Warning Label | Ps Matthew Francey

But today's message that I get to bring

is called warning labels.

Warning labels. And as I was thinking

about this and as I was praying about

this, thinking about warning labels,

what do they do? Warning signs alert us

to potential danger. So when we see a

warning sign, we know that there is a

potential danger. So depending on where

you see this sign depends on the danger

that is associated with it. And these

are in place to keep us safe and make us

aware that something could happen. So

they don't just stick it on just to be,

oh, this might happen, but actually they

put it because if we're not safe, well

then something could happen. So here's

some um danger signs, some warning signs

that you may see whether slapped on a

bottle or in work on a road sign like

slippery wet. If we're not safe, it

doesn't mean we're all going to fall if

we just walk in. But we need safety when

it means these things. So when we see

these signs in our minds, we should be

safe. Because if we're not safe, well

then you might end up like this and you

might end up getting shocked or you

might end up on YouTube because people

have filmed you falling over. And we see

these signs, but if we operate safely,

then we shouldn't experience the

potential danger. So if we see the

slippery when wet sign or wet floor

sign, if we operate safely, well then

we'll not fall over. If we see the high

voltage sign, if we're safe, if we do

all the measures, if we put everything

in place, then we shouldn't experience a

potential danger. But I want to bring

this idea to you today that I think

people should come with warning labels.

I think we should be able to slap

warning signs on some people around us.

And you might know someone like this.

But what if maybe you know someone that

should have this warning sign, warning,

eats loudly.

Maybe you know someone in your life and

you're like, "They need that sign." Or

cuz if I knew that they ate loudly, I

would not be sitting beside them.

Because anytime you're sitting beside

them, all you hear is

and you're you're like, "Oh, come on."

Or maybe you know someone and they need

this warning label. Warning can't drive.

Anyone's partner need that?

If we knew that we could see it would be

like, I'm not being a passenger in your

car and I'm not driving anywhere near

you. If we could see these warning line

signs and labels on people around us,

maybe it's a warning sign of do not

argue with this guy. We've got into

arguments with people and it's just

you can't get out of it and you're just

stuck there and you there's nothing you

can do but just listen to this person as

they go down a rabbit hole about

everything's connected and this person's

wrong and they should have done that and

you're like you've just lost the will to

live. Or maybe you need a warning line.

Do not mention politics around this

person. Do not mention sport. Do not

mention because they just go off on one.

They are the expert. You are correct.

anything you think is stupid and you

just get lost in this. And it'd be so

helpful sometimes if people came with

warning labels. But I believe that

Christ followers should come with a

warning label. I think if we follow

Jesus, if we call ourselves a Christ

follower, we should have a warning label

that says this warning. This may change

your life.

I believe that as Christ followers,

because we carry the Holy Spirit within

us, it means that everywhere we step and

everywhere we go, there's the potential

that someone's life can change. So, just

like a warning symbol tells us there's a

potential danger, as Christ followers,

we should have this warning label that

there's a potential that their life

could change. Cuz everywhere you step

and everywhere you go, the potential is

there because the Holy Spirit is with

you. But the sad reality is it only ever

stays as potential if we live safely.

Just like the warning signs, if we're

safe around it, then we'll not see the

potential lived out. We'll not get an

electric shock. Will not fall over or

whatever the warning sign is. And it's

the same with Christ followers. If we

have this warning label of your life

might change, but as Christ followers,

we play it safe. We don't tell others

that we're Christ followers. We keep it

down low that we're not sharing our

faith. we're not serving, we're not

giving God our all, then we play it

safely. And then there's no potential.

There's no potential of people's lives

around you being transformed because

you, Christ follower, are playing it

safe. And we were never made to play it

safe. That's not why we were created. We

were called to be bold. And maybe you're

here and you're not a Christ follower.

