Be Not Ashamed!2 Tim. 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner,

but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power

of God,

What is shame?Shame = a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish

behavior:

▪I am sure that everyone here has been ashamed of things they have done in life or things they have failed to do.▪Paul is writing to a young man who

must have became a little discouraged by the things going around him.

No need to fear men, we answer to God!

▪2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

▪Mt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Far too often we become ashamed of who we are, or who we know

because of the fear of men!▪Fear of what they might say about us, or fear

of what they might think of us!▪Paul wants Timothy to know that there are

some things in life that we should never be ashamed of!

▪As Christians, there is a tendency from time to time to be ashamed of who we are and what we have in Christ!

▪There are times many hope that no one finds out they are a Christian!

Paul’s advice is “be not ashamed!”▪Maybe we are ashamed to admit that we

love the Lord and are trusting Him to save us!▪Maybe we are ashamed to speak up in a

discussion about doctrinal matters, because the truth of the Bible differs from what others believe!

▪Maybe we are ashamed to sell out completely to Jesus, like He wants us to do! (Lk. 9:23)

▪Maybe there is shame over some failure in the past that haunts us and prevents us from being all the Lord wants us to be!

I. Not Ashamed of Our Savior!2 Tim 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the

testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel

according to the power of God,▪Not of His Pain!▸Not ashamed to identify with the cross!▪Not of His Plan!▸Not ashamed to identify with the Gospel!▪Not of His People!▸Not ashamed to identify with the church!

Mt 10:32-33 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will

also confess before My Father who is in heaven. "But whoever denies Me

before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

▪We need to be willing to speak up and speak out for Jesus!

▪I am not ashamed to own my Lord!▸# 609 in our books!

II. Not Ashamed of Our Salvation! 2 Tim 1:9-10 who has saved us and called us with a

holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,

who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel!

▪I do not why anyone would be ashamed of their salvation, but it appears that some must have been!

▪Many do all they can to avoid living like they know Jesus, but why?

Our Salvation!▪The Greatness of Our Salvation!▸Paul reminds Timothy that we are “saved!” This

meaning that we are safe in the arms of Jesus!▪The Grace of Our Salvation!▸Before the world begun, before Adam & Eve

God’s grace was already in place to save us!▪The Glory of Our Salvation!▸Through the suffering of Jesus on the cross,

He abolished death for us! Abolish = to render useless!

III. Not Ashamed of Our Service! 2 Tim. 1:11-12 to which I was appointed a

preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these

things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to

Him until that Day.▪Paul tells Timothy, it is the Gospel that

compels him to serve the Lord. It is the message of grace that motivates him to pour out his life for the glory of God!

Our Service!▪The Appointment in Service!▸Paul declares “I was appointed a

preacher & apostle & teacher” ▪The Affliction in Service!▸Paul states “which is why I suffer as I do”▪The Assurance in Service!▸Paul reminds us “But I am not ashamed,

for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me!”

Conclusion:▪Are we ashamed of our Savior, our

salvation, of our service?▪May we never be ashamed to proclaim

the saving message of Jesus!▪If you are here and not yet a saved

child of God, then today you can be! ▪For us that are Christians, let’s be sure

that we are standing for the right things and in the right ways!

Of Jesus!