Holy Boldness | Part 2

KENNETH Welcome to Love Worth Finding featuring the dynamic teaching and insights of Adrian Rogers. If there was ever a time for courage, it's right 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 said 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 chapter four. If you have your Bible turn there now as Adrian Rogers shares part two of Holy Boldness. Would you find the book of Acts turned to chapter four?

And as you're finding it, may I ask you a question? Are you a bold Christian or perhaps are you a cowardly Christian? Well, we're going to look at some verses today. Chapter four verse 13, I want you to notice the word boldness that is used in all three of these verses that I'm going to read.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. Now go to verse 29, and now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. That's the second use of the word boldness in this chapter. Now go down to verse 31, and when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word of God with boldness. Three times in this chapter he uses the word boldness.

One time it's associated with God the Son, the other time with God the Father, the third time with God the Holy Spirit. Boldness, boldness, boldness. Are you a bold believer?

Are you a cowardly Christian? Do you want to be a bold believer? What is boldness in the first place? Well, it's not arrogance.

It's not the ability to put your finger in somebody's face and to tell them off. Boldness is not being rude or crude. Some people think that they are bold and they're just arrogant and they have bad manners and sometimes bad breath to go with it. That's not boldness.

Those people turn more people off than bring people to the Lord Jesus. We'd be gentle, apt to teach, and nothing give offense. Don't think that if you go around getting in people's face that you're necessarily bold. Well, boldness is not arrogance, and boldness is not presumption where you just do things to show how much courage that you have. For example, there are people who in some churches in certain areas of the United States that handle snakes, big, long, juicy rattlesnakes. Pick them up and handle them to show how bold they are. That's not boldness, friend.

That is stupidity. Now, they're sincere. You have to be sincere to pick up a venomous rattlesnake. One time I heard of a gospel quartet went into one of these churches. You probably heard the story, and they did not realize it was a snake-handling church out in the backwoods. And when they brought the rattlesnakes out, this one man in the quartet said to the preacher who was sitting next to him, said, does this church building have a back door? He said, no, it doesn't.

He said, where would you like one? Arrogance, presumption. This is not boldness. What is boldness? Boldness is having the courage to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of opposition. And I want to tell you how to be a bold Christian, and I want to give a testimony. Now, what I am saying today is not something that I have learned out of a book. It is something that I have found from the book, the Word of God, and something that I have experienced in my life as I preach and witness and testify. Here is the basis of my boldness.

This can be the basis of your boldness. Number one, keep company with God the Son. Jesus Christ is not up in heaven peering through the clouds. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst. Jesus Christ is here. That's the reason you ought to sing. That's the reason you ought to worship.

That's the reason you ought to rejoice. He has not left us alone. He is here with us always.

That's the basis of boldness. You keep company. Keep company with God the Son. You see, Jesus didn't come to get you out of trouble, mister. He came to get into trouble with you, and he will be with you.

Now, here's the second basis of boldness. Not only keep company with God the Son, but number two, have confidence in God the Father. Now, they told them not to preach anymore, but now notice in verse 24, and when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God, and he's talking now about God the Father, with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which has made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is, who by the mouth of thy servant David has said.

Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for the truth. Against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do what serveth thy hand and thy counsel, determined before to be done. Now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, here it is again, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.

They said, don't speak anymore. They said, oh, God, just give us more power to do exactly what they told us that we could not do. Now, they not only were keeping company with the Son of God, God the Son, but they were having confidence in God the Father. You know, you have to get things in perspective. If you don't get things in perspective, you're going to get spooked.

The devil is going to have you on the run. But when you have things in perspective, when you see God, who he really is, the man who can kneel before God can stand before anyone else. One fear, a holy fear of God, removes all other fears.

Look at this now. They had confidence in God as the creator of all things, and so it follows as night follows day, they saw God as the controller of all things. Now, listen, you've got to get your perspective right. Look beginning in verse 25. They speak of God the Father, who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why do the heathen rage?

And the people imagine vain things. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord. Boy, can you see that as they stand on two big feet, stick out their big chest, and shake their puny fists in the face of Almighty God. They stand up together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together. Now watch this, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

I love it. God is the creator of all things, and he's the controller of all things. Do you think dark Gethsemane and bloody Calvary was a mistake?