You were called to be bold. You have

dreams inside your heart. You have

ideas. You have business plans. We want

you to live out your purpose. Don't just

wait and seek security and seek easy

things in life. But God has a plan for

your life. And you may not believe in

God and you may not believe he has a

plan for your life. But I believe that

you can walk in his purposes. And if

you're here and you are a Christ

follower, this is our calling. This is

what should define us as Christ

followers to be bold. that it shouldn't

the term shouldn't be a radical

Christian because the term Christian

should already mean radical. I think

we've normalized Christianity to just be

an easy and a set of beliefs that we

have. But actually, I believe that as

Christ followers, we should be bold with

our faith. And we have these dreams and

we have these ideas and we have the

faith goals and we have the dreams for

our lives. But then life gets in the

way. Life gets complicated. Life gets

busy. We have jobs. We have homes we

need to take care of. And we've got cars

that need insured and fixed and taxed

and NCT. And then we've got kids who

need fed and watered and washed and

bathed and raised up. And life gets

busy. So because life gets busy, we seek

security,

simplicity, safety. So that dream in our

heart, that vision for our lives, that

thing we want to aim for, that boldness,

that faith step, because life is

complicated, we think, well, I'll just

look for what's secure. I'll look for

what's simple, and I'll look for what's

safe. But that is not three words that

describe Christianity. But somehow we've

tried to morph our faith into these

things. Well, I want to have my faith,

but I also want to be secure. I want my

faith, but I want it to be simple. I

want my faith, but I want to be safe.

But actually, to be a Christ follower is

to be bold, is to be courageous. It's to

stand out. And I want to encourage us

today and challenge us that we are not

called to these things. We're called to

live a bold life. So the question I want

to answer today is how do we live

boldly? How do we live with a boldness

in our life and in our faith? Going to

read a passage found in Acts 4 13-20.

And this book of acts was written by

Luke. Dr. Luke was alive around the time

of Jesus. And he wrote that as a sequel

to his gospel. So his gospel, the

gospels basically mean good news as it's

translated. And gospel is Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John in the New Testament. And

these books tell us about the good news

of Jesus. And Luke was one of those

writers. But he also wrote this book

called Acts. So Luke's gospel tells us

what Jesus began to do and to teach. So

if we read his gospel, that's what we'll

find. But if we read Acts, it shows us

what Jesus continues to do through the

Holy Spirit working in his church. So

we're going to read from Acts and

specifically chapter 4. But before that,

in chapter 3, it's incredible. We see a

man who was lame from birth was healed.

This incredible miracle. This man who

couldn't walk encountered Peter and John

and now he could walk. And everyone was

celebrating. Everyone was excited. This

man was over the moon. It was

incredible. And then in Acts four, they

got arrested.

It was an em emotional roller coaster.

They were like, "This is great. We're

living out our faith. Everyone's come to

know Jesus. It's incredible."

And then the next chapter, they get

arrested. And it's like, "What

happened?" So they get arrested. They're

taken in and they're bringing before all

the the religious leaders and they're

put in this court and they're basically

being asked, "So what happened?" Like,

"How did you heal this man?" Cuz this

man hasn't walked for over 40 years.

This man could not walk, but now he

walks. How is that possible? And this is

their response in verse 10. And he says,

"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of

Nazareth, whom you've crucified, but

whom God raised from the dead that this

man stands before you." It's nothing

that we done. It's nothing that we

earned. It's nothing that we mustered

up, but it's through the name of Jesus.

So, if you're here and you're hurting

and you're in pain and you're depressed

and you're anxious, there is a name that

can heal you today and his name is

Jesus. So if you know him, if you've not

experienced him, the name of Jesus can

set you free today. And I want you to

know that if you're not a Christ

follower today, that Jesus can change

your life. Just like this man's life was

changed not by Peter and John, not by a

person, but actually the name of Jesus.

Because in the name of Jesus, there is

power.

And their power is available for you

today. And Christ follower, do not

neglect the power of the name of Jesus.

Don't go silent on it. Don't just say,

"Oh, I'll use it. Break glass in case of

emergency." We have the power. We have

the name of Jesus on our lips every

single day. We can see breakthrough. We

can see healing. We can see miracles

every day if we take hold of the power

that is in the name of Jesus. So these

guys have said their bit and then the

religious leaders are sort of in shock.

