“I am Not Ashamed... to be different!”

Are you ashamed to be a member of the church of Christ?

Those who felt shame to be identified w/Christ

Nicodemus(John 7:50)

Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,

Asha

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I am

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Those who felt shame to be identified w/Christ

Parents of the Blind Man(John 9:20-22)

His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; "but by what

means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will

speak for himself." His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed

already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

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Those who felt shame to be identified w/Christ

Rulers(John 12:42)

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be

put out of the synagogue;

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Those who felt shame to be identified w/Christ

Joseph of Arimathea(John 19:38)

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews,

asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So

he came and took the body of Jesus.

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Those who felt shame to be identified w/Christ

Peter(Mark 14:69-71) And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them." But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to

Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows

it." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"

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There IS a time to feel shame…

(2 Thessalonians 3:14)

And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep

company with him, that he may be ashamed.

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We Should Not Be Ashamed

(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.

(2 Timothy 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,

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

YES! We Are Closed-Minded:

(John 8:24)

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am

He, you will die in your sins."

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

YES! We Have a Monopoly On the Truth:

(Matthew 11:27) "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does

anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

YES! We Have a Monopoly On the Truth:

(1 Timothy 3:15) but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct

yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and

ground of the truth.

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

YES! Our Lord is the ONLY ONE who can save you:

(John 14:6)

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth,

and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

Christianity was viewed as a “cult.”

(Acts 17:19) And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

Christianity was viewed as a “cult.”

(Acts 24:14)

"But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the

God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

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CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT!

Christianity was viewed as a “cult.”

(Acts 28:22)

"But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that

it is spoken against everywhere."

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Pure Christianity Has NEVER been popular!

(John 15:18-27)

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose

you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep

yours also. "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they…

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Pure Christianity Has NEVER been popular!

…would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. "He who hates Me hates My Father also. "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did,

they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' "But when the Helper

comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will

testify of Me. "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

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Pure Christianity Has NEVER been popular!

Persecutions:

Col. 1:24 “I now rejoice in my sufferings”

(2 Timothy 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,

Asha

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Pure Christianity Has NEVER been popular!

Persecutions:

(1 Peter 4:13)

but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is

revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

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If being a member of the church of Christ embarrasses you…

…there is only one way to resolve that problem:

STOP BEHAVING LIKE A CHRISTIAN!But it has it’s consequences…

DISOBEDIENCE

(2 Corinthians 6:17) Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

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If being a member of the church of Christ embarrasses you…

…there is only one way to resolve that problem:

STOP BEHAVING LIKE A CHRISTIAN!But it has it’s consequences…

REMEMBER(Hebrews 5:9) And having been perfected, He

became the author of eternal salvation to all

who obey Him,

Asha

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