Are you a bold witness for Jesus?
Acts 2:4;14 – And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me and let me tell you what this means.
Acts 1:8 – Jesus said, “And you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me…”
- The empowerment of God’s Spirit in our lives brings GREAT BOLDNESS!
DEFINITION – “BOLDNESS”
- Boldness – Freedom of Speech and Confidence in the Lord (Strong’s)
- Synonyms: Bravery; daring; firmness; fortitude; fearlessness; tenacity; valor; determination; dauntlessness; nerve; courage
Acts 4:13 – 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.
Acts 4:29 – Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
- So now, Lord, listen to their threats to harm us. Empower us, as your servants, to speak the word of God freely and courageously. (TPT)
Acts 4:31 – 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.
BOLD WITNESSES
- Several examples of famous athletes who have chosen to use their fame and celebrity as a platform to share the Gospel message.
- “Superstars like Tim Tebow, Olympians Gabby Douglas and Stephen Curry“ made more headlines for their faith than their game …”
- “I constantly wake up every morning trying to get better, trying to improve, trying to walk closer to God.” (Tim Tebow, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback)
“Regardless what happens, I still honor my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because, at the end of the day, that’s what’s important, win or lose…”
– Tim Tebow
“Golf is just an avenue for Jesus to use me to reach as many people as I can.”
– Bubba Watson
“I am so grateful God has truly blessed me! Remember to always give Him the glory for He is great! … I give all the glory to God. It’s kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him, and the blessing falls down on me.”
– Gabby Douglas
“I try to use every game as an opportunity to witness… BE A WITNESS FOR CHRIST. When I step on the floor, people should know who I represent, who I believe in.”
– Stephen Curry
- Let’s choose to make our lives a platform for bringing all glory to God! In the words of Gabby Douglas, “It’s a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him, and the blessing falls down on us.”
- These are men and women who have made a conscious choice to do what they do for the approval of the Lord rather than the approval of men. Yet you don’t need to be a world-class athlete to choose to use your life as a platform for witnessing…
- Each one of us is called to do the same.
- “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. … Colossians 3:17
- And whatever you do, do it heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of your inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Colossians 3:23-24).
WAYS TO BE BOLD
- Witness & let our light shine
- Stand for righteousness and truth
- Warn people who are deceived and going the way of destruction
- Determine not to go along with and participate in popular medical pressures and conformity with worldly, anti-Christ practices that are destructive…
I John 4:17 – Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have BOLDNESS in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
- And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. (NLT)
MORE BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
1.BOLDNESS is the audacity to walk with God. (Enoch – Genesis 5:21-24)
- Genesis 5:21-24 – …all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
- It is not the absence of worldly influences; it is maintaining a life that is pleasing to the Lord in the midst of it all.
2.BOLDNESS is spending years building something by faith, for something that had never been seen before. (Noah – Genesis 6-8)
- Noah kept doing what he was supposed to do, in spite of the opposition and sarcasm. (As in the days, so also shall it be in the last days before Jesus comes again – Matthew 24:37-39).
3.BOLDNESS is believing and saying what God says about you and changing your name at 100 years old. (Abraham – Genesis 17:5; Romans 4:16-21)
- Genesis 17:5 – No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
- Romans 4:16-21 – …also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) …18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
4.BOLDNESS is Moses deciding not to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. (Hebrews 11:24)
- Hebrews 11:24 – By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter…
5.BOLDNESS is standing before a King (Pharaoh) and demanding him to free his slaves. (Exodus 5-12)
6.BOLDNESS is trusting God when you are surrounded on every side. (Moses & Israelites crossing the Red Sea – Exodus 14)
7.BOLDNESS is to stand in faith when you are outnumbered by doubt. (Caleb & Joshua – Numbers 13-14)
8.BOLDNESS is attacking the enemy when you are outnumbered. (Jonathan & his armor-bearer – 1 Sam 14:6)
- 1 Samuel 14:6 – Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
9.BOLDNESS is speaking victory and God’s Covenant to a giant and facing a giant with a slingshot. (David & Goliath – 1 Samuel 17)
- 1 Samuel 17:45 – Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts…
10.BOLDNESS is running to the battle. (David – I Samuel 17:48)
11.BOLDNESS is calling fire down from Heaven and following that prayer up with praying for rain.
12.BOLDNESS is telling an enemy general to go dip in a river. (Elisha / Naaman – 2 Kings 5:10)
13.BOLDNESS is preaching what is contrary to the word of the day by many prophets… (Micaiah – I Kings 22)
14.BOLDNESS is not bowing down to the world’s idols. (3 Hebrews / Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego – Daniel 3)
15.BOLDNESS is to pray to our Heavenly Father when the law says “no”. (Daniel 6)
- What if the government tells us to do things contrary to the Lord’s commands?
- Acts 5:29 – …Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
16.BOLDNESS is going before the King when it could mean death. (Esther 4-8)
17.BOLDNESS is telling a few thousand people they are responsible for Jesus going to the cross. (Peter – Acts 2)
18.BOLDNESS is continuing to preach in the Name of Jesus when you are forbidden to (Apostles – Acts 5:12-42).
19.BOLDNESS is preaching Jesus till people are grinding their teeth. (Stephen – Acts 7:54-60)
- Stephen’s bold witness brought him a standing ovation in heaven by the Lord!
20.BOLDNESS is telling everyone to cheer up when it looks like the boat is going to sink. (Paul – Acts 27)
When the boat’s going down, and circumstances don’t look good – stand on the Lord’s revealed word to you and things will be alright…
ARE YOU A BOLD WITNESS FOR JESUS?