They're like, "Wow."

like they spoke with such conviction and

some boldness like what just happened

and in their response this is how the

religious leaders responded to what they

had just experienced from Peter and

John. So in verse 13 it says this when

they saw the courage of Peter and John

and realized they were unschooled

ordinary men they were astonished and

they took note that these men had been

with Jesus.

These men had been with Jesus. That is

what they saw when Peter and John

explained what was going on. Because I

believe boldness starts with being with

Jesus. This is where boldness starts. It

doesn't start with something we muster

up, but boldness starts with being with

Jesus. Because it's out of that, it's

out of being with Jesus, everything else

flows. The religious leaders don't

notice the education. They don't notice

the eloquence. What they noticed is

Jesus. that these people were with

Jesus. That they were ordinary. They

were on school just like me, just like

you ordinary people, but yet had been

with Jesus. It's not what you do. It's

not what you learn. It's not who you

are. But it's simply being with Jesus

that will set you apart. And the

greatest evidence that we have been with

Jesus isn't how much scripture we can

quote, how long we can pray, but it's

actually the boldness with which we

live. How bold do you live? Could people

tell by your actions that you're a

Christ follower?

Could the people that you work with know

that you follow Jesus by the way that

you live your life? Do they know that

you're a little bit crazy because you

believe for great things? What do people

believe about you when they see you? Are

you holding it in? They know you go to

church, but that doesn't affect their

lives, but I believe that it should

because you've walked into that place

with the Holy Spirit, and you have the

power and the authority and the name of

Jesus that anything that we say in Jesus

name and through the will of God, we

will see come to pass. So, I want to see

miracles. I want to see healings.

Someone say lives transformed wherever

you go. And sometimes you're like that

sounds that sounds like a lot. That

sounds like I could not do that. But

it's being with Jesus that will produce

this boldness. Cuz boldness isn't a

personality trait. Cuz if it was based

on personality, then we would think it's

all about the extroverts. It's all about

those that are loud. It's those that are

confident. But it's not a personality

trait. It's the overflow of proximity to

Jesus. Cuz I'm an introvert. I'm

genuinely quiet. I struggle talking to

new people. I like my own company. And

that is how I'm wired. But yet, I can

still be bold because I have proximity

to Jesus. Sometimes when I want to be

quiet and I want to be introverted

because I'm with Jesus, I feel this

boldness rising to say speak up. When I

wouldn't normally speak up, I hear this

boldness rise up and say, "Step out."

when normally I would just like to be

comfortable and relaxed. But because I

have proximity to Jesus, I can be bold.

This isn't for certain people. This

isn't for certain titles. But boldness

comes out of proximity to God. Because

the world does not need to know more

Christians who know about Jesus. It

needs Christians who have been with

Jesus. Christ follower, when was the

last time you were with Jesus? When was

the last time you spent time with him?

And I want to encourage you if you're

here and you're a Christ follower to get

into your Bible, to spend time with him,

to be in devotion to him, whether it's

two minutes a day downloading the Uver

Bible app, reading the verse of the day,

and just sitting for a minute and

saying, "Thank you, Jesus, for these

words." Two minutes.

And I'm sure you're busy and I'm sure

you've got things to look after. But if

you can't find two minutes in your day

to spend with Jesus, well then your

priorities are wrong.

What does that tell you about your life?

If you can't even find two minutes to

spend with Jesus. So Christ follower,

use this as a springboard to create some

new rhythms in your life, to create some

new habits in your life. Because we

can't call ourselves Christians if we're

not spending time with Jesus. Because

it's not just about knowing about him,

it's being with him.

>> That's how we see Christ followers.

That's the difference between a

Christian and a Christ follower. A

Christian knows all about it. They come

to church. But a Christ follower, they

follow Jesus. They step out when he asks

them to step out. They're in the Bible.

They're praying to him. They're working

out their spiritual disciplines. So

Christ follower, what are you doing? Are

you spending time with Jesus every day?

Because if you're not, you need to sort

out your priorities. And if you're here

and you've never spent time with Jesus,

I'd love for you to consider doing so.

