Lord, Make Me Bold

How happy are you with your prayer life?

Share personal prayer struggles

Seem like your in a rut?

Wednesday Night Prayer Group

Struggle to pray?

Sunday School requests

Prayers that seem like a to-do-list for God

Are your prayers boring to you?

Prayers that don’t require a lot of faith

What do most of your prayers center around?

Prayers that don’t require a lot of faith

I’d pray about the same things, in the same ways, usually around the same time.

Travel mercies, safety,

It’s not that I doubted the power of prayer but my prayers were not stirring my heart, so how could they stir the heart of God?

Meals, travel mercies, Be with me, Protect me

The result was me falling into this rut where prayer was something that I did not look forward to doing.

I think many times we struggle to pray because our prayers don’t even move our hearts, so how could they move the heart of God?

We pray a lot of safe prayers that do not require that much faith

A pastor friend said, “Maybe your struggling in your prayer life because your prayers are too safe”

He was right.

It is easy and comfortable to pray safe prayers.

Prayers that don’t require that much faith.

Prayers that don’t really move our hearts.

Prayers that don’t move the heart of God.

For the next few weeks we will be looking at some high-risk prayers from the Bible.

I want to warn you. If you commit to praying these prayers, your life will change.

You will become uncomfortable.

You will face opposition.

You may even face persecution.

That is what makes them high-risk

But there is also high-reward

These prayers will stir your heart.

You will draw closer to God.

You may see miraculous things happen.

Summarize Pentecost and

COED

846. αὐτός autŏs, ŏw-tos´; from the particle αὖ au [perh. akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind] (backward); the reflex. pron. self, used (alone or in the comp. 1438) of the third pers., and (with the prop. pers. pron.) of the other persons:—her, it (-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, ([self-], the) same, ([him-, my-, thy-]) self, [your-] selves, she, that, their (-s), them ([-selves]), there [-at, -by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with], they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which. comp. 848.

CDWGTHB

them NIV, ESV, NRSV, KJV 1900, NKJV, RSV, AV 1873

Text Comparison

αὐτοῖς autois

αὐτός autoshe

αυτος autos he

RP3DPM pronoun, personal, third person, dative, plural, masculine

G846 Greek Strong’s

LN 92.11 Louw-Nida

Narrative, Historical Acts 4:13–22

Figure of Speech

Description: Parable: i.e., Continued Simile

Name: Parabola

Figure of Speech

Name: Symbol

Prepositional Phrase

Object Lemma: αὐτός

Preposition Lemma: σύν

Acts 4:12–31 NIV

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Object Case: Dative

Longacre Genre

Primary: Narrative: Story

Semantic Feature

Category: Background-Experience

Nominative circumstantial frame—Nominative participial clauses that are positioned before the main verb to establish a state of affairs for the clause that flows. The use of the participle backgrounds the action with respect to the main verb of the clause in order to ensure that the main action receives primary attention. Nominative circumstantial frames are used when the subject of the participle is the same as the subject of the main clause. See the Introduction for further discussion on Nominative Circumstantial Frames.

LDGNT Glossary

Sentence—One or more clauses that have a coordinate relationship to the preceding discourse. Sentences which begin a speech reported within the discourse are labeled as ‘sentences’, but are indented one level in the outline to reflect that they are technically dependent upon (i.e. subordinate to) the verb of speaking that introduces them. Sentences are coordinated to the preceding discourse using καὶ, δὲ, or asyndeton (the absence of a conjunction).

LDGNT Glossary

Accent

Name: Perispomenon

Position: Ultima

Type: Circumflex

Syllable

Graphemes: αυ-τοισ

Count: 2

Syllable

Grapheme: αυ

Count: 2

Position: 1

Syllable

Grapheme: τοισ

They could have prayed for safety or protection.

Count: 2

Position: 2

Figurative Language

Category: Metaphor, Structural

Source: To Stand

Target: To Be Present

Type: To Stand as To Be Present

“them” refers to:

John (son of Zebedee) — One of the twelve disciples of Jesus, and author of several New Testament books.

Peter — A fisherman who became an apostle and leader of the early church.

The early church in Jerusalem Event

Peter and John before the Sanhedrin Event

They could have prayed for God to raise up someone else.

