2024 Advent Series Sermon 6:
CONFESS JESUS ANYWAY
Matthew 10:32-34 - Victory Fellowship
December 29, 2024 – Rev. Roderick Grabski
Introduction:
What if your name offended someone? What if the kind of car you drive did? What if the color of your house did? What about the food you choose to eat? What about the gender of your child? How far should we go to change or abstain from something because it offends someone else?
What about our faith? Where do we draw the line between free expression of our faith and offending others?
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Merry Christmas!
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY as Christians is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ AND God has already told you through His word that this will be OFFENSIVE to some folks. But do it anyway – out of love.
(Paul quoting Isaiah 28:16) Romans 9:33 just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
We must share our faith but we can do so out of love and grace. Even so, we will offend some folks who are looking for reasons to be offended.
Christians can sometimes come off that way. (Happy Holidays)
Be careful though – don’t use the excuse of “offending someone” as a reason for NOT sharing your faith. God is more pleased with someone who boldly/brashly shares their faith than He is with someone who never does out of a “polite impulse” to not offend anyone.
DO IT ANYWAY: This version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Conclusion:
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)
The Gospel has spread to the world as a result of people who would rather die before deny their Lord. What will we tell them in heaven if our faith is shaken because someone doesn’t want us to say Merry Christmas or Jesus is LORD? Truth be told – if our faith is that weak, we won’t be in heaven to talk to them in the first place.
PRAYER
SONG: Christmas Day
Matthew 10:32-34 "Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. "But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (NASB)
