Not Ashamed
We should not be ashamed of the gospel, which is God's power to salvation, and we should simply preach Christ to bring salvation to troubled sinners.
H.J. Vine emphasizes that God uses sinners saved by grace as messengers to share His message of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul acknowledges himself as the chief of sinners but highlights the faithful saying that Christ came to save sinners. We are called to preach Christ, the only Savior, without shame, as illustrated by the story of a young man unashamedly proclaiming his Savior. The simplicity of preaching Christ is powerful, as seen in the impact of illiterate men and the transformation of a young educated man by the plain gospel message.
Text
Various kinds of messengers have been used by God. Angels have brought His messages to men. But it is His way today to use sinners saved by grace. He enables them by His Holy Spirit to tell of forgiveness and salvation through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Writing to a young servant of Christ, the Apostle to the Gentiles said himself that he was the chief of sinners; and that it was "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." He also wrote, "I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to everyone that believes."
It is said in 1 John 4:14, "We have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world" (N.Tr.) We are not told to preach ourselves, but the Son of God. He is the Saviour, and there is none other. There is no need to be ashamed of Him, though there may be good reason to be of others.
A young man was speaking earnestly at a meeting in the open air. An acquaintance afterwards said, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, standing up there and preaching!" The reply was unanswerable, "I have good reason to be ashamed of myself, but I am not ashamed of my Saviour!"
"Preach Christ!" were the last words of an aged evangelist to another young preacher. The more simply this is done the better! Very illiterate men have been greatly used. It is written of certain haughty religious ritualists and rationalists of old, when they saw "the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered and uninstructed men, they wondered" (Acts 4:13, N.Tr.).
Leaving the ornate cathedral service one night, an educated young man was downcast, unsatisfied and unhappy. Quite near, an aged miner preached God's way of salvation in the market place. As he passed, the young man listened. His anxious soul drank in the message. Soon after he was at a meeting, where others, who were saved by and separated to our Lord Jesus Christ, welcomed him; and he told how the glad tidings simply preached had brought liberty, peace and joy to his soul.
There are many troubled sinners today. What can help them? The plain gospel concerning God's Son can! "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." It was thus the apostles spake (Act 4:12). Who can improve on their inspired words?
"Ah, Lord, enlarge our scanty thought
To know the wonders Thou hast wrought;
Unloose our stammering tongues to tell
Thy love, immense, unsearchable."
Sermon Outline
- God's Method of Communication
- The Apostle Paul's Example
- The Importance of Preaching Christ
- Simplicity and Effectiveness in Preaching
- Very illiterate men have been greatly used
- The plain gospel can bring salvation to troubled sinners
Key Quotes
“I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to everyone that believes.” — H.J. Vine
“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — H.J. Vine
“Ah, Lord, enlarge our scanty thought To know the wonders Thou hast wrought; Unloose our stammering tongues to tell Thy love, immense, unsearchable.” — H.J. Vine
Application Points
- We should not be ashamed of the gospel, but rather be bold in sharing it with others.
- The plain gospel can bring salvation and peace to troubled sinners, so we should preach it simply and effectively.
- We should focus on preaching Christ, rather than ourselves, to bring people to salvation.