Read Acts 4:29
One of the most impressive characteristics of the First Century church was its courage in the face of intense opposition. The apostles weren’t just ridiculed for their faith; they were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, and even death. Yet in the face of stern warnings, the believers prayed, “…Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29).
The First Century church didn’t pray for an easing of persecution; they prayed for courage to speak the truth regardless of the consequences. When threatened with imprisonment if they spoke publicly about Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples replied, “We must obey God, not men.” Their boldness resulted in the incarceration of Peter, the stoning of Stephen, and the beheading of James.
Twenty-first Century Christians now face increasing opposition. World Magazine recently reported that Dr. David Mackereth lost his medical practice in Great Britain because he refused to use the politically correct transgender pronouns. The United Kingdom’s Employment Tribunal concluded that the doctor’s Biblical beliefs on human sexuality disqualified him from practicing medicine in Great Britain. The Tribunal ruled, “Dr. Mackereth’s beliefs are not ‘“worthy of respect in a democratic society.’”
Several years ago, a Home Depot employee was fired for wearing a button that simply read, “One Nation under God.” Around the same time, a grade school student was suspended for initiating a Bible study at recess. Believers find themselves more and more unpopular in a society bent on secularism.
Instead of praying for more boldness, many church leaders focus on how to regain favor with the world. In response to polls that show society has an unfavorable view of the church, Christian authors slam believers for being too abrasive and judgmental. Preachers avoid “hot button” issues and emphasize serving the community so the church can enhance its image.
The Bible urges us to speak the truth in love and do everything we can to make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. Indeed, there is no merit in deliberately antagonizing unbelievers. However, tact should not trump boldness; service should not silence our testimony. The power of the gospel is not in persuading the world we are culturally sensitive but in confronting it with the cross. We still “preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23-24).
In 1939, when most German ministers had been intimidated into silence, Dietrich Bonhoeffer openly expressed opposition to the policies of Adolph Hitler. When a radio broadcast of one of his sermons was cut off in mid-sentence, Bonhoeffer knew he was in serious danger. He fled to America, where he was invited to speak in some of the leading pulpits of the Western world.
However, Bonhoeffer became convicted that he had abandoned his people at their most critical hour. He wrote that he needed to live through the difficult period in the nation’s history with the people, or he would lose his right to encourage them in rebuilding when the war was over. He went back to Germany, boldly preached the truth, and was imprisoned in April of 1943.
He wrote, “Silence in the face of evil is evil.” Two years later, in April 1945, when the war was nearly over, Hitler ordered that Bonhoeffer be hanged. Before he returned to his homeland, Bonhoeffer had said, “When God calls a man, He bids him come and die.”
If our nation has any chance to reverse the current moral collapse, it won’t be by preaching what itching ears want to hear. A spiritual revival is only possible if, like the early church, we fervently pray, “Lord enable your servants to speak the word with great boldness.”
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