The Unashamed Life

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you felt no pressure from the world? What if you could live your life as a Christian without fear of persecution or someone trying to shame you for your faith? What if it was easy and we could live an unashamed life for Christ and never feel ashamed of who we are? That's too simple, right?

Let's look at different examples of Peter. The first one being found in Matthew 26 starting in verse 69. Jesus had just been betrayed by Judas, told Peter of his denial, arrested, and put on trial. Jesus is on trial to be killed. He’s been arrested, and he’s been mocked, the justice system is a joke. And all the key players are playing politics. Pilate wants to please the people, Herod wants to please Pilate, Caiaphas wants to please people, Pilate wants to please the Roman government and the Jewish people. And so here’s Jesus, the Savior of mankind, the one that all of the apostles had leaned on, the selfless one, and he’s standing alone. Peter decides he wants watch from a distance, essentially blending in with the crowd (or trying to.)

Verse 69, "Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” (I recognize you. You're one of those guys who follow Jesus!)

Peter had gained a reputation for be a follower of Christ which, normally, would be a great thing. However, Peter did not want to be recognized as that on this particular day.

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” (You must have me mistaken for someone else, I'm not one of those Jesus followers you speak of.)

72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

So, here's Peter. People recognized him and people placed him with Jesus, except for Peter. He flat denied he knew this Man that was on trial or ever being with him.

Can you relate? Have there ever been times where you wanted to just blend in with the crowd? We've all done it, including me. Instead of boldly telling others about the greatest life we have through Jesus, we end up like Peter and denying His existence. We try to look like everyone else, so others won't recognize we follow Jesus.

Do people recognize you go to church? Big Deal! Do people recognize that you’re friends with some Christians? Whoop! We read about Peter literally spending time with Jesus, but here that didn’t matter. Why? Because something bigger matters...

He was ashamed of it. He was ashamed of his faith. He was ashamed of Christ.

ASHAMED! That word makes me cringe... Ashamed - embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations.

Luke 9:26 - "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be

ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Are we living the ashamed life and blending in to the crowd? or the unashamed life where we boldly tell others "Yeah! I have the greatest life there is. Want to know about it?" Can others see Jesus living in you?

If you are living the ashamed life, there's good news in that God can take and re-write your reputation just as He did with Peter. Let's take a look...

Acts 4 - Peter and John are standing before the council. Some of the Sadducees had heard them speaking and proclaiming Jesus and His resurrection. Peter and John had also performed a miracle by healing a crippled man in the name of Jesus. The Sadducees became irritated and arrested Peter and John and now they are on trial for the preaching and performing miracles in the name of Jesus.

5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

How did they come to know that Peter and John had been with Jesus? Their BOLDNESS. Remember the angst and sorrow and tears? It became boldness. You know what that means? It means Peter did a 180. He did the complete opposite of denying Jesus. He boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus. 

Before, they had asked Peter, “Don’t you follow Jesus?” A few days later, they didn’t have to ask him. They didn’t wonder anymore. They recognized that he had been with Jesus.

In the same way, we, as followers, have to be BOLD! Have you denied Christ before? That's okay. You can turn that into boldness. People have to see you use your faith in a real way. Stop trying to blend in and boldly step out on faith to do what God has called us to do - Turn the world upside down! Allow God to rewrite your reputation, so others see Jesus living in you. Let your boldness say, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)

What I Want vs. What God Wants

Disclaimer: I hope this blog post challenges you. I've been praying about what to write for awhile and God has laid this on my heart to share with you. If I step on toes, I hope you know that it is out of love and concern for you. Please read it as it intended, there is no malice or ill towards anyone just a genuine concern.

Over the last few days and weeks, I've debated on what I should write, how I should write it, and if I should share it. Today the culmination of those answers come to fruition in a blog titled, "What I Want/What God Wants." Every church and ministry comes with its own set of problems, culture, dynamics which in turn makes each congregation unique. Every youth group is uniquely different based up on the students and families that are involved (or not that involved). So, what I want to share with you is what I would like to see in a Youth Ministry (no matter where I'm located) and the compare it to what God wants to see in us. 

I want a Youth Ministry that:

• loves God more than anything else.
• puts God first in their lives.
• looks to serve their community at every opportunity.
• is full of imperfect people that share their lives together.
• wants to spend as much time with each other as much as possible.
• isn't full of excuses. 
• chooses church over anything else going on in their lives. 
• families are involved and providing a foundation for their kids.
• is a supplement to what is being taught at home. 
• is free of judgment (because we are all sinners). 
• supports one another including the things they enjoy doing. 
• when others hear our name they know we are a beacon of light in the community.
• isn't ashamed to bring their friends to church.
• isn't ashamed of their faith.
• isn't ashamed of Jesus Christ and the greatest life there is. 
• wants to share God with their friends.
• looks out for each other.
• is disappointed when they do miss church or youth group activities.
• is seeking to grow everyday by seeking after God.
• wants to learn more about God's word. 
• actively participates in spiritual discussions.
• carries their sword around with them (especially to bible study). 
• is encouraged by others in the youth group to do the right thing. 
• encourages one another and loves each other.
• truly misses someone when they are missing and will reach out to them.
• Parents make sure their kids have every opportunity to be a part of the ministry for their own growth.
• is excited about what we are doing and to share that excitement with others.
• is a safe environment for our students to share what is on their hearts. 
• is a FAMILY! 

God wants people that:

• place Him above all else. 
• are seeking after Him (Matt. 6:33).
• love one another (John 13:34-35).
• never miss an opportunity to be with God's people (Heb. 10:25).
• support each other, encourage one another, and lift each other up (I Thess. 5:11).
• rejoice with one another (Rom. 12:15).
• weep with one another (Rom. 12:15).
• live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16).
• are imperfect and will share their lives together (James 5:16)
• will serve their community (Matt. 5:16; Gal. 6:10)
• enjoy being together. (Acts 2:44, 46)
• pray together. (Acts 4:23-31)
• look after each other. (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37)
• is devoted. To God and to their spiritual lives. (Acts 2:42)
• share the same heart and mind. (Acts 4:32)
• worships God together with ONE voice (Rom. 15:5-6)
• are broken but willing to be brought together by God for something beautiful (I Cor. 6:9-11)
• live UNASHAMED lives (Rom. 1:16)
• wants to share the gospel with their friends, family, neighbors, and the world (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15)
• understands we are sinners and often fall short (Rom. 3:23) 
• want to have their sins forgiven by being washed in baptism (1 Pet. 3:21; Rom. 6:1-4; Acts 2:37-38)
• are a part of the body of Christ and doing their part to work for the greater good (I Cor. 12:12-27)
• are a FAMILY! (Gal. 6:10, Eph. 2:19-22; I John 3:1-2; Heb. 10:24-25)

It's not a matter of what I want, what you want, or what anyone wants. The fact of the matter is what does God want and am I being what God wants me to be? Am I giving Him my very best, my all? Am I neglecting Him based on the priorities in my life or does He come first? I recently read a blog titled, "Why I didn't like what Africa taught me." It really hit exactly what has been on my heart about our families and youth of the current generation. The quote that really put things into perspective was when the writer said, "Friends, we are the poor ones. Why? Because we can’t see past material things. We are so materially rich we are spiritually poor." It's true! We have so much in our lives that distracts us from God that we forget to involve Him in our lives. We live in a generation where people schedule events, practices, and everything else on Wednesdays and Sundays when we should be meeting with our family of God. Instead of speaking up and saying that our priority lies with God, we in turn go allow with the world when we've been clearly told not to conform with what the world is doing (Rom. 12:2). We allow excuses to get in the way of being spiritually uplifted by worship, bible study, and times we can fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters. Homework, school, sports, jobs, and everything else you can name takes a priority over what God wants from His people and that is to be involved in our lives. 

