Living with Boldness
Notes
Transcript
I love superhero movies. The last twenty years or so have given rise to some great and not-so-great superhero movies. There are a million superheroes in comic book land. Many of them have superhuman abilities. Superman can fly, has ice breath, super strength, laser eyes, all sorts of stuff. Spider-man can climb walls and shoot webs out of his wrists. These heroes capture the imaginations of so many people.
But do you know my favorite kind of superheroes are the ones that don’t have any superpowers at all. Batman has no powers. He has a lot of gadgets, but he has no superhuman abilities. Neither does Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Sure he has a cool metal suit, but he has no superpowers. The superheroes without superpowers are the most fascinating to me because their bravery has to be on another level. They are perhaps the most vulnerable, but also the most formidable. They have to make bold choices. You and I are not too dissimilar.
We have been talking about living with excellence and Peter outlines some specific examples of how to do that. The call to live lives of excellence begins in chapter two, and then he outlines what it looks like to be excellent citizens, excellent servants, and excellent spouses. Then he concludes with instruction for living excellently internally as the body of Christ and externally with aggressors.
It is in that same line of thought that we continue. We are called in the previous verses to bless those who persecute us. In the previous sermon, I said the church is called to bless those who oppose her. But doing so is not an easy task. Living a life of excellence requires boldness. So let’s look at how we can live with boldness.
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
First, we are going to talk about the prerequisite for boldness, and then we will look at what we then have boldness to do.
A Christian must fear God over men.
A Christian must fear God over men.
Verse thirteen presents a rhetorical question. Peter is not asking with the hope of getting an answer. He already knows the answer. The answer is no one! If we are living with excellence in our relationship to the government, with our bosses or other people who hold authority over us, with our spouses, and with those who oppose us, then we should have no one to fear. Rom 12:18 says,
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
If we are successful in this, then generally speaking, there is no one to fear so long as we are modeling excellent behavior.
However, general principles have exceptions. Nobody gets along with everybody all the time. Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:12,
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Jesus himself assured his disciples that they would face persecution in John 15:20
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Persecution is a guarantee. We hope though, that the more we exhibit godly virtues we will find favor with God and men. But if we don’t we must fear God over men.
Prov. 1:7 says,
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The apostles began preaching on the resurrection of Jesus after they received the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, Peter and John heal a lame beggar outside the temple and Peter begins preaching about the resurrection of Christ. The two men were arrested and brought before the high priest and others. They were questioned, but ultimately released under the command to cease preaching in the name of Jesus. Well, Peter had something to say about that:
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
A similar situation occured in the next chapter where some of the apostles were rounded up and brought before the high priest again:
When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them,
saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Paul reminds the church in 2 Corinthians 5 that we are ambassadors for Christ. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. That means as soon as we are called out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of Christ, we switch sides. We are then sent back into the world to represent Christ and his kingdom. That is why we exist. That is why we have crafted a mission statement to reflect that idea. We exist to help people find forever family through Christ-centered relationships. We help people change their allegiance, to be reconciled to God.
God is our Father, but he is also our king. We get it in our minds sometimes that we are in charge. We go about our lives and then ask God to bless our plans rarely asking him what his plans for us are and how we can be more faithful to his design for our lives.
Could you imagine if you did that to your employer? Your employer gives you a specific set of instructions and expects you to do things a certain way. But then you decide you are going to tell your employer that you are going to do it another way, that your way is better. How long do you think you will keep that job if you insist on not following your employer’s instructions?
Our fear of God is not a “run and hide” kind of fear. It is a respect for his position, power, and authority. Our fear of God is reverence. It means we recognize he is in charge and we are not. It means we recognize we are his servants and the price he paid for our redemption is worth our obedience to his call on our lives.
It means that when it comes down to it, we can cave under pressure from those who are against the kingdom of God, or we can stand with boldness because I’m more concerned about answering to my master, the creator of the universe and author of life itself, than any man.
When we anchor our hope in the reality of the resurrection, and dare to obey God rather tan men, we find the courage to stand. Boldness wells up in us. We don’t have to fear their intimidation. We don’t have to be troubled. We don’t have to worry about our lives. It is in God’s hands. Therefore, we can be bold in the face of intimidation.
Fear of God leads to boldness.
Fear of God leads to boldness.
In the remaining verses we see what this boldness in Christ can do. Standing for Christ in a culture hostile to the Christian message certainly requires boldness. The world isn’t going to make it easy on us. But it is our duty nonetheless. Our fear of God, our respect for his position, power, and authority enables us to be bold representatives for his kingdom on earth.
So let’s talk about three things we are emboldened to do.
Boldness to share your story.
Boldness to share your story.
Verse fifteen is a popular verse for Christian apologists. Peter tells his audience of Christians living in a hostile culture to be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks them to give an account for the hope that is in them. The phrase “to give a defense” is a single Greek word that means to have sound reasons for why you believe Christianity is true. It carries with it the imagery of a lawyer in a courtroom making a case for his position before a jury and judge. The lawyer will build a case for why his position is the correct position. In the same sense, you and I ought to be able to do the same. When someone asks you to provide the reasons for why you believe Christianity is true, you should have an answer.
At the very least, you should be able to tell your story. How did you come to faith? What compelled you to believe the gospel? How have you seen evidence of the truth of Christianity throughout your life? How can you explain to outsiders what it means to walk with God?
