Boldly Be

We are going to continue our series that we have titled in response to the gift in response to the UFC. This is what this season is all about. We're looking at the greatest gift that is ever been given and that's Jesus the greatest gift that's ever been given and so the notes are on the app today. So if you have your app, you can open that up. You can look at those follow along the plug for the app because if you if you have that open, you already know my title don't tell anybody you already know what verse is were going to look at don't tell anybody. It's just I can't sneak attack you at all. No preaching sneak attack in yet. So we're going to start off in 2nd Timothy this morning. If you have your Bibles, you can turn to 2nd Timothy. We're going to look at just one verse to start us off this morning. If you don't have your Bibles no worries. It will be on the screen as well for you. This is what it says. For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. self control So I want to start this morning as we kick things off and I just I just want to pray. I know that in our service we we pause when we pray quite a bit and you know, I used to think that was a bad thing until somebody wisely told me that's actually a good thing, you know praying and so it's not bad to do that. Then we're going to pray but I want to be a stirring in us to actually apply and walk out what we're going to talk about today because listen it's it's so easy to come to church and routine and just habits and all that kind of stuff has to sit in the Moment Like This and and it just glaze over a little bit and it just kind of goes over our heads a little bit and if I need to start pacing and walking the aisles and making sure that spit hits everybody. I will but better yet. Why don't we just why don't we just pray and ask God to really in bed in our hearts? What what he has first this morning. Let's pray father. We just thank you for this morning. We thank you for this incredible opportunity that we have to celebrate you and in A Moment Like This be inspired by you as we look to your word got it should change us and then we pray that that would happen this morning that your words would come alive to us and speak to us directly and tell her, you know, each of us and in each of us are at in life the circumstances that we're facing and you know exactly what we need to hear in this season in this particular moment and you can speak even tweak the words that are coming out of my mouth so that we all hear what you want to stay here. It's amazing. So I pray that that would happen this morning. So we give you our selves right now in your name we pray. Amen. Hey Manuel, I don't want it. Like I don't want to like paint this terrible picture of myself, you know, I share these stories of my past, you know, I sure these stories and sometimes I worry that you know, as I share these stories some of you are going to have a difficult time looking at me. Look at me as your pastor pastor. This is free Jesus stuff, right? Okay way that right so stories of a past person where there's been dramatic change as I have encountered Jesus and there's been some good have it. And so I hope that you can learn from the stories that I share and still be able to look at me with a little bit of confidence and and in your in your pastor, but it's good. I hope at the very least that when I share stories you can look and be like what Kim Julie use me and he can do things for me as well. That's what this is all about. And so young you can talk to my parents, but they're not allowed to talk about that. So they won't tell you anything. I definitely didn't look the same when I was younger. I didn't look the way I look now frosted to you know, I I didn't look like the fine specimen of a man that I look like now. Thanks, buddy. I need a. Little boost right there. You know, I was like in grade seven. I remember I was 97 lb and I was 4 ft 7 so like 90 like a very little person I think Seth is already that size and and he's only in grade 6 and I was little I was that I was Tiny and little guy that would have liked the big friends that would stand around and saying things that would get him in trouble. You know, I was that little that little bully that would pull up on the scene and cause havoc and then be like

