WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.399 Welcome to Gateway Churches Podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.959 Wherever you're tuning in from, we hope you're encouraged by today's message. 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:10.480 Let's dive into the Word today. 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:11.759 If you're ready, Sam Ready. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:12.720 Are you ready? 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:14.880 We're gonna dive into God's Word. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:18.800 We're gonna be in Acts chapter 4 today, Acts chapter 4. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:29.359 And what I want to do is I want to ask you a couple of questions, and as I ask you these questions, uh your answers will probably be slightly entertaining. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:32.399 First question should be easy. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:40.880 How many of you would say, as spirit-filled followers of Jesus, you believe in the power of prayer? 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:41.679 Raise your hands. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:42.799 All things are possible. 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:43.600 God raise your hands. 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:44.479 Look at leave them up for a second. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.560 Leave them up, leave them up, leave them up, look around the room, look around. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:47.200 Put them down. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:48.560 I'm gonna ask you another question. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:57.039 Those of you who believe in the power of prayer, how many you know God can do all things, and yet you probably know you should pray more often than you do. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.399 Raise your hands. 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:00.079 Is that not funny? 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:17.760 A little bit funny, a little bit ironic to realize that almost all of us would say we serve a God that can do the impossible, that all things are possible with Him, and yet almost all of us would say that our prayer lives sometimes could use a little more juice behind them. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:19.680 We could all pray a little bit more. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:22.319 And it makes me ask the question why? 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:38.239 Why is it that if we believe so deeply that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person touches and moves the heart of God, why is it that many of us don't pray as often as we know that we should? 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:40.879 Um, for me, I'll be real transparent with you. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:46.400 Even as a pastor, I've always felt inadequate as a prayer. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:50.000 I'm married to someone who is genuinely a prayer warrior. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.680 Um Amy loves to pray and pray for long periods of time. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:00.400 I actually, if the prayer goes, you know, like five to seven minutes, my mind honestly starts wondering. 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:03.840 Anybody like that, wandering, wondering both, probably, okay? 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:05.840 It's just my mind will wander sometimes. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.000 I can be like an ADD prayer. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:12.800 I'll start off strong, and the next thing you know, I remember we forgot cereal. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.479 Cereal, we need cereal in Jesus' name. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:21.199 We need cereal, and I forgot to mow the yard, you know, and my and my mind drifts off. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:24.159 And some of you are you're such good prayers. 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:27.360 Like I know God loves it, but you make the rest of us feel horrible. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:34.639 You know, you're you're you are so good, it's almost like you're sponsored by the Holy Ghost, you know, sponsored by the Holy Ghost. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:41.360 Um, and when people pray, sometimes you almost feel like they they're so good they get bonus points. 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.960 Like if you throw in a Bible verse, ding ding ding, there's two points for them. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:48.080 You know, if you quote it, there's you know, three points. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:52.719 You know, as God says in his word in Isaiah 54, the weapon formed against you will prosper. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:57.039 Well, there they go, off the races, you know, and you're sitting there feeling bad. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:03.039 Um why is it, do you think, so often that we know we should pray more? 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:04.800 Um, and we don't. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:17.599 After all these years of serving Jesus, I think one of the reasons why many of us believe in the power of prayer, but we don't pray as often as we should, is because our prayers are way too safe. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:20.240 They're way too safe. 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:24.000 And following Jesus was never meant to be safe. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:39.439 Our prayers are prayers like God protect us and God bless us, God bless this food to the nourishment of my body, bless this double cheeseburger and chili fries and state fair fried twinkie to the nourishment. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.360 Now that takes some faith, you know. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:53.439 God give us traveling mercies, you know, like for the last 4,922 trips to the grocery store, you've been safe, but nevertheless, God, keep us safe as we drive to the grocery store. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.319 I think that many of us, our prayers are just way too safe. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:21.439 And so what I want to do today is I want to introduce to you, and I want to challenge the amazing people at every gateway location across Texas, in prisons, all the way up into the beautiful Northwest, all over the world, wherever you're watching online, I want to invite you and challenge you to pray a dangerous prayer for the next seven days. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.879 Seven days, and see what happens in your faith. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:28.879 And I'm gonna set up our dangerous prayer found in Acts chapter 4. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:30.879 Let me give you the context of scripture. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:35.759 Uh, Peter and John were preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:55.360 And their sermon probably would have gone like this: you know, he was without sin and perfect in every way, and Jesus became sin and died on the cross, and God raised him from the dead so that anybody, and it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you've done, anyone who calls on the name that is above every name, come on, somebody, the name of Jesus. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:03.279 That at the name of Jesus, one day every knee would bow and every tongue would confess to his lordship, that at the name of Jesus all of your sins would be forgiven. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:17.839 And as they were preaching, there was a guy that had been unable to walk for 40 years, and they prayed for him, and this guy was miraculously healed by a prayer of faith after 40 years of being unable to walk. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:25.920 And the the kind of like religious hypocrites, the priests and the Sadducees and the temple guards, uh, they were furious about this. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:31.040 Like you're preaching this Jesus stuff, and and we don't believe this guy was really healed. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:47.040 And so they arrested Peter and John and they put him in prison, and the next day they took Peter and John into a trial before the Sanhedrin, and they said, By what authority are you doing these miracles? 00:05:47.360 --> 00:06:11.120 And Peter replies in verse 10 of Acts chapter 4, he said, Let me clearly state to all of you and all the people of Israel that this man he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:20.800 Whenever he mentioned the resurrection, this was bold beyond measure because the Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:25.199 In many ways, this was like a spiritual declaration of war. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:30.319 And so verse 13, the members of the council were, what were they? 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.959 Let's all say it aloud, all of our gateway campuses, come on, North Fort Worth, it's no fun without you. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:36.240 Prosper, we need you. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:37.839 All the members were, they were what? 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:38.480 Say it aloud. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.680 They were amazed when they saw the what? 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:47.600 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, because they could see what kind of people were they. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:53.839 These guys were just ordinary men with no special training in scripture. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.240 This to me is really, really powerful. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.120 First of all, they were amazed. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:00.639 What were they amazed by? 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:05.040 They were amazed when they saw the boldness of ordinary men. 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:14.720 Um, in the Greek, if I were Robert, I would say this in a way that would be really like bold, because whenever Robert says something, you just sit back there and go, this is amazing. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:15.439 I'm taking notes. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:16.560 I wish I could say it like that. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:19.279 In the Greek, but I just can't. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:28.399 So, anyway, but nevertheless, in the Greek, uh, the word that's translated as ordinary is actually the word idiotase. 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.199 That's what the word is in the Greek. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:40.480 Now, Bible translators are very, very polite because a good translation of the word idiotase is ordinary, guess what else it is? 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:41.199 Idiot. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:42.240 Exactly right. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.160 What they're saying is they were amazed by the boldness of these unschooled idiots. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:47.600 That's what they were saying. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:54.720 And I know um I'm from the South, and you guys know in the South, if somebody ever says bless your heart, you know what that means, right? 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:56.800 You already know that. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:58.000 It means it means you're an idiot. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:07:58.879 It's what it means. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:05.439 If if I got all the way to the edge of this thing and I'm like preaching up here really bold, and I fell off, what would you say? 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:06.560 Bless your heart. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:09.680 You're such an idiot, that guy from that's that's what you say. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:13.199 The uh the the first time I did a funeral, Amy would remember this. 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:14.800 I was 22 years old. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:24.639 It was an outdoor funeral for um an older woman that died, and they asked me to um lead everyone in singing Amazing Grace. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:29.759 And so I just thought when you start singing, everybody would join in. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.480 Didn't happen that way. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:38.000 I can't sing at all, I'm a horrible singer, and so I started singing Amazing Grace, and nobody joined in. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:42.080 And I was like, oh Jesus help us, come quickly, come quickly. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:48.159 And so I sang my first solo, and in the middle of my first solo, outdoors a fly flew into my mouth. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:49.200 A fly. 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:50.159 Yeah. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:51.039 You laugh. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:52.480 It hit that little, what's that thing called? 