Grateful
The Gift of Bold Faith
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Call to worship: Call to Worship
(based on Hebrews 4:14-16)
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)
We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
We have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.
Let us remember with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise on our lips: If God is for us, who is against us? He who gave us his son, now gives us the Spirit in power!
The Holy One is in our midst: equipping us for life in the service of Christ.
Praise be to God.
Let’s pray.
Songs of Praise
This is the time of year when we all hear the promptings to be grateful for all that we have and for all this life offers us and for those we love. We should be grateful every day yes?
What a way to shift our perspective, and our attitudes, and bring us out of despair, chaos, overwhelm, and back into joy and peace-simply by choosing to be grateful. Right here, right now-wherever we find ourselves. So let’s practice this starting today, right now, pause and give thanks for something you might not otherwise be thankful for and just choose to be grateful because you know God is in it all with you.
We’re going to have a short series in November on gratefulness-and maybe in some areas you might not always think to be grateful for.
Like boldness in the face of fear. Maybe after the fact and you are on the other side, you might think to say thank You Lord for helping me be bold through that…but what about before events come and we say Lord, whatever comes my way, fill me with Your boldness. Let me walk in bold faith knowing without a shadow of a doubt, who You are as My God, My Savior, My Rescuer, My Protector, and Provider-and let me stand in these truths and profess these truths to those around me.
Because we know what happens when we pray like this don’t we? Sure enough, that opportunity is going to come upon us to put that boldness to the test. But the truth is, there will be countless moments across the span of our lives that stir up fear. So we can choose to live imprisoned by our fear of all that could happen to us, our loved ones, our nation….or we can choose to remember who we belong to and who fights for us. We can choose to receive and be grateful for the gift of boldness that is not one of arrogance or self-made but given to us through Christ Jesus. It is His boldness because He has all authority; He is supreme in power; He is Truth and He has victory over every evil scheme. He holds the keys to Hades and Heaven and no one can stand against the name of Jesus Christ.
I want to invite us this morning to hear with fresh ears a moment of bold faith professed in the face of great danger, even death, and listen to the certainty these men had of who their God was. Their God is the same God for you and me. It is His same power and His same desire to save and rescue His people yet today. He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Let’s pray.
Three Jews chose to take a bold stance against a wicked and arrogant king.
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. Then he had a dedication ceremony and commanded all nations he was king over to worship this image made in honor of the king.
The order read: you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. As soon as music of any kind is heard you must fall flat and worship the image. So nations began doing this all to appease the ego of the king.
But there were three who would not bow down and worship the golden image. They were quickly found out and the king was informed.
Daniel 3: 12-28 NIV
12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.” 13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,
The king questioned them and said is this true? You will not serve my gods and worship the image I have made? He gave them the option in front of him at the sound of the music to fall flat in worship or told them they would be thrown into the furnace and no god will be able to rescue from my hand!
There he did it. Them’s fighting words and when the enemy wants to foolishly make a statement like that, our God is just waiting for us to respond like these men and remind the enemy exactly who our God is and that He will always rescue us as we call upon him!
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed.
He commanded they be tied up and thrown into the furnace.
21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
The fire was so hot it killed the soldiers who took them up to the furnace. The three all tied up-fell into the furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Watch what happened: the king then made a decree that no one could speak anything against the God of these men or they would be killed, because as he professed, no other God could save this way! Then instead of killing these men for not worshipping his created image, he promoted them as leaders in Babylon. All because of bold faith that was acted upon in the face of fear. You see when we choose boldness in our faith, it gives God the opportunity to do what He does best; show the world He is the one true God and there is none like Him!
- Boldness is a Gift-Utilized the More We Know God.
These men knew exactly who God was and are. They spent time in worship; they knew His Word that had been handed down for generations; they knew the stories of His faithfulness for His people and they believed if that God who rescued their people out of Egypt and helped them win the battles to occupy the promised land would fight for and rescue all their ancestors, then surely He would do the same as they stood in their faith and honored Him as the One True God.
If we don’t know these things about who our God truly is or we’re not reminding ourselves of all the incredible things He has done, I don’t believe we utilize this gift we have been given nearly to the frequency we could. We all have the gift of boldness because it comes from the Lord, and as we have His Spirit within us, we have His boldness to draw from. But we won’t unless we truly know God.
We’ll hear stories like this and others and think that was then; that was for a specific time, but that’s not now. That’s not me. My situation is different. Sure, we’re not facing a fiery furnace by a wicked king in the physical sense, but you and I absolutely face fiery furnaces all the time-causing us to choose- do we shrink back in fear or do we stand in bold faith? Let me clarify bold faith is not about causing a big scene or having a big mouth-it’s standing fervent in prayer and kicking doubt to the curb; it’s professing the promises of God over and over your situation; it’s sharing the Gospel with someone who really needs to hear it; it’s trusting when the rug has been pulled out from under you; it’s saying yes to areas of service and believing God will help you; it’s being the one to make the phone call and say I’m sorry or let’s mend this; it’s choosing to love our neighbors across our nation in our differences and refusing to give into hate. Some of the quietest people can be living in the boldest of faiths.
