Bold is not dumb!
Acts 4:29-31, "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
How willing are you to begin to behave BOLDLY, to pray BOLDLY, to speak BOLDLY? Maybe it’s time that we, like the believers in Acts start praying for BOLDNESS. Maybe it’s time we begin to live BOLDLY.
Maybe, just maybe, we should start demonstrating the same bold faith of the early Christian church.
God gives ordinary people extraordinary boldness. And when your destination is BOLD, your journey will be epic. The Bible is the story of BOLDNESS. It is filled with stories of ordinary people doing some really dumb things.
Think of Gideon and his 300 hundred merry men taking on 1/4 of a million soldiers with some torches and flutes. Well, we know what happened, what’s so weird about that? Or David picking up some stones to throw at a giant. Or three Hebrew young men boldly standing when everyone else was bowing down, knowing they would be thrown in the fire. What was their response? Basically this, “We know that God is able to save us, but if he does not!” There was no certainty of deliverance... That’s what made it bold! There is no such thing as boldness without risk.
The story of God has been defined and will continue to be defined by extraordinary acts of boldness. That story includes you and me. Remember God gives ordinary people extraordinary boldness. How will your story read? What will be your defining act of boldness?
We are pretty familiar with Ephesians 6:10-17, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” But listen to the last part of this section, “18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Maybe you’re not the speaking type, like Peter and John, and Paul. You’re reading this thinking, I’ll never be able to speak boldly. You don’t have to. Maybe you just need to behave boldly... Perhaps that means taking a stance at work for an injustice, disagreeing with a superior in order to uphold Jesus. Maybe it means saying “No” or “Enough” for the first time in your life. Maybe it means gathering your family around and saying, “I have failed to be a good father... I’m sorry!” Maybe it’s holding your spouse’s hand for the first time in years and saying “I love you!” It’s not just about speaking boldly, it’s also about behaving boldly.
And yet, there’s one more thing we can do and that is to pray boldly. Not just wimpy prayers, but prayers that will challenge your faith... Prayers that will stretch you... Prayers that will make you nervous. Big audacious prayers.
What is the difference between dumb and bold? Jesus... When you do things in the name of Jesus the dumb become bold... The ridiculous become courageous... The ordinary become extraordinary.
dany
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