinner from the eternal judgment of hell. The Apostle Paul killed many Christians before he received the Gospel. He wrote, (1 Timothy 1:15) “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.“
3)         No human has the power to save his own soul from eternal hell. Living a good life will never erase one sin from your record (Eph 2:8-9).
4)         God has given the death, burial and resurrection of Christ His power to save sinners from hell. God’s Word promises this to be true. (2 Timothy 1:10) “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:“
b.         It is the power of God to everyone that believes.
1)         Jesus Christ paid sin’s debt in full for the human race; however, His payment will not be applied to every person’s account.
2)         He placed a condition on His payment. That condition is repentant faith. (Acts 16:31) “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Believing on Christ is not just believing that He existed or even believing that He died for you. It is believing ON Him.
a)         No one can believe on Christ without first repenting or admitting their guilt and accepting their inability to cleanse themselves. Jesus said, (Luke 13:3) “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.“
b)         No one can believe on Christ without placing his trust fully in Christ’s payment on his behalf.
3)         All who neglect to obey or refuse to obey the Gospel by placing their faith in Christ must pay for their own sins. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:“
The 3rd reason we should not be ashamed of the Gospel is that …
3.        The Gospel is for everyone.
a.         The Gospel is for both Jew and Gentile
1)         God loves every human. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
2)         God is not willing that any perish in hell. (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.“
3)         Thank God, He offers the Gospel to everyone. (1 Timothy 2:4) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:6) “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.“
b.         It is every Christian’s duty to share the Gospel
1)         The devil wants us to think that our relatives, friends and neighbours will be safe on judgment day as long as they believe in God, but that is a lie. Only the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
2)         Think about your parents, your siblings, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, your grandparents, your school friends, your neighbours, have they obeyed the Gospel? Have you loved them enough to share it with them, or have you been ashamed of the Gospel? (2 Corinthians 4:3) “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:“
3)         In our world, there are untold millions. Jesus told us in Mark 16:15 to “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are to begin in our home “Jerusalem” but then reach to the uttermost part of the earth. Are you willing to go?
4)         Someone wisely stated, “The Gospel is only good news if it reaches the sinner in time.” We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
Conclusion: The Gospel is about Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. It is for everyone. For these reasons, we must not be ashamed of it. We must look for opportunities and share it boldly.
If you have not yet obeyed the Gospel, your soul is in great danger. I urge you, delay no longer. Repent and place your faith in Christ today.
Song: Rescue the Perishing – 432