No. Not a blade of grass moves without his permission. To do whatsoever thy hand has before thy counsel has before determined to do. God has never lost control, and God never says, Whoops. God is in control. Now that ought to give you courage, and know that he is the creator of all things. He is the controller of all things, and therefore he is the conqueror of all things. Peter here is quoting Psalm 2, and he says, The kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and his Christ, his anointed.

But Psalm 2 goes on to say, Yet have I set my king upon the holy hill of Zion. I want to give you good news. We win.

We win. Jesus Christ is going to be enthroned in Jerusalem. Sin can't win. Faith can't fail.

Things are not right in this world right now because, as I've told you before, things are out of place. The church is the bride, and the bride belongs with the groom. We will at the rapture. Jesus is the king, and the king belongs on the throne. He will be when he comes again.

Satan is the criminal, and he belongs in the dungeon, and he will be when Jesus comes again. Yet have I set my king upon the holy hill of Zion. You know, sometimes you look at the ebb and flow of things, and you get the idea, well, everything has gone wrong. Maybe God has failed. Maybe the Bible is not true. No.

No. Sin can't win. Faith cannot fail. I was raised in Florida on the east coast. I love the ocean. I love to watch the ocean. I love what an unknown poet wrote when he said, On the far reef the breakers recoil in shattered foam, yet the sea behind them urges its forces home. Its chant of triumph surges through all the thunderous dim. The wave may break in failure, but the tide is sure to win. Listen, almighty sea, thy message in changing spray is cast within God's plans of progress. It matters not at last how strong the shores of evil, how wide, how deep the reefs of sin. The wave may break in failure, but the tide is sure to win. Now, don't you get your eye on some little old wave.

I'm telling you, God's tide is moving, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ. Now, what is your problem? Think about it today. You got it in your mind? Now, double it.

Make it twice as bad. Now, double what you've doubled. Now, I want to ask you a question. Is that big to God? Is that big to God? Of course not.

What is the basis of boldness? You must keep company with God the Son. You must have confidence in God the Father. When these people were terrified, they took their eyes off of man and put their eyes on God.

The Bible says the fear of man brings a snare. Take your eyes off your problems. Focus your eyes upon almighty God, who is the Creator of all things, who is the controller of all things, who is the conqueror of all things. That's the basis of your boldness. Now, here's the third thing.

Here's the third thing. If you would be bold today, number one, keep company with God the Son. Number two, have confidence in God the Father.

He is over all. He cannot fail. He must prevail. Have faith in God. Number three, receive courage from God the Spirit.

Receive courage from God the Spirit. Now, begin reading again in verse 29 where we left off. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. The first time we mentioned God the Son. The second time we mentioned God the Father.

Now we're mentioning God the Spirit. And boldness is in the triune God when we keep company with God the Son. When we have confidence in God the Father, then we receive courage from God the Spirit.

God the Holy Spirit will give us the courage that we need to live for Him. Now, notice what the apostle said, Lord, look at their threatenings. Look, if you will, in verse 29. Behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. The word servant here is the Greek word that means bond slave. Are you a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ? I try to make it a habit every day to lift my hands and surrender to the Lord, to say to the Lord, I am your servant. Not really just simply a servant.

This word means a slave, a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. Boldness is not for rebels. You will never have boldness, true boldness, until you can say, now Lord, grant to your bond servant, to your slave boldness. Now, when you do that, the Holy Spirit of God will give you courage. You know, if there's any unconfessed sin in your life, any unsurrendered area, you're not going to have boldness. The Bible says the wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The wicked flee when no man pursues. He's always wondering, you know, do they know this? Have they heard that? Will I be discovered here?

Whatever. Oh, but when you can wake up and say, there's nothing between my soul and the Savior, Lord, I am your servant. I am your slave. Grant, boldness, to declare your word. Now, what did they want courage for? They wanted courage to express God's word. Look again in verse 29, with all boldness that they may speak thy word. I think the curse of the 21st century is cowardly Christians who are not expressing the word of God. These apostles did not ask for safety. They asked for courage.

They asked for the ability to do more of what got them in trouble in the first place. I want not only courage for the man and woman in the pew. We need more pastors with courage.

Now, I don't hold myself up as the paragon of excellence in that area, but I am truly convinced there's not a whole lot wrong. They could not be radically, dramatically, and swiftly put back in place if we had a generation of preachers who would open the Word of God, fill the Spirit of God, and preach the Christ of God without fear or intimidation or worrying about being politically correct. Preach the Word of God. They wanted courage to express God's word. They wanted courage to extend God's hand. Look in verse 30, Lord, give us courage by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child, Jesus. Oh, God, let your miracle working power flow through our hands. Well, you say, I thought Jesus did it.

