The Fellowship of the Unashamed

In 1981, my dad wrote a charge called The Fellowship of the Unashamed. He wrote it to inspire believers to recognize who they are in Christ and how they can live out a wholehearted "no holds barred" faith. Little did he know what would happen with this charge as it went "viral" in an 80s and 90s way (first through church newsletters, then later email and the internet) and somehow it became attributed to a South African man who penned the charge in his grass hut just before he was martyred. I remember sitting in Jacksonville at a conference with about six thousand pastors and hearing a speaker dramatically close his message by reading this charge attributing it to a martyr. I smiled and knew that this made the charge sound so much more dramatic and inspiring along the way.

Nonetheless, it has always been a favorite in our family and perhaps it will motivate you to remember the opportunity and privilege we have to live all out for our wonderful Lord and Savior.

“I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.  I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.”

It reminds me of Paul's inspirational charge to the Philippians (3:13–14): "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Pastor Jeff

Foundational Faith Statement #32: What is baptism? Baptism is immersion in the water by those who believe in Christ and repent of their sins in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It signifies our cleansing from sin and being joined to Christ and His church (Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12).