As I said, take two minutes, ask a

friend, can you send me a verse? Look up

John 3:16. Look up the Uver Bible app.

John 3:16

They'll give you a new verse every day.

And just read it. And then just sit.

Just meditate on it. Just think about

the words and if you're really

confident, pray a simple prayer. Thank

you Jesus for these words

and that could change your life. Those

two minutes can change your life. So

Christ follower or not, if you're here

and you're not spending time with Jesus,

start with those two minutes and build

that time up to be in proximity with

Jesus. Because those people who spend

time with Jesus, they begin to sound

like, love like, and live like Jesus. We

know this to be true as we grew up. Our

parents says, "Don't hang around with

that person." Why? Cuz they didn't want

you to be like them. And we know it to

be true. If you have kids here, you know

the same. You don't want your kids

hanging around with certain people

because you don't want them to be like

them. And it's the same as adults who we

hang around with, who we spend time

with, who we're in a relationship with.

That's how we form ourselves and that's

who we become. But if we spend time with

Jesus, we sound like him, love like him,

and love like Jesus. Roly Omeay,

American psychologist and author says

this, "The opposite of courage in our

society is not cowardness, it's

conformity.

It's not necessarily that we're a

coward, but actually that we just want

to conform." Because to conform is to

stay safe. If everyone else is doing it,

well then it's easier for us to do it.

And as a child, I'm sure you remember

this that you ask your parents, can I do

this? Can I go there? And you would say

to them, everyone else is doing it. And

if you remember correctly, your parents

would say, well, if everyone puts their

hand in the fire, would you do it? If

everyone else jumped off a cliff, would

you do it? And with audacity, you would

tell your parents, "Yeah, I would. Of

course I would." and you're trying to be

the big man and you're trying to show

off to your parents, but you know in

your head that if everyone put their

hands in the fire, you wouldn't do it.

So, it's an it was a terrible excuse

then everyone else is doing it. So, why

do we use it as adults? Why do we say,

"Well, I'm doing it because everyone

else is doing it. I'm living my life the

way I'm living my life because everyone

else is doing it." It's a terrible

reason to fall into what the world tells

us life should be like. And as we do

that, we start to settle for simple. We

settle our life for what's simple and

what's easy and what's comfortable. But

God has invited you into abundance. God

has invited you into more. God has

invited you into life and life to the

full. Not just so that you could enjoy

life in heaven. Yes, we're going to get

this incredible experience in heaven,

but God wants you to experience

abundance on earth. So, if you're here

and you thought, "Oh, I'll be a Christ

follower just before I die and then I'll

get to experience heaven." But I want to

encourage you today, you can experience

heaven on earth, you can experience the

Holy Spirit with you and surrounding you

and giving you power and authority to

live your life each and every day.

So for each and every one of us,

abundance is available for you.

For you, not the person beside you. Ah,

my life couldn't possibly look like

that. God couldn't possibly be calling

me into this sort of life. He is for

each and every one of us. He hasn't

called us into eat, sleep, work, repeat.

Just conforming to what life, the world

around us tells us life should be like.

You work every day, you get your holiday

in the summer, and then you get back to

work, and then you wake up on Monday and

you're like, "Oh, I've got a full week

of this." And then you get to Wednesday

and you're like, "Oh, I don't know if I

can make And then you get it to Friday

and then it's like, "OH, IT'S A

WEEKEND." And then Saturday you're

enjoying it. And then you get to Sunday

and you're like, "Oh, I've got work

tomorrow." And then you've got Monday

again and then you just repeat it time

and time again until you've got your

holiday. And then you're like, "This

amazing. I could live here forever." And

then you're back to reality and it

starts again. That's what life is

supposed to be according to what the

world tells us. But God has called us

into abundance. There's so much more

available for each and every one of us.

So they're standing here and the

response is, "Wow, these people are

ordinary men, but they've been with

Jesus." And what made it worse for the

religious leaders cuz obviously they

were trying to fight this case. They

were trying to be like, "You shouldn't

be doing this. We're against Jesus.