You know, I got myself in a number of situations where I needed my my big friends to to bail me out. I even I tried doing that with my brother one time and while he just was like good luck with that and walked away. You know, I was hoping that he would but he didn't he just left me there. So. I heard a little bit but that's kind of just who I was so, you know, I was just that that chirpy Lippy little guy that would do that and thinking a little bit of got me thinking about place later on in life that I had this Encounter With Jesus that everything for me truth and I remember a moment in life that one little moment in life glimpse of something where it where Jesus just I couldn't deny the truth of him any longer. He made it impossible and so for me, I remember that moment and I started looking at my life and I'm like man, I I wish that I would have had that same boldness of that little Lippy kid being able to step in a situation and just say the stupidest things. Do the people that deal with wood would be ready to kill and I would just see these things and just do the I wish I was a lot less bold and I wish that I wouldn't I wished that I would have used that same boldness that I had when I was younger now in my life. I look at moments a little bit more bold than I wish. I would have stepped out a little bit more in my in my face in that moment, you know, pastor and I still don't get that right all the time where I wish that I would have just I would have just gone a little bit past my comfort zone in that one moment, sir bit a little bit more bold in that other moment. You don't want to be like Paul I have this traumatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus later on his name change from Saul to Paul. This is the part about the New Testament. A guy that would go on to speak in front of synagogues and speak to people that were of similar thought to where he was before his conversion. He would speak to those people the people speaking he knows full. Well that these people probably want to kill him now as he was speaking what they considered blasphemy. And I want to be like that. I want to be like Paul. I want to know what what that's like and I want to live in that place. Have you ever been there before? Ever been in a place where you desire to be more bold in your faith more bold for Jesus if you answered. Yes in your minds right there, as I saw a number of heads nodding you would not be alone at all. I don't know why but for some reason this is just one of those things that seems so difficult for Christians some get it automatically. It's just who they are and they kind of walk that out and we look to them and be like man, I want to be like that but for the vast majority of Christians being bold and faith in stepping out of what your comfort zone is is very very difficult. I guess the question that I would ask though is what does boldness and Faith look like What is it even look like to be then see this is what I believe we started off with this morning as Paul is trying to teach and raise up this young Protege of his name Timothy. Eddie's trying to help him understand what it says for God gave us a spirit of fear, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control not fear fear would be the opposite of boldness, you know boldness wrapped up with cinnamon synonym with like courage and and all that kind of stuff like bonus is the opposite of fear. So we know where did not come from God. He doesn't want us to have Fury wants to walk one wants us to walk in boldness. He doesn't give us fear. So what does he give he gives power love and self-control? See to me. Paul is describing boldness. He's describing boldness. This is what it looks like to be bold in our face to step out in our face. Think about it for a second Acts 1:8 as as you know, we read before it says this but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. Power is what we receive when the Holy Spirit comes Upon Us Powers what we received that actually gives us the capability to be his Witnesses. We talked about this through our series and Holy Spirit and that power isn't something that comes from us. It's not something that we have to just conjure up inside of us to be like I need that and I just I got to do it myself. It's not actually from us and even it's described here in the Bible on a number of occasions that it comes from. Holy spirit. It's important itself is not a personality trait. That's important because so many of us discount the ability to ever walk in boldness because we're not an extrovert. You know, you even can look at me and Janice and I were trying to figure out what I am an extrovert or an introvert because I know that like it very much appears that I am an extrovert but there are moments where I have introvert Tendencies. I'm just like lock me in a box and turn the lights off and I just want to cuddle here in the fetal position for a little bit. I don't know but but it's easy for some to look at me and be like, well, it's easy for him. But it's not always easy for me. Like there are moments that I missed the mark and I'm like man. I wish I was a little bit more bold. I wish I would have stepped out and done that. Boldness isn't a personality trait. Those most soft-spoken introverted calm people can be both at a time when a typically outrageous outspoken Brash individual wood would shrink back. Boldness isn't a personality trait. We need to get past that boldness is acting by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit on an urgent conviction. I love that urgent conviction in a particular moment. Holy spirit gives and he he he empowers us to step out in that but Paul doesn't just end this list that to me kind of sums up what it is to be bold with power. He continues and he says with love power and love. 1st Corinthians chapter 13 verses 1 through 3, which we read in our Series in holy spirit says if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal and if I have not love I am nothing if I give away all I have and if I deliver my body to be burned but have not love I gain nothing I gain nothing remember when we talked about the gifts of Holy Spirit and we talked about the motive in which those GIF need to be used being loved. So is the same when it talks about boldness, it needs to have the heart motive as love list needs to be walked out. And here's the thing about love puts others ahead of personal preference. Love puts others best interest in front of our own and love thinks about the things before thinks about the things that are going to be communicated before the word start coming out of our thinking about how somebody will perceive those words before they're even given that's love love is more about them than it is about me Laos. And the Heart motive to boldness needs to be loved. But again Paul doesn't just say power and love that would have been a great list if it ended with two but he continued still and ends these this three, you know summed up into one. I think word of boldness. He he he he says self control. And I don't know if you've noticed it yet. But all of these items are things that come from Holy Spirit see Power you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And I don't know if you remember back to the beginning of the year. We've been talking about it for a off and on but this one that's over a transformation to be transformed by the inner working of Holy Spirit Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 22 says but the fruit of the spirit that means it's the work of the holy spirit in US it produces love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control.

I love how all just happened to pick maybe the first word of the list and the last the bookends of the fruit of the spirit to put in front of us and it ends with self-control against such things. There is no law.

