Mission Hills Church
The greatest thing keeping us from the life God has for us might just be…us. We have a choice: hide behind the comfortable and the familiar, or step into the unknown…and a life unleashed.
If we want to live unleashed, we can't let fear call the shots.
Acts 9:1-2 NIV
Jesus turns opposition into opportunity.
Following Jesus means living the way he lived.
Luke 22:44 NIV
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. (Acts 9:3-5a)
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:5b-6)
Acts 9:7-9 NIV
Acts 9:10-14 NIV
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:15-16
Fear says, "stay down", but God says, "get up!"
What is God telling you to "get up" from?
If following Jesus never gets very scary, we're not following Jesus very close.
Scary places are great soil for growing faith.
1. Anticipation is worse than execution.
// ...and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2Co 10:4)
2. Scary things are less scary when we're not alone.
// “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deu 31:6).
// "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mat 28:20)
3. We can't silence the voice of fear, but we can choose not to give it the final vote.
// Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
Some form of "do not be afraid" appears 365 time in the Bible...one for every day of the year!
Acts 9:17-19 NIV
If we want to live unleashed, we have to start telling fear, “I hear your voice, but you don’t get the final vote.”
What scary thing might God be calling you to do?