Boldness Before Men
Acts 4:13-14
1 Timothy 1:7
God uses our lives when we are bold and fearlessly share the truth. Many times we as Christians neglect our responsibility in this area because we are afraid of the response of people. We are living in a time when other faiths are showing us up in this crucial area. Madonna’s new tour features her on a cross, and we Christians are sitting back and not saying a word. A church in Pasadena, Texas is in question with the IRS concerning their tax exempt status because of public statements made from the pulpit. South Park, a rancid and controversial show, can be critical concerning Jesus but cannot do the same in reference to Mohammed. I am concerned and I wonder where will all this end? Will we as Christians sit quietly and allow yet more ground to Satan as we did with Roe vs. Wade? When will we stand up and say “enough”?
Peter was certainly not an educated man nor was he a man without skeletons in his closet. However, he drew the line in his conversations with the Sadducees in Acts chapter 4. He accused them of crucifying Jesus (4:10-12) and clearly points out that Jesus is the only means of salvation. This group thought that they we confronting an uneducated and ignorant fisherman, but in three brief sentences, Peter demonstrated his case. He had graduated from the University of Jesus and had been bestowed an honorary Doctorate by the Holy Spirit. The truth is that God is not known by textbooks, but by revelation and experience of the resurrection. Matthew 11:27 tells us that a person does not know the Father except that the Son reveals Him to them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us plainly that a lost person cannot receive the things of the Spirit. It is impossible because they are only revealed by the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to obtain the truth than get it directly from the source. It cannot be obtained from books nor from another person. Education will not get it for you, and certainly degrees from a university will not pass it on to you. Things of the Spirit cannot be bought and technology will leave you lacking. You have to get it directly from God Himself. The secret is being with Jesus. Just as Jesus was God in the flesh, we have the same power and opportunities that greatly impact the lives around us. In Acts 4:15-17 the Sadducees did not know what to do with Peter. They had seen first hand this healing and were concerned that the Word would spread, so they commanded Peter not to speak to anyone else about Jesus. They had three wrong assumptions. These assumptions were:
1. Peter and John were ignorant and unschooled. The truth was that they had the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. We also have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:13
2. Jesus was dead. The fact was that He was standing right in front of them. Today Jesus stands with us as we stand before men. 2 Timothy 4:22
3. Peter and John could be silenced with their threats. Threats had no impact on these bold men. Jesus had personally commissioned them after the resurrection, to go and tell the entire world. They were in jeopardy of loosing their lives, but they were more interested in obedience to God than the consequences of men. God’s mandate for us remains the same. Matthew 28:18-20
Brothers and sisters we are living in a day when we will be forced to stand for truth or be over run by others who tell us to sit down and be quiet. People of other faiths are willing to give up their lives for what they believe to be truth, while we who know the truth sit back and take it on the chin. We are accused of being ‘intolerant’ so we try to be more ‘tolerant’ while all along we are treated with ‘intolerance’!
All of us experience fear when we stand alone in a group. Fear is common to all, but obedience and faith must supersede fear! Strong’s concordance shows us that 365 times God says “fear not” or “do not fear” giving us a verse for each day. Fear is common to those who walk by faith, and God has not given us a spirit of fear.
Where has God placed you that you fear rejection? Is it your family? Is it your workplace? Is the school you attend? Maybe you have an opportunity to influence others that no one else has. Take action before it is too late. Write the President. Write your congressman. Invite a lost friend to church. Hand out tracks to trick or treaters. Share the gospel with your waitress. Ask God to show you where He wants you to be bold before men.
1 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
