We just got done with our series of boldness here are some takeaways from the first sermon on boldness.  Visit the website soon for Part 2 on boldness. 

Come join us next week as we start our series on overcoming fear.

Part One:  Do you want to be bold as a lion?

Proverbs 30:30

    “A Lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before noting?”

Boldness

Offends people, boldness is not a people pleaser, boldness changes people, boldness attracts people, boldness separates you from others. 

Boldness is important because when the opportunity appears we want to be able to take it. Boldness fires up the hormones in our brain and body. It gives us clarity and energy and a feel-good feeling. When we take action based on the virtue of boldness we learn so much more than we would analyze and study.

My Goal = to spark a fire inside us that sets others on fire for God.

Signs you are bold about a topic:

                1)    Passion

                2)    Take up your time

                3)    You get up in your feelings when you talk about the topic

                4)    You try to convince everyone around you that your point of view is right and they are wrong

My Goal for us:

                1)    Bold in our speech___(witness)

                2)    Bold in our actions___(faith)

                3)    Bold in our walk____(life)

Proverbs 28:1

        “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. 

Lion’s characteristics: I want us to be lions. Bold as lions. 

                1)    They are brave

                2)    They are protective

                3)    They are willing to fight

                4)    They hunt

                5)    Live in a pride

                6)    They do not fear.  They are the least afraid of any animal.  They are not afraid of fire (that is                  a myth)

Fear:

Questions to reflect on:

                1)    Why don’t you share your faith in situations________?

                2)    Why are you not bold_____? Example (work, home, friends)

I boiled it down to 2 reasons:

                One: we feel like we don’t know enough

                Two: we are afraid we will offend someone

The main reason, the root cause of both of those reasons, for whatever excuse you came up with is this… Fear, we are scared.

FEAR destroys boldness, fear stops us, and fear shuts us down.  You cannot be bold and be in fear it is impossible the two contradict each other. 

Being in fear = is being selfish = caring what you look like, what they will think of you, what if I do not have the answers to their questions, what if they laugh at me, what if I am wrong. 

Point:

You speak boldly what you are passionate about you gossip, worry and complain what you fear

Example of one of the most bold people I know in the bible:

Acts 6:15 and 7:55-60

Stephen gets into an argument with the members of the synagogue.  They were not matched for his wisdom.

 BOLD = we speak boldly about what we are passionate about.

Glory = when he spoke his face glowed (the glory of the Holy Spirit) he was powered by the spirit. The spirit gives us boldness.  Confidence. 

Instead of giving into fear he kept on preaching and the rulers instead of giving into wisdom they did what they did to Jesus and yelled “false witness” and began to twist his words. 

They charge him with double blasphemy

1)    Speaking against the Temple (was Gods house)

2)    Speaking against the law of Mosses (Gods word)

Stephane response with Boldness:

Launches into a long sermon: about Israel’s history and Gods presence and how it cannot be limited to any particular place.  God of the OT was a living God always on the move and always calling his people to new adventures. 

4 main points:

                1)    Abraham = thanks to his obedience that the Hebrews fist God to the promise land.  But          Gods people messed it up.

                2)    Joseph’s story = thanks to his boldness and obedience, Israel didn’t starve during the 7-year famine.  Eventually, Gods people messed it up.

                3)    Mosses = a man who should have been dead found favor and eventually became bold.  God told Abraham his descends would become slaves and God would punish the ones involved.       Thanks to Mosses obedience and boldness they departed from Egypt and finally made it to the       promise land. 

40 years:

He spent 40 years in a place as a ruler’s grandson.  40 years lonely in the desert as a runaway. 40 years leading his people and his last 40 years in punishment. 

• Probation
• Trail
• Chastisement (punishment) Followed by blessing

Question:

        What 40 years are in you_______? Hold in there and be bold. 

4)    David and Solomon = David wanted to build the temple for God he was denied.  Instead, Solomon was allowed to “God can’t be limited to any physical space, not even a temple dedicated to him.” 

He then goes to talk about how Israel (the people) resisted the Holy Spirit:

Acts 7:51-53

    Stiff neck = stubborn or rebellious

Vs 54:

Cut to the heart = literally means sawn in two.  They were so convicted they refused to repent and endure judgment. 

Vs 56:

“I see Jesus standing” just like Jesus said in Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses before Me before men, him I will also confess before my father in heaven.”  Jesus was standing to confess Stephan to the Father.  “Stephan is my follower, he is confessing me, I am bringing him with me into heaven forever.” 

Vs 57:

They rushed him and most likely started to beat him, they started to drag him out of the church into the streets out of town. The Synagogue was supposed to have strict rules and procedures like a supreme court.  But there they act no better than a lynch mob.  They don’t have the authority to carry a death sentence, yet they drag Stephan outside the city. 

Application

I want to be this bold, I want to be as bold as a lion and speak boldly about what I am passionate about.  Just like Stephan.  I crave that. 

What to do:

1)    Pray more

1. Nehemiah 1:6
2. Boldness example = Nehemiah 2:20

2)    Seek God

1. 1st Chr 16:10-11
2. Matthew 7:7 (seek him like you would seek a treasure/money)

3)    Challenge yourself more

4)    Holy Spirit

1. Next week

Challenge:

    Be bold this week for one person:

                1)    Offer to pray for someone

                2)    Speak boldly about the gospel to someone

                3)    Invite someone to church personally

Closing

Can you imagine if we all became bold as lions?  We would change the world because boldness changes the world.  Boldness changes everyone around you, you inspire people because we speak boldly about what we believe in. 

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