2 Cor 5:17-20 NIV 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

Acts 20:20-21 NLT I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. 

The lie: faith is private

Matthew 5:14-16 NIV You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

This is why water baptism is so important. It’s a public act- you are telling the world I have decided to follow Jesus.

When the soldiers put King of The Jews over Jesus’ head on the cross it was their way of saying, NO ONE CHALLENGES CAESAR. 

Romans 10:9 NIV  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

To confess Jesus is Lord openly was dangerous. It’s saying Jesus is King

Phil 2:9-11 NIV Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

The enemy wants to tame your faith. Or have us use Jesus as a means to an end.

We rush past God’s presence in our pursuit of progress. We trade intimacy for impact. We start valuing the fruits of our faith more than the roots.

 Praise the Lord, praise God our savior! For each day He carries us in His arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT

And here’s the typical areas where we hold on to control or in other words where people of faith say my faith is private and we compartmentalize:

Money 

Pleasure

Power

Matt 6:24 NIV No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

1 Cor 6:19-20 NIV Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

1 Peter 5:6 NIV Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Acts 4:20 NLT We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” 

Your purpose is to be a witness.

What stands in the way? 

John 12:37 NIV Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 

John 12:42-43 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Acts 9:31 NIV Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. 

Acts 1:8 says one main purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give you power to be his witness.

Prayer: God show me the people and opportunities in my life to witness and give me the courage not to shrink back