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Proverbs chapter 28, what a great chapter of the Bible, some great truths, some great verses, great proverbs. We're going to focus on one proverb there, which is verse number 1. Proverbs 28 verse 1 reads, The wicked flee when no man pursueeth, but the righteous are bold as a lion. And the title of my sermon today is The New Independent Fundamental Baptist Lion. The New Independent Fundamental Baptist Lion. Let's go to the Lord in a word of prayer before we continue. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for this great verse in the Bible and the truths that we can get from that. Please help me to preach accurately, boldly, help me to be filled with your spirit, help people to have attentive ears and hearts. Help us to want to respond to what your word says today and we ask all these things in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. OK, so Proverbs 28 verse 1 gives us two extremes of people, doesn't it? Turn to Genesis chapter 13, Genesis chapter 13. You've got the wicked, the wicked here, which isn't just talking about the unsaved. The first time the word is used, the word wicked is used is in Genesis chapter 13 and verse number 13, where the Bible reads, Genesis 13, 13, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. OK, so here it's talking about wicked, disgusting, grievous people doing abominable acts. This is some disgusting sin, is it not? And if you're unsure what the men of Sodom were doing, well, it's what the world calls today homosexuality and what the Bible calls sodomy, named after the men of Sodom. It is a vile, disgusting thing. The Bible is very, very clear about that. And as a name, the wicked, the wicked, we see that a few chapters later in Genesis chapter 18, verse 23. So, being called the wicked, Genesis 18, 23 says, And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Who's he talking about? Again, the men of Sodom. OK, these vile, disgusting perverts. OK, people that do things which no normal person would ever consider. OK, these are disgusting people. They are the wicked, the Bible calls here. Now, often in the Bible, not always. OK, just to make that clear, not always. But very often, it seems in the Bible, when it says the wicked, it's referring to the most wicked people around. Reprobates, children of the devil, sodomites, they all go hand in hand. Children of Belial, which makes sense as his name, the devil, is the wicked one. Yeah, as he's called the wicked one. So, the wicked, sinners of the lowest kind, we're seeing here in Proverbs 28, verse one, It makes me think of the ultra-paranoid sodomite. I remember when Covid kind of was first going on and they had, like, everyone had to wear a mask in the supermarket. And I remember seeing this sodomite literally, like, skipping around. It was kind of comical if they weren't so disgusting. And I've seen this a bit. I've seen these people, they just look so just paranoid and panic-stricken and fearful and everything else. And the wicked do flee often when no man pursues them. Yeah, now, some of the wicked like to appear not to be, not to be scared. But, you know, even some of the so-called toughest people I've ever met in my life, a lot of the time they're so full of fear. But a lot of the time the reason they're getting in fights and things is to try and show, you know, have this reputation and everything else. A lot of times it's picking on people they know they can be up. Okay, some of these people aren't wild reprobates as well, they're just a bit quiet and they're not quite as camp as the ones that want to show everyone they are. But a lot of the time that's what it's talking about with the wicked. So, the wicked flee when no man pursues them. Okay, that's person number one. And then you've got the second type, the second type of person, the righteous, who's bold as a lion. Who are the righteous? Is that everyone that's saved? Well, being saved as part of it is your only righteous in God's eyes by faith in Jesus Christ, aren't you? Now, if you turn to Philippians 3, 9, talking of Christ says, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. But is everyone with faith as bold as a lion then? Is everyone with faith as bold as a lion? What does it mean to be as bold as a lion? Let's work out what that actually means. What about the old insult being a scaredy cat? Do you remember that one? I don't know if they still use that now. I don't know if it's kind of prejudiced against cats or something, maybe they banned that one. But there was an old saying, wasn't there? Scaredy cat and that sort of thing. Turn to Proverbs chapter 30. I was looking at, so for this, well actually I say for this, I had been looking at some documentaries, little ones on YouTube about lions. And in particular, the male lion, and that is an amazing animal, an amazing animal. And I was looking at some documentaries, I was looking at some footage, and that's always good fun, isn't it? Especially when you can tell yourself you're preparing for a sermon with it as well. And there's some good stuff out there, and you're in Proverbs 30, let's just have a look at this quickly before I continue. Proverbs 30, 29 says, There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going. So this is Proverbs chapter 30 and from verse 29, Four are comely in going. A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any. A grey hand and he go also, and