Continued from Part 2
Churches that Stand Out have more than just an uncivilized approach. They have to have something that allows them to challenge the status quo of a society that celebrates mediocrity. They must possess something that enables them to breakdown walls and barriers that others see but are afraid to challenge. This brings us to characteristic number 2 of Church That Stand Out...
2. Divine Boldness.
My two favorite definitions for boldness are:
(1) not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring
(2) beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative.
Get this inside of you - whether you are tied to FC as a leader or a leader of another ministry - I believe that we are coming to a new day for the church in America. The culture within the last 10 years has so shifted that it's going to take more and more of a miraculous power and presence to break through the darkness of our society so the light of God can break in. This is not about worship style...but is about living in the constant presence of the Spirit of God. This means that we are going to be forced to seek out, as leaders, the presence of God that is required to do bold things. Business leaders are going to need divine strategies to see their business flourish in the coming years. Politicians are going to need guidance and empowerment in order to properly govern and protect the people etc.
Our New Testament leaders met the same type of issue and look at what they prayed...
(Acts 4:29; 31) “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
I want to point at two things that have jumped at me as I study this scripture.
(1) Don't under estimate the importance of the earthquake. Their prayers not only reach Heaven but they unlocked something that caused the earth to react. Jesus said in Matthew 24:7 that one of the signs that things were drawing towards an end would be that nature would begin to respond to the spiritual pressures of the eternal conflict ("...there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.") Have you ever thought about what it would be like to pray and hit a nerve in the spirit world that would cause the earth itself to respond? Look I understand this sounds out there but I believe that is the type of prayer and spirit empowerment that we are going to need from here on out.
(2) Don't forget to notice the result of their prayer - they spoke the word of God boldly. They took a stand. They found an inner strength that allowed them to stand up to their culture and shine the light of God truth into the darkness.
Many times light in the Bible means understanding and darkness means ignorance. In our foundational scripture it says that no one lights a lamp (brings truth into the house) and then hides it away (ignores what truth has shown them). But they put that light on display (they live out the truth openly). We at Fellowship Church cannot do this without the presence of the Spirit of God that helped them to overcome their inner weakness and find the courage to stand boldly into the night an be a light.
Friends, we need the presence of the Spirit of God. We need the boldness that comes from an assurance that God is with us. David said, "I will not be afraid for you are with me." The presence of God gives us the assurance that He is with us and we are not alone. Churches that stand out may not be the most charismatic worship styled organizations of the future but their people will possess a boldness that comes from a complete and total reliance on the Spirit of God.
CRITICAL QUESTION: When was the last time you took a bold stand for Christ?
Tomorrow, Characteristic 3 of Churches that Stand Out.
thank goodness for rule breaking! I love your page.Thank you for another great article.so you are allowed to change them whenever you want.
Posted by: Puma Outlet | September 12, 2011 at 08:05 PM