Are You Ashamed of Jesus?

I have been working with young people for many years now and often wonder why I don't often observe them talking about Jesus with their friends.  There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, Jesus never comes up.  It is not just young people it is adults as well.  We just don't seem to work Jesus into the conversation. Why is that? Is it because we are ashamed to be identified as a Christian?  Because to be a Christian is to be different.  It is to conduct yourself in such a way that those who do not know Jesus would want to know him.  If you claim to be a Christian then rep it!  If we are fans of certain sports team we Rep it to the utmost.  We rock the Laker hat, (ok, yes, I AM a Laker Fan for life), favorite player's jersey, etc...why would we do any less for Jesus who died to save us.

 It has become clear to me over the years that young people relate to singers, sports stars, actors, etc.  They follow their favorite people and television shows on Twitter to see what they are up to and what they are saying.  Many of the young people in my church love Drake.  I mean they listen to his music, the girls have his picture on their screen savers, they quote his lyrics on Facebook, etc. But what is Drake really saying?  I am not hating on Drake or on the young folk that listen to his music.  I'm just sayin'.  Let's take a quick look at a Drake lyric: "Don't like my women single, I like my chicks in twos...And these days all the girls is down to roll.  I hit the strip club and all them bitches find a pole" - Right Above it  Again, not hating on Drake...in fact in reality he is talking about what he knows, what he values and what he believes to be true. And the lyric is actually a sad but true commentary on the actions of some young women.   Not everyone is a Christian and therefore does not roll with the same values and mindset of that of a Christian.  But if you ARE a Christian, and you profess to be a Christian then you must think about looking elsewhere for examples of who to listen to and pattern your thinking after.

So, I have a Kat (am I dating myself? LOL) who you can follow and learn from.  His name is Peter.  He was a Fisherman and a disciple of Jesus.  You can find his lyrics in the Bible, in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and later in Acts.  So Peter walked with Jesus and saw him in the flesh.  Peter was one of the first disciples to be called. He and his brother, Andrew.  Jesus travelled to Peter's house and healed Peter's mother-in-law.  Peter even walked on water at the command of Jesus.  In a moment of weakness he lost faith and began to sink, but Jesus reached out and caught him. Even after all that he witnessed while spending time with Jesus, after all that Jesus had done for him and been to him, when the spot got hot, Peter denied knowing Jesus.  In fact, he denied knowing Jesus 3 times:

69 tNow Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your uspeech betrays you.”

74 Then vhe began to 6curse and 7swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, w“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.   (Matthew 26:69-75)

Even when Peter was traveling with Jesus, the Bible tells us that he walked behind Jesus at a distance.  Perhaps he didn't want to be fully identified with knowing and following Jesus.  I suspect many of us do the same thing.  We go to church but then when in school, at a party, at the mall, etc..we follow at a distance, never even working Jesus into our conversation or our lives.

Peter was remorseful about having denied knowing Jesus and was forgiven.  He then began to do the work of the Lord, fully claiming Him as savior.  He began to heal the sick in the name of Jesus and many began praising God.  Peter was imprisoned for healing but continued to fully claim Jesus Christ.

So I ask the question...Are you ashamed of Jesus?  Do you fully claim Him as your savior and give Him the credit and honor for the things in your life? Or are you like Peter USED to be before he fully realized the error of his ways?  The Bible tells us that if we are ashamed of God before man, HE (Jesus) will be ashamed of us before His father in Heaven.  I am not suggesting that you walk around preaching full sermons in the Mall when you are with your friends.  I am simply suggesting that by your actions, and by your words, that you represent the Lord Jesus Christ.  When your friends tell you that they are having problems at home and they have no hope, tell them about Jesus.  Tell them that God created them in His image and that nothing can separate us from His love.  Tell them that there is always hope when Jesus is with us.  But her is the tricky part.  They will not believe you if you don't believe it yourself.  And you cannot share with others what you don't know.  Young folk and old folk alike, We can no longer walk around ashamed to utter the name Jesus.  Rep Christ even more than you Rep your favorite singer, sports star, actor, etc.....You would be nothing without Him.

If you have any questions/comments or just have no idea what in the world I am talking about but want to know more please hit me up on Twitter or Inbox me on Facebook (Marsha Myers) or email me at Myers0608@gmail.com.  I will take the time to break it down and invite you to learn more about the man I claim as Lord, Savior and friend....

Here are some scriptural references for this post:
Peter being called as a disciple: Matthew 4:17-19
Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law: Matthew 8:14-15
Peter's encounter with Jesus on the water:  Matthew 14:22-33
Peter healing and ministering found throughout Acts
(if you need more hit me up)