Pastor Max Wilkins
April 13, 2003 - W0315

Two thousand years ago Palm Sunday marked the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem..  People welcomed Him, waved palm branches, and cheerfully shouted, ìBlessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna save usî.  But as Jesus rounded the corner and looked at Jerusalem, He wept because He set His eyes on the cross.  He knew the ultimate sacrifice would cost His life.  Still, He obediently followed His Fatherís commands.   Jesus valued and believed in His mission.  He believed that His Father would provide the resources necessary to carry out His assignment.  And because of His incredible ìHoly Boldnessî, you and I have life today. 

ìAs they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, ëGo into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it  there. If anyone says to you, ìWhy are you doing this?î you say, The Lord has need of itî; and immediately he will send it back here.íî (Mark 11:1-3) 

Jesus basically asked His disciples to go into the village and take someoneís donkey.  Then if anyone asked them about it, they were to say the Lord needed it.  Now this may not seem like such a big deal since we tend to look at the disciples as our much respected founding Fathers who led Christianity into the world.  In reality though, the disciples were just humble, ordinary men who followed the Lord into Jerusalem for the first time.  They didnít even know anyone in town.  So imagine what they must of thought of Jesusí request.  How could they (newcomers to the city) just walk in and take a donkey.  You must also understand that in that culture two thousand years ago livestock was one of the most valuable possessions.  Therefore, this donkey that Jesus asked for must have been incredibly important to the people who owned it.  Iím guessing the disciples werenít excited about what Jesus asked them to do.  Even so, they still stepped out with holy boldness and obeyed Jesus

Q1) Have you ever been asked to participate in or do something in which you didnít want to?  Why was this a challenge for you?

Eventually, the Lord will challenge us as well to do something we may be reluctant to do.  What will our response be and will we boldly step out in faith as the disciples did?  Well, let me give you three keys which will help you understand aboutÖ

           HOW CAN WE HAVE HOLY BOLDNESS?

Jesus challenged His disciples to step up with a holy boldness upon His calling and place their faith in Him.  And on that Palm Sunday the disciples took on the challenge,  They went into town and found the donkey right where Jesus said it would be.  Faithfully Jesus provided them with the resources necessary to carry on His mission.  In fact, Jesus didnít just ask His disciples to have a holy boldness.  He Himself displayed a holy boldness as He obediently sacrificed His life on the cross.

esus left His disciples with a legacy to follow which is the same as the one we are called to pursue  The Lord will call on us and challenge us in our walk with Him.  Heíll ask us to do things thatíll require that kind of boldness.  In order to boldly step forward in answer to His call, we must realize the first key to acquiring this holy boldness.  That is to...

1.  BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF THE MISSION.

The disciples were bold because they believed in what Jesus was doing.  They believed with whole hearts in the mission Jesus was putting forth.  ìAs Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  ëCome, follow me, Jesus said, ëand I will make you fishers of mení.   At once they left their nets and followed him.î  (Mt. 4:18-20)  The decision to follow Jesus required their immediate response. 

They didnít have time to pray about it, think about it or even ask for counsel.  Jesus was passing by and they might have missed the opportunity to follow if they had not responded quickly.  The same is true for us.  At some point, we need to decide if we believe in Jesusí mission and then take a stand to follow Him.

This past week, weíve seen how with sudden swiftness and boldness our armed forces advance right through the heart of the city of Baghdad, The coalition forces took over one of Saddam Husseinís palaces in an instant.  This in itself was an incredibly bold move knowing snipers and suicide bombers were in their midst.  In one interview a commander said, ìThis is what we came for.  We now believe that if we act with boldness and certainty we can get this done today. The risk will be great.  Your lives will be on the line, but if we accomplish this mission today, we can wrap this up and tens of thousands of lives might be saved if we pull this offî.  Those soldiers accomplished their goal with boldness because they believed in their mission and valued saving as many lives as they could. 

ften the Lord will ask you to exercise a different kind of boldness as well.  This may mean that you may suffer abuse or ridicule at the hands of others.  And instead of retaliating, He will ask you to respond in love.

            ìIf someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from youî.  (Mt.5:38-42) 

Q2) Have you ever been abused, had something stolen from you or carried someone elseís burden since your walk with the Lord?  If so, briefly share your response and the outcome. 

Q3)  Refer to Mt. 5:38-42.  What characteristics do you feel may hinder you from doing what Jesus asks?   What is the Lord prompting you to do about this?

The apostle Paul is an amazing example of this kind of boldness.  Jesus was the only thing that mattered to him and he was willing to do everything and anything to carry out  His mission. Paul didnít care about his life, his reputation, his wealth, or his position.

While in prison, Paul wrote this letter to his favorite church: ìWhat then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.î (Phil. 1:18, 20-21)  The only thing Paul valued was Jesusí mission.  He said that if Jesus was lifted up, thatís all that mattered.  Even if they were maligning him or had false motives, it didnít matter because he knew God would deal with them later.  The most important thing to Paul was the mission even to the point that not even his life mattered. 

So how will we be able to respond in love when faced with challenges?  Well in order to confidently press on as Paul did, here are two points that we need to make sure of.  The first is to....

• BE SURE OF YOUR CALLING.

Jesus was absolutely sure of His calling.  ìYou are my beloved child in whom Iím well pleasedî.  Jesus knew who He was in the Father.  And for us to have that kind of boldness is imperative.  We need to be sure of who we are in the Lord.

