Speaking Boldly 

October 1, 2023 

We’re talking about getting BOLD! We’re in the book of Acts. Today is about speaking boldly.  

When I was kid, I was not bold very bold! Often when I wanted to raise my hand and say something in class, I didn’t. I wouldn’t ask for help in math class: I would work and work to figure it out by myself. I think I didn’t want to show I had a problem.  

As an adult, I met my husband in seminary. Kevin always raised his hand to ask a question or make a comment. I started to raise my hand more! It was a freeing thing. I think you learn more when you get in on the conversation. I’m so glad I got to be bolder! 

As Christians, it’s tempting to get quiet about our faith, instead of bold. There are places where we’re not supposed to talk about faith. But if we’re honest, most of the time, we can talk about our faith, but we stay quiet. A lot of people today would say things like, “You know, I don’t want to offend anybody, and I don’t want to speak too boldly about my faith.” So, a common mindset in the church today is, “I’ll just let my life be a witness.” Which is a great place to start. Live your life in kindness and respect and it impresses people. But there are times when we shouldn’t just let our lives be a witness. Because people don’t necessarily connect the dots. They maybe look at you and think, “What a nice person!” But they don’t think, “I wonder if their faith in Jesus has made them an awesome person? I wonder if following Jesus would help me?” So sometimes we just need to witness with our words and speak boldly! 

Because for example, right now my backyard is dug up because we are getting a sidewalk through it put in. When we moved in 19 years ago most of the sidewalk was missing, and we walk through the yard all the time, to go from the house to the garage. We’re getting a sidewalk finally, and the yard is dug up. A person could turn an ankle if they don’t know what’s ahead in my yard. And if you came to visit, and we walked through my yard, I could just let my life be a witness to you. I would be ready for a big step down, but I wouldn’t say anything, just be a witness. Following me, you might not see me take the big step down, and you could break your ankle! But if I boldly said, “You really have to watch your step here, there is a big step down!” You would probably have healthy ankles! There is a time when you just let your life be a witness. There are also times when you have to speak boldly to keep people out of something that would harm them, and with your words lead them into a better way of life.  

In the book the Acts of the Apostles, it is full of verses where the Christians believe deeply that Jesus was risen from the dead, and because they believed in Jesus, they spoke boldly over and over again.    

We’ve been looking at the disciples Peter and John and how they came across a guy that had been lame. That means he couldn’t walk for over 40 years! And he asked Peter and John for some money, he was a beggar. And they said, we don’t have silver and gold, but what we do have we’ll give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! And miraculously, he walked! This created a lot of buzz in the community. The religious leaders, the court of the Sanhedrin, never liked Jesus at all. But they couldn’t deny that the man who was lame could now walk! The religious leaders wanted to put a stop to Peter and John healing in Jesus’ name. So, they arrested them, and warned them to no longer speak in the name of Jesus.  

In Acts 4:19-20, Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it’s right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God, but we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Peter and John set an example for us: to speak boldly what we believe deeply! They were basically saying to the Sanhedrin, “You can threaten us, but we’ll still speak. You can beat us, but we’ll speak louder. You can put us to death, and the last words we’re going to speak will be the name of Jesus. If you had seen, like we did, the difference it made in people’s lives when Jesus forgave their sins, or healed them, you’d have to talk about Him too! It’s just too good! We are going to speak boldly what we believe deeply! 

I had lunch with Ellen O’Connell this week. She was our chaplain in the park at Locust Lake state park this summer, holding worship on Sunday mornings in the outdoor amphitheater. Part of the job is to visit campers and invite them to Sunday worship. 

Ellen said she is not very good at cold calls, which means talking to a stranger about faith or inviting them to church. For all the chaplains visitation is difficult! It’s difficult for just about all of us! But Ellen would pray to God, should I visit this campsite? I don’t want to visit this one. Then she would find herself walking up the driveway to talk to the folks! One time a campsite had a group of adults who were 20-somethings. Ellen is about my age, so she thought, there is no way they will want to talk to me.” But the 20 somethings talked to her. One told Ellen “I’m a Tough Mudder.” And she talked about the tough mudder races she takes part in, where you crawl through the mud and get electrocuted, because you have to go under live wires. She showed where she had a scar where she was burned. Ellen said in return, “Well I guess I’m a Tough Mudder, too! Because I raised eight kids!” And at that campsite, they talked with Ellen a long time, they enjoyed her visit! 

Ellen is smart. She changed how she visits over the summer. There were a few times when she visited a campsite, and the people were very rude to her. They really didn’t want her to visit! 

What she found worked much better was a more casual ministry. She got bottles for blowing bubbles. She would walk the wide trail at Locust Lake, and when she saw a family, she would ask the parents if she could give their kids bubbles. That had a very good response. She found a way to be bold, to be able to talk to people in a way they were responsive to! 

Ellen wrote an end of year report which tells awesome stories of her ministry this summer. She had an amazing impact! People who wouldn’t have walked into a church, walked into the outdoor worship she led, curious to see what was going on. One Sunday it rained, and she had to hold the worship service in a different place, the pavilion, which had a roof. No one showed up for worship except a guy who was fishing. He heard her playing guitar and came to see what was going on. He didn’t want to stay for worship, but he took a free religious book she had out, walked off, then turned right back around and talked to her for an hour. After that, he left. And she saw him a little while later. He was very happy! He just got a call he had been waiting months for, about an apartment he could rent! He was semi-homeless. He could see through his talk with Ellen, the God was working in his life and calling him back to relationship with Him.  

I’m so grateful for Ellen and her deep faith in God, that in God’s power she, went forth boldly this summer! She shows how to speak boldly about what we believe deeply!  

I want to encourage you that you can speak boldly about what you believe deeply. We all can! It’s important to encourage yourself first! Peter and John didn’t become bold on their own power. The spirit of God filled them, and they were amazing ever since! You don’t necessarily have to talk to a stranger about God. But you can share a little of your faith with family and friends and people you know. 

Everybody is looking for help and hope. Most people, if a friend asked them to, they would come to a worship service. Most people, if you listen to them, they will listen back. We all know people who, when we speak boldly about our faith, want to hear more. 

My homework for you this week, is to think about what God means to you. If you had an opportunity, what would you say about what Christ has done in your life? 

We can take the easy road in life, not telling anyone about God. We can keep Jesus a secret. We can sell out to material things. But there is something in you that you want to make a difference! Sometimes an opportunity comes, and you can’t keep your belief to yourself! You’ve just got to tell someone who God is and what He’s done! I cannot stop talking about what I’ve seen and heard! Like Peter and John, speak boldly about what you believe deeply! And God will change hearts and lives through you when you speak boldly! Amen