Self-control to me though points to again our involvement in it. All is well because here's a thing Holy Spirit definitely develops. It's a fruit of him. He is at work in our lives, but then we are required to act. He doesn't take over our bodies and we are now like walking around like Mindless robots. That's not how he works. We are required then to put into action takes us takes us to grab control take control of ourselves and step out of what may be comfortable being bald and face requires. All of these components to actually be effective. Listen for a second. It requires the power of Holy Spirit in a situation. It requires us to absolutely take a step out of what may be comfortable for us, but it requires all of that to be in the heart motive of love. Do you see how it all fits together see often? We see boldness of a different nature. We see boldness of a different nature either there's disorder and abuse of Holy Spirit, which we talked about last series or there's a Facebook rant, you know in the guise of sticking up for your faith or whatever would have you and you know, either or a a healthy debate. And you see how there's all of this done but it's missing a component may be a component of love the heart motive of love and then all of those falls short and see this is why I believe the church. Is not stirred with the boldness that it needs to be is because we see this alternate boldness with missing components and we say well, I don't ever want to be like that. Received boldness on display in the world around us or maybe even better yet said the effect of boldness. That's missing a component and we see that a fact that it's had on other people and how it's damaged and it and we don't want to go there. We don't want to be those people and so we just write the whole thing off. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be a Jesus freak that stands on the corner and tells everybody they're going to hell. That's good, cuz you shouldn't it's missing a component of love. Needs to have all three we need Holy Spirit. We absolutely desperately need Holy Spirit. We talked about that last series. We also very much need to take a step of faith when God is calling us to take a step out. We absolutely need that but this all needs to be encompassed with the heart motive of love and some would lie to themselves and say you know what? I'm I need to stick up for my face and I need to let you know people are are shutting me down and say negative things about my faith. And so I got to stick up for it and go on this tire this rant and and really what is that doing? Listen? I'm pretty sure God is big enough that you don't need to stick up for him. I'm pretty sure he can handle it. You know, I can look back in history and Jesus didn't make much of a stand to the point where they nailed him to a cross.

With the ultimate display of love the heart motive of love. This is what we need to grab hold of. So then how do we do this? How do we walk this out? Where do we get this boldness? How does it all work? And here's how we put it into play number one.

We asked for it. We simply need to ask for because we understand where does it come from it comes from him. This is what it says. It says you don't have the power to be his Witnesses. It comes from Holy Spirit chapter 7 verse 11 says if you then who are evil to drink how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. We want to give him that. Like he's just waiting to be asked since just ask me and I will give you that baldness that you need just ask me. I'm right here waiting for you for the opportunity to just give and bless and pour out and do what only I can do. We just need to ask ask for boldness number 2. Check your motives. Listen, this is super easy. When you start to have a stirring of Holy Spirit in your lives. The first thing you want to do you just want to do whatever is in front of you. You're like But our motives needs to be in check. It's so easy for us to have a light reaping and we now take and distort and abuse Holy Spirit and next thing, you know, he's made it about us.

And that's not the heart motive. We need love is always about them instead of me. So check your motives and and do it often. It's not one of those things that you check in an instant and be like, I'm good for the rest now and I'm just good I constantly and coming back to a place where I'm like in my making this about me cuz I don't want this to be about me God. I I really do you want everything that you have for us and Encounter Church for me as atoms are going to haggle. I want exactly what you want. Not what I want. I want what you want. You know what's best and I constantly coming back to that place where I evaluate in check my motives and sometimes there needs to be some correction. Sometimes there needs to be some bringing into alignment and that's okay, but I would never know if I didn't check my motives. So check your motives and then number three simply take a step out. Take a step out. You're going to start to hear God. This is why we're doing things like hearing God so that you can learn how to recognize the voice of God. And as you start to recognize the voice of God with your heart motives in check you will now do okay. So God can speak to you and he's going to give you the opportunity to build relationship with people so that you can speak the greatest truth that is out there that that Jesus loves you so much that he died on the cross for you. You're going to be able to speak into that situation. But here's the thing you have to actually take a step out. Take a step out. Cuz here's the thing boldness doesn't always feel and it doesn't always come a company with some huge stirring feeling that's inside of you if you're waiting for that. It just doesn't come sometimes maybe maybe until you take that step and then all the sudden it's matched but like sometimes we're just required to take a step out and be take a step out. I'm super proud of even even my wife as she's given herself to two opportunities at work is people are starting to ask questions see before 4 for Janice. It was difficult to even recognize those moments in what to say and all that kind of stuff is a very timid person. She's not like me and sometimes you should just shut up and that she's the opposite of that people know that she's Super Wise because how few words come out of her mouth sometimes and so Here's the thing. She has given herself the opportunity say sturminster my heart with boldness. I need your power. I need your power at work when I go to work. I need you to work through me and I need this to be not about me, but about them. So give me opportunities to put you on display through my life and as she walked out that process now, it's her turn in response. To seize those opportunities that come and even just last week. She had people ask if she had one guy in particular asking her about faith ask her about church and that's just the door opening. There's going to be so much more to comment. Is it still scary? Absolutely. It's crazy. You never know what people are going to ask you, you know soon as people find out if I'm a pastor they asked me the craziest questions and sometimes I might have no idea like, I don't know and really that doesn't matter but you know, and it's okay. It's okay not to be able to put on display Jesus in your lives and it's that that display of a sense of faith that that is really going to speak to people these three things ask for boldness. Check your modem and take a step out. Take a step of Faith. It's okay. If you hear God saying go then you go take a step out if you feel like hey, you know, this seems a little bit crazy this step of Faith then maybe bringing some clothes people for some counsel if you were in here and God, you know that already and I'll help you with that, but take a step of Faith. Don't wait for it to just happen through you. How can I invite the keys to come forward as we close this morning? And this is what I want us to do. Just imagine what this would be like. Imagine what this would be like for just a couple seconds. If we were the people if we were the church that was known to just be bold to worry about what people are thinking to not worry about like how we will be perceived or how we look at every opportunity for people to encounter Jesus that would be in front of everything not our personal preference, not our our our comfort but people encountering Jesus. That was what we were all about. Can you imagine what that would look like for you to just be walking in boldness what that would feel like And what that would be like for you to be able to be a part of someone's life as they encounter Jesus because you stepped out in bold as he weren't gripped by fear, but that you understood that God did not give me a spirit of fear. He gave me power love and self-control that I can take a step out and know that he's with me wherever I go that I can put it into play this bulnes because I love I love and I'm there. Can you imagine what that would be like church? For you, it would be absolutely amazing, but it wouldn't end with you never does. Like that infomercial, I love it, but wait, there's more.

