Don't Be Ashamed of the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-18)

In the late 1800s Charles Spurgeon commented, "Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better." He went on to warn that the Church was drifting away from the purity of the Gospel. Instead of boldly proclaiming the truths of Scripture, Christians were candy-coating the Word, being careful not to offend anyone. As a result, Christianity's influence in nineteenth-century England was severely weakened. 

100 years later, this is true of the United States. Churches have moved from centering on the Word and the Gospel to centering on the program and entertainment. Music is judged based on how it makes me feel, not on that it actually says. All for fear of offending the world in the name of Christ. I have often stated that a preacher need not worry about splitting a church over preaching heresy, no they need to be worried about splitting the church over the color of the drapes. 

The reason that our country is in the state it is in is not because sinners are acting like sinners, but because saints are ashamed of being saints. Our country is in the state it is in because our churches are in the state that they are in. And the reason that the churches are in the state that they are in is because the believers are ashamed of the gospel. We fear the persecution of the raised eyebrow. We are unwilling to share the gospel, we are unwilling to stand for truth, we are unwilling to call out the insane worldview of the world around us because we are afraid of feeling uncomfortable. In short, we are ashamed of the Gospel. 

God has called us here at Cambria to be a lighthouse of the gospel. God has called us to be willing to share the Gospel and stand on the truth of the Word, even and especially when it is not popular. This is of increasing importance as the word continues to degrade. 

June is Pride Month in which the world celebrates the depravity of the LGBTQ+++ movement. But no longer is this a fringe celebration. Just a few days ago, the children’s program Blue’s Clues featured program that sought to normalize polyamory (relations between multiple men and women), polyamorous parenting, and all varieties of sexual deviancy. Throughout the episode, the writers were sure to cover every aspect of the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The host of the show was an animated drag queen who celebrated “Ace, bi, and pan grownups” (a group which covers all imaginable aspects of sexual deviancy). The innocent children’s show is no longer an innocent children’s show. 

As this engine gains steam, do not be mistaken, they are coming for you and your children. Do not be confused, they will not allow the church to escape unscathed. The day has arrived in which you must decide, are you a cultural Christian or a true Christian. For cultural Christianity will soon cease to exist. It is time for us to decide, will we stand for the Gospel or will we be ashamed of the Gospel?

This is not the first time in history that Christians have needed to make this choice. In fact, much of what we face is a mirror of what the early church faced in ancient Rome. As Paul sat in the prison cell awaiting martyrdom, he pled with Timothy not to be ashamed of the Gospel. In this plea, he gave Timothy some direction towards the power to stand for truth.