October 22 Unleash the Boldness (Acts 4:27-31)
While at Wheaton College in Chicago, Jim Ellot met a former missionary to the Quichua Indians of Ecuador. This is where he first heard of the remote and much-feared Waorani tribe; totally isolated from the gospel. He and a group of young men began praying that gospel would reach that tribe. And while they were praying, God put on their hearts to take their faith and boldness to the next level. So they moved down to Equador with their families (Pics) they would fly over a river where the Waorani lived and would drop out gifts. Then they would lower gifts by a rope, circling the plane in such a way that the package would be almost stationary on the ground so that some of the tribe would come out of the forest and take the gift, connecting the gift with them and the plane,
On January 2nd, 1956, they successfully landed on the sand and with a megaphone, called out phrases to the dense forest. Eventually a few of the tribe came out and both gave and received gifts.
On Sunday, January 8th, 6 days later, they left their base outside Quito, the capital of Equador intending to land and make more contact with the Waorani’s. When they didn’t respond to radio signals from their wives, trouble was suspected. A plane was sent over the area and their worst fears were confirmed. A joint force of U.S. and Equadorian army trekked in and found the bodies. (pics) The deaths of the five men—Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian—were reported world-wide and mourned in churches throughout our country.
Turn to Acts 4:27-31, page 36 in the Unleashed book. We continue our series entitled Unleashed. If you haven’t gotten your book yet, you can get it out in the commons after the service. I have heard sooo many people say that they were really encouraged by the information found in the book.
Unleashed: two year generosity initiative that will enable us to cooperate with God to push back the darkness faster and better. We’ve talked about how much darkness there is in our world. And the world doesn’t have a clue how to deal with darkness. But we do. Jesus is the Light of the world. And it’s our joy and privilege to take t hat light into the darkness both locally and globally. That’s what Unleashed is about.
Primary Goal: 100% Engagement. That means everyone who attends here a little or a lot to go on a prayer journey asking God: “Lord, what is YOUR role for me in Unleashed?”
I know that if everyone who attends here a little or a lot goes on that prayer journey, God will speak to your hearts, He will challenge you to take your surrender, your faith, and your generosity to a whole new level. And if that happens, it is going to generate a higher level of giving. We’re asking God for Secondary Goal: $22 Million over two years. Without Unleashed, we could expect you to give about $14 Million over the next two years. But $22 Million-- That will catapult us to a higher trajectory to push back the darkness faster and better. It. Will. Take. All. Of. Us.
We’re studying the very first church which is found on the pages of the book of Acts. And we’re learning from them what it means to be unleashed. Week One was about Jesus mission for us: to Unleash the gospel to the 4 corners of the world. That’s why we exist as a church; that is not just my mission, but it’s your mission if you’re a Christ-follower.
Week Two was examining how this first church bonded together for the purpose of Unleashing the light into the darkness; they were 100% engaged with each other and with God for that one purpose.
Now this morning we examine the boldness they prayed for and displayed as the Gospel progressed. Because as the weeks unfolded after Pentecost, they kept running into trouble with the religious authorities, the same ones who had crucified Jesus. And in our passage today, Peter and John had healed a guy lame from birth in the name of Jesus. A crowd gathered when this guy started walking and jumping and praising God. So Peter starts preaching to the crowd about Jesus and the resurrection.
So they got arrested. Brought before the High Priest who told them to stop preaching Jesus. You know what they said? “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20
Amazing boldness! Now get this: Amazing boldness flows out of a vibrant faith. If your faith is weak and sickly, then you won’t live a bold life for Jesus. You just won’t. You’ll always opt for comfort. You’ll always opt for easy. You’ll always opt for security.
The religious authorities didn’t know what do with Peter and John so they just turned them loose. But they sensed that the opposition to the Unleashing of the gospel was growing, so they gathered together to pray. And this prayer gives us some insight about what it means to be bold for Jesus.
