Never Be Ashamed of Jesus
January 1, 2023 · 2:24:56 · Watch on YouTube ↗
These notes - summary, key points, and highlighted thoughts - were generated by AI from the recording and are not the preacher’s exact words.
Summary
On the first Sunday of 2023 the church gathered to thank God for carrying them through a hard year and to dedicate the new one to Him, opening with Psalm 23 and the assurance that the Lord is our Shepherd. The main message, from Luke 9, pressed a single uncomfortable question: are we ashamed of Jesus?
The preacher exposed how many believers live as submarine Christians, surfacing on Sunday with powerful prayers and then diving underwater all week so that no one at work or school knows they follow Christ. Yet Jesus was never ashamed of us. Even while betrayed, beaten and dying naked on the cross, He was thinking of us. People do not reject us, they reject Him, so we have no reason to hide His light.
Using Proverbs - the righteous are bold as lions - and the story of an eagle raised among chickens, he reminded the church that the devil lies to keep us pecking in the dirt, convinced we are weak. But God made us eagles. Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength and soar (Isaiah 40:31). The service closed with an invitation to come back to Jesus and leave shame and condemnation behind for the victory He won.
Key Points
- Begin the new year anchored in the Lord as your Shepherd (Psalm 23), trusting Him with an unknown future.
- Being ashamed of Jesus often shows up not in words but in actions, when we hide our faith from the people around us.
- Do not be a submarine Christian who surfaces only on Sunday and disappears the rest of the week.
- Jesus was never ashamed of us, not even on the cross, so we should never be ashamed of Him.
- People who reject your faith are rejecting Jesus, not you, and that frees you to shine without fear.
- You are made righteous in Christ, so you can be bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1).
- The devil tells you that you are a weak chicken, but God made you an eagle to soar (Isaiah 40:31).
Devotional
Ask yourself honestly: as you move through your week, would anyone actually know that Jesus is your Lord? He hung naked and bleeding and was never ashamed to call you His own, so why hide Him from a watching world? You were not made to peck in the dirt with fearful chickens; you were made to spread your wings and rise. Step into this new year unashamed, bold as a lion, resting in the One who saved you.
People do not reject you - they reject Jesus. So stop hiding His light.
He was not ashamed of you on the cross, so why are you ashamed of Him?
The devil says you are a chicken, but God made you an eagle. Spread your wings and fly.
