Selfless - Bold in Witness: Week 1 with Pastor Craig Groeschel

Bold in Witness

Scripture References

Primary text

• Acts 4
• John 20:19

Other references

• 1 Corinthians 2:9
• Revelation 21

Overview

A risen Jesus turns timid disciples hiding behind locked doors into fearless witnesses who cannot be silenced. Using Acts 4 as the backbone, the message calls every follower of Christ to move from self-preservation to selfless boldness: we speak about what we believe deeply. Practical steps—daily time with Jesus and prayer for courage—show how ordinary people can become extraordinary witnesses because eternity is at stake.

Context

The sermon opens on Life.Church’s 22-year anniversary and a weekend of hundreds of baptisms. Against that backdrop of transformed lives, the pastor invites the church to begin the year with four “selfless” themes; today’s focus is being “Bold in Witness.”

Main Points

1. Fear behind locked doors (John 20:19)

• After Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples hid “behind locked doors…afraid of the Jewish leaders.”
• Many Christians still hesitate to share faith for similar reasons: fear of not knowing enough, fear of offending, fear of looking foolish.

2. The risen Jesus changes everything

• Suddenly Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
• That single encounter transformed frightened followers into courageous preachers; Peter, who once denied Christ, now proclaims Him publicly.

3. We speak boldly about what we believe deeply

“We speak boldly about what we believe deeply.”

• Everyone naturally promotes what they love—restaurants, shoes, shows—so lack of gospel boldness exposes shallow belief.

4. Marks of Spirit-given boldness (Acts 4)

• Peter declares to hostile leaders that the crippled man was healed “by the powerful name of Jesus Christ…whom God raised from the dead.”
• Council members were “amazed” at the disciples’ boldness and noted they were “ordinary men…who had been with Jesus.”

5. Growing in boldness

Spend time with Jesus

• Consistent Scripture reading and prayer recalibrate attitudes from self-focus to kingdom focus, producing daily “divine confidence.”

Ask God for boldness

• Under threat of imprisonment, the early church prayed, “Lord…give us great boldness in preaching your word” (Acts 4:29).
• God honors this prayer and uses even “idiotēs”—ordinary, untrained people.

6. The eternal stakes

• Hell: a real place of “eternal damnation…outer darkness…torment.”
• Heaven: indescribable glory where God “will wipe every tear” (Revelation 21).
• Remembering eternal realities fuels urgency; a “timid, fearful faith” cannot reach a lost world.

7. Stories & Illustrations

• Story: Seminary “CWT” assignment—memorized script, knocking on doors while praying, “God, let no one be home,” showing common fear.
• Story: College athlete-of-the-year speech; pastor used unexpected platform to preach Jesus—fellow athlete whispered, “Dude, that’s the boldest thing I’ve ever seen.”
• Story: Recent phone-store visit; failure to invite employee led the man to remark later, “Surprised that pastor didn’t invite me,” highlighting drift from earlier boldness.

Key Truths

• Encountering the resurrected Jesus turns fear into courageous witness.
• Boldness is not a personality type; it is a by-product of time spent with Jesus.
• Prayer for courage is a prayer God delights to answer.
• Eternity—heaven or hell—hangs in the balance for every person we meet.
• Ordinary people filled with the Spirit can amaze the world.

Response

• Schedule daily, unhurried time in Scripture and prayer this week.
• Pray specifically each morning: “Lord, make me bold in sharing Jesus today.”
• Identify three people in your life who need Christ; pray for them by name and look for moments to speak.
• Use every platform—work, school, social media—to point to Jesus, not to self.
• When fear surfaces, recall the empty tomb and step forward anyway.

Closing

The tomb is empty, and the Spirit now fills ordinary believers for extraordinary mission. The pastor challenged listeners to public, unashamed faith and invited those far from God to repent and trust Christ on the spot.

“We cannot stop talking about what we have seen and heard.”

Prayer

The congregation prayed for fresh boldness and, for many, a first-time surrender to Jesus—asking for forgiveness, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and a life used to bring others to Him.