Are You Ashamed of Me?

Matthew 10:33
Whoever is ashamed of me before men I will be ashamed of you before the Father.

I remember as a teenager reaching an age where I was embarrassed when my mother came to pick me up. I loved my Mama, but it just wasn’t cool to have your Mama pick you up from school especially when everybody else was driving cool cars and she picked me up in the ’78 Pontiac Lemans with the rust spots. I had a great mother, she worked hard as a nurse, raised 3 kids by herself, survived breast cancer, she was and is a beautiful woman. I felt bad for being ashamed of my mother as a teen-ager. She was never ashamed of me when I was smaller than everybody else. She told me that when I was born her friend said, “Your baby has a big ole head.” She said it hurt her feelings but she still loved me. I was shorter than everybody my age but she never once was embarrassed by me. She encouraged me. When I was dirty as a child she cleaned me up, or when I struck out in Little League Baseball she was always there after every strike out. She was never ashamed of me, how could I be ashamed of her?

We all reach an age where we get ashamed of the one who loved us the most, Jesus. When we become socially conscious that it’s not Politically Correct to bring him to work or it’s unsettling to bring him around your friends especially at parties. When you were struggling and dependent upon Jesus to survive, you loved him unashamedly and unapologetically but now that you are “mature” it’s just something embarrassing about seeing the carpenter pull up in his First Century garments, riding his donkey, nail scarred hands, and “out-dated” teachings. More and more post-modern Christians are becoming ashamed of Jesus.

There is so much talk about Miss California and Perez Hilton’s question to her: “What do you think about Same Sex Marriage?” She was very fair and diplomatic in her response, “It’s great that we have a choice in America as to who you want to marry, but I believe, according to my faith and how I was raised, that marriage is between a man and a woman.” Why is it an offense to believe what Jesus believed but not an offense to believe what Perez believes? Because it’s not cool, politically correct, scientifically accurate to believe what Jesus believed. Miss California should have answered the way Perez wanted it answered and she might have won Miss America.NOT!

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power unto salvation! Jesus said, “if you are ashamed of me before men than I will be ashamed of you before the Father.” The embarrassment and shame Miss California felt from taking her stand does not compare to the embarrassment we will feel when we try to get into heaven with the whole angelic host standing behind God and Jesus says, “Father I don’t know them.” We will say, but Jesus I went to church!” Jesus will say, "But when it really mattered you were ashamed of me, you would rather win a popularity contest than to be associated with me. Depart from me I don’t know you.”

How are we ashamed of Jesus?

1. When you conform to the world's values just to fit in. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds.

2. When You Deny that you know him. Peter denied Jesus three times and on the third time the Cock crowed and Jesus caught eyes with Peter from the courthouse window. Peter felt so ashamed that he denied Jesus that he wept uncontrollably. Have you ever caught eyes with Jesus after you denied him? You will one day.

3. When you don’t stand up for what you believe.

4. When you remain silent in the face of Injustice.

Dear God, give me boldness to always give an account for what I believe no matter how unpopular it is. I am not ashamed of you thank you for not being ashamed of me. I love you Father.

In Jesus Name.
Amen.