We're against this message. We want to

be we want to put everything against

you. You don't want you to do it. We

want to try and disclaim it and we just

want to tell people that you're lying."

So they've said, "Okay, why do you do

this? It's because of Jesus. And then

what happens in verse 14? It says, "But

since they could see the man who had

been healed standing there with them,

there was nothing they could say."

There was nothing that these religious

leaders could say because the proof was

right there. The proof that Jesus

changed lives was right in front of

them. the proof that if you were not

able to walk for 40 years and then

through the power and the name of Jesus,

you can walk again, there's no denying

it because he is right there. And maybe

you've been in a position like that.

Maybe you were in the principal's office

and you were trying to tell your side of

the story and you were like, "Oh, well,

this happened and that happened." And

then the principal pulled out the card.

They brought in the other pupil that was

involved and then all of a sudden your

stories didn't work. Your lies didn't

work because someone else had seen what

had happened so that you no longer could

lie. You could no longer say anything

because the truth was right in front of

them. And it's again like this. Imagine

trying to prove something but yet the

truth, the answer is right in front of

them. I believe that boldness flows from

personal experience. I believe that as

we experience Jesus working in us and

through us, that's where our boldness

flows from because people cannot deny

your story. What God has done in your

life, what God has done in my life, no

one can deny. And so often we get this

confused and as we try and share our

faith and as we try and grow in

relationship and as we try and

evangelize, we get it so complicated.

What am I going to say? What am I going

to do? But I believe you don't need to

know everything to sell to tell someone

what Jesus has done in your life. You

don't need a theology degree. You don't

need to have all these complicated

answers. You just need to know what

Jesus has done in your life. And

recently on a the podcast Diary of a CEO

with Steven Bartlett. There was a

professor that came on who was a

Christian and a apologetic

and his name was Dr. Lennox and he was a

mathematician in Oxford and he was a

Christian and he was basically asked all

these difficult questions by Steven

Bartlett and Steven Bartlett's an

intelligent man and he done all this

research and he had all these questions

for Dr. Lennox and as people had watched

this podcast what they noticed about Dr.

Lennox was he didn't necessarily answer

all these difficult questions but how he

did answer was I may not understand this

question may not understand the answer

fully but I know what Jesus done for me

and time and time again he said I don't

understand this but this is what Jesus

done in my life I don't know how to

answer this but this is what Jesus done

in my life so he's talking from personal

experience and that's where boldness

comes from that no longer do we need to

know everything we don't need to be able

to pass a test. We don't need to know

everything about the Bible. But what we

do need to know is how Jesus changed

your life. So before theology, before

the idea, before the the learning and

the knowledge comes testimony. What's

God done in your life? Can you form your

testimony? Are you able to tell your

story? Because a transformed life is

difficult to argue with.

Your life has changed. People can't

argue with that. If you were once one

way and now are different, people can't

argue. Just like the religious leaders

couldn't argue with the man who had been

healed, they can't argue with you

because God has done something in you.

And that can happen in their life, too.

Philip Jonce, American author, says

this. He says, "People are more often

willing to listen to someone's

experience than to someone's arguments."

So often we try and go with our answers

and our arguments, but actually that

just leads to more arguments. But I

believe that it's easier to listen to

someone's experience. Here's what Jesus

has done for me. Here's what I used to

be like, and here's what I am like now.

It's so much easier to share your story

because boldness flows from personal

experience. I want each and every one of

us to know that you have a story.

You have a story. If you're here and

you're a Christ follower, you have three

distinct parts of your story. You have

what you were like before Jesus. You had

that moment where you met Jesus. And now

you have that moment of what God has

done in your life since. But you're

here. And if you're not of faith, you've

got this moment of what you're like. And

I pray today that your story will change

today because right now that Jesus has

met you and Jesus can change your life.

So for you this could be a change in

your story that once you were far from

God, you met with him and now your life

is forever changed. And what more

inspiring way to for your life to change

than to hear others to hear their story.

