Fearful or Fearless?

One of the most admirable traits of the first Christians was their courage in the face of persecution and great difficulty. They were fearless. They knew what they believed and were willing to die for their beliefs. They faced ruling counsels, religious authorities, even Caesar himself and testified to the risen Lord. Their level of boldness and fearlessness was attractive to the world around them as they bore witness to their faith through great pain and persecution.Rome didn't worry them.The Pharisees couldn't phase them either.They weren't worried about grain futures in Egypt either.All that mattered was that Jesus had risen and He promised to raise them too...that death, the greatest enemy of all, had already been defeated. Who or what should they fear?They had nothing to fear and everything to gain. That is how they saw life and it is how we should see life too.If we are trying to restore the early church, somewhere along the way I am afraid that we have missed out on restoring their fearlessness. People today are hesitant to share their faith for fear of rejection so the Gospel goes un-shared. Christians fear everything from what happens in Washington to what happens to their 401k. Our fear keeps us from our freedom in Christ and the result is a church on the defensive...wall building and insulation from the community. Somewhere along the line we forget hell had gates, not the church.It is time we move our attitude and mindset from fear-driven to being fearless followers of the risen Lord. So let's talk about fear this month and how we can restore in our souls, congregations and communities a renewed boldness and a sense of fearless adventure as we risk it all for the kingdom of God.