Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for everyone, but only applied to those who accept it.

“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, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2Ti 1:8-12)

We often get too focused on the tasks we must complete. When a person first learns the game of chess, they attempt to take as many of their opponent’s pieces as they can, but will probably lose the game because that’s not really the goal.

We can get too focused on our Christian duties as well. We know we must be sharing our faith with others. But we often get paralyzed by fear, or simply don’t know how to go about it. Instead, seek to become the kind of person that God calls you to be. Truly believe the things that God tells us in His Word. What character traits and beliefs must we acquire in order to be faithful witnesses for Christ?

We, ourselves, must be changed by the gospel (v. 9). Many professing Christians don’t share their faith because they’ve never put their faith in Christ. We were not saved to sit. God has called us to fulfill a holy calling on our lives.

We must be unashamed of our beliefs (v. 8). If we do not share our faith, we are living as if we are ashamed of our faith. We don’t want to offend others regarding their lifestyles. We don’t want to be labeled as intolerant of other beliefs. We don’t know all the answers to peoples’ questions or arguments.

But we must learn to be confident in the gospel we accepted. The Bible is clear that we are all sinners, and we’ve fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. We may not have all the answers, but we can be confident that God’s Word has the answers to every question we need to know, God’s Word will demolish every argument against it.

We must realize what’s at stake (v. 10). Christ has abolished death and brought life for us, but others have not yet accepted it. Heaven and Hell are real, and people will go to Hell if they do not repent of their sins.

We must trust God (v. 12). What has been entrusted to Paul? (v. 11) God gives us all roles to fill in the church. God’s faithfulness is shown through us when we are faithful to Him. God calls all of us to share our faith. Paul was sure that God would continue to use him all of his life. We can have that same confidence. God can and will use us to reach people with the gospel.