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.879 The uvula, you know that that little thing back there? 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.639 It hit that thing and it dropped midway down. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:10.879 Like far enough to be halfway and too far not to come back out without a little extra something, something, if you know what I'm saying. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:15.120 And so there I was in the middle of my solo at my very first funeral. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:20.720 What do you think I did? 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:26.559 You think I might you think I hacked a loogie by grandma's grave, or you think I took one for the glory of God? 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:30.639 Oh yes, I took one for the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:37.519 I swallowed that thing right there, kept on going, watering my eyes, singing my bad solo, got in. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:42.559 I put my hand on the casket, and I said, uh, ashes to ashes. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:47.840 Dust to dust. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:50.559 What comes after that? 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:52.559 Preachers always say it. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:53.440 What comes after it? 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.120 I didn't know either. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:59.360 I'm midway through my first meal, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:00.320 I'd already wrecked it. 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:01.519 I thought I'll say something funny. 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:03.519 I'm just gonna like lighten the things up. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:06.240 She's already in heaven, grandma's dead, let's lighten it up. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:08.720 I said, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:12.879 Sure hope this coffin doesn't rust. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.679 You guys have a great sense of humor. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.799 Nobody's gonna laugh. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.320 Nobody laughs. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.919 Walk him back to the funeral car with the funeral home guy. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:38.320 Puts his arm around me, says, first funeral? 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:42.399 I said, Yeah. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.759 And he said, Bless your heart. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.720 You're nothing but an idiot. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:55.279 That's in the Bible. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:06.879 These people were amazed when they saw the boldness and realized they're just a group full of idiots. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:19.200 They hadn't been formally trained, they hadn't been to the proper schools, they were just bold for Jesus. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:27.519 So the religious leaders had a dilemma because there's this guy that couldn't walk, and now he's standing there. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:28.799 He's healed. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:33.200 And so the religious leaders said, You guys, Peter and John, you have to stop. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:34.960 Don't preach about Jesus. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.720 If you do, we'll beat you, we'll put you in prison, we may even kill you. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:46.559 So at that threat, Peter and John prayed. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:49.120 And what do you think they prayed? 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:53.360 What they prayed was not a safe prayer. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.320 They did not pray, keep us safe from the bad guys. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.799 They want to beat us and maybe kill us. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:02.559 They didn't pray what I would have prayed. 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.320 God put a hedge of protection around us. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:05.919 You know we're doing this for your glory. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.679 Save us, protect us, God. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.000 No, this is what they prayed in verse 29. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:10.480 Watch this. 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:16.240 They prayed, and now, O Lord, hear their threats, and here's their dangerous prayer. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:24.879 Hear their threats, and give us your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:39.279 In the middle of severe danger and potential harm to them before preaching the gospel, they prayed and asked God for more boldness in preaching the gospel. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:50.639 I believe God has sent me to one of the great strong churches across the world to encourage you to be even stronger. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:59.279 What do you think would happen if all the amazing Jesus followers at the gateway prayed for seven days? 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:01.759 A dangerous prayer. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:09.279 Oh God, give us great boldness to declare your word. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:15.679 What I want to tell you is this, you have no idea what God might do. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:21.279 Through one moment of boldness in your life. 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.600 You have no idea who God might. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.039 What God might set in demotion. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:31.440 Who God might heal. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.080 Who God might bring to faith. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:39.600 Who God might bring to repentance through one moment of boldness. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.879 Would you just maybe just say it with me? 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.320 Kind of, we'll just kind of start easy. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.720 Just say just say, make me bold. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:49.039 Now let's say it to God. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.799 Let's kind of look at those memories to God. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:55.919 What would happen if for seven days? 00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:01.039 Let me just tell you what happened is if you prayed that tomorrow, your tomorrow would be different. 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:03.919 If you prayed that prayer, your Monday is gonna be different. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.120 If you prayed that prayer on Tuesday, your Tuesday is gonna be different. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:16.159 Because God is gonna give you opportunities, He's gonna give you eyes to see people who need a touch from Jesus. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.519 What do you think would be different if you prayed for seven days? 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:21.200 God make me bold. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:24.639 I'll tell you what happened is some people would be amazed by your boldness. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:26.480 They'd be amazed. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:29.840 Because if you pray it, God's gonna give you opportunities. 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:31.519 In fact, I would ask you a question. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.600 I want you to think about this just for a moment. 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:38.960 How amazed do you think that people are by your boldness on a scale of one to ten? 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.120 We'll just bring up a scale beneath me. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:42.159 Scale of one to ten. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:47.279 Let's just take a moment and um ask yourself where you would rank yourself. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:50.879 How amazed are people by your boldness? 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:52.320 I'll make it easier for you. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.799 Um, Jesus is a ten, and you're not Jesus. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:59.759 So, so you're not you're not a you're not a ten. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.440 I'm gonna go ahead and make it even easier. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.679 I'm gonna say the devil's a one, and I don't think the devil's here. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.159 Some of you may think you were married to the devil. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:14.559 Thank God there's a marriage conference coming up to cast that devil out, but you you're not the devil, so let's say you're not a one. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:20.960 How how amazed, and give it a number in your mind, are people by your boldness? 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.080 If you're an eight or a nine, let me tell you about you. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.799 You're not at church alone right now. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:30.639 Because if you're an eight or a nine, you brought somebody with you. 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:38.879 Because you're always bringing somebody with you, because you're fighting people, you're praying for people, you've probably got a list, like they're probably written out. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.919 This person and this person and this person and this person. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:47.759 If you're an eight or a nine, you probably had somebody persecuting you this week for your faith. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.600 Because when you're really, really bold, people tend to persecute you. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.159 Maybe you're more like a five or a six. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:16:12.240 Uh, you brought somebody to church sometime this earlier this year, and you're you're reaching out to people, and every now and then you'll give something and say, Oh, I put God prompted me to do this, or you might pray for somebody once a month because God prompts you to, or you might be a little bit lower than that. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:17.840 You might be like a you might be a three, you know, or a 3.5. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:23.039 You you haven't brought someone to Gateway Church since 1967. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.639 Oh yeah, Gateway wasn't you in 1967. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.080 You you uh you're not you're not praying for anybody. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:36.080 Uh you you work with somebody and you've worked with them for a long time, and they say something, you say, Oh yeah, I go to Gateway Church. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:38.159 Like, wow, you're a Christian? 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:42.080 I've worked with you for seven years, and I didn't know you were a Christian. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:45.279 You'd be on the lower lower end. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:52.399 How amazed would you say, honestly, people are by your boldness? 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:58.559 When I became a Christian in college, I was um in college, I was building my testimony. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:00.559 You know, that means I was I was living. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:02.879 Uh did anybody else build their testimony in college? 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.359 Yeah, I was I was sinning in college. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:07.119 How many of you know sin can be fun? 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.319 Raise your hands. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:10.240 Like you guys don't do that here? 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.079 You guys like you nobody raised their hand. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.440 Like, I'm not raising my hand in church. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:16.160 Sin can be fun until it's not. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:17.200 It'll mess you up. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:23.920 If you don't, if you don't think it's fun, either either you didn't do it right, you know, or you're lying, one or the other. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:33.759 But it's it, and and so I was caught in sin, and my life was miraculously changed by Jesus, saved overnight, and I was a college tennis player. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.200 I played on a um championship NAIA team. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:41.440 Now, if you don't know what NAIA stands for, NAIA stands for not NCAA. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.440 That means I was not big time at all. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.559 In fact, I was so bad, I was the only American on this team, and I had the only car, and that's the only reason they kept me, because I was the transportation. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:53.359 That's true. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:16.960 But amazingly, by by uh my senior year, I got better, and I got this award at this the senior banquet for um this pre-special award, and they called me up to receive it, and I had just met Amy, she was my new girlfriend, and it was the it was the big award, and it so they said, Would you like to say a few words for maybe a minute or so? 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:24.319 And so I had been praying this prayer because someone had challenged me to do the very same thing I'm challenging you, is to pray for boldness. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:29.440 And so, as a brand new Christian, I just said, Hey everybody, I want you to meet Amy just like I always do. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:36.720 I call her my Christian babe, which is probably totally inappropriate nowadays, but it seemed right in 1988, whatever it was. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:38.480 And I said, This is my Christian babe. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.359 And then I said, Um, I want to say a few words. 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:46.960 I was lost and I was dead in my sins, but I knelt down, I prayed to Jesus and called out to him to be my Lord, and I got filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:48.079 And now I speak in tongues. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:50.799 I know you don't know what that is, I know it sounds kind of weird, but I promise you it's not weird. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.559 I mean, it is a little bit weird, but it's not that weird. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.319 And if you call on his name, you can be saved too. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:59.359 And I promise you, if you meet him, he'll meet you where you are and just come to him as you are in the name of Jesus. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.160 His name is above every name, and now you need the Holy Ghost. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:05.039 Call on him now, please do it now, just do it now, just do it now. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:05.839 Amen. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:07.839 And it was something like that. 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.519 And again, you guys are so kind. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.920 They didn't clap, they didn't do nothing. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.839 They looked at me like that whole, you know, ashes to ashes thing. 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:26.400 And so I was walking back to my seat, and there was a soccer player that I didn't know real well, and his mouth was just draped open. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:32.400 He said, That's the boldest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:34.240 That's the boldest thing. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:37.519 I just want to ask you to think about when is the last time? 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:40.960 When is the last time? 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:54.960 Someone's been amazed by your boldness to reflect the love of the one who saved you, redeemed you, healed you, and set you free. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.160 Every day, God, make me bold. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:59.839 Make me bold, make me bold. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:05.599 You have no idea what God will do through even a single act of boldness. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:11.200 So we see in um in the story, these guys, they're being, they're they're praying for boldness. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.279 And watch as their prayer continues in verse 29, they say this, okay? 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:20.559 And now, Lord, hear their threats, and give us your servants great boldness in preaching your word. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:24.079 Watch what they say, stretch out your hands with healing power. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:29.680 May miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:40.160 And after this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they preached the word of God with more boldness. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:51.680 They kept preaching, people kept getting saved, the high priests, the religious leaders, they were furious, and they basically said, Hey, you know, you guys will handle this if not, Rome's gonna step in, and here's what happened next. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:55.599 They arrested the apostles and they put them in a public jail. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:02.960 But an angel of the Lord came at night and opened the gates of the jail and brought them out. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:09.920 Then the angel told them, Go to the temple and give the people this message of life. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:15.759 In those three verses, what I want to do is I want to show you the three attributes of boldness. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:19.519 If you pray every day for seven days, make me bold. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:25.359 I want to show you what you can expect, three attributes from God's word of boldness. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:31.680 The first one is this number one, boldness almost always triggers spiritual opposition. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:33.519 You need to know that. 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.000 Wouldn't it be great if I told you something more fun? 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:42.400 But the truth of the matter is, if you're bold, you'll almost always trigger spiritual opposition. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:49.039 Verse 18 says this that they arrested the apostles and they put them in a public jail. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:54.559 What I want you to notice is this was the second time that they were in prison that week. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:58.960 They're serving Jesus, and yet they're locked up in prison again. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.279 Didn't say, God, where are you? 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.720 Why are you letting this happen to me? 