bigCHURCH “Big Opportunity”
How many of us remember playing Hide & Go Seek (or underground Church during youth events :D). It was so cool to have your hiding spot…the one where no one could find you! And you wouldn’t share it for anything! It was your spot! We treat God like He’s playing Hide & Go Seek with us and He’s found the perfect spot for us not to find Him! But that couldn’t be more untrue. God has & always will be right here with us! The early Church understood that. Not once do we see them saying “Where is God?”…instead they boldly went to the ends of the known world to share the hope of Jesus! Wonder how bold we could be if we realized God is with us? How can we be Bold like the Early Church?
- Live a Life of BOLD INVITATION (Acts 28:23-4)
- Paul has just survived the terrible ship wreck…was worshiped on the island—and instead continues in chains because Angel had assured him that he would be going to Rome. When Paul gets there he doesn’t sulk…he accepts the invitation to speak to the Leaders of the Jews! And invites them into a true relationship with Jesus!
- Every opportunity that presented itself to Paul was an opportunity to invite others to Jesus…while living life as an open invitation for any one to hear!
- Live a Life of BOLD PRAYER (Acts 28:28)
- Paul tells of how the Gentiles will receive salvation from God and “will hear it”. No longer was the Church bottled up for the Religious…but for the entire world to hear & receive salvation from the Lord.
- Prayer is conversation with the Lord and from Paul’s conversations with God and His bold steps to share the Gospel each of us get to know about it today! He obediently became the instrument God used to share the Gospel to all of us (Acts 9:15)
- Live a Life of BOLD GIVING (Acts 28:30-31)
- Here Paul is rents a house for 2 years and receives all that would come to hear the Gospel. So Paul stayed in Rome on his own dime because He knew that God wasn’t finished with him there.
- A life of Bold giving isn’t just financially…it’s serving with your time too! Paul had 2 years where he could have rested, relaxed and recouped. But instead he gave his time, money and all his effort to spread the Hope of the Gospel to all that would hear!
Paul preaches uninterrupted for 2 years…then is rearrested by Nero and executed! And the voice of much of the New Testament falls silent. But the Church Doesn’t! It continues to this day! The Church has always been a movement of Bold People walking in obedience to the Lord who seizes every opportunity to show Jesus to everyone in it’s path! Now it’s our time…how will we be remembered for how we stewarded the Church?
Take Away:
What Has God taught you about the Church through this Study?
What Bold Step is God Calling you take next?
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Tyler West 