Holy Boldness

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 4:9-33If there was ever a time for courage, it is now. In a world of cowardly Christians who are afraid of being criticized or disliked, we are called to be bold in our faith.Adrian Rogers says, “Boldness is having the courage to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of opposition.”We need the same holy boldness Peter and John had in Acts 4. Acts 4:13 says, “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.”There are three principles that are the basis of our courage.The first principle is to keep company with God the Son.Boldness comes from knowing that Jesus Christ is with us and in us. We must make certain that Jesus is real to us and that we are walking with Him daily.Second, we must have confidence in God the Father.“So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…’” (Acts 4:24).We need to see God for who He really is. God the Father is the Creator of all things, Controller of all things, and Conqueror of all things.Adrian Rogers says, “The man who can kneel before God can stand before anyone else.”Finally, we must receive courage from God the Spirit.“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” (Acts 4:31).If only we ask, the Holy Spirit of God will give us courage. The apostles did not ask for safety; they asked for courage, for the ability to do more of what got them in trouble in the first place. As a result of the disciples’ boldness, multitudes of new believers were swept into the kingdom of Heaven.Likewise, we are made bold by the Holy Spirit to express God’s Word, extend God’s Hand, and exalt God’s Son.Apply it to your lifeAre you a bold believer or a cowardly Christian? Take your eyes off your problems and focus your eyes upon Almighty God, the Creator, Controller, and Conqueror of all things.