Called to be Bold and Courageous

welcome everyone and welcome this week to Dottie Dora the Explorer she's our beloved

T4 campervan and apparently you have to name your campervan so Mandy came up with the red

spotted theme and Dottie Dora was named she looks absolutely gorgeous now thanks to a significant

makeover and Mandy's interior design but look deeper and she's had a tough life she was originally

a builder's van and still carries quite a few marks of the life that she lived for many years

the thing about exploring is that there is always something new ahead and Dora I guess never guessed

that her life on a Scottish building site would be radically transformed in later life and that

there was a whole new adventure and a new life at waiting for her Sam's reading from Acts is about

a radical transformation a life and world changing moment for Peter his fellow disciples and 3 000

people that day you see they'd hidden away in fear they denied Jesus in fear for their own safety

and when Jesus was arrested and then crucified and you you'd understand maybe how they had felt

and yet what a change you see here is Peter courageously and boldly encouraging everyone

to step out in faith and to be baptized and to follow Jesus you see in the political setting of the day

it doesn't get any more radical and courageous than this God takes Peter and he puts him here in the right place

at the right time with the right message maximum engagement with a group of people who were open to change

and that brought about amazing transformation in the lives of so many Jesus has risen and they the disciples

were filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and the effect and new boldness was just amazing

you see the news at the moment is full of courageous acts it's wherever you look or listen in the media

everyday people like you and me courageously stepping out into settings that are brave and sacrificial

and in many cases risking so much to see others saved the thing is that many people when you applaud their courageous acts

they just say I was just doing my job or I knew I had to do that which is what I'm hearing from many Christians at the moment

I'm just doing what I'm called to do there is a renewed sense amongst Christians

of missional courage and boldness in reaching out to people who need to be saved

I remember quite a few years ago a police colleague who dived into Bridgewater docks to save a dog

now if you have ever seen Bridgewater docks in those days before they dredged it and turned it into a very nice marina

I can tell you you'd think twice about diving in even for a human being

yet Roger did

and I remember in the police canteen afterwards and it was before political correctness was born

and I'll leave you to picture the banter and I'm not sure whether he even did give the dog the kiss of life

but the bottom line was would you risk your life for a dog

but we all knew that we if we had been there on the day we'd have all done it

because when you arrive in a desperate situation people look to you for actions and for answers

and my colleague Roger did exactly what we would have all done

when you were in a tough place courage kicks in

he wasn't prepared to walk away through his lack of courage

I'm not wishing to be too dramatic here today folks

but today in our country people are drowning in fear at the moment

and everything in the gospel that I read says do not be afraid

Jesus says he has conquered the world

we have been given the gifts we've been given the tools we've been given the courage

to save this nation because the risen Christ gave those tools to us

when he stepped out of a cold stone tomb and the Holy Spirit breathed life into us

I think it's a moment for us all to be bold and courageous

the church you and I an opportunity to be missionally courageous right now

I remember Karl Martin at New One coined the term

embolden my bold and encourage my courage

and I sense that's a message that many of us are experiencing

as we face a nation seeking new life and new hope

and the church faces a new challenge

as Karl was talking about boldness and change

he told us a story

he was driving home to Scotland on the M6

and I don't know if you know maybe it was in a T4

but the snow was coming down

the blizzard was making driving almost impossible

visibility was poor

and it took every ounce to keep focused on the job in hand

to arrive home safely

but there it was

on the inside lane

creeping along of all things

was an ice cream van

an ice cream van

I mean who wants an ice cream

in the midst of winter

but he sensed God saying to him

that's often like the church

it's a great thing

and we want to share what we have

but sometimes we find ourselves in the wrong place

at the wrong time

and frankly sometimes we just look ridiculous

today I want to encourage your courage

and embolden your bold

because I think after many decades

we the church

the people of God

are exactly in the right place

at the right time

to do the right thing

and if we seek the Lord afresh

in the power of his Holy Spirit

with boldness and courage

people will see that

and experience in that

and they will find in us

God's love

and fresh hope

and new courage for today

you can't walk away

when you see something unfolding in front of you

and God often places us in the right place

at the right time

to do the right thing

but he will give us boldness

and courage to do that

perhaps at this moment

your finger is hovering over the send button

now to send this maybe to five people

who you know

who you wouldn't normally encourage them

with a Christian message

perhaps the phone is within easy reach

to send a link or a prayer to them

to speak to them

you know

do you see Peter and his disciples

were in the right place

at the right time

and were courageous

and the people of God

grew dramatically overnight

and kept growing

you see the cross was a sort of reset button

and maybe that's true for us

the old was gone

and the new was here

you see we face an enemy

and we are

if I'm sure there's enough

of us and Christians

to be courageous enough

to dive in

when we get to Acts 12

the church is under attack

James has been beheaded

Peter is imprisoned

and the church

what does the early church do?

they are bold and courageous

and they pray

and by the end of the chapter

Peter has been miraculously freed

Herod is dead

the people of God are emboldened

and encouraged

and the church continues growing

faster than anyone

could have imagined

courage brings breakthrough

and victory

and I suppose the question is today

will we dive in?

I hope we will

who are the five people

you will contact

to encourage their courage

and embolden their bold

with the gospel of Jesus today?

those who accepted

his message

were baptised

and about

three thousand

were added

to that number

that day

I don't know

when Dora

will be allowed out

on her next adventure

but for many of us

that adventure

could start

with the click of a button

or a phone call

right now

or a random

a courageous act

of generosity

can I pray with you?

can I pray with you

so that we get

that sense of courage

and boldness

to be in the right place

at the right time

let's pray

Holy Spirit

come and embolden our bold

and encourage our courage

in the face of this virus

may we stand in faith

in your promises

thank you for those

that have fought the fight

and now stand with you

and I pray

in this moment

while the fire

of the Holy Spirit

burns in us

and rises up

to stir up our courage

and embolden our bold

that we will risk

everything

to bring others

into relationship

with you

so Holy Spirit

come now I pray

fill us afresh

and heal this land

in Jesus name

Amen

Amen

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Amen

Amen