a king against whom there is no rising up. So verse 30 says, A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any. Now, people might look at it and go, wait a minute, what about the tiger? What about the crocodile? What about whatever other you've, you know, you name it, whatever your favourite animal is that you think can take on a male lion. Well, I was watching a short documentary about the male lion. And basically it was whether or not a male lion could defeat a whole hyena clan. Okay, and when we talk about a whole hyena clan, we're talking about sometimes 20 plus hyenas. And hyenas are no joke, yeah. Hyenas in fact have a stronger bite. So their PSI is that little bit stronger than a male lion's bite. Did you know that? Yeah, they have a strong bite hyenas and they put the fear into whole prides of lion. When it comes to battling for food, sometimes they'll chase off all those females, all those juvenile lions. And they're intelligent creatures as well, okay. Obviously, you know, they're in the dog family, they're very intelligent, they work in teams, they're intimidating, they are scary, scary creatures. But look, they will, they will take on a whole pride sometimes and they'll scare off a whole pride until the male lion comes along. And I was watching videos where you would have a whole clan of hyenas, yeah, 20 plus hyenas around a kill. And then suddenly they just start darting in all directions and you just see this male lion running towards the kill. Every single one legs it. Now they'll take on 10 females and younger lions and juvenile lions, they'll take on sick male lions and they love showing these videos of that. But that one healthy dominant male lion comes along and they leg it. And sometimes they won't leg it quick enough and he'll go straight for the kill. He'll just grab the nearest hyena, just kill it in front of them and they're all legging it. Now why is that? Because 20 hyenas, I think the male lion is probably three times the weight of an average hyena. 20 hyenas, well you do the math, that's six, seven times more weight than that lion. They could be biting from every angle, couldn't they? Yeah, they could be biting every part of him. They could all just get stuck in. So why is it that that male lion is so scary to them? Why is it that he's so bold? Why is it that a male lion would run into a pack of 20 hyenas and they would all dart? Why is he so confident that they're going to run off? Do you know what his main strength is? It's his boldness. It's his boldness. That's why that proverb said he's as bold as a lion. That's why it says a lion where you were, a lion which is strongest among beasts and turns not way for any. Do you know what? I honestly believe, I believe you put that male lion, it doesn't matter, you put your tiger there, you put whatever else. When that male lion wants something, if that was eating something, that male lion wants it, he'll chase it off. Because it's the boldness, it's the confidence. It doesn't matter that, oh well, some tigers are bigger, the Siberian's a big tiger, isn't it? Yeah, but that male lion's got something up there, which the rest don't have. It has, and it will fight until someone gets killed. And the male lion is an amazing creature, but it's a mentality. It's a mentality, it's the boldness of the male lion. It's because he turneth not away for any that he's strongest among beasts. That's why he's strongest among beasts. It's because he's the biggest, it's not because he's got the most powerful bite, he doesn't. It's not because he's got maybe the sharpest claws, he has got some sharp claws to swipe your head clean off. But it's because of his mentality, it's because he's bold. Turn to 1 Chronicles 12, and how do the hyenas know this? So how do the 20 hyenas, 20 plus sometimes, know how bold he is? It's his posture and his countenance. It's his posture and his countenance. You've got in front of your bulletins there a picture of a male lion. And when you see that face, that's not a scaredy-cat, is it? That's something that you see that coming at you and you'd better run, yeah? There's a boldness there, there's a confidence there, and the hyenas know that and the hyenas see that. And I argue that if that male lion who came along didn't have that look on his face, and was trying to blag it like some animals do, but didn't really have that boldness, didn't really have that confidence, I think those 20 hyenas would rip him to shreds. But it's because of his boldness, it's because of his countenance, it's because of his posture, it's because of his presence that they leg it. 1 Chronicles 11, you're in 12, 1 Chronicles 11 details David's mighty men. Then 1 Chronicles 12 gives us some additional men of renown. 