Boldness

Teaser

Do you read the stories in the Bible of men and women who made a difference in their worlds because they were willing to speak and act boldly for God, and wish that you were more like that?

Today we’ll see what the Bible says about becoming a bold believer in Christ, where this boldness comes from, and how it is turned into action.

When we better understand who God is and what He wants for His children, we become bold in our relationship with Him, bold in our belief in His Word, and bold in our actions for the kingdom of God.

Prayer

Father, I pray for each one who is listening today.

I pray that you will bless their lives.

I pray that you will bless their families, their work and their ministry in your kingdom.

Father, I pray that you will bless their desire to be bold men and women for the kingdom of God.

Make them the kings and priests You desire them to be.

Do that today, Father. Bless us!

In Jesus’ name - Amen!

Bold in relationship with God

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject of boldness.

In Acts 4 we see it in Peter and John as they address the priests and elders of the Sanhedrin.

Acts 4:13 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.

In Acts 4:31 we read

Acts 4:31 NKJV

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Ephesians 3:12 NKJV

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

Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This are God’s words - this is God telling us His desire for His relationship with us

He wants us to be bold in coming to Him

What gives us the right to be bold in our relationship with God?

It’s God’s idea. He made it possible!

Through the work of Christ on the cross, God has given us the permission, the authority to come to Him boldly

You need to understand how much God has done for you so you can be bold in your relationship with Him!

This is a foundational truth - something you need to know deeply

God knows there is nothing you or I can do to get to Him - He knew this before the first moment of creation

So what did God do? Everything! He did everything necessary, everything that you and I could never do for ourselves, so that we could be with Him.

All that’s left for us to do is to believe it and act on it.

You need to know this so deeply that any time the enemy accuses you or reminds you of your guilt or that you are unworthy to come to the throne of God you immediately say NO! My sin is gone, my guilt is gone because of what Jesus did on the cross - and my Father wants me to come to Him boldly!

So we have the right to be confident that we can come to God boldly!

Because of what I’ve done? No!

Because of what Jesus has done for me!

It’s what He wants!

2nd reason we have the right to come boldly:

Knowing how much HE wants this relationship with you

When you understand deeply all that Christ has done for us, you see how much He wants this relationship with you.

The amazing story of the Bible, from Genesis to the Revelation, is the story of all that God has done and is doing so you and He can be together, right now and forever.

Look at the book of Genesis, where we see God walking with His children Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. I believe it was His pleasure to spend this time with His children.

One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God with us”

Look at the Revelation, where in Revelation 21 we see where God makes all things new.

Revelation 21 says this:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Notice it doesn’t say “They shall dwell with Him.” It says “He will dwell with them.”

This is the story of the Bible

So - be bold in your relationship with God. It’s what He wants!

Bold in belief

Bold living begins with bold believing

Be bold in believing what the Bible says

The Bible is full of powerful promises to us

But if we don’t believe them, they become powerless, they become useless

Town where Jesus couldn’t do much...

Matthew 13:58 NKJV

Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Jesus wasn’t any different. He didn’t change when He walked into that town.

But the people of that town didn’t believe. And because of that, there wasn’t much Jesus could do.

The same is true today. If we don’t believe the Word of God, we deny those promises the power God intended for them to have in our lives.

Mary believed the angel

Luke 1:45 NKJV

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

If we are to be bold believers, we need to be bold in going to the Bible and believing what is says, and that what is says is for me!

Its promises are for me!

Its instructions and commands are for me, too!

To be bold in belief means to obey. It means we agree that what the Bible says is more important than what I think.

Luke 6:46–49 NKJV

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

To be bold in belief means, if I disagree with something the Bible says, I’ll still be obedient, because being obedient to the Bible is being obedient to Christ, and being obedient to Christ is being obedient to God.

Some of you might be saying, “Well, once I understand it, then I’ll follow it. Then I’ll be obedient.”

Wrong! When you do that you are setting yourself up as the judge of Scripture. Do you really want to do that? Do you really want to be in the position of judging whether what God says is true, or is best for your life?

Put yourself in this place instead - Psalm 119:100

Psalm 119:100 NKJV

I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.

Bold in action

Finally, to be a bold believer in Christ means we become bold in our actions.

It means the world can see our belief in Christ by what we do.

James 2:18 NKJV

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

There is not a Book of Good Intentions, but there is a Book of Acts!

You can think about a lot of good things - ok, good, that’s a start

Now go do them!

You are made in the image of God

God is a doer! Look at all He has done:

Creation! You!

The cross

Preparing the Church to be a proper Bride for His Son

Bold followers of Jesus act. Because of the boldness they have in relationship with God, and the boldness of their belief in His Word, they begin to act boldly, just as Christ would act, in the world around them.

How can we become bold believers in Jesus?

Let’s go back to that story of Peter and John in Acts.

Acts 4:13 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.

The religious leaders marveled at the boldness of Peter and John. in fact, they were stunned.

They recognized something in these uneducated and untrained men that they lacked themselves.

I don’t know if they understood it themselves - actually I assume they did not. But the source of Peter and John’s boldness was right there...

They had been with Jesus!

If you want to be bold in your belief, bold in your actions, bold in your words to those around you, it all starts with being with Jesus.

In prayer, in His Word, in worship.

This is why God made it possible for us to come boldly to the throne of grace. It all starts with relationship.

Because that’s what He wants more than anything. He wants to be with you!

We will do a full episode on this topic soon. For now, just believe His Word and be with Him!

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