SELFLESS—1

Bold In Witness

Intro

How many of you have New Year's resolutions, you have goals, you want something to be different this year? I hope that you do. It's interesting to me when you think about it, most of the time when we make New Year's resolutions, most of them are more self-centered in nature.

Lose weight — Exercise more — Out of debt — Cleaner house

EX: Self-esteem, self-help, inner self, self-talk, self-service, help yourself, be yourself, love yourself, and the list seems to never end.

they are more about us than anything else. The tragedy though is when it's so much of our life when it comes to God, is more about us than it is about him.

self-center faith

God, help me. Bless me. Protect me. Make my life to be better—Me happier—Me richer.

And whenever life doesn't go as we want, there are some people who end up blaming God. In other words, they might say, well you know I tried to go to church or I read my Bible or I did whatever. And I didn't get a better job and I didn't get a better parking space and the girl I wanted to date ended up dating somebody else.

“God didn't do what I wanted him to do”

What's interesting is that people think God exists for us when in reality, we exist to serve and to honor him.

In fact, when Jesus invited people to follow him, this is what Jesus said

… “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Matthew 16:24 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

In the culture that we live in, a very self-centered, selfish culture, I wanna teach four messages I heard 4 years ago, that'll help us become selfless and more obedient to following Jesus.

So let me give you our big 4 themes so you'll know where we're going in the coming weeks.

Bold in witness - Use me to reach more people even if I’m laughed at.

Faithful in Service - Use me to serve (show love)—even if it makes me uncomfortable.

Extravagant in Generosity - Enable me give more (bless)—even if I have to make personal sacrifices.

Grateful in the Grind - Empower me to do everything for your glory—even if it pushes me.

Let me give you the context of what we're gonna talk about in scripture today.

Disciples are being trained for 3 years now - they’ve seen it all - healing -

Jesus prepares them for what is to come …. "I'm gonna have to die "and God is gonna raise me from the dead. "Three days later I'll be back." And so Jesus went to the cross, he suffered brutally, three days later, it's Sunday evening,

What do you think the disciples are doing?

Do you think they were out preaching boldly, "He's coming back, he told us about this, "we've been waiting for it. "Any minute, here he comes, he's coming back." Not at all.

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.

John 20:19 NIV

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Why is it, those of you that are Christians? Why is it that, we are not more often bold in witness? A lot of reasons…

I don’t have the knowledge - I’m not a leader - We're afraid we won't know enough. We're afraid we'll look silly. We're afraid that we won't get it right. We're afraid.

BUT…. there is one event, one moment, that transformed these disciples from being timid and afraid to be bold and courageous. One event and one moment. Let's look at verse 19 again, this is so exciting.

Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said

And all of a sudden these guys went from being selfish, being timid, being afraid, being self-centered, to bold, courageous, and evangelistic in all that they did.

These guys, who were in one moment, hiding behind locked doors, the next moment were out preaching boldly.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.

Acts 4:8–10 NIV

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

We Speak Boldly About What We Believe Deeply.

A restaurant - comfortable shoes - Netflix series - a car -

If we're not speaking boldly about our faith in Jesus, do we really believe it deeply? Do we really believe it deeply?

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:12–13 NIV

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 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.

Those of you who are Christians, how amazed are other people at your boldness for Christ?

On a scale of one to 10, one is unmoved, 10 is massively amazed, how amazed are they?

HOW AMAZED ARE PEOPLE BY YOUR BOLDNESS FOR CHRIST?

Unmoved 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Amazed

So years ago people were amazed by my boldness. Recently they were shocked by my spiritual apathy.

What would it be for you? How amazed are people by your spiritual boldness? Or would they even be surprised to know that you're a follower of Christ?

I'm gonna give you just 2 real simple thoughts from our text in Acts chapter 4, incredibly simple, but they can have a profound impact.

HOW DO WE GROW IN BOLDNESS?

SPEND MORE TIME WITH JESUS.

If we don’t have time for God and we are too overwhelmed with work, fashion, social media… at the end of the day I have nothing to talk about…

[They were amazed by the disciples’ boldness]… for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NIV

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.

where I pray and bring people before God and situations before God and I listen to God. When I walk out of my house what do I have? I've got divine confidence. God is with me, his spirit's going to guide me. Suddenly I feel bolder because I've been with him during the day.

If you wanna grow in boldness, it's very simple. Spend time with Jesus.

ASK GOD TO MAKE YOU BOLD.

just pray. God, give me boldness today, to share your goodness. When is the last time you asked God for boldness?

God keep us safe. We pray for me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. Watch what these disciples, under the potential threat of death, prayed for.

And now, O Lord, hear their threats and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 

Acts 4:29 NIV

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Not keep us safe. Not protect us today.

But give us boldness, even though they're already threatening us, God, make us even bolder in what we do.

… “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 

1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—

A timid, fearful faith doesn't reach a lost and hurting, and broken world