1 Chronicles 12 and verse 8 says, And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hole to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle that could handle Sheldenbuckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the rose upon the mountains. What do you think it was about their faces? Do you think it was sharp teeth? They'd been filing them down? What was it when we were talking about this the other week? Something I was talking about it with, about these people that filed down their teeth to go and get these, what do they call them again? They go to Turkey because it's cheap, veneers. Have you ever seen anyone when they've had their teeth filed down before they get veneers? My word, it looks absolutely horrific. They're very sharp though, aren't they? Very sharp teeth. I don't think they were filing down their teeth to get veneers eventually, just bizarre vanity there. Do you think they had whiskers? Maybe they'd done something with their beards so that they just had whiskers growing out and the rest was all maybe shaved, or maybe they had a big beard. Well, I think it was something about their faces, wasn't it? Turn to Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 1. I mean, you could say grow a beard for starters. No, I'm joking. You don't need a beard to be bold as a lion. But what is it? How do we get this boldness? How do we get faces like the faces of lions? Well, Ecclesiastes 8.1 says, who is as a wise man? Ecclesiastes 8.1. Who is as the wise man and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine and the boldness of his face shall be changed. The boldness of his face shall be changed. According to Solomon here, wisdom makes the boldness of our face to change. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? It's the wisdom that makes our faces change. So, what is it about the lion here that makes his face change? Well, it's the boldness that makes his face change. Now, I'm not saying that the lion is wise. The lion has an innate boldness. But we can get that boldness, can't we? So, wisdom makes the boldness of our face to change. Turn to Psalm 111. Where does wisdom come from then? It starts with salvation, doesn't it? You'll turn to Psalm 111. It starts with salvation. Psalm 111 verse 10 says the fear of the Lord is a beginning of wisdom, a good understanding, have all they that do his commandments, his praise, endureth forever. Now, obviously, there's a fear of the Lord needed for salvation, isn't there? And if you're going out and you're preaching the gospel to people and you're just trying to encourage them to say a prayer because you might have a bit of a nicer life with it or something else, then I would suggest that you're not really getting them saved. There has to be a fear of the Lord. There has to be a fear of hell to need a Savior and to want a Savior. It doesn't matter what they repeat after you. It doesn't matter what you persuade them to say. They have to have a fear, don't they? The fear of the Lord is a beginning of wisdom, a good understanding of all they that do his commandments, his praise, endureth forever. That's a beginning, but it grows from doing his commandments, doesn't it? Yeah, it grows from doing his commandments, a good understanding of all they that do his commandments. Turn to Leviticus 26 because when Proverbs 28 once said, The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion. I don't think it's just talking about being saved because I've seen many, many saved people out there that are not bold as lions, okay? There are. There are many, many saved people that are not bold as a lion. In fact, I would say there are saved people out there that are bordering on being described more like the wicked, who are fleeing when no man pursueth. Leviticus 26 and verse 13 says, I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt that ye should not be their bondmen. And I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you go upright. But if you will not hearken unto me and will not do all these commandments, and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul of all my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but let ye break my covenant, I also will do this unto you. I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning of you. That shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart, and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Of course he's talking to Israel as a collective there, but there are saved men and women of God out there, aren't there, that seem more like they're fleeing than being as bold as a lion. They seem like they're fleeing like the wicked, rather than being bold as a lion. Of course when you look at the Christian churches around, and look, just to make it clear here, we don't think, I've heard some preaching on this recently, but it was from somewhere else, it was from the US, and there are still some churches out there that don't believe like we do, where there are still people that are bold, they're still preaching properly, they're still preaching hard, they still have the gospel right. We're not in that situation in this country. It's not there's just all these IFB churches around, but we just hate them because they don't believe in the preacher of rapture, or they don't, sorry, because they do believe in the preacher of rapture, or because they do believe in Zionism or something else. The issue is that the vast, vast, vast majority don't even have a saved man of God preaching. They don't even seem to have someone saved in the congregation, and they don't even seem to actually believe the gospel. And then after that, the ones that seem to just about, you think, well, they're a bit funny, but they seem to believe in grace through faith, are they doing anything that the word of God tells them to do? Hardly anything at all. So it's a very different situation here. And when you look at those churches, do you see any line like boldness? Because I've been to quite a few of these churches, it wasn't because, look, I was there and submitting to church leadership, I was doing, as these pastors said, I was treating them with