Be Bold, Not Fearful

“5-year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper.  She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn't want to go in alone.  ‘It's dark in there and I'm scared.’  She asked again, and he persisted.  Finally she said, ‘It's OK--Jesus will be in there with you.’  Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it.  He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: ‘Jesus, if you're in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?’"  (Charles Allen, Victory in the Valleys.)

It is natural for us to be fearful.  Noises in the dark that remain unseen, avoiding things our mind tells us will cause harm, and situations that force us out of our comfort zone such as standing on stage in front of a crowd.  We all have fears.  But when it comes to obeying the commands of Christ (love God, love others, and make and teach disciples) fears can overtake our desire to be bold for Christ.

In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul encourages Timothy to be bold in his faith.  He also urges Timothy to use his God-given gifts with boldness, not fear.  “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).  What does this mean for us today?  How do we fight our natural fear of sharing our love for Christ?  What happens when we move through life with spiritual boldness?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community as we strive to understand God’s Word and wrestle with these questions and more.  Come prayerfully prepared to hear the truth of the gospel message and how God uses his people for his glory.

Striving to know Christ and make him known,

Mark

The Effects of Preaching Christ

I have spent the last thirty years of my life as a believer of Jesus Christ as Savior of my soul.  Yet, in that time I have met few fellow believers who do not experience some level of fear or anxiety in preaching the truth of the gospel message to friends, family, and loved ones.  I once sat down with a young man who had recently returned from a months-long mission trip where he participated in street evangelism.  He would go up to perfect strangers on the street and preach the truth of the gospel message.  When asked how he was able to do such a bold thing he simply responded, “You just do it.  And the more you do it the easier it becomes.”  It was a moment of conviction in my own life and heart.Behind closed doors (whether the doors be of the church building or our own homes) we as believers tend to be bold, speaking the truth of the gospel message and its affects upon our hearts.  But when it is time for us to “go out” into the world we tend to hold back.  We explain our timidity as a lack of training, lack of methods in how to speak, or not seeing any opportunity to speak.  This is not an uncommon scenario, as many times I find myself making the same excuses for my own lack of initiative.

Paul has no such lack, as we have seen throughout the book of Acts.  This final section in Acts 28 is no different.  But we must not put Paul on such a pedestal that we forget his humanness.  There must have been times where he struggled in his own heart in how to share his faith.  His example for us is profound.  For we continually see his deep desire to preach the gospel no matter the consequences to himself.  In Acts 28, Luke (the author of Acts) gives us some basic methods for preaching the gospel message, but he also reveals to us what will happen when we speak the truth.  And the truth may not be something we are willing to face.


May God prepare us this week as we look into this final section of the book of Acts.  Be prayerfully prepared to move and change if God should, through revealing to us our own hearts, ask us to move and change.  And may we be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make disciples for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

Almost Persuaded?

Theologian Derek W.H. Thomas tells a story of Hugh Latimer (1487-1555), bishop of Worcester in England.  Latimer once preached a sermon before King Henry VIII.  The king was not pleased with Latimer’s sermon and demanded that he preach again the next Sunday in order to issue an apology for offending the king.  Below is a section of Latimer’s “apology” he gave the following Sunday.  The wording has been changed from Old English to a more modern translation for clarity.

“Hugh Latimer, do you know before whom you are this day to speak?  To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away your life, if you offend him.  Therefore, take care that you speak not a word that may displease.  But then consider well, Hugh, do you not know from where you come – upon Whose message you are sent?  Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholds all your ways and Who is able to cast your soul into hell!  Therefore, take care that you deliver your message faithfully.”

“Latimer then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday – and with considerably more energy” (Thomas).  Years later he was burned at the stake by the daughter of Henry VIII, Queen Mary, for his stance on the truth of the gospel message.

In Acts 25 and 26, Paul finds himself again giving his defense before someone in power.  This time it is King Agrippa and his wife who have come to hear the words of Paul.  Paul stands firm in speaking the truth of the gospel message and boldly calls Agrippa out to believe.  Do Paul’s words stir Agrippa to faith in Christ?

As disciples of Christ, do we have the same boldness as Paul or Hugh Latimer?  Are we willing to speak the truth of the gospel message and God’s work in our life no matter the consequences?  This sinful world and the dark forces of the enemy are constantly on guard to attempt to diminish the work and glory of God in His people, the church.  It is in moments such as Hugh Latimer found himself that the church rises up.  Not on their own strength, but on the strength of the One who is their Father.

May we this week be prayerfully prepared to hear the Word of God and welcome the Spirit to change our hearts to become more like His.