How God has done it for them. Because if

God has done it for me, he can do it for

you. If God done it for them, he could

do it for you. So if we share our story,

we inspire faith in those around us.

So let's go into where we are in our

workplaces,

in our families, in our communities, in

our friendship groups, and tell our

story because that's where boldness

speaks from.

>> So they're sharing, Peter and John are

sharing this and they see this person

who's been healed and the religious

leaders are like, "What did we do about

this?" So they sent them away and they

got rid of them. So they were conferring

and they were like, "So what do we do?"

like everyone knows that this is truth.

Everyone can see the guy who's been

healed and they're struggling to know

what to do. So they call them in. They

call Peter and John back in. That's what

it says from verse 18. Says, "So they

called them in again, Peter and John and

commanded them not to speak or teach at

all in the name of Jesus." But Peter and

John replied, "Which is right in God's

eyes? To listen to you or to him? You be

the judges. But as for us, we cannot

help speaking about what we have seen

and heard. We cannot stop speaking about

what we've seen and what we've heard.

Cuz we can see that boldness is fueled

by conviction, not comfort. They had a

conviction that even though you've

commanded us to not talk about it, and

my conviction says, I cannot talk. I

cannot stop talking about what I've seen

and what I've heard. That's their

conviction. And that's where their

boldness has come from, not from

comfort. If it was comfort, they would

be like, "Okay, we'll take another

opportunity. We'll just take a rain

check on that. We'll we'll Yeah, we'll

listen. Yeah, that's what you commanded.

I'll just we'll keep quiet. We'll not

say anything more about Jesus." But

because their conviction was so strong,

it meant that they were bold and they

were courageous, which meant they were

able to stand up against what others

were saying. And they were able to stand

up against the command because they had

such a strong conviction. They believed

that Jesus was worth giving up

everything.

>> That's right.

>> Is that your story? Do you believe that

Jesus is worth giving up everything?

And as I think about my story, I used to

hate giving my story. As I grew up in

church and as I was given opportunities

to preach, one way was asked to share

your story. And normally you were given

five minutes. But my story took 10

seconds cuz my story, if I could

summarize it, would be I was born on a

Tuesday, went to church on the Sunday

and never left. And as a young person, I

was like, that's so boring. Like, where

am I going to find five minutes to talk

about my story? And there was a few

opportunities to share it. And one time

I said, "Ah, God is with me through the

highs and lows." And my dad took me

aside one day and he was like, "So, what

lows are you talking about? like what

lows have you been through? Like what

heartbreak and what difficulties have

you been through? Cuz I had a great

upbringing. I have a great parents. I

have a great family. I got went to a

great church. So life for me as a child

was incredible. And here's me trying to

tell my story about the highs and lows

just trying to find stuff to talk about.

So as I was younger, I used to hate

sharing my story cuz I thought it was

boring. I was like, "Why could I not be

the radical kid? Why could I not have

had like a red mohawk running through my

hair and like kicking people and like

just being like mad? Like why could I

not have that story? At least that's

something to talk about. But actually,

as I was grown up, I'm actually really

thankful for my story cuz my story is

one of God's goodness. My story is one

of God's faithfulness. And my prayer is

that you would experience God's goodness

and God's faithfulness for the rest of

your life. I pray this testimony over my

kids that every day of their lives, they

would know the goodness and faithfulness

of God. So what I used to be ashamed

about, I can now tell my story that God

has been good and God has been faithful.

And now I've experienced the highs and

lows of life because I'm an adult and

I've got no parents to protect me. Now

I'm a big strong boy. I've got the highs

and the lows. I've experienced it all.

And I can say God has been with me

through the highs and through the lows.

And that's the same for you. And for me,

I believe that God is worth giving up

everything. I was born in Belfast and my

story is I grew up in church. I was on

staff at a church and had a good job. We

had a house and I had a job, too. But we

felt God say, "Leave it and move on."

And we were like, "Okay, where is that?"

So, we figured it out and we felt like

God called us to move to Dublin. But

that meant leaving my full-time job.

That meant leaving my security of

getting an income and moving down here.

