Once a week. That’s usually how often I am asked. “When do you think it will be safe to come back to church?” I wonder if the question is actually eclipsing the answer.
Why? Because ours is not a safe faith. Ours is not a low-risk proposition. Ours is not a comfortable existence. At least, not in its design. Having been arrested and threatened by the same people that ordered the death of their Rabbi, these disciples found themselves weighing out risk and praying an unusual prayer:
29“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29–31 (NASB95)
These disciples felt it odd to ask Jesus for safety. They instead asked for boldness. Of greatest importance in their lives was not survival but significance. They worried less about their untimely deaths than their neighbor’s eternal lostness. They prayed for boldness.
We learn from this prayer where confidence…that which the disciples begged God for…comes from.
- Confidence (boldness) is a supernatural gift. They asked God for confidence.
- Confidence is an exhibited gift. As they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with boldness.
- Confidence is rooted in God’s Person. The first words of their prayer was to ask Jesus to take note of the circumstances: both their threats and our calling.
If Christian doctors valued safety over mission, they’d never show up for work. Instead, they wash up, glove up, mask up, and press forward. If Christian police officers valued safety over mission, they’d never show up for work. Instead, they stand up, strap on their gear, mask up, and head out to protect you and me. The mission before us as Christ-followers is no less important than that of medical professional and police officers. Perhaps we might consider and pray, Lord, take note of our circumstances, and grant that your servants might engage our culture, express praise in worship, demonstrate confidence in an all-knowing and all-powerful God, while you extend your hand to heal and save.
Originally published in The BEAM, March 2021, Englewood Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, NC www.englewoodbaptist.com
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