If someone came up to you right now and asked you to explain why you were a Christian what would you say?
I think several of you saw a picture I posted on Facebook on Monday of myself holding a cup containing a banana smoothie. I posted that as my own 40th birthday celebration. I got a call a few hours later from someone who had heard from someone else that they were concerned with what looked like drug paraphernalia on the table. It turns out what they saw was a purple metallic kazoo I bought for Christy at a dollar store. I opted to record a video explaining that but I used it as an opportunity to share my story of coming to faith in Christ and being delivered from drug and alcohol abuse. I didn’t have to think about or rehearse that story. The video was recorded in one take. I was prepared. I was ready. Though no one asked in that moment for my testimony, the Lord provided an opportunity for me to share it.
Here is the interesting part. I have settings turned on my Facebook profile that give me all sorts of data related to my posts. As of today, that video has been viewed over 1,400 times. My simple story of how I came to faith has been seen over 1,000 times! That is completely mind-blowing to me! But I say that only to say that God can have incredible reach when he uses someone who is ready and prepared. I am simply an instrument in his hands. We are responsible for being ready to make a case for why we believe the way we do.
But pay attention to the last part. Character matters. We are to make our case with gentleness and respect. I have no idea who was concerned about what they thought they saw. I did not record the video to make the person feel embarrassed for their remarks. I simply wanted to take an opportunity to share my story in a simple and respectful way. We don’t have to argue with people. We can simply present our case and be done with it. Our character in the process matters.
Boldness to endure slander.
Boldness to endure slander.
The next verse highlight an important piece. We make our case with gentleness and reverence to keep a good conscience. If we live out Christian virtues, practice excellence, and get along with folks, then when we are slandered for no reason, we can have the boldness to endure it.
None of us like it when people say terrible things about us. We all have the temptation to defend ourselves. If you don’t believe me, just look at the comments section of any platform anywhere online. The second someone says something negative about what someone else says, there is often a terrible exchange of words. When we as Christians engage in such behavior, I’m afraid it often taints our witness, not enhances it.
But wait until you find out that you don’t have to say anything at all. Wait until you realize you don’t have to engage with people who just want to argue. I don’t have much time for people who just want to argue. But I do have a lot of time for people who are interested in discussion and healthy debate. The trouble is knowing the difference.
People have been making false claims against Christians since Jesus and his disciples. It is not about to stop and you are not about to stop them. But what you can do is endure the stuff people say about you and keep your eyes on the mission. Did you have a bad experience? Dust it off and keep moving. It is not easy, but when we are bold, we can find the strength to endure.
We might be eager for those who slander or revile us to face quick retribution, but we ought to remember that God is a God of grace and mercy. What would be our status if while we were still sinners he chose swift retribution instead of the grace and mercy we did not deserve? Those who stand against Christ and his kingdom will have their day before the judgment seat. I can wait until then. Meanwhile, I have a mission. I’m going to do my job.
Boldness to stand on your convictions.
Boldness to stand on your convictions.
Peter says it is better for us to suffer for doing what is right than to suffer for what is wrong. Remember, suffering for what is wrong is just. Suffering for what is right is unjust and we are to let God be the judge in those cases. Suffering for the sake of righteousness nets us a blessing. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount,
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
The blessing is the kingdom of heaven. If you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, remember that it is because you belong to the kingdom of God. Stand on those convictions! A slave is no greater than his master. If Christ was persecuted, so will you. That means we get the joy of identifying with Christ in that way. When we do, we gain a profound appreciation for what he faced to buy our pardon and reconcile us to God. When I get called a name or misrepresented, I am glad to get a glimpse of what Jesus went through and I am appreciative even more for the price he paid. This gives me the courage to stand on my convictions.
The world needs to witness bold Christians. We are at war, and in just a few moments you will re-enter the battleground. Might I urge you not to neglect your duty? Practice modeling Christlike character in all circumstances. Admit when you get it wrong, then go back to the source himself for guidance. The church exists to assist in this endeavor. Imagine a church where you could show up, be honest about your struggles, and work together to improve in modeling Christlikeness. That is who we should be. This should be training to re-enter the battleground.
What does your next step look like? For some of you here, you may have yet to change your allegiance. There are two kingdoms in which we cannot see. There is the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of darkness. Due to our own sinful nature, our rebellious spirit, we are born a part of the kingdom of darkness. The truth is that God created a world that was designed to function in harmony. Today we experience a world in which the intended design is broken. That brokenness we experience is a result of sin, a rejection of God’s design for a design of our choosing.
Human beings do all sorts of things to try to solve the brokenness problem, but are left frustrated at more brokenness. The good news is that God sent Christ to model what life according to God’s design looks like and then offer himself as a sacrifice for your life and mine. The Bible says that if we will turn from our sin, that is trying to live life according to our imperfect design and believe in Christ, who was crucified for us, buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead three days later claiming victory over death, a miracle happens. God comes into our lives and helps us recover and pursue his design for our lives.
If you are here today and have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ, I ask you to make that choice today. Change your allegiance. Church attendance can’t do it. Your own good behaviors can’t do it. But choosing to follow Jesus and place him in charge of your life can.
If you are here today and have been walking with Christ, in what area have you faltered? Are you being a good representative of the kingdom? Are you striving to be better? What area of life does Christ not have control over? Where can you ask God for more boldness this week?
