Week 11 - From Fear to Boldness

From Fear to Boldness

Fear is a common obstacle in evangelism, and so it was even for the early Church.

Fear often comes from misunderstanding evangelism: it’s not about having perfect answers or winning debates, but about loving people and pointing them to Christ.  The key to overcoming fear is relying on the Holy Spirit, who guides us, strengthens us, and gives us boldness. 

We are vessels of God, planting seeds in others while He grows the seeds. When people reject you after you tell them the gospel, don’t take it personally; Rejection is a response that Christ said would happen (Mark 4:1-20).  Reading Scripture (especially Acts) strengthens faith and courage, showing that even bold believers of the past experienced fear, yet they continued to share the gospel.  By trusting Jesus as King, drawing near to Him, and depending on the Spirit, we can overcome fear and proclaim the good news. 

In the Gospels, Peter denies Jesus three times out of fear, afraid of the suffering or death that would result from being associated with Christ.  However, when we take a look at the book of Acts, we see the same Peter — the one who denied his Lord — boldly proclaiming the gospel in spite of the threats, beatings, and imprisonment he faced constantly. 
What changed? The difference is the Holy Spirit dwelling within him and the power of Jesus’ resurrection.  Knowing that Christ had conquered death gave Peter the courage, hope, and authority to proclaim truth through the Holy Spirit, no longer living in fear but in the boldness of God’s promises. 

Read these Bible passages: 

Acts 4:29-31 

Acts 9:27–28 

John 15:18-19 

2 Timothy 1:7 

Ephesians 6:10-20

Questions: 

Does being a Christian mean you will never have fear? 

Did people in the early church ever fear?

How much more should we fear God rather than people? 

When evangelizing, who grows the seeds you sow?

What fear keeps you from sowing seeds?  How can you overcome this?