Courage and Boldness

We just completed a 3-week series on “courage” at our church. As we concluded the series the question ruminated in my soul, “are you a person of courage?” Courage as we defined it is “a boldness that is willing to do God’s will in the face of persecution or potential personal loss.” After all isn’t that what Jesus demonstrated for us?

Early followers of Christ inspired by the courage Christ displayed for them, in return displayed courage “to speak His name.” That type of courage was the ability to “speak openly, without concealment, without ambiguity, free, fearlessly, and confidently about the name of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever noticed how the name of Christ brings a sense of uneasiness to those whom you talk to? You can talk about anything, but when the name of Jesus comes up, reluctance sets in? Peter and John faced that in Acts 4:1-20 when they were arrested, imprisoned, taking before the leader and commanded NOT to speak any longer in the name of Jesus.

The leaders were specific, “don’t speak in the name of Jesus.” Because the leaders knew that, that one name was the source of a lame man walking, that name was the reason for 5,000 men believed, that name produced miracles that could not be denied, and that one name is the name that can and has changed our lives.

A dear friend of mine came up to me after church on Sunday and she is in the process of reading a book that speaks to this issue in one of the chapters, and I believe it is the attitude that we as not just believers, but as BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST must have. Based on Acts 4:23-31 when Peter and John were released from prison all of their friends prayed and rejoiced and instead of retreating, they prayed that Christ would give them more courage and boldness to speak His word all the more. She described it as such:

God sends fresh infusion of the Spirit. The Apostles grow. God sends His Spirit, but not to keep them safe; to make them more dangerous.

Make us more dangerous than the safe places.

The courage of Christ is calling you out of your safe places, so that you can be dangerous for Christ. In a country where Christianity is on the decline, it only takes courage to see it grow.

This week “SPEAK OUT and SPEAK UP”