Praying For Boldness For The Preaching Business

Praying for Boldness for the Preaching Business

Study Text: Acts 4:29-31

Introduction:

- The Bible encourages Christians to pray in very many places. But in the New Testament we don’t actually have many examples of the prayers Christians used. Here is one of them.

- They didn’t pray that the opposition would stop, but that God will show up for them in the midst of it all. If we are truly following Jesus, sometimes life will get hard. Sometimes, people will react against the difference Jesus makes in our lives. Sometimes, our words of testimony will cause people to turn against us. There have been times in our lives when standing up for Jesus has got us into trouble.

- The first Christians didn’t complain when that happened to them. They didn't pray to be delivered from opposition and persecution. They rather prayed for boldness to be able to preach better.

- Some of the characteristics which marked the early Church were courage and boldness.

- Courage and boldness can be defined as an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. We see that when someone is filled with the Spirit, a distinguished sense of boldness characterizes that person.

- The Holy Spirit empowers us to be bold witnesses of the gospel. Acts 1:8

- Whatever your role, wherever you are, whether you are a college student or working, whether young or old, strong or weak, God intends to fill all of us with the Spirit so we may partner with Him in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).

- We shall be discussing the topic under three subheadings:

1. A Challenging Situation

2. A Commendable Supplication

3. A Comforting Solution

1. A Challenging Situation:

- Two of the Church’s leaders, the Apostles John and Peter, had just been arrested by the Jewish religious authorities. They had been put in prison for preaching about Jesus.

- Imprisoned for telling people that he had risen from the dead. Persecuted for inviting sinners to turn to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

- It is no surprise that John and Peter’s preaching was not well received by the religious rulers in Jerusalem. Because they were the same rulers who some weeks earlier, had accused Jesus of blasphemy and condemned him to death.

- These Jewish leaders could not tolerate the message that the first Christians were proclaiming, and commanded them to be silent.

- John and Peter have just been released from jail and return to their Church fellowship. No doubt with the threats and warnings of the authorities ringing in their ears.

- This presented the first Church with a great problem and a challenging situation. They knew God wanted them to keep telling the people the good news about Jesus. But the ‘powers that be’ in Jerusalem were telling them to be silent, to keep quiet. How frustrating! What a challenge! What was the church to do?

- Before we look at what the early church did, we need to appreciate the fact that we face a similar situation in our days:

- Like the early Church in Acts, we too are under orders from God to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of Jesus. It is the Great Commission we have all been given.

- Telling people in our community about Jesus has to be our number one priority. Helping people to follow Jesus must be every Church’s chief concern.

- But like the early Church we also face frustrations. Like the first Christians, the Church today have obstacles to overcome too.

- For example, we live in an increasingly secular and materialistic society. A society in which Christians who are open about their faith are viewed with suspicion or even hostility. A society in which more and more people believe they have no need of God.

- We also face internal challenges as well. The Church today faces challenges financially. The Church also need more people to serve in various offices and responsibilities within the Church.

- Even at home, many Members and Ministers face personal frustrations and anxieties, caused by poor health, job insecurity, financial hardship, relationship difficulties and so on.

- Faced by such challenges and frustrations, what should we do? Should we throw our hands in the air in despair? Should we abandon all hope?

- No. We should do what the first Church did when faced with frustrations. We should turn to prayer. Acts 4: 23-24

- God has invited us to call upon Him in difficult situations with a word of assurance that He will answer and help us. Jeremiah 33:3

2. A Commendable Supplication:

- When the disciples were faced with challenges and frustrations, prayer was their first reaction, their first instinct. And it should be ours too.

- Prayer should be our first response to any challenge or frustration we face. Prayer should replace anxiety and should come before any action or important decision. Philippians 4:6-7