Words of Encouragement -- Olu Talabi & Dave Bertsch -- August 29, 2021
http://rlcf.church River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker emphasizes that true Christian boldness to stand for the Lord comes from a consistent, private walk with God, not just from knowledge. Drawing from Acts 4, he notes that the disciples' boldness was evident after their private fellowship with Jesus. He warns against the danger of spiritual pride, using the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to illustrate that God favors the humble confession of sin and mercy over self-righteous boasting.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Being as bold as a lion for the LordDrawing from Proverbs 28:1, the speaker reflects on overcoming the temptation to cower and instead standing boldly for the Lord before others.Proverbs 28:1
Growing in boldness day by dayJust as grace and love increase over time, boldness in declaring oneself a Christian grows through daily experiences and tests.
The connection between walking with Jesus and boldnessActs 4 shows that the disciples' boldness came from having been with Jesus, proving that private fellowship with the Lord yields outward courage.
Boldness is not a once-and-for-all attainmentEven after speaking with boldness, the disciples faced new fears and had to pray for fresh filling of the Spirit to speak God's word boldly again.
The secret lies in our private walk with the LordRevelation 21:8 warns that the fearful have their portion in the lake of fire, reminding believers to constantly ask the Lord for help rather than giving in to fear.
Recognizing our constant need for lightReflecting on messages heard at church, the speaker admits a past tendency to think a teaching was meant for someone else rather than examining oneself.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collectorJesus spoke the parable in Luke 18 to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, contrasting the boastful Pharisee with the humble tax collector.Luke 18:9–10
Knowing the law versus knowing the LordThe tax collector went home justified because he humbly cried out for mercy, whereas the Pharisee relied on his extensive knowledge of the law and external righteousness.
Cleaning the inside of the cupMatthew 23 warns against acting like whitewashed tombs that look righteous on the outside while remaining full of hypocrisy and uncleanness within.Matthew 23:25–28
