Taking the Risk
Risk (noun): Action that exposes you to the possibility of loss or injury.
This past Sunday we learned about doing something out of your comfort zone and something that scares you to share the Gospel from Acts 4:23-31. But why is this important to Christians?
The World
As humans, we get comfortable doing things The World tells us. We are comfortable indulging in our own desires. We are comfortable receiving praise from The World. But how can we call God our comforter if we are always comfortable?
As Christians, we are not called to follow the world and the perishable things it offers, but rather seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first (Matthew 6:31-33). We can see a great example of this in Acts 4 as Peter and John are persecuted and imprisoned by the Sadducees to stop them from sharing the gospel. Amazingly, the apostles are not shaken by this as they respond later in verse 19 “…Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you [Sadducees, Teachers of the Law], or to Him [God]?” In fact, later in verse 29 the apostles (in prayer) ask God to help them be able to speak God’s word with great boldness while facing persecution.
From this we learn from the apostles and the early believers the depth of their faith in God and what it looks like to live out God’s will in our hearts.
The (not) promised Christian life
The Bible does not promise that the Christian life will be an easy one. Instead it promises a life faced with persecution. It even says in 2 Timothy 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”.
What to take away as modern-day Christians
In an age of scientific advancement and social movements, the legitimacy of the Bible and its views are questioned now more than ever. As Christ followers, we cannot shy away from these problems and let them overwhelm us. Instead we need to stay faithful to God by spreading the Gospel and taking these issues head on.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You teach us how to be faithful through Your faithfulness. I pray that You would empower us with courage to take the risk and spread the Gospel.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen