Be Bold to the End

I never want to be timid about Jesus or the Gospel.

I don’t want to be the wicked described in Proverbs 28:1. They run away when no one is chasing them. I want to be like the godly in this verse “who are as a bold as lions.”

I want to be BOLD!

The word bold is defined as: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

Words like courageous, darning, challenging, and imaginative are linked to the idea of boldness.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:12, “Because we have this hope, we are very bold.”

Boldness flows out of our hope in Jesus.

How do we hang on to boldness over the long haul? How do I remain bold to the end?

2 Timothy 1:11-12
I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what He has placed in my trust until that day.

First, we have to focus on who we trust.

Paul says that God has appointed him a herald. A herald is one who announces or proclaims.

We as followers of Jesus, like Paul, have been appointed to proclaim the Gospel.

Matthew 10:27
What I tell you now in the gloom, shout aboard when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!

We are to be people who tell the world about how awesome Jesus is.

Paul was one who represented not himself, but Jesus.

We are to be Jesus representatives or ambassadors.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.”

Paul was appointed a teacher of the Gospel.

We as Jesus followers we are to teach the Gospel with our words and our lives.

1 Peter 3:15
Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.

The fact that Paul’s life was characterized by living as a representative of Jesus and proclaiming and teaching the gospel is why Paul endured suffering.

This suffering did not lead to discouragement in Paul’s life but to great trust in Jesus.

Paul knew whom he had put his trust in - Jesus.
Paul knew what he had put his trust in - The Gospel.

Paul didn’t focus on the suffering. He focused on the calling of sharing Jesus and the Good News with the world.

That focus kept Paul bold.
That focus will keep us bold.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about focusing on the privilege of call, not on the suffering.

Second, we devote ourselves to God’s Word.

2 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives for you.

Paul tells us how to devote ourselves to the Word of God.

We are to keep it as a pattern. It is to be our standard of soundness. If anything disagrees with God’s Word, that that thing is WRONG!

We are to guard it. We are not to add to it or take away from it.

Our devotion to God’s Word is shown by loving the One who wrote it - Jesus. We show love by obeying the One who spoke God’s Word and is God’s Word - Jesus.

We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We are incapable of doing this on our own ability and strength. We need the Holy Spirit.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about believing and living out God’s Word. It is not seeing God’s Word as a theological statement, but as the living and active word of the living and active God.

Third, we anticipate the appointments and celebrate the surprises.

2 Timothy 1:15-18
As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me - even Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me because I was in chains.

Revelation 5:1-4
And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne, a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, and sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel with a loud voice was shouting out this question: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it?” But no one in all heaven or earth or from the dead was permitted to open and read it. Then I wept with disappointment because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said.

The Christian life is a life where we will face disappointment. We will never be disappointed with Jesus, but because we live in a world that is fallen and dominated by sin, we will face times of great disappointment.

But Paul found one in Onesiphorus who not only did not abandon him, but one who sought him out while he was in a Roman prison. Onesiphorus didn’t just seek Paul out, he also encouraged him.

Onesiphorus fulfilled what Proverbs 17:17 says about a friend. It says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

And Paul celebrated Onesiphorus’ friendship.

Paul did not focus on the disappointment. He focused on the surprise. He asks God to show Onesiphorus special kindness. The special kindness is mercy.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing that we will face disappointment in this life, but also knowing that God is gracious and merciful. And He will give us wonderful surprises to celebrate.

Jesus was bold. His desire is to make us as His disciples bold. If we are going to be bold, and to be bold to the end, we have to:

Focus on WHO we believe - Jesus.
Focus on WHAT we believe - God’s Word.
Know we will face DISAPPOINTMENTS.
Know we will celebrate SURPRISES.

Boldly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
                                    Joe

I never want to be timid about Jesus or the Gospel.

I don’t want to be the wicked described in Proverbs 28:1. They run away when no one is chasing them. I want to be like the godly in this verse “who are as a bold as lions.”

I want to be BOLD!

The word bold is defined as: not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

Words like courageous, darning, challenging, and imaginative are linked to the idea of boldness.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:12, “Because we have this hope, we are very bold.”

Boldness flows out of our hope in Jesus.

How do we hang on to boldness over the long haul? How do I remain bold to the end?

2 Timothy 1:11-12

I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what He has placed in my trust until that day.

First, we have to focus on who we trust.

Paul says that God has appointed him a herald. A herald is one who announces or proclaims.

We as followers of Jesus, like Paul, have been appointed to proclaim the Gospel.

Matthew 10:27

What I tell you now in the gloom, shout aboard when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!

We are to be people who tell the world about how awesome Jesus is.

Paul was one who represented not himself, but Jesus.

We are to be Jesus representatives or ambassadors.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.”

Paul was appointed a teacher of the Gospel.

We as Jesus followers we are to teach the Gospel with our words and our lives.

1 Peter 3:15

Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.

The fact that Paul’s life was characterized by living as a representative of Jesus and proclaiming and teaching the gospel is why Paul endured suffering.

This suffering did not lead to discouragement in Paul’s life but to great trust in Jesus.

Paul knew whom he had put his trust in - Jesus.

Paul knew what he had put his trust in - The Gospel.

Paul didn’t focus on the suffering. He focused on the calling of sharing Jesus and the Good News with the world.

That focus kept Paul bold.

That focus will keep us bold.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about focusing on the privilege of call, not on the suffering.

Second, we devote ourselves to God’s Word.

2 Timothy 1:13-14

What you heard from me, keep as a pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives for you.

Paul tells us how to devote ourselves to the Word of God.

We are to keep it as a pattern. It is to be our standard of soundness. If anything disagrees with God’s Word, that that thing is WRONG!

We are to guard it. We are not to add to it or take away from it.

Our devotion to God’s Word is shown by loving the One who wrote it - Jesus. We show love by obeying the One who spoke God’s Word and is God’s Word - Jesus.

We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We are incapable of doing this on our own ability and strength. We need the Holy Spirit.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about believing and living out God’s Word. It is not seeing God’s Word as a theological statement, but as the living and active word of the living and active God.

Third, we anticipate the appointments and celebrate the surprises.

2 Timothy 1:15-18

As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me - even Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me because I was in chains.

Revelation 5:1-4

And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne, a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, and sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel with a loud voice was shouting out this question: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it?” But no one in all heaven or earth or from the dead was permitted to open and read it. Then I wept with disappointment because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said.

The Christian life is a life where we will face disappointment. We will never be disappointed with Jesus, but because we live in a world that is fallen and dominated by sin, we will face times of great disappointment.

But Paul found one in Onesiphorus who not only did not abandon him, but one who sought him out while he was in a Roman prison. Onesiphorus didn’t just seek Paul out, he also encouraged him.

Onesiphorus fulfilled what Proverbs 17:17 says about a friend. It says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

And Paul celebrated Onesiphorus’ friendship.

Paul did not focus on the disappointment. He focused on the surprise. He asks God to show Onesiphorus special kindness. The special kindness is mercy.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about knowing that we will face disappointment in this life, but also knowing that God is gracious and merciful. And He will give us wonderful surprises to celebrate.

Jesus was bold. His desire is to make us as His disciples bold. If we are going to be bold, and to be bold to the end, we have to:

Focus on WHO we believe - Jesus.

Focus on WHAT we believe - God’s Word.

Know we will face DISAPPOINTMENTS.

Know we will celebrate SURPRISES.

Boldly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

Joe