Go Fish Pt. 2 “Sovereign God, enable me to speak your word with boldness”

Go Fish Pt. 2 “Sovereign God, enable me to speak your word with boldness”
-Matt Johnson (7.12.09) http://theepicjourney.com
*Matt began with a review from Jarrod’s message last week: Check out previous blog.

Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do.

Somebody has to tell you/me/us the story of Jesus; we don’t just figure it out.

Christianity is different from every other religion in that it is founded upon an event that happened in history.

Every other religion is a belief system/theology.

The event has to be explained to us in order for it to be significant to us.

Christianity is not about a teaching, it is about something that we have seen and heard and experienced for ourselves.

The disciples were eager to share their faith despite the fact that it could cost them their lives. They could not deny what they had seen and experienced. (Acts)

Why aren’t we (Christians) more eager to share the story? FEAR!

We don’t want to come across as pushy. At the end of the day, we are afraid we are going to come across the wrong way.

The disciples used to be just as scared as we were. They went from cowardly to courageous.

Acts 4:23-31
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Boldness is not being loud, obnoxious and pushy. Boldness is a son who walks in a hospital room and talks to his dad about his relationship with Jesus even though his dad has never wanted to hear it before…..

Boldness is speaking up when the opportunity presents itself.

CHALLENGE: For the next 7 days when you pray your prayers, add this at the end: God enable me to speak your word with boldness.

Deal with your fear, or you will regret it!

Listen to the story Matt told about his neighbor.

Be bold, and take your shot when you get it.

Be bold because God has placed us strategically where we are for a purpose.

We might be the only ones who will ever present the Gospel of Christ to a certain someone.

We have to fish because everybody lives forever somewhere.

Unless somebody explains to us that good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do and Jesus died and rose again to offer that forgiveness as a free gift, people won’t get it.

God, no matter what, enable me to have enough courage to speak your word with boldness!

LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE: http://bit.ly/7obLq