            ìYou did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain...î (Jn.15:16)  This is what Jesus says about us.  Believe it! 

Peter says, ìBut you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...î (1Pt. 2:9)  So be sure of your calling according to His Word which will support your value in His mission.  Equally important is to make sure your hearts are in the right place. 

• BE SURE OF YOUR MOTIVES.

Itís important to understand that Jesus wants us to be bold in His name not our own.  Thereís a big difference being bold for ourselves versus being bold in His name.  Since becoming a Christian I can say that I can be absolutely obnoxious in asking for things for Jesus.  I am totally unashamed to make a complete fool out of myself asking things for Him. 

A few years ago while planting a church in Boynton Beach, Florida, I saw that no one in the community expressed any interest in building a new church there.  And as I drove down Boynton Boulevard one day, I heard a radio commercial by Cal Searly , President of Prime Bank of Boynton Beach.  In the ad he stated that he wanted to partner up with others to make Boynton Beach a better community to live in.  Remember that it was my assignment to build a new church.  Thus I was determined to seek out any and all resources for help.   So I went to the bank and met with Mr. Searly.. 

I got right to the point of my visit.  I recalled his advertisement and stated that I too wanted to partner with him to make Boynton Beach a great community.  In fact I told him that we were planting a church and we were going to try and transform the community. ìAnd so Sir, I want you to give me $10,000î, I boldly declared.   Of course he didnít say no right away.  Instead he said, ìBefore I can lend you any money, I need to check and see if you have anything we can use as a collateralî.  So I replied, ìMr. Searly, you misunderstand me, I donít want to borrow any money, I want you to give me $10,000î.  ìYouíre serious arenít you!î, he said. 

So in between calls and stepping in and out of his office to take care of other tasks, he asked questions about our ministry that I gladly answered.  He later politely ended our conversation, shook my hand and said he wanted me to come see him again sometime.  I cordially thanked him for meeting with me.  Then as I stood to leave, he said,  ìOn your way out, you can pick up the check from my secretaryî.  I walked out that day with a check for $10,000.  Would you say it makes sense to be bold for Jesus or what! 

You have to be sure of your motives because the Lord He  knows your heart.. ì...so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.î (Jn. 15:16)

Perhaps the Lord is asking you to value and believe in New Hopeís mission. Perhaps Heís asking you to be bold and reach out to people around you,  It may be that He wants you to invite a family member or a coworker to Easter service.  It may mean that you must take the risk of being rejected from those who may be hostile towards the Lord. 

However, know that when you step out in faith, the value of the Lordís love for others will be apparent with holy boldness.  Remember too that the Lord would never ask you to do anything without providing help soÖ

2.  BELIEVE THE RESOURCES YOU NEED ARE AVAILABLE.

Quite simply, God would not call you to do something and not give you what you need to carry it out.   The Bible says, ìAsk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to youî.   (Mt.7:7)   Be bold and take some initiative to step out in faith because all you need is out there.

My favorite part in this Palm Sunday story is when Jesus comes around the bend and the crowd is shouting, waving their palms and cheering ìHosanna blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lordî.  Suddenly one of the Pharisees comes up to Jesus and says, stop them, donít you know what theyíre saying is blasphemy, make them be quiet.  ìSome of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, ëTeacher, rebuke Your disciples.í  But Jesus answered, ëI tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out.íî (Lk. 19:39-40)

The Pharisees didnít understand that the Lord was moving and doing something powerful beyond anyoneís control.  And even if the people were to be made silent, the stones would cry out.  Nothing would stop what God was doing.  And this is as true today as it was two thousand years ago.  When you set out in holy boldness with what the Lord is calling you to do, there is nothing on this earth that can stop it from happening. 

So first we must believe in and value Godís mission.  Next we have to be sure of our calling and our motives.  And if God is calling us to do something, we can be assured that He will provide the resources necessary for the mission.  And finally the last point in helping us step out in holy boldness is toÖ   

3.  HAVE A REASONABLE BELIEF IN A POSITIVE OUTCOME.

The disciples had been with Jesus long enough to know that no matter how bizarre it seemed, a positive outcome resulted.  As they walked with Him, they witnessed Him healing people, quieting storms, and numerous other miracles.  So regardless of whether they understood how it would all work out, they set forth in confidence knowing that it always did.

ìAnd Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, ëFather, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.í  Having said this, He breathed His last.î (Lk.. 23:46)   Jesus placed His trust in the Father even when He was betrayed, handed over, and crucified.  He believed that the Father would take the horrible events of the cross and work them for His victory, for His good.  Thus the result of His amazing love and holy boldness is that we have life and it gave us the way to the Father.   

ìFor I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.î  (Ph. 1:6)

You can trust that the Lord will finish what Heís started in you.   I donít know what God is calling you to.  However, I guarantee you that if youíre walking with the Lord, He is calling you to holy boldness somewhere.  Will you believe in and value the mission enough to take some risk?  Believe you can trust Him for the resources needed.  And then believe that there will be positive results.  God has already prepared the way.  What is God asking of you this Easter Season?  It may be just a simple step of obedience.  

GroupQ) List practical ways can you offer Jesus to others who may be hostile towards Him?                                                                  

FinalQ) In what way have you have grown or gained wisdom from what youíve learned today? 

Mahalo to Doreen Rabaino for believing in the value of the mission!