"THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

Ashamed Of Jesus And His Words? (8:38)

INTRODUCTION
  1. Jesus taught that discipleship can be costly... - Mk 8:34
    1. It requires denial of self
    2. It demands bearing hardship
    3. It involves following Jesus despite the cost
  2. Following Jesus may be embarrassing for some... - Mk 8:38
    1. For as then, so today, we live in an adulterous and sinful world
    2. Where others often ridicule you for your faith in Jesus
    3. As they try to weaken your resolve to follow Jesus

[Yet Jesus warns why we should not be ashamed of Him (in view of His glorious return). In this lesson I hope to encourage you as to why you should never be ashamed of Jesus and His words...]

  1. DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF JESUS
    1. CONSIDER WHO HE IS...
      1. As confessed by those who saw Him
        1. John the Baptist: "The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" - Jn 1:29
        2. Nathaniel: "The Son of God, the King of Israel!" - Jn 1:49
        3. Nicodemus: "A teacher come from God" - Jn 3:2
        4. The 5000: "Truly the Prophet who is to come into the world" - Jn 6:14
        5. Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" - Jn 6:69
        6. Thomas: "My Lord and My God" - Jn 20:28
        7. Paul: "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords" - 1Ti 6:15
        8. John: "The faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth" - Re 1:5
      2. As professed by Jesus Himself
        1. "I am the bread of life" - Jn 6:35
        2. "I am the light of the world - Jn 8:12
        3. "I am the door" - Jn 10:9
        4. "I am the good shepherd" - Jn 10:11
        5. "I am the resurrection and the life" - Jn 11:25
        6. "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - Jn 14:6
        7. "I am the true vine" - Jn 15:1
        8. "I AM" (a declaration that He is the Eternal One, that is, God) - Jn 8:58
        -- The veracity of such statements has been established by His resurrection! - cf. Ro 1:4
    2. CONSIDER WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID...
      1. "I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history." - H.G. Wells
      2. Henry G. Bosch, author of Our Daily Bread, summed it up nicely:
        1. "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity."
        2. "Jesus painted no pictures; yet, some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him."
        3. "Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by Him."
        4. "Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in His praise."
        5. "Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth."
        -- Jesus is the most famous person who ever lived, how can we ever be ashamed of Him?

      [We have no reason to be ashamed of Jesus. But it is not only Jesus Himself, but His words...]

  2. DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF HIS WORDS
    1. CONSIDER THAT MANY ARE ASHAMED...
      1. That Jesus taught and warned about hell - Mt 10:28; 13:41,47-50
      2. That Jesus taught He is the only way to salvation - Jn 8:24; 14:6
      3. That only few would be saved, not even some who believe - Mt 7:13-14; 7:21-23
      4. That He taught one must believe and be baptized to be saved - Mk 16:15-16
      5. That He taught there is only one ground for divorce and remarriage - Mt 19:9
      -- People show their shame when unwilling to believe and stand for what Jesus taught
    2. CONSIDER THE POWER OF HIS WORDS...
      1. They are the words of God - Jn 3:34
      2. They are spirit and they are life - Jn 6:63
      3. They are the words of eternal life - Jn 6:68
      4. They are the words by which mankind will be judged - Jn 12:48
      5. They are the words by which we enjoy fellowship with God - Jn 14:21,23
      6. They are words which when obeyed lead to answered prayer - Jn 15:7
      7. They are words which give peace in a troubled world - Jn 16:33
      -- In light of such power, how can we be ashamed of His words?
CONCLUSION
  1. When properly considered and understood, we have no reason to be ashamed...
    1. Of Jesus - who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, what He will one day do
    2. Of His words - what they are, what they mean, what they can accomplish in our lives
  2. When Jesus returns to raise the dead and judge the world...
    1. If we are ashamed of Jesus, He will be ashamed of us - Mk 8:38
    2. If we live for Him and follow His words, He will glorify us! - 2Th 1:7-12

May we ever be able to sing the hymn with sincerity:

"I'm not ashamed to own my Lord,
Or to defend His cause;
Maintain the honor of His Word,
The glory of His cross." (Paul G. Glaser)...