Sermon Tone Analysis

July 13, 2008                                                                                                           SD21

Go Public.doc

File: K1g

Go Public!

Read Romans 1:16,  2 Timothy 1:6-12

        

There are timid souls...

      easily deterred from a task

            easily embarrassed

                  It is not just being shy---it is something more...

 

Then there are those who are like the proverbial bull in the China shop...

     

The Apostle Paul mentored a young man who tended toward the first group--

      His personality had a natural bent toward the timid side.

when he writes to him he says that God had not given him a spirit of fear (“timidity” as NIV)...

 

apparently there was in Timothy a tendency, not toward cowardice, or that fearful sense of terror....

      but a tendency to shrink back from adverse opinion

      or...a fear of being rejected if he came on too strong in his    identification with Jesus or even with Paul...

 

We would counsel him...  “It is only natural that you would feel that way Timothy.”

how often have we said that?    “It is only natural...”

      but we have used it as an excuse...our attitude or action

            a way to avoid...a responsibility

 

a way to shift responsibility...when we have displayed  characteristics contrary to the character of Christ...

 

“It is only natural...”

      “It is just the way I was raised...”

            “I can’t help it...that is just the way I am....”

 

But look what Paul tells Timothy...

 

It may be only natural that you are a bit timid, Timothy.

But God’s gift is supernatural... (v.6)

      Stir up the gift of God!!!!

            Literally =  “fan the flame of God’s gift”

 

General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once sent this message to those under him:  “the tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart.”

anyone who has ever watched a fire knows that it has to be stirred up occasionally...and it has to have wood added to it to keep it burning.

Don’t let the fire go out!!!

 

friend we must give ourselves to this awesome work...

      keep the fire burning...

            stir up the gift of God...

                  which is “Power, love and a sound mind”

 

receive His power

      Live in His love

            Exercise His thoughts in your own mind!!!!

 

V.8  “Therefore...don’t be ashamed.... Timothy... 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.”

He has given you His power!

He has given you His Love!

He has give you His mind... exercised in self control!

So don’t be ashamed of the Lord!!!

 

Paul had learned early in his Christian life to always be ready to  identify himself with Jesus Christ...

He was just all wrapped up in Jesus!!!

And so he was able to declare to the Roman believers, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes...”

 

As Growing Christians we are developing this same attitude...

      it is one of boldness, not brashness,

            courage not callousness

                  fearlessness not bravado

 

bold in the face of misunderstanding

      courage in the face of rejection

            fearless in the face of danger

 

Taking our stand for Jesus!

Going public!

We do it in a multitude of ways:

      Water Baptism...making our testimony heard and sure

Church membership ... identifying with a local body of believers

      Faithfulness to the house of worship

Just being faithful people-responsible on our jobs—faithful to our commitments

 

God has lit a fire in our souls and we have taken His name:  “Christian”   and we are determined to honor his name!

*Therefore!!!!*  do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...

      “Let your light so shine before others....”

 

We don’t always know the impact of our life on the non-believer around us--when we just live for Jesus without fear…

As we live our lives in the midst of difficult and trying circumstances the people we know see and they are often dramatically moved by our witness--before we have to ever say a word.

I read an article (Christianity Today, 6~/21~/74), about Christians in Communist Russia (former Soviet Union).

A criminal from the Soviet prison system (gulags), Kozlov, by name, wrote about life in the prison, after he got out and became a Christian.

He said, “Among the general despair while prisoners like myself were cursing ourselves, the camp, the authorities; while we opened up our veins or our stomachs, or hanged ourselves; the Christians (often with sentences of 20 to 25 years) did not despair.

One could see Christ reflected in their faces.

Their pure, upright life, deep faith and devotion to God, their gentleness and their wonderful manliness became a shining example of real life for thousands.”

Not ashamed!!!

 

When we take our stand for Jesus -- when we “go public”---His life is lived out in us.

When we decide that we want to serve Him more than ourselves there is a supernatural power that can be ours...and it will affect the world we live in...

      we are called to lights in the darkness

 

Whether that is a prison, a school, a job-site, or your own home.

You are lights!

Piercing the darkness....

 

Let your light Shine!

Don’t be ashamed!

Go public!

Just tell someone!  “Jesus loves you!”

And then back it up by your own expressions of love!

I fear that some Christians have let their light grow dim.

They have hidden it under the bushel basket of fear or the basket of frustration or the basket of materialism.

They have let the light grow dim....let me tell you something.

If you put a candle under a cover and it will not continue to glow for long...it will soon burn up the source of oxygen that keeps it burning and it will go out!

How is your light???

      Is your candle burning????

            Don’t be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord!!!

 

I want to share with you three things that will make your light go out.

*1.

Death.*

Friend we have a deadline.

We have an appointment.

Death will take us all should the lord delay His second coming- and rapture of the church.

*2.

Distractions*

      money, family, friends, entertainment, sports, hobbies, work,

      the things that just get in the way.

And often we find ourselves wanting them more than we want God.

They are deadly distractions!!!!