A Bold Faith

Series Plan: A Faithful Witness

Series idea: The aim of this series is to encourage believers to live out their faith despite cultural opposition. People will reject the gospel, but their faithfulness and boldness is never in vain. Scripture calls us to be a faithful witness among a faithless people.

Sermon 1: Verses 1-12 will explore the conundrum of rejection of the gospel, the mystery of God’s sovereign grace to use our faithful witness even when we think it doesn’t matter in order to interest disinterested people in Jesus Christ.

Big Idea: A Faithful witness to Christ stands firmly on the exclusivity of Christ. (verse 12)

A faithful witness to Christ will bother people. (vs. 2)

rejection of the gospel

A faithful witness to Christ will interest people. (vs. 7)

disinterested people (english context)

A faithful witness to Christ will reach people. (vs. 4)

God’s work in and through our faithfulness.

Sermon 2: Verses 13-31 will explore the source of our confidence/boldness and power for witnessing to a faithless culture, call all believers to live out that boldness, and rely on God’s faithfulness to equip His people for the work of ministry.

Big Idea: A faithful witness for Christ requires Spirit-Empowered Boldness.

Intro: the struggle of boldness and misconceptions about boldness.

Boldness is acting, by the power of the Holy Spirit, on an urgent conviction in the face of some threat. (Confidence and conviction)

Point 1: Boldness is a fruit of closeness with Jesus (verse 13-14)

not conjured up

Point 2: Boldness for Jesus is a lifestyle, not a choice. (verses 17-20, 25-26)

Bible commands boldness for the gospel - bobby

Point 3: Boldness for Jesus is empowered by God’s Spirit. (verses 28-31)

Application

Closeness with Jesus?

what makes you NOT bold?

Have you prayed for Boldness?

questions:

how does a student live boldly for Jesus?

how does a nurse, a medical professional, a business owner, an accountants,

OUTLINE

Read Acts 4:13-31 / Pray

Intro

One thing about me no one would ever guess… I hated participating in all things public when I was a kid…

kid performances at school or church - I was that kid on the side pouting his face…

My parents worried that I would hate church…

For all the parents - there’s hope if you’re kid hates getting on the church stage!

caleb won’t do it!

some kids are naturally shy and they struggle engage in public activities like that, though at home they’re whirlwinds!

Connect: Christians are somewhat similar - we have such passion for Jesus in our homes and quiet settings - even in our churches around other believers.

But there’s either a shyness, a discomfort, lack of motivation, or lack of knowing how to practice a bold, public faith.

in other words to carry your belief in Christ as the foremost thing about you.

Relevance:

Not about not knowing how to be bold…

sport’s teams… Super bowl..

Personalities…

NT Boldness isn’t a personality trait.

Boldness, in the biblical sense, is not a personality trait. A typically soft-spoken, introverted, calm person can be bold at a time when a typically driven, outspoken, brash person shrinks back.

Boldness isn’t just about being “loud and visible”

verse tatoos… hide God’s word in your heart, not arm!

Recap

Last week, we started a small series within the book of acts on being a Faithful Witness for Christ.

as we see the testimony of the early church… an aspiration and a model for us today…

to reach a godless, faithless people.

to grow God’s kingdom on earth.

this text now in chatper 4 is a cont. of the healing of the lame man..

opportunity to preach the gospel…

but while some hear and accept, other reject and threaten…

placed in jail… what are they to do…

If we aspire to follow the lead of God people…

Last week: A faithful witness for Jesus stands on the exclusivity of Jesus…

He is the only way - counter-cultural to the pluralism and false tolerance that is propogated in our culture today.

This week: A faithful witness for Jesus requires Spirit-Empowered Boldness

what is this sort of boldness? how do we live it out? why live it out? what’s at stake if we don’t?

Boldness

Acts 4:13,31… the text begins and ends with one word…

Boldness… παρρησία

Interesting word in the NT

literally means “every word” - in other words: saying things truthful, fully, openly… not leaving out the truth no matter the cost.

really, it’s not boldness in the sense of daring! like the circus guy who jumps his motorcycle through a flaming circle!

It’s actually boldness in the sense of openness or confidence.

when you’re confident or open about something, you aren’t shy about it - you’re not afraid if other people find out…

you don’t mind speaking about it plainly.