I hear pastors talking all the time about revival coming and I pray it does for our nation! We surely need but I believe when we as Christians truly come to understand the power we have within us, that is Christ Himself, and we start living in bold faith no matter what we face, revival will surely happen!
These 3 men knew words of truth such as these and no doubt they professed them, prayed using these truths, and stood in faith even in the face of fear.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 54:17 NKJV No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
We can stand in these too and remember this promise from Romans:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
We choose to ask for boldness and willingly receive it when we spend time with God and come to know who He is. The Church was never meant to be weak. We are never meant to be weak in our own strength but not in our faith and calling upon the power of God. We must see boldness as a gift graciously given to us by our Father so we can do GREAT things for His kingdom and not live consumed by fear.
- The Spirit Empowers Boldness.
Daniel 3: 16-17 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
The Apostles Peter and John were filled with boldness also as they were preaching to the crowds of Jesus crucified and resurrected. They were healing people in the name of Jesus. They were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin and questioned about what power or name they do what they do.
Acts 4: 8-10 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.
Notice Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and because of that infilling boldness automatically flowed out.
Acts 4:13 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
There was no denying Peter and John had been in the presence of the Lord, for they were reflecting His nature, His truth, and His boldness. This happens to you and me also. As we are in the presence of the Lord, His character transfers to us and we become more and more like Him. We are made in His image remember and our God is no shrinking violet. Our God is the Lion of Judah! Amen! And the Spirit within us reminds us of this and brings forth that same boldness when we need it. But we do need to ask to be filled.
Our God delights in bold faith-bold prayers, bold professions, bold actions, and He will hear and respond to the faithful. Bold is acting with courage even as you feel the fear; even as you might want to hesitate or shrink back. The Spirit gives us the ability to be bold, so let us ask to be filled all the more!
- We Give Thanks for Boldness.
Notice who was the first to praise God publicly was the evil king who had originally wanted to kill these men. He was in awe of what he witnessed and couldn’t help but praise the God who clearly displayed His power and sovereignty. He recognized these men trusted in their God above the power of men and that moved him.
Daniel 3:28 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him
When we are bold in our faith, others take notice; others might be moved to respond to faith; others see the power of God at work in an undeniable way. We have seen this countless times with doctors who can’t explain why someone is still alive, why the tumor is no longer there, or how someone was healed… but God.
So really our gift of boldness is the gift that keeps on giving because others see and respond to the outworkings of our bold faith. So all the more reason to ask to be filled again and again and give thanks for this gift.
The Apostle Paul was explaining to the Ephesians how he was called of all people, to bring the Good News to the Gentiles and explain the mystery that had been revealed which is Christ in us, -the hope of Glory! He was given this grace to be the one to preach so the wisdom of God might be made known through the Church and he said:
Ephesians 3:11-12 NASB 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Our boldness comes from the Lord. King David knew this also and gave this prayer or praise and thanksgiving we can model:
Psalm 138: 1: 3 NASB
I will give You thanks with all my heart; 3 On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.
Conclusion: Christian boldness is a gift from God that allows us to act with great courage in the face of fear. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. Let us thank God for the gift of boldness and ask for the infilling of this gift all the more.
Let’s pray.
Communion:
Because of Jesus and what He did on the cross, we need not fear death. There is no more sting. For if we live is to the glory of Christ working through us and if we die it is to our gain to be with Him face to face. Because of Jesus, we can live in this world that is constantly posing situations of fearful outcomes in front of us- with confidence and boldness in knowing our God is God Almighty; our God is for us and never against us; our God fights for us and no weapon formed against us shall prosper. We know it was Jesus reincarnated in the fire with those men because He is always there as the Good Shepherd watching over His flock. He never leaves us. We have this gift of boldness because of our Savior-so we thank Him and honor Him today.
He calls us to remember His sacrifice for this very reason we can live in bold faith-knowing we have a Savior who gave His very life, so we could be rescued from the certain punishment of our sin and so we might live anew in Him. Let us remember and with grateful hearts let us share in this holy sacrament a deeper understanding of the gift we have been given.
Matthew 26: 26-27 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Offering:
Blessing and Thank you to Children’s Ministry and Nursery volunteers. Please stand and come forward. Hebrews 6:10 “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
God sees your service in Children's Ministry. He remembers it, and your service here is showing Him love.
Pray blessing over them:
Lord God we thank You for each of these willing volunteers who give of themselves to pour into our children. We ask You to fill them with wisdom, strength, grace, patience, mercy and most of all love for Your children. We ask You Lord to bless them with joy through glimpses of the Kingdom see in the face of those they are serving. Help them each to grow spiritually and deepen their relationship with You Jesus. For any who might be growing weary Lord, renew their passion, their strength and their energy Lord. Let the words they teach be of Your truth and the words they speak be a reflection of Your heart God. We ask Your generous blessings over their lives, within their families as they give of themselves to serve and build Your kingdom, and within these ministries. Let them flourish, be strengthened, and deeply impact the hearts of every child they are able to serve. To You be the glory and praise Lord!
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Final Blessing: In Christ, we are more than conquerors, for nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God! May the all-surpassing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And the unshakable love of God is with you. The joyous communion of the Holy Spirit is with you. Go in His peace and the boldness of His Spirit to carry you through all things.
