Bold but Risky

Many have described John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for his running mate as bold but risky. Now I could give my humble opinion and insight on such a choice but I won’t. I desire to apply this statement to the church—our church. How would we react to the Columbia Flier or the Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post if they write that City of Hope Church is bold but risky in loving our community?

For the past 2 years, our small group has been studying the Acts of the Apostles. From Peter and Paul to Priscilla and Aquila, these men and women along with many others who transformed by Jesus and his message were bold and took enormous risk to share Jesus and his message. They were willing to risk their lives and take Jesus and his message to very diverse, difficult and important people and places. Jesus and his message so greatly impacted and captivated the early church that it expanded to many regions in the world. What encouraged them to be bold and risky?

Jesus encouraged his disciples at the beginning of Acts and us as well:

“But you have receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

In our small group we are attempting to encourage one another in engaging our friends, peers, and families with Jesus and his message. We are reminded in this verse that God has given us His Spirit to empower us to be bold and risky. But throughout Acts and even in this verse, God emphasizes that we also need one another—we need to be involved in a Christian community so that we can encourage one another and help one another to grow in loving others well with Jesus and his message.

Peter gives us in Acts 2:38 the unpopular but bold and risky message that we must bring to our community:

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Tim Keller states, “…Peter tells them that if they repent/believe — they will receive two promises. They will receive “forgiveness of sins” and “the gift of the Holy Spirit”. This is a great summary of what it means to become a Christian. When we become a Christian, there is something legal that happens outside of us — we are accepted as sinless and perfect, our record being pardoned and covered. Secondly, there is something that happens within us — we get the new life, a new power and Spirit directly from God that then grows in us.”

John Stott affirms, “Here then is... the message. Two events (Christ’s death and resurrection) as attested by two witnesses ([the Bible and historical witnesses to resurrection]), on the basis of which God makes two promises (forgiveness and the Spirit), on two conditions (repentance and faith)... We have no liberty to amputate this apostolic gospel...” (The Message of Acts, p. 81)

May we be so captivated and impacted by Jesus and his message that the Holy Spirit empowers us to be bold and risky in loving our community. Let us also encourage one another to be faithful in this united call for all Christians.

Let me use the popular slogan from the Obama campaign: Yes We Can (by the grace and power of God) be bold and take risks with the transforming message of Jesus!

Warmly,

Pastor Jeff