the utmost respect, in case you're sitting there going, why have you been to so many churches, brother? Because they end up being either unsaved, in fact, they all ended up being unsaved, buying a couple left, and then the last one, I think, before another unsaved one, reprobate false prophet that I left. The one before that just ended up refusing to sing because of COVID guidelines in it. I couldn't go to church and not sing, so I tried another church. But look, these churches out there, they are not as bold as a line, and none of those ones that I look back on and go, okay, well, I can't say they weren't saved. They're anything but. And I'm not just talking about the pastor, I'm talking about the people in the church as well. Okay, they are not as bold as a line. When you look at those churches, you're talking about the opposite. You're talking about scampering into little dark corners. You're talking about hiding from the light, yeah? You're talking about churches which are just trying to just keep a low profile, keep away, not say anything that's going to offend anyone. You've got people in the church that don't want to do anything that might actually show they're a Christian or anything else, okay? We're talking about the complete opposite of being as bold as a line. What about that seemingly saved, apparently saved, casual dress-wearing pastor, and I mean casual dresses in casual clothing, his liberal, you know, God is love flock. Do you look at people like that and go, bold as a line, bold as a line. He won't even preach something that offends his congregation, let alone that goes against the liberal mainstream. He won't preach a thing, he'll just stick to the most just unoffensive passages. He will just create this new version of God because it just stops him having to be bold. And again, I'm not just talking about the pastor because the congregation is the same, isn't it? The congregation is the same. Do you go in there and see people and go, yeah, bold men and women of God in there, bold children of God in there, you don't see that at all, do you? You don't see that at all. When I look at the remaining, because a lot of those are what we'd call maybe new evangelical or something else like that, when you look at the remaining independent Baptist churches around, independent IFB, yeah, strong IFB churches, are they strong, no? The ones in this nation are weak as anything, soft, scared of their own shadow, hiding behind whatever so-called laws, rules that they decide, stop them being able to preach the whole word of God, bold as a lion, no way. And again, congregation, no way. But here's the thing, there's a difference here, isn't there? There's a difference with the new independent fundamental Baptist. And if you're sitting there thinking, what is a new independent fundamental Baptist? Well, we're basically independent fundamental Baptists, okay? It's not that we're this new denomination because it's not a denomination anyway, okay? But what we are, we're just people, we're just men and women and children of God here that just want to go back to the old paths, yeah? And just basically preach what the word of God says. Believe what the word of God says. Go out and solve it like the word of God says. And sadly, what we call old IFB churches seem to be going liberal and apostate quicker than I can get these words out of my mouth. And that's where we've got to, haven't we? Okay, that's why we proudly call ourselves and proud in a good way new independent fundamental Baptist because we believe the word of God, okay? But that's the difference with us. And here's the thing, this is what you've got to understand. It's not that we preach hard on sin because we're bold. We're bold because we preach hard on sin, yeah? Do you understand the difference there? It's not that we preach the truth about sodomites because we're bold. We're bold because we preach the truth about sodomites. Yet that's the response that you get amongst the people in the church like this is that they get bolder because we're doing things right, because we're getting right, because we're getting righteous. It's not that we preach the truth about the Zionist fraud because we're bold. We're bold because we preach the truth about the Zionist lies It's not that we preach the truth about the pre-trib lie Because we're bold. We're bold because we preach the truth Because we preach the Word of God. Yeah, that's why we're bold. It's not oh, well, it's only bold people that cut No, no, we become bold. It creates bold people. It creates bold Christians. It creates new independent fundamental Baptist lines We're bold because we preach the truth about male leadership in the home We're bold because we preach about standards because we preach about raising families Because we preach about reading the Bible I mean how simple is it? But how often do you go in these churches and you could sit there for a year and they don't ever encourage you to read Your Bible and that's the difference and that's why we're bold That's why we're bold as lions and that's why these these liberal the just about remaining churches left out there Look at us and they hate us and it's not they hate us because how dare they believe what the Bible says about the Jews How dare they believe what the Bible says about sodomites? No, it's because they're so envious It's because they're not bold. It's because they wish they were and they can't be bold