Monday, June 9, 2008

Boldness (Sermon: Acts 9:26-31)

Boldness...it was one of the primary distinguishing marks of first century preaching. As Barnabas testified about Saul, he said that Saul preached boldly. Luke also points out that after being accepted by the disciples he continued to preach boldly.

But what is boldness? I fear that some have incorrectly equated boldness with a mean spirit, as though getting mad was spiritual. We don't need to be mean, mad, or arrogant. We just don't need to be afraid. Boldness, then, might best be described as the absence of fear. It is a quiet power that gives the believer the strength to stand firm irrespective of any opposition.

So how can we have this type of boldness? I believe the secret behind Saul's boldness was the filling of the Spirit. Acts tells of a prayer meeting of the believers: "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).

Today, as always, the church needs believers that are filled with the Holy Spirit so that they can speak about their faith with boldness. If you have an earnest desire to be a faithful witness for the Lord, then pray and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit. If you seek the Spirit, the boldness will come.

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