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:07.839 When I'm in your will, I'm supposed to always be protected, but they're in prison again. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.279 If you pray, God, make me bold. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:17.440 You need to know people may laugh at you when you are, they may criticize you. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.839 People will talk bad about you. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:21.839 They will persecute you. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:29.359 When you live boldly for Jesus, you may be alone home on a Saturday night because they don't invite you to the party. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:33.359 Every Super Bowl party, every New Year's party, we sit home alone. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:34.000 Why? 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:38.640 Because they drink alcohol and we don't drink alcohol and they don't want us to come. 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:40.640 Do any of you guys want us to come over? 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.319 We don't have anything going, we'll come. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:50.160 If you're bold for Jesus and witness at school, you may not be in the popular crowd. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:56.480 If you're bold for Jesus and live a life of purity, they're gonna make fun of you all day long. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:04.720 If you're bold for Jesus and stand up and pray in faith and believe for miracles, people will make fun of you. 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:08.559 Need to understand that you will face spiritual opposition. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:15.920 And I tell my kids all the time: if you're not ready to face opposition for your obedience to God, you are not ready to be used by God. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:22.720 If you're not ready to face real opposition, do not pray this prayer. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:28.799 Because when you pray this prayer and when you live a life bold for Jesus, you will face opposition. 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:32.960 Number one, boldness almost always triggers spiritual opposition. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:38.480 Number two, boldness often releases God's miracles. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:40.640 It often releases God's miracles. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:45.839 To me, this is indescribably powerful, and it's also hilarious. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.039 And I want to show you why. 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.640 It's both powerful and hilarious. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.559 Verse 19 says, okay, these guys are locked up and they're in jail. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:24:01.279 And then scripture just says, Luke just says, but an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:04.160 There's no exclamation point. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:07.680 There's no like, wow, this is unbelievable. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:16.000 He just says, but an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of jail, and brought them out. 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:18.319 You wouldn't act like that. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:28.240 If you're in jail and an angel shows up and lets you out, you are capturing that on social media and telling everybody about it. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:29.200 Right? 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:34.400 You're like, praise report! This big angel came, he's as big as a Honda Accord. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:37.519 He's came in there and floating up road, let us out. 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:50.960 And they just simply say, Luke just says, you know, we're just there, and an angel shows up and poof, did angel stuff, angel dust, and the gates came open and we just walked on out. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:53.759 Why weren't they freaked out? 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:59.599 Because when you walk in obedience to God, you won't be surprised by miracles from God. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:05.839 You just kind of believe our God is gonna show up and show off because that's what God does. 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:12.240 When you're walking in obedience and boldness, you just believe God hears your prayers. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:17.279 You believe that God shows up, you believe that all things are possible with Him. 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:20.240 I learned this early on as a young minister. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:27.119 Uh, believe it or not, I was a I was an associate pastor at an evangelical charismatic United Methodist Church. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:28.000 Yes. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:30.559 Times of the end times. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:35.279 It was an evangelical, charismatic United Methodist Church. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:44.079 There was an apostles' creed done by people in robes with a sofar speaking in tongues and an organ, all in the same place. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.400 My pastor had a healing service. 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.720 My first one, I'm a young guy, and a lady came up and said, I'm going blind. 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:53.920 The doctor said, I'm going blind. 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:55.200 Will you pray for me to be healed? 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:56.720 Said, Yes, be right back. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:57.920 I ran into my pastor. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:25:59.680 Said, there's a lady there, she's going blind. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:00.319 What do I do? 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:02.720 She said, The Bible says anoint her with oil. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:03.920 Like, yes. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:06.400 Where's the oil? 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.519 He said, There's two jugs of oil in my office. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:11.680 So I ran into his office, I'll be right back. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:20.400 Went in there, and there's oil from Israel, and there was oil that had a uh prettier lid. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:21.759 So I opened a book up. 