Living Loud - Part II

Yesterday we focused on living loud for Jesus, living out our faith with enthusiasm and abandonment.

But what does that mean exactly?  And how do we do that, practically speaking?

Consider these verses:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."  (Romans 1:16 ESV)

"And when they [the apostles] had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."  (Acts 4:31 ESV)

I often think of that verse in Acts as referring to "holy boldness".  I think we all need a little more of that kind of boldness, don't you agree?

Do you think of yourself as a "bold" person?  Or is "bold" a word you use to describe someone else?  Are you "bold" in living out your faith?  Are you "bold" in speaking out for Jesus?  Or are you more an "incognito Christian", just sneaking through life?

To know how to live loud for Jesus, we need to search the Scriptures and find out what Jesus had to say.  What instructions did Jesus give?  Not what does the "church" say we should be doing, or what does the culture say we should or shouldn't do, but what did Jesus say?

Let's look in the Gospels and see what He had to say.  Here are a few examples.

"You are the salt of the earth."  (Matthew 5:13 ESV)

"You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."  (Matthew 5:14 ESV)

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16 ESV)

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

"Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."  (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment, and a second is like it:  you shall love your neighbor as yourself."  (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV)

"Go therefore, and make disciples....."  (Matthew 28:19 ESV)

These are just a few of the instructions Jesus gave, and only from one of the Gospels.  To understand what it means to live loud for Jesus, we need to be immersing ourselves in the words of Jesus and then applying them to our daily lives.  We need to know what Jesus said.  Not what the culture says.  Or what the TV preacher says.  Or what the neighbor says.

We need to know what Jesus said.  And then we need to obey. 

Has Jesus changed His mind about what we should be doing?  I don't think so.

This is what it means to live loud for Jesus.  To obey Him.  To follow His instructions.  To be salt and light to the world.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  (John 14:15 ESV)