Peter and John before the Sanhedrin Event

Peter and John appear before the Sanhedrin Event

The Early Church Event

Courage — Boldness or bravery.

Commitment, Conflict, Education, Evangelism, Government, Politics and National Identity, Health and Healing, Men, Miracles, Obedience and Disobedience, Persecution, Prejudice, Worship

p See Mt 5:22

Mt 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

They could have prayed for God to use them somewhere else.

Mt 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

q Jn 11:47

Jn 11:47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.

r Ac 3:6–10

Instead they prayed for boldness so they could speak God’s word.

r Ac 3:6–10

Ac 3:6–10 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This is the same Peter that denied knowing Christ 3 different times.

What is different now?

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8 NIV

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts 3. The Answer to the Court (4:8–12)

Peter, who cringed before a maid’s question and denied Christ in Pilate’s judgment hall, now, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly makes answer to the Sanhedrin

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts 3. The Answer to the Court (4:8–12)

Peter, who cringed before a maid’s question and denied Christ in Pilate’s judgment hall, now, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly makes answer to the Sanhedrin (see Luke 12:11, 12). Pentecost makes courageous men out of cowards and witnesses out of moral weaklings.

The Holy Spirit is a gift that is given for all who have trusted Christ for salvation.

John 14:25–27 NIV

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:25–27 The Message

25 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. 26 The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. 27 I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

Acts 1:8 NIV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit teaches us, reminds us, guides us, and gives us power.

At the moment of salvation, you received the Holy Spirit.

He lives in you.

Romans 8:10–11 NIV

10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The New International Version Chapter 8

10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:10–11 The Message

10 But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. 11 It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

Sometimes we forget that the Holy Spirit lives in us.

The Holy Spirit makes courageous men out of cowards and witnesses out of moral weaklings.

John Wesley

If your a follower of Christ, do you realize that the Holy Spirit lives in you?

Have you been relying on your own abilities instead of the Spirit’s?

Acts 4:1–4 NIV

1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

If your a Christian, how many times have you shared the Gospel with non-Christians?

I didn’t ask how many accepted and followed Christ.

How many times have you shared the Gospel regardless of the outcome?

Common excuses

It’s not my style

I just let them look at my life.

Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

-St. Francis of Assisi

No real evidence that he ever said this.

The quote assumes and asserts that living like Jesus supersedes proclaiming the gospel of Jesus

"Don't worry about talking about Jesus, just live like Him and everything will take care of itself"

This is not Biblical.

Proclaiming the Gospel is necessary and commanded.

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What are your excuses for not sharing the Gospel?

Acts 4:19 NIV

19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

It’s not always easy to do the right thing.

When it could cost you something.

Tell Kohl’s Back to School Shopping Story

Bold people do the right thing not the easy thing.

Acts 4:20 NIV

20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Some of us have great stories and have seen God move in miraculous ways.

But too often, we only share this with other Christians.

I was asked by a supervisor one time, “Why do you always seem to be in a good mood?”

This is an opportunity to share your story and to share the Gospel.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

How prepared and willing are you to share your story?

Acts 4:29–31 NIV

29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

They prayed a High Risk Prayer

I want you to do something.

Picture a life that is easy.

What does that look like to you?

Picture you living your easiest life.

Picture yourself living each day in comfort.

How different is the life you pictured from the life that you are living right now?

For most of us, there is probably very little difference.

I want to challenge you this week to shake things up.

Our first High Risk Prayer is simply this:

Lord, Make me bold.

Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

This prayer will be risky.

You will face opposition.

You will be rejected and ridiculed.

You will face some type of persecution.

(Call Lela)

Give you the opportunity to say that prayer right now.

How many of you are willing to say this prayer, right when you wake up, everyday for the next week? (Slip up Hands)

Lord, Make Me Bold

Lord, Make Me Bold

Lord, Make Me Bold

Boldness is not a personality trait. Boldness is unleashed by the Holy Spirit.

5 Characteristics of Boldness

1) Bold People Are Filled With the Holy Spirit

2)Bold People Share the Gospel

3)Bold People Do the Right Thing, Not the Comfortable Thing.

4)Bold People Share Their Story

5)Bold People Pray for Boldness