In our church, man the life that would spring forward. As we see somebody stirred with boldness and think I want some of that. I want to be both like that. You hear story a story about Pastor Janice and how it's it's difficult for her butt and you're like it's difficult for me to but if she can do it then. I want that too.

As we start to see people in our church in our setting the people that we sit beside that we sit in front of her behind every single week. We see those people all the sudden stirred with this boldness that it's no longer about me, but it's about damn it's about people that don't know him that we so desperately actually desire. There's enough entic Desiring us to see people encounter Jesus. Can you imagine what it would do inside this room? To see people stirred with such boldness it would spill out. Just keep moving forward. Then it wouldn't end with us. Cuz in the end it's not about us. It can never end with us. As his church as God's no longer coming to church on a Sunday in walking through the system. Stairs are hard inside.

All the sudden our workplaces would see Jesus all the elementary schools in primary.

As Hearts here are stirred. It spills out from here to the city around us. This is why we're here family. This is why we are here. It's To see his name glorify his name pumped out into our city. Here's the response. I want to call us to this morning with every head bowed and every eye closed due to things this morning one if you're here this morning and this is all a concept for your hearing this name Jesus your hearing about this relationship that we have with him and you have not begun a relationship. We believe this is the most important decision that anyone can ever make to to begin a relationship with Jesus question every single building a relationship with him. If you hear this morning, we would love to come alongside you as family and see you begin your journey with him.

Close we ask if you're here this morning and want to begin a relationship with Jesus on the count of three. You're just going to lift your hand so that I can see it and will pray with you. Okay to three that's you just raise your hand this morning if you're watching online right now and and you're feeling that stirring in your heart thinking you know what I think this is actually for me. This is for you God is speaking to you too. If you're sitting at home on your couch and you want to raise your hand and we will pray with you, sir are any hands in here this morning? I would like to give their lives to begin a relationship with Jesus.

Awesome, if you have your hand raised at home, we want to know about it. We want to know about it so that we can come alongside you as family as the church and support you in this journey. We believe that you didn't just cross a finish cross the starting line at DC Victoria. CA would love to get in touch with you for the rest of us here this morning and think about something It's awesome that we are is awesome. He wants to transform our lives this morning. But here's what I want to do this morning. Is I want us to respond as a church if you're hearing this morning and you've been listening to the to the word this morning in your heart as already be residents with me. I want to talk to my friend about My Story 4 meet with my friend. I wish I had that this morning I want to do something if that's you this morning. I want you to begin.

and what I'm going to do is on the count of three, I'm just going to

You stand your feet you say I'm I'm going to be I'm going to walk this out. I'm going to put this in the play in my life that God will use me. I will be I will see you speak on the count of three Encounter Church 123 who wants to be this morning? Holy Spirit to Speak Life

Come on church. This has to be in a play at every single person in our weakness to use us. Church is your plan to reach the world your spirit a name that God say I'm going to use you. I'm going to use you for this person.

You not a spirit of fear. But of power love and self-control Holy Spirit sweep through this moment that we would recognize them in the moment that we would see them for the opportunity.

We give you ourselves this morning. In your name we pray amen. Hey man, come on Church. Let's give a hand clap.

Awesome, we'll church that's our Sunday 4 this morning. But again, I want to challenge you that again and here and so let's see that but I need to know about it as you step out in boldness. Even if it's a complete flop in your mind. We want to know about it because the whole thing is taking a step out. We want to recognize that and see how God is working in our church. So let us know about it sent us an email talk to your group leader or whatever. Just let us know about it.