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.480 One smelled like Israel, the other one smelled like cinnamon. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:26.559 So I thought, I'll go with the good smelling one. 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:27.839 Rookie mistake. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:31.680 So I took the good smelling one on him in her and said, I'm gonna anoint you with oil. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:33.279 And then I'm going, I'm not, I don't know how to do this. 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:36.079 Like I've never, I haven't been to this class in seminary yet. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.000 And so I just put some on my finger and I thought I'll put it on the sign of a cross. 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:43.359 It's like it just seemed like the right thing to do better than like a check marks, you know. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:45.279 So doing a crossing. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:49.759 And when I opened it up, you could smell the cinnamon stuff just all over the room. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:50.960 It smelled like Christmas. 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:55.119 And so I put it on there, and she starts going, oh, it's burning. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:56.400 It's burning. 00:26:56.480 --> 00:27:09.440 And I'm suddenly going, I found out later on it was lamp oil. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:13.920 And you put those little things, should have stood by Israel. 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:15.119 Lamp oil. 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:17.759 And so anyway, I pray for it. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:19.759 Next week, true story, she came back. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.880 She did have its little red thing right here, and she came back in. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:30.160 And she walked in and she said, Pastor, Pastor, the doctor said my eyes are being healed. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:39.519 And I went, No way! Because I wasn't living and walking completely in faith. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:53.440 But when you walk in obedience to the power of God and live boldly for a hip, you're not surprised when God shows up and does what other people think impossible. 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:58.480 So if you pray this prayer, get ready for some opposition. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:06.160 Get ready to potentially see God do a miracle that you didn't even expect to come. 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:12.960 And number three, when you walk in boldness, remember boldness always requires faith. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:15.599 It always requires faith. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:27.759 Verse 20, the angel says, that angel that showed up that broke him out, the angel says, Go to the temple and give the people this message of new life. 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:34.400 So at daybreak, the apostles entered the temple as they were told and immediately began teaching. 00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:36.960 What did the angel tell them to do? 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:46.160 The angel told them to go and do the very thing that got you arrested and beaten twice. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:50.799 Go do that very same thing. 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:54.400 It always takes faith. 00:28:54.880 --> 00:29:03.839 And when you pray, God make me bold, he will give you opportunities, and you have no idea what God may do through a single moment of boldness. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:19.440 Twenty some odd years later, after I gave that really bad sermon at the awards banquet, 20 some odd years later, that same guy, the soccer player, that looked up and said, That's the boldest thing I've ever seen. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:29.599 I bumped into him at the gym and he came up to me and he gave me a very, very, very um close hug and said, Thank you so much. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:32.000 And I was like, I don't know what you're telling me, thank you for, whatever. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:35.200 And he went through a story and told me how his wife had left him and his whole life fell apart. 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:39.200 And he said, I didn't know what to do, and I thought I'd probably need God, but I don't know where to go. 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:46.400 And he goes, I remembered you, that bold guy, and I knew you had a church, so I wanted to go and see if you were still being bold like that. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:50.079 And yes, you're still being bold like that, and still saying that same thing. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:57.359 And I came to the church and I heard about that same Jesus you talked about years ago, and he told me how he surrendered his life to him. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:59.839 20, 20, 20 some odd years later. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:04.319 20 20 something years later. 00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:20.079 And you have no idea what God might set into motion through a single moment of boldness in your life. 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:22.160 God made me bold. 00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.720 So what what happened to Peter and John? 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:32.400 They went back out and boldly did the very same thing that had already gotten them beaten and put in prison. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:34.720 How did their story end? 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:39.200 The good news is I think most of you know that they lived happily ever after. 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:40.240 Right? 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:53.680 They settled down, met some girls from Sunday school, got married, had a couple of kids, started a consulting business, talking about all that they'd learned in the early years, sold their business, made lots of money, retired early. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:31:02.400 Um, John bought a house in the mountains, and Peter bought one at the beach, and they grew old together, telling stories to their grandkids about walking with Jesus. 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:04.480 We know that's not what happened, right? 00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:09.920