You may not see it now, but you are damaging the faith of your children and of your self when God does not take priority in your own home. When God is not a priority in the home, that is when we begin to lose our youth and our students after high school graduation. When God is not a priority, that is when it becomes easy to miss services, to miss opportunities to serve, to miss the fellowship, and ultimately to miss out on being a part of an awesome family that God has blessed us with. When God is not a priority, that is when it becomes easy to make excuses. What example are you setting for your family and for others? Homework can wait, sports can wait, extra-curricular activities can wait, things that we choose to place over God can wait... God is waiting on you... Are we going to be the people, family, and youth ministry that God wants us to be? Or will we continue to let excuses and other priorities rule our life?

"I'm disappointed anytime an event/activity is chosen over church, youth group, or a spiritual activity. That's something that will never change." - I made this statement on Facebook last night and it's very true. However, I will never stop loving you and never stop challenging us all to be better and to step out on our faith to be what God is calling us to be. 

Andrew C. Thompson

Youth Minister

Rose Hill Church of Christ

www.rosehillyouth.com

Lessons in White Water Rafting

I've rafted several times on the Ocoee River without ever falling out of the raft. I pride myself in being able to stay in the raft and cruise the river safely through the rapids. This past weekend, however, I took a trip down the white water course on the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, GA - I fell out of the raft...

Here's a little backstory: We had just survived the biggest Class V rapid on the river, "Cutbait". However, we had one more to go as we ferried back up the river to put in at the top of "Heaven's Gate", a class IV or V rapid (an appropriate name for what I would experience). As we paddled towards the rapid our raft hit a rock which caught me off guard and bounced me and one more out of the raft to fend for ourselves. The other was able to swim back to shore due to being in the back of the raft.

It was a pretty frightening moment in my life as I floated down the river towards the rapid that laid waiting to swallow me up. It was a moment that I wish to never repeat, but looking back on it and in a different light there can be some spiritual applications to what happened with my adventure into the unknown on the high seas.