I didn't come to Lighthouse for a job. I

came to Lighthouse because God told us

to go. And I just came and said, "I'm

here. I'm going to volunteer full-time.

Ask me to do whatever you want." I

didn't come with a contract to say, "Oh,

I've got some security down here." I

came with nothing.

We had to leave our home. We had to

leave our family. even had to leave the

comfort of the job and the church that I

grew up in because God is worth

everything. Moving down here, which is

the most expensive country in the world.

>> What's that all about? Why could I have

moved somewhere else that was cheaper?

But yet, God called us here because

giving up everything was worth it. And

that didn't mean everything was easy.

Doesn't mean everything was simple.

doesn't mean we didn't have difficulties

when it came to relationships and and

with finances and with our family. It

wasn't simple, but it was worth it

because it would be so much easier if I

was still in Belfast. People would

understand what I'm saying. I wouldn't

have to pronounce things differently.

>> I could say phrases that people

understand. If I'd stayed there, I could

have maybe taken over the church that I

grew up in. But yet that was

comfortable.

>> So now I've had to learn how to

pronounce words.

Say power instead of power

and shower instead of shower. The worst

one's mirror. I say mirror instead of

mirror. I've had to change because I've

had to move. But it's been worth it.

Everything that we have been through, I

can tell you with a fact that it's worth

giving up everything. So, I want to ask

you, what's holding you back from going

allin? What is it that's holding you

back from saying yes to God?

Is it your security?

Is it your comfort?

I like to be comfortable. I think it's

within us that we all want to be

comfortable. But I always want to stir

my faith. I want to stir your faith

today.

Are you settling for comfort? Are you

settling for security? Are you walking

in the abundance that God has for you?

Is it your finances because they bring

security that you have control over it?

That you know what the future holds cuz

you know how much you have? Is it your

time? You're not sure how much time you

want to give to God? Is it your

relationships that you think that you'll

never find anyone as amazing and

beautiful as this person? But I believe

that as we lay them down before God, God

will return to us with something even

greater. That you've got the perfect

job, that you're well known in your

field, that you've made it in a sense,

but maybe it's getting in the way of

your relationship with God. I believe if

you lay that down, God will provide

something greater for you. That if it's

a relationship getting in the way, if

you lay that down, God will bring

someone even greater. I believe that

when we give our all to God, we will

experience the abundance of God. And in

this moment, Peter had a choice. He

could listen to the command or he could

listen to his conviction. And in that

moment, Peter decides whose voice

matters most.

Whose voice matters most in your life?

Are you listening to fear? Are you

listening to culture? Are you listening

to friends? Who are you listening to?

Will you choose faith or will you choose

fear? Because fear sometimes makes

sense.

Makes sense to be secure. It makes sense

to be comfortable.

Faith doesn't make sense sometimes. Step

out. Give that up. Go this way. But I've

worked hard for it. I know the

direction. I know this. So often we miss

out on the abundance because we're so

consumed with fear. And boldness isn't

the absence of fear. Don't get me wrong.

I've been through some things that have

caused me fear that how am I supposed to

provide for my kids? How am I supposed

to provide for my wife? How am I

supposed to spend 10 grand on rent in

Ireland, which is crazy like there is

fear there? But boldness isn't the

absence of fear. It's obedience despite

fear. It's obedience to step into what

God has for you. It's obedience to stand

up for your faith. It's obedience to go

into your workplaces, into your family,

into your community, and say, "I believe

in Jesus." That is what obedience looks

like.

I want each and every one of us to live

with boldness. Whether you're here and

you're not a Christ follower and you

just want to grow your life and you just

want to be bold and stand up, good,

stand up for a great cause and believe

in it. But as Christ followers, I want

us to live boldly for the sake of the

gospel. I want us to live boldly because

we have a community that needs to be

reached. So here's three ways, three

simple ways that we can live boldly.

First thing is pray courageously.

>> Starts with a prayer. A simple prayer.

Give me an opportunity today. When was

the last time you woke up and prayed

that prayer?

Because you have many opportunities each

and every day.