They look at people like pastor Anderson and lovers out there and they're envious and they envy his boldness But it's not that he's just just born bold. No, it's because he's trying to do things, right? Yeah, that's the difference That's why we're new independent fundamental Baptist lines Because we're trying to get righteous. Yeah. I hope everyone here is trying to get righteous and If you're not trying to get righteous you could pretend you're bold. Yeah, people could pretend they're bold. I've seen many people pretend they're bold But it comes out in the end. Yeah, it comes out in the end By reading it by memorizing it by preaching it Not just some of it but all of it. So word of God, isn't it? So word of God that makes you bold. Yeah But we need to make sure that we apply that boldness in our lives. Don't we so well and good sit here going Yeah, we're bold We come to a church like they said I tell you what some people you have to be bold to even come to a church Like this don't you it's much easier to go down and pass the skinny jeans around the corner and just sit there and say yeah Love you all love you all give you all cuddles and hugs on the way out and go home and and forget about God for The week but when you come to a church like this You need to be bold in the first place you need to be bold to sit in here and listen to the preaching listen to Sometimes your sins being called out listen to other people being called out wondering at what point are we gonna have people coming in here? And causing problems now that this church is a battleground itself as well You have to be bold for that but there are three areas I think in our lives where we want to make sure that we are as bold as a lion because we are new independent Fundamental Baptist Lions aren't we the NIFB which is what it's abbreviated to lion is number one bold in their faith Okay, number one the NIFB lion is bold in their faith turn the first Corinthians 16 the male lion doesn't finish fighting off the snarling clan of 20 hyenas and then Try to pretend that he's not a lion and then try and dress up as a weaker cat like a tiger or something like that You tiger love I know there's some tiger lovers out there you tiger lovers get right with God Yeah, it's a lion the time is not away for any not the tiger with his silly stripes He doesn't keep quiet about the fact he's a lion does he? Do you know what he does that the tiger doesn't do not like the lion does you know it does he roars He roars I'm a lion. I'm a lion and he lets people know he's a lion. Yeah, that's how bold the lion is He's just ripped that hyena to shreds. He's chased off the rest of them He's nicked their kill and then he roars his head off and says I'm a lion And we should all be wrong our heads off. We're a lion This is quite handy being a hunk behind a pulpit because you can do that without people wondering what on earth are you doing? Some of you're wondering what on earth are you doing aren't you you know? Well, I'm trying to be an independent fundamental Baptist line I know we should all be trying to be an independent a new independent fundamental Baptist lion, right? So we should be bold in our faith in first Corinthians 16 13 Paul is finishing his letter and he commands the Corinthian church in verse 13 first Corinthians 16 verse 13 He says watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong What does he mean to stand fast in the faith? Well fast is firm Immovable and he said to stand fast didn't he he didn't say to sit fast or creep fast Hide fast did he he said to stand fast he said to stand up straight in the faith Yeah to stand there and say here I am. Yeah, I'm a new independent fundamental Baptist Yeah, that's me. I believe yeah, I believe the Word of God I believe I believe what these preachers that everyone hates that the world hates at the liberal Christian hate Yeah, I believe everything they say I believe pretty much everything they say Yeah, there might be the odd thing you might disagree with but when it comes down to the fundamentals when it comes down to the key truths of the Bible We believe that don't we? We believe that that's why we're here because we believe the truth because we believe the Word of God He's saying stand up straight in the faith. He's not just talking about your salvation He's not just saying I will make sure you say he's not just saying well make sure you believe That it's grace through faith and it is grace through faith We need to stand up for that don't we because how many so-called men of God aren't standing up for grace through faith Because they just want more in their church Well, if I don't if I'm not too strong on it Then at least they'll still stand the church these people that believe that you've got to repent of your sins Whatever that me I tell you as long as we just you know, say well, yeah, it depends what you mean by that Yeah, you know, that's what I know. What is repenting of your sins? Tell me what that is And if you believe that you have to somehow stop some sort of sinning turn away from your sins or anything else You don't believe that it's grace through faith. Yeah, we need to stand up for grace through faith Quit you like men means man up give a proper account of yourselves be be bold enough to say that to somebody bold enough to The nominal Christian who hang. Oh, you got a church. I'm a Christian too. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, you know, okay What do you believe? Oh, yeah, there's God. Yeah. Yeah, well stand up and so what do you believe? Yeah What do you believe do you need me to preach the gospel to you? Do you need to get saved or should we just act? Oh, well, it's a bit awkward bit uncomfortable. Yeah. Well don't want to offend them. Well, yeah don't offend them and send them to hell Yeah, don't offend them and they could that could be the one chance they get to hear the gospel. Yeah We need to stand up. We need to quit us like men. That means give a proper account of yourselves The NIFB lion stands fast in his faith, doesn't he? Okay, but it's not just about grace through faith The NIFB lion stands fast in his faith about there being an inspired Preserved Word of God. Yeah, don't we stand fast in that? Are you embarrassed about that? Are you embarrassed about the fact that we read the King James Bible? I had someone say to me the other day that someone tried to Try to suggest that we're a cult because we believe that there's an inspired preserved Word of God How dare she claiming to be a Christian saying that the Word of God means you're in a cult But that's what's out there, isn't it? And we want to be able to stand there and say no You're in a cult because what you believe is false we believe the Word of God Yeah, and we should be I'm happy to believe the Word of God now and I will say yeah We are King James only and how dare you not be how dare you not be you're not lions You little little scaredy cats. That's what they are. They're scared of the Word of God The NIFB lion stands fast in his faith about creation, doesn't he? He doesn't try and appease well, maybe there's like a gap maybe there's a gap Well, maybe well, maybe they weren't literal days. No, they're literal days to the Bible says they're literal days, isn't it? Yeah, the Bible's clear that there are literal six days of creation and seventh day rested Okay, and we stand fast in that don't we? Yeah. Yeah, I don't even have to I don't have time I've said this one I have time for that debate. I don't have time for big long ministries debating and and and Casting your pearls to swine and debating when he's god-hating atheist Preaching the gospel. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk to him. Yeah, I don't have an interest in all that I think there's a lot of vain jangling going on there You know the NIFB lion stands fast in his faith about baptism, doesn't he? Well, if you know if you fancy it, well, you know, well, it's up to you. Yeah. No, no You've got saved you should get baptized and I hope every time you get someone saved you say to them You need to come to church get baptized. Yeah. No, it's not gonna save them. No, it doesn't mean oh, well It's just sealed their salvation. No, but God commands them to get baptized, isn't he? Yeah Look, I don't force someone to get baptized but I but I will say to them. Yes, you should get baptized You should get baptized and and we know what baptism is and we're not embarrassed about the fact that we dunk them under water We dunk them under water. Okay, and no we don't have to do a baptism course No, we don't have to have some sort of big ceremony where people chant and sing weird things and everything else And no, we just dunk you under water because you got saved Okay, because that's what the Bible teaches to do the NIFB lion stands fast his faith about that. He stands fast His faith about clothing standards, doesn't he? Yeah, are we embarrassed about clothing standards? Are you embarrassed about clothing standards? Are you embarrassed that you don't look like the wicked world out there? Are you embarrassed because you dress modestly Are you embarrassed men? Because you dress properly because you can't wear you shouldn't be wearing those skinny little tight tops and those little short shorts in the gym And all that queer outfit you embarrass ladies because you're not flaunting your bodies I call the whores out there because you're not cross-dressing like many you embarrassed about that or you as bold as a lion Do you stand fast in your face? I'm talking to the teenagers and kids who as well stand there and say no because how you dress is not how God wants us To dress yeah, if someone wants to come up to you Yeah, you don't have to go around and start telling that to everyone in the street Probably not the best way of soul winning But I'll tell you if someone wants to come up to you and ask why you dress like that someone wants to give you a funny Look, well you tell them you'd be bold as a lion Yeah, be bold as a lion because we're new independent fundamental Baptist lions, aren't we? He or she is Bold as a lion like all the other new independent fundamental Baptist that we see in the Bible Yeah, and they're throughout the Bible. Did you know that the Bible is full of independent fundamental Baptist turn of mark 15 Baptists like Joseph of Arimathea Who has just watched the arrest the false charges and brutal execution of the Lord Jesus Christ But you know what that new independent fundamental Baptist did Well mark 15 of verse 43 Joseph of Arimathea an honorable counselor which also waited for the kingdom of God Came and went in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body of Jesus Why did he go in boldly? Why did he go in boldly? He's just watched Jesus Christ get murdered He's just watched him be nailed to a cross because he was honorable The righteous are bold as a