We Can't Be Ashamed of Christ

Luke
{19:10} For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
{19:11} And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the
kingdom of God should immediately appear.
{19:12} He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
{19:13} And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
{19:14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this [man] to reign over us.
{19:15} And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
{19:16} Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
{19:17} And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten
cities.
{19:18} And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
{19:19} And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
{19:20} And another came, saying, Lord, behold, [here is] thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin
{19:21} For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
{19:22} And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow
{19:23} Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
{19:24} And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give [it] to him that hath ten pounds.
{19:25} (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
{19:26} For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken
away from him.
{19:27} But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me.


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Christ went away to receive a kingdom with the plan of returning.
Before He went away He told His followers to take that which He'd given to them and to take care of it for Him doing what He'd want them to do with it, what He'd do with it.
Those that weren't His followers hated Him and made sure all around knew that they hated Him and wanted nothing to do with Him or the followers of Him.

Then it came to pass that He returned as promised, having done all He set out to do.

Back from where He'd gone, Christ called His servants to Him. Christ wanted to know what His servants had done with the commission He'd given them.


The first follower told Him he'd done well with the commission He'd given them. He went out and multiplied it, gaining, adding to, making more.


The second follower told Him he'd he'd done well with the commission given to him, not as well as the first one but he'd done what he could.


The third follower told Him that he didn't do anything but kept the commission safe.


Christ was pleased with the first two followers but not the third. He at least wanted the third servant to put the commission to use to earn more against it even it if wasn't much. The last thing He wanted was to hide the commission. If the commission wasn't going to be put to use He at least wanted it in a place that it could naturally earn usury, get interest on the commission.


Christ wants us - His followers not to hide our commission and what is that commission? To be His and not ashamed.


Mark {8:38} Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels


We can't hide our Christianity and I'm not talking about those who hide it to stay alive and witness in other ways and even then they don't deny it ultimately. If we are Christians and NO ONE knows we are Christians what does that mean? Are we hiding the commission given us by Christ? Are we hiding the one talent given to us to hold onto until Christ returns? Are was ashamed of being Christ's? Are we afraid of revealing the talent given even to the point of letting it earn interest for Christ. Not everyone can be bold and speak up, believe me I know. Some are speechless, some are timid, some scared, others just don't want to appear different but would rather fit in with things. No matter how or why, laziness or fearfulness, if we aren't noticeably Christians we are hiding the commission given to us by Christ. If no one else knows we are Christians we are ashamed of that fact. If we don't preach Christ's salvation and His second coming, we are ashamed. No, we all aren't called to be evangelists, or preachers, or teachers, but we are all called to be Christ's and not to be ashamed of that. When we are not ashamed we are noticeably Christians and any that notice that in even the smallest of ways earns interest for Christ and when He returns we will be able to say that we were His boldly as we could be letting others know because we weren't ashamed and that alone in some small way was able to produce an interest on the commission we were given.


We can't hide the talent given us, the commission given to us. We can't be ashamed of Christ. We need to ask ourselves if we are hiding and ashamed, it's a serious question to ask, one of the most serious because Christ will no longer call us His if we are ashamed and if we hide what He's given us, if we hide the salvation we've received in Him.


May the Lord Jesus Christ through His mercy and grace give us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit dwell in us and Christ's Righteousness fill us producing in us for Him what we cannot produce ourselves. Through Christ and His power, His love now and always.


Amen.