Read Acts 4: 27-31 (on screen)
To be bold for Jesus means each of us needs to:
1. Embrace the risk
“And now, Lord, consider their threats.” v.29 These were real threats. They had seen what the opposition had done to Jesus. They knew what the religious authorities were capable of. As the gospel became more unleashed, the opposition became more strident. In just a few days after this, they were arrested again and it looked for awhile like they would be martyred for their faith. Throughout the pages of the book of Acts, Christ-followers were beaten, tortured, & even stoned to death. They knew the risks—and they embraced them.
One of our partnerships is with Jody and Rebecca Ray (pic of family). They were at our M.L. campus, sensed God’s call to go where there is extreme darkness—in Pakistan. Pakistan. Listed as one of the top 5 most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. They’ve had health problems, one of their sons has been ill since they moved there 2 years ago. They knew the risks—and they embraced them.
What risks are you embracing in your walk for Jesus? Anyone here fired for your faith, ostracized totally from your family for your faith, destitute for your faith, beaten for your faith? Nor have I.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t have the opportunity to be bold in our faith. Inviting someone to church. Engaging someone in a gospel conversation. Giving at a level that takes courage and faith. Unleashed is an opportunity to move the bar higher in your generosity in such a way that it pushes you out of your comfort zone and compels you to embrace the risk. What is the risk? What if I don’t have enough left? Sue and I have been struggling with that ourselves. If we take our generosity up to the next level, will we have enough when we are in our 80s? It’s a risk for us, but we’re going to embrace the risk.
2. Enhance our prayer
The passage we read is a prayer. What are they praying for? Safety? No. Security? No. Comfort? No. They are praying for boldness. “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness.” V.29
We’ve said from the very beginning that Unleashed is a prayer journey. Your leadership has been praying fervently for almost a year about this season of ministry at Rush Creek. Sue and I have prayed daily for almost a year. I’m fasting. I pray you would fast these last few weeks: pick a meal once a day to fast and pray; fast from solids these next 3 weeks; fast from your favorite tv show the next 3 weeks and spend that time praying. Pick something to fast from and pray. Every time my stomach grumbles, it reminds me to pray. Join us at 11:30 on Wednesday either in the Compassion loft or wherever you are at 11:30. Our 24 hour prayer vigil….details.
Story of little boy…”O people of God pray, it’s gonna be bad!” I’d say just just the opposite: O people of God, pray—it’s gonna be awesome! How could it not be with 1000s of us praying for boldness in our lifestyle and our generosity? You start praying for boldness during this time of Unleashed, it will show up not just in your generosity, but in every area of your life.
3. Elevate our expectations.
Notice what v.30 says, “While You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
They had the expectation that God was going to amazing things as a result of their faith and boldness and prayers.
What would that look like at Rush Creek? We saw little Kinsley Oldenburgh healed—and I want to see more healings, don’t you? I want to see signs and wonders of God’s amazing power: people walking in victory over sin; people being delivered from bondage; people ravenous for the word of God; people more passionate in worship here than they are yelling for their team in a stadium; people in genuine community doing life on life with each other; people witnessing to and leading their friends and family to faith in Christ. I want to see more and more and more and more of that. That’s my expectation.
What is your expectation for Rush Creek? That you go to the service time you want? That you get to sit in the seat that you want to sit in and feel entitled to sit in? That the volume and the temperature is just right for you? That you come when you want? That you get out on time? That you give when you want, when you have enough, when there’s not much risk?
The bar is pretty low for many of us. Unleashed is a chance for you to take your game up, to pray and seek God and elevate your expectations to see God do great and mighty things in you, through you, and through our church.
Look at v.31 “When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.”
I love that. The place where they were assembled shook. I’m praying for a shaking of this place. And I pray you will join me.
After his Jim Elliots’ death, his wife Elizabeth was going through his journals and found this quote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot (leave up)
I don’t know what the future is for Jody and Rebecca Ray in Pakistan. I don’t know which of us here will be called to risk our very lives for the sake of the gospel. But I do know there is nothing more biblical, nothing more pertinent than what Jim Elliot lived, what he wrote in his journal. All the stuff we accumulate here on this earth will be stripped away from us when this life ends. But what we give away for kingdom work will gain us far more for all eternity than it could ever secure for us here.