1. Get Uncomfortable. In the raft, I knew I was safe. I knew that nothing could harm me if I just stayed in the raft. I was comfortable there because I knew what was known. Staying inside the raft = Staying safe. While this is the best option for rafting, it's not the best option for our Christian lives. Getting out of the boat and getting uncomfortable will help us to grow in our faith. In Matthew 14:22-33, we read of an account where Peter trusts his faith and gets out of the boat (literally!). Jesus actually said only one word to Peter: "Come!" Before then, Peter had nothing to stand on but water, and had he stepped out of the boat, he would have immediately sunk. But once Jesus spoke, Peter could stand on the Word of God. By faith, he stepped out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus on the water. He was literally walking by faith. When did Peter begin to sink? It was when he doubted. And why did he doubt? Because he began looking at the high waves around him, becoming fearful. Our faith leads us to do tremendous things if we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, but when we don't we will stay in the boat and we won't trust in God that He has something amazing in store for us. I think of people when they go to new places to do mission work - Doesn't that make them uncomfortable? Yes, but they trust in God that He will keep them safe. I was uncomfortable as I headed towards the first big rapid (without a boat) but I trusted that God would keep me safe through it all. 
2. Take The Plunge. When I fell out of the raft, my guide told me to swim back to the shore (which I tried to do), once I realized I wasn't going to make it, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to just have to take the plunge and face the rapids. I go into the river position (nose and toes up) and I just went. In our lives, don't we do the same? We decide, I can't keep swimming away from the inevitable. I can't keep living this life and I'm just going to have to take the plunge. I may not know what life has in store for me but I have to make a decision now to follow Christ and be a child of God. Peter took the plunge by stepping out of the boat and stepping on to his faith to follow Jesus. He knew Jesus would protect Him. For some of us, it's time to step out of the boat and decide to follow Christ. "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." - Galatians 3:7 Will we experience being uncomfortable when we decide to follow Christ? Yes, but that's because you are changing and forming a new life centered around Christ. You know what has to be done... so just do it! (As Nike would say..) I had no choice but to take the plunge into the unknown of what was about to happen next. 
3. There will be unknowns. When you are out of the raft, there are a lot of unknowns. Will I survive? Will I be rescued? How long will I be underwater? Will I ever see above water again? And the list goes on and on. These questions ran through my head as I tried to think of the safety talk we had been given prior to the start of the trip (and at the Ocoee). I, honestly, didn't know if I was going to ever come up out of the water and I sure didn't realize I could hold my breath for as long as I did. I remember Jesus saying in John 16:33, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." And those words echo in my ear today. It says to me, you are going to face some uncomfortable times, some trials, some things that you were not expecting, but Jesus says, "That's okay. I have faced them to and you can have peace because I overcame those things and the world." As I sat floating underneath the water for what felt like forever, I had no idea what was going on. The only known was that I was underwater, my sandal was being ripped off my foot, I lost my sunglasses, and that I needed to hold on to my swim trunks. What we know about the Christian life is that there will be unknowns, there will be trials and tribulations. We know that if we follow Christ, receive salvation and forgiveness of our sins, then we will live with God for eternity. We can prepare ourselves by knowing there will be unknowns.
4. God will make a way. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." I Corinthians 10:13 During the safety talk we were told that the whitewater course had been built in a way that if you found yourself in a rapid that it would flush you out, this man made course had provided a way of escape. Even knowing this I did not have trust that it was working, because my idea of flushing is a quick 2-3 seconds and it washes you right out... That didn't happen... In our walk with God, we can know that He provides a way of escape for us in temptation. Again, we may have different ideas of what that may look like but God, in His time, helps us out. God is faithful. Though Satan;s a deceiver, God is true. Men may be false, and the world may be false; but God is faithful, and our strength and security are in him. He keeps His covenant, and will never disappoint the hope and trust of his children. He is wise as well as faithful, and will proportion our burden to our strength. He will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able. He knows what we can bear. He will take care of us so we are not overcome, if we rely upon him, and resolve to approve ourselves faithful to him. We need not perplex ourselves with the difficulties in our way when God will take care that they shall not be too great for us to encounter, especially. He will make a way to escape, either the trial itself, or at least the mischief of it. There is no valley so dark but he can find a way through it, no affliction so grievous but he can prevent, or remove, or enable us to support it, and in the end overrule it to our advantage. "God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. God will make a way." Do you trust Him that He will? or will you give up easily, like I did in the rapid, and fear there is no way of escape?
5. Teamwork is key! Little did I know that eventually our whole raft would be dumped into the river. When two people fell out, it shifted the weight distribution, people forgot to paddle as they watched my adventure, and there was not enough momentum to get the raft up and over the rapid causing it to flip and dump everyone into the river. In I Corinthians 12, particularly verses 12-27, Paul paints a picture (a funny one at times) of what the body of Christ should look like. He sums it up by saying that we are many parts with different functions and abilities, but we function as the ONE body of Christ. "You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it" - I Corinthians 12:27 How will the body survive if we do not work together as a team, as a unit? The New Testament is filled with pleas and calls for unity of the body of Christ, because it is important that we work and function together as a team! On the river it is essential you work together as one. You paddle together, you communicate the paddle strokes, etc. If one person is out of sync with the others or if one side is paddling harder than the other it will turn your raft the wrong way causing potential danger and dumpage! In the Christian life it takes all of us working together to accomplish great things through God. When someone is danger, it takes someone to reach out and pull them to safety. When someone experiences something good, then we rejoice with them and we weep with those who are hurting (Romans 12:15). I am Team God! Who's team are you on? 

I did finally come up out of the water. I finally escaped the treacherous waters that I had taken a plunge into and came out safely on the other side. It wasn't without fighting, some doubt, and lots of prayers but in the end the waters did flush me out and helped me to escape. God does the same in our lives, if we just trust Him and keep our eyes fixed on Him and the end goal of Heaven.

It's funny, when you seek God you can truly find Him in everything. I chose to find him in whitewater rafting. Where have you seen God lately?