You have opportunities that I don't. As

a pastor,

my biggest downfall sometimes as pastors

is we surround ourselves with

Christians.

Who am I supposed to share my faith

with? So, we have to go out of our way

to find those relationships. But you

find them in your workplaces. You find

them in your communities. You find them

in the groups that you're a part of. You

find them all around you.

So if you want to live boldly, simply

ask the question, give me an opportunity

today.

And do you know what I find one of the

greatest opportunities is when people

ask you, "What did you get up to this

weekend?" Do you tell them you've been

to church? Do you tell them what God has

been doing in your life? Or do you just

say, "Quiet.

Didn't get up to much. Ah, seem old."

And we sort of shy back. But you could

step into that opportunity. What would

it look like to just simply step into

that opportunity by changing your answer

of what did you do this weekend to

saying I've went to church I would love

for you to come too well how would their

life change and how would your life

change and we pray this simple prayer

give me an opportunity

today second thing is live visibly

let your life make people curious about

God do you live your life in such a way

that people know that you're a Christ

follower that you make people curious

about wanting to come to faith or do you

live your life in such a way where

people run away from Jesus?

I've met Christians like that. If you've

grown up in church and been around

church for a while, you've probably met

Christians like that where you want to

run away from the church. You want to

run away from Jesus. But do you have

such a life where your words and your

actions draw people towards Jesus? Or do

people simply not even know? Do people

are people even aware that the Holy

Spirit is with them? or do you keep it

shut? Do people know that the hope of

the world is in the same room as them?

>> Or do you just keep it quiet? Does your

community know that everything could

change?

Or have you kept it to yourself?

>> What would it look like if we were all

to live physically? The third thing is

to speak intentionally. When the

opportunity comes, speak up.

>> Don't waste it. We all have

opportunities day after day as we pray

for them, as we live them out. Then we

need to speak it out.

>> Speak it. Tell people what God has done

for you. So as we stand, as we close our

message today, what would it look like

if we all lived boldly? What would it

look like if we all took steps of faith?

What would it look like if we prayed

those prayers of Lord, give me an

opportunity today?

Give me an opportunity as I walk out

into the center. Give me an opportunity

as I go into the car park. Give me an

opportunity over lunch today. What would

it look like if we started it today?

Lord, give me an opportunity today. Pray

courageously. What would it look like if

we lived visibly? That the people around

us knew there was something different

about us. that the people around us

could go to us for hope because we have

the Holy Spirit within us. Wherever you

walk, wherever you go, the Holy Spirit

goes with you. And with that goes the

potential of everyone around you's lives

being changed forever. And then use the

opportunity. Speak out. Speak it.

Don't waste the opportunity. Here's a

picture of our community.

It's where we find ourselves right now.

Look at all those homes.

Look at all those businesses.

Look at all the people here represented.

It's full of people who are lost.

Full of people who are hurting,

full of people who full of anxiety and

depression, people who are lost, people

who are lonely.

And yet,

Christ follower, as we step into our

workplaces and in the communities that

we live and with our families, we can

take the hope and the power of the Holy

Spirit

everywhere we go.

This was not meant to be contained

within these four walls. These four

walls should not contain everything that

God wants to do in our community.

So, what would it look like if we live

boldly? What would our community look

like if we prayed for simple

opportunities?

If we lived in such a way that people

could see God working in us

and that we would speak up and tell

people how Jesus has changed our lives.

Peter wrote a book in 1 Peter 3:15. It

1 Peter 3:15

says, "Always be ready to give an answer

for the hope that you have." Church, are

you ready? Are you ready to give that

answer for the hope that you have? Are

you not sure? I believe as we live

boldly, we will see transformation of

our community, transform, transform

lives all around us. And today, your

life could be transformed. Your life

could be changed. Whether you're here

and you have no faith and today could be

the day where your story merges at this

moment and you say, "I want to follow

Jesus.

I want Jesus to take me from death to

life.

Or maybe you're here and you're a Christ

follower and you've been playing it

easy.

You haven't been living out boldly. My

prayer for you is that we would all live

our faith loudly and boldly.