Acts 4 - Boldness

Living in Confidence

Acts 4:13

Acts 4:13–22 NKJV

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

They perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men. They realized they had been with Jesus.

By the way they spoke. There was a confidence, and authority in their words.

There also was living proof right there standing before them. The healed man.

The word boldness - Speaking freely with confidence. Plainness or exactness in speaking. Speaking with courage.

a use of speech that conceals nothing and passes over nothing.

Words

Psalm 19:14 NKJV

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalms

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Matthew 12:36 NKJV

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 15:4 NKJV

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Our words can be mean.

Our words can be accusative.

Luke 6:45 NKJV

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

If your tongue isn’t good check your heart!

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Make sure your heart is burning from the presence of God then and only then will you know that the words coming from your mouth are building up on tearing down.

Bold Words

A slave does not have this privilege.

John 10:24 NKJV

Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Without a revelation of who Jesus is there will be no boldness.

Ephesians 3:12 NKJV

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Ephesians

Joh

Bold words are in Jesus,

John 11:14 NKJV

Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

Bold words come from time spent with Jesus

Bold words are words that are spoken with conviction

Bold words are words of faith

Boldness brings Light to dark places.

John 16:25 NKJV

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

This kind of speech comes from Jesus.

Boldness is a narrative that should be told through how we live our lives.

If our words are bold but our life isn’t we will lack the power effectively communicate the message.

Boldness is The opposite of speaking with fear, trembling, cowardice, alarm, shaking.

Boldness confronts fear! confronts cowardice and alarm.

Mark 8:32 NKJV

He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

Mark

Boldness requires courage. It is risky and people will question/rebuke you for it.

John 7:13 NKJV

However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

Fear keeps us from being bold.

What are we afraid of?

Fear of being Judged.

Fear that we are not godly enough to deliver the message and people will accuse us and expose our weaknesses to discredit the message.

John 7:26 NKJV

But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?

John 7:

Boldness comes from knowing who Christ is and who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 3:12 NKJV

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Our confidence isn’t in ourselves but in Christ

Philippians 1:8–9 NKJV

For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

Philemon 8–9 NKJV

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—

Phil 1:8-9

Ephesians 6:9 NKJV

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Philemon 8 NKJV

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

Hebrews 10:35 NKJV

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

1 John 5:14 NKJV

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 2:28 NKJV

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Where does your confidence come from? Where does boldness come from?

We can identify a few things in the text to help us understand where it comes from.

It comes from a personal encounter with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:20 NKJV

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

How to use Bold words

acts 4:

Our Message must be clear

not just based on text but on the person of Jesus Christ.

We words must be consistent.

Keeping true to the message not needing to alter or change it for the sake of culture or fear.

We are Called to be Bold.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

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It comes from the Living Truth of God engraved in our hearts

It comes from a sense of purpose and revelation

Jeremiah 1:8 NKJV

Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 1:12 NKJV

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

It comes from a great sense of Hope!

Jeremiah 1:9–10 NKJV

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

Jer 1:

When to use words of Boldness!

In Darkness! In the Battlefield! When words of opposition come against us.

2 Corinthians 3:12 NKJV

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—

Boldness must be in the right context or heart.

Its not just about going public. Or shouting out your message. It is about proclaiming the good news of the Gospel. The hope that is in Jesus Christ.

We can be bold about the wrong thing.

Boldness is a place of vulnerability. Its all out there in the open.

Boldness speaks from a faith perspective

just because its bold doesn’t mean its from God!