John 7:13 “However, no one was speaking openly about Him, for fear of the Jews.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.”

Being Bold for Christ doesn’t mean:

you become a world-wide evanglist like billy graham

just marching a few times a year at an event…

also doesn’t mean wearing Christian branded clothing or tatooing a verse to your arm; a verse on your IG bio.

Being bold is being open and confident about faith in Jesus Christ.

youre not afraid to talk about it when opportunities come.

and you live out your faith openly and plainly

Why:

a confidence, openness, boldness is what is required to faithfully witness to our world.

and it’s the ingredient that we all need if we desire to grow our church.

Boldness naturally flows from abiding in Jesus (Acts 4:13)

when arrested and tried, the religious authorities picked up on the confidence and boldness of these disciple -

and what really surpised… uneducated and untrained.

uneducated: no formal rabbinical training

untrained: ordinary - no religious credentials.

doesn’t mean they didn’t know anything… all jewish boys studied the Torah until age 10 at least.

they hadn’t attended seminary, and they were not ordained ministers… cultural translation.

and yet they were so confident and bold in their proclamation - why?

They began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

a notable, outward feature of the disciples…

no guessing - these guys were with Jesus.

Interesting parallel - because we usually associate the disciples as more pastor-like individuals… to the public eye, they weren’t!

Common fears:

lack knowledge to speak about topics

struggle for many

Social stigmas around being labelled a Christian

“what kind of Christian?”

struggle for young people…

Viggie - Singing worship at publix.

openly, plainly, confidently… boldly!

indian, hindu that gave his life to Jesus a year ago!

no formal training… just started reading the bible - didn’t grow up in a western country that has cultural biblical elements…

I met Jesus and he changed my life!

and I was amazed like the religious leaders to see this kind of boldness for Jesus and I recognized - this guy has been with Him!

Not saying go to publix and sing worship all day long! unless you want to!

Boldness doesn’t come form education…

theres a place for it… but the purpose of theological education isn’t to give you boldness…

it comes from a deep, passionate relationship with Jesus by grace through faith.

and this passionate relationship with Christ flows into how you lead your life…

and that holiness should be visible and recognizeable…

Matthew 5:16 “Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

they shouldn’t have to guess…

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Bold faith isn’t an occasional stance, but a continual surrender. (verses 17-20)

we cannot stop… it’s not an option.

the weeder class illustration - remover of nominalism

the instruction was not to ever talk about Jesus again…

what would be your response?

they could not stop

doesn’t matter the opposition.

Pastor Bobby - missionary in China - lot’s of opposition. go evangelize, not an option… only was able to share the gospel with my neighbors… i need to be a better example LOL! Bible commands boldness for the gospel - great commission

Boldness for Jesus is empowered by God’s Spirit. (verses 27-31)

it’s why they couldn’t stop - John 21… someone taking you where you don’t want to go.

they didn’t pray against the ruler, neither for relief from persecution.

Acts 4:24 “And when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them,”

they prayed for a greater boldness.

A very high view of God’s sovereignty (Jesus suffered, but it was part of your plan). Maybe this is all part of your plan as well.

the events that were unfolding, they recognized that they were all part of God’s plan.

What if God wants to use the pressure that you will encounter in living a bold faith to change your life and others?

God responded by empowering them.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.”

The Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher, not just academic study.

And when they had prayed… God answered!

I’m not bold.. you haven’t asked.

Believers ought to seek this boldness in their lives that is derived from the Spirit’s influence.

lack of boldness indicates a lack of the Spirit’s influence in your life.

Application

Closeness with Jesus?

is your faith evident to all?

what makes you NOT bold?

social stigma? lack of knowledge?

Have you prayed for Boldness?

quote from Jon Bloom: Do you want to live and speak more boldly for Jesus Christ? I do. How badly do we want it? Do we want it enough to ask, seek, and knock untilGod answers us and to take risks that press on our timidity? Or, if we’re honest, would we rather just keep wishing we were bolder — admiring bold people, being inspired by biographies about bold people, talking with our friends and small group members about our struggles with fear of man — all the while staying where we feel safe and relatively comfortable and letting fear go unchallenged? My flesh likes the second option with a more flattering description. The Spirit says, “If you want to walk with me, choose the first.”