Yes, he does. Look in chapter 5, verse 12, by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders done among the people. And the word by actually means through. Jesus Christ is doing it through us. Anything that you're doing that can be explained apart from Jesus is not worth anything. Now, what did they want? They wanted courage to express God's word. They wanted courage to extend God's hand.

They wanted courage to exalt God's Son. Look again in verse 30, by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child, Jesus. The name means the authority of Jesus.

Did you know that Alan Dershowitzsch, a Harvard law professor, I believe, took great exception when Franklin Graham prayed the inaugural prayer in the name of Jesus? In the name of Jesus. You know, the name of Jesus today is a name people don't like. You can pray, just don't pray in the name of Jesus. Just don't lift up the name of Jesus.

Friend, I want to tell you something. If there's ever a generation that needs boldness about Jesus, it's this generation. And don't you let them dumb you down about praying in the name of Jesus. I go to a public occasion somewhere and they call on me to pray. Well, friend, if they don't want me to pray in the name of Jesus, then they ought not to ask me.

Because that's the way I pray. It would be a form of religious persecution and bigotry to tell me I ought not to pray the way I pray. I don't expect a Jew to pray in the name of Jesus. I wouldn't have respect in a Jew who prayed in the name of Jesus if he didn't believe in Jesus. I'd have more respect for him if he prayed the way he normally prays. I would have no respect for a Muslim who prayed any differently in public than he prays in private. I want him to pray the way he prays. I want a Jew to pray the way he prays.

I want a Christian to pray the way he prays. And all they do, they pray about pluralism. They don't mean pluralism.

What they mean is syncretism. Just dumb it all down. That means nothing to everybody. And then we'll let you mumble a little mumbo jumbo.

No. Don't be ashamed of Jesus. Don't be afraid to lift up the name of Jesus. Holy Spirit of God, give us courage to express your Word, to extend your hand, to exalt your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, not everybody will believe in Jesus. And I would not force Jesus on anyone. But I don't want anyone telling me I cannot express the Lord Jesus.

I cannot exalt the Lord Jesus. Now, what happened when these people were filled with boldness? Go down to verse 31. And when they prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And they spake the Word of God with boldness.

Now look in verse 33. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. And there were multitudes who were swept into the kingdom of heaven.

Now, as I bring this message to a close, let me tell you something. This is the year of evangelism. And the challenge is to make Jesus known to our neighbors. They will not all believe, but we're going to share the Lord Jesus Christ with them.

You say, Adrian, the day of evangelism has passed. You are wrong. You say, people are not interested in Jesus.

You're wrong again. Surveys have been taken. And today research shows us that there is today in the day in which we live a harvest of souls greater than any that the apostles witnessed here in the book of Acts. There are massive victories being won in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christianity is growing three times faster than the world's population. Souls are coming to Jesus Christ every day by hundreds of thousands. And they will come to Jesus in our world today if we will stop being cowardly Christians.

If we stop being in the secret service. If we will begin to keep company with the Son of God. If we will have confidence in God the Father. And if we will receive courage from God the Spirit, that we might speak the Word of God with boldness. Brothers and sisters, listen to me.

It is time in this church, in this day, and in this age, we get out of the boat with both feet and go for God. You may be a little afraid. You may feel a little intimidated. But remember, I'm not talking about arrogance.

I'm not talking about brashness. I'm talking about courage to express God's Word, to extend God's hand, to exalt God's Son. Now if you have questions regarding your faith in Jesus Christ, we would love to offer you an insightful resource on our website. It's our Find God's Love page. There you'll find answers you may need about your faith. Who is Jesus?

How can I know him? Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab at the top that says Find God's Love. We can't wait for you to explore this resource and find the hope and forgiveness that God wants you to experience. Now if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD.

Mention the title Holy Boldness. This message is also part of the 13 lesson series, Living Supernaturally. For that, you can call to order at 877-LOVEGOD or go online to lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. You can also purchase our new Bible studies much like this message in our online store.

For more on that, go to the website lwf.org slash radio. Are 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. We hope you'll join us next time for more profound truth simply stated right here on Love Worth Finding. Here's an encouraging message we received recently from a listener. Dr. Rogers has always been like a father to me. His messages strengthen me when I feel I'm struggling. It's also nice to know that Dr. Rogers continues to touch people even after having gone home.

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