REASONS NOT TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

Text- Romans 1:16-17

Introduction

As we continue with our study from the book of Romans our text is found in Romans 1:16-17 and the title of my message is, “Reasons to be Unashamed of the Gospel.”

(Prayer)

A girl was very jealous when she heard that her most recent boyfriend had asked another girl  to marry him. She happened to run into her at the shopping mall and said, "so, I've heard that you've accepted allen's marriage proposal.  Did he ever tell you that he once proposed to me?"  "Why, no," she answered.  "However, he did tell me once that there were several things in his life he was very ashamed of, but I didn't ask him what they were."

If we want to be effective in preaching the gospel, not only do we need to have credibility in the eyes of those who are lost but we need to unashamed of the Gospel.

2 Timothy 1:8, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”

Mark 8:38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Some time ago there was a young foreign student who flunked out at the University of Michigan.  In shame he decided to disappear.  For the next four years he hid in the unused attic of an Ann Arbor church.  Taking great pains to conceal himself, he quietly prowled around only at night, living off food and water from the kitchen.  He never left the building or spoke to a soul.  No one ever suspected he was there.  Then one day a slight mistake gave him away.  Accidentally the young recluse made some noise, the police were called, and he was finally discovered.

In a way that poor dropout is like many believers who are ashamed because of spiritual defeat.  Overwhelmed by a sense of failure or embarrassment, they hesitate to take a stand for the Savior and may even try to conceal the fact that they bear His name.  Such lack of courage renders them useless to the cause of Christ and deprives them of the joy of sharing their faith with others.

Here in our text Paul gives us four reasons why we should never be ashamed of the Gospel.