lion. Yeah, the righteous are bold as a lion. He was an honorable counselor That's why he went in boldly Turn to Acts chapter 4 Baptist like Peter and John Who have just been arrested put in prison overnight by the same people that killed Jesus Christ And in Acts chapter 4 and from verse 7 acts 4 7 The Bible reads and when they had set them in the mid say asked by what power by what name have you done this Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them you rulers of the people and elders of Israel If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him dug this man stand here before you whole This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders Which has become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is none of the name Under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men They marveled then they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Why were they bold verse 8 says that Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost. He was filled with the Holy Ghost What was the result verse 13 they took knowledge of them they took knowledge of them They perceived that they were learned and an ignorant men So I unlearned and ignorant men they marveled and they took knowledge of them because of the boldness of boldness is for a reason Isn't it the bonus is to show your back the bonus of that line is to be able to dominate the plains of Africa The boldness of the new independent fundamental Baptist it's to show that you're about to sit to show that you know, Jesus It's to show that difference. It's to have that difference How'd you get it? How'd you get the boldness? You get right you get filled with the Holy Ghost and you get doing things for Jesus. Yeah, it's not it's not enough Well, yeah, well, I believe all that stuff. No you get right with God Yeah, you seek his will you try and live right you therefore get filled with the Holy Ghost and you get doing things for God Because you're not gonna get bold doing nothing. Are you? Keep a finger there in turn of 1st Timothy 3 Where one of the boldest Baptist ever the Apostle Paul is telling Timothy that people that do things for God get bold So in 1st Timothy 3, he's just given the qualifications for a pastor Then he talks about deacons Okay, and a deacon is basically an assistant a help in the church for the pastor Likewise verse 8 1st Timothy 3 verse 8 likewise Must the deacons be grave not double-tongued not given to much wine not greedy a filthy Luca Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience But let these also first be proved then let them use the office of a deacon being found blameless Even so must their wives be grave not slanderous sober faithful in all things Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife ruling their children or own houses Well for they that have used the office of a deacon well perched themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus They have these qualities, right? Yeah, they have these amazing qualities there to be a deacon But how do they purchase themselves great boldness because it's not for me boldness saying enough I want great boldness great boldness in the faith by doing the job well for God Yeah by working for God by doing the job properly for God. Oh, well now and again I you know I do the odd thing now is by wanting to work and serve and do what God wants him to do in all areas of Life because it's all areas of life of life that that that deacon needs to qualify, isn't it? Yeah, he needs to be the husband of one wife. He needs to rule his children in his own houses Well, he needs to be found blameless. He needs to be he needs to have his wife in Subjection grave not a slanderous sober faithful in all things. He needs to hold the mystery of a faith in a pure conscience He needs to be grave not double-tongued not given to much wine not greedy filthy Luca Then he works for God Then he purchase is to himself Great boldness in the faith and we want great boldness in the faith Don't we you want to be bold as a lion get work get busy get soul-winning Yeah, get working get busy get soul-winning The title of my sermon is a new independent fundamental Baptist lion as you know, we're looking at three areas where the NIFB Should be as bold as a lion number one Was bold in their faith number two the NIFB lion is bold in their soul-winning Okay, he's bold in his soul-winning turn back to Acts chapter 4 Now, of course, there's a boldness required to even go so winning in the first place, isn't there? Yeah, there is a boldness required to even go so winning in the first place Okay, you need some boldness to go out and go so winning But once we're out once you're out that ain't enough you have to do it with boldness You must do it with boldness Okay, when you're out when if that if that line look he's out he's taken on he's charging towards that clan of hyenas But he can't just suddenly then lose a boldness when he gets there Yeah, he has to continue. He has to swipe. He has to bite. He has to growl. He has to chase him off He has to do it with boldness Well Acts chapter 4 and from verse 14 Acts 4 14 and beholding the man which was healed standing with them They could say nothing against it but when they commanded them to go aside out of the council they conferred among themselves saying what shall we do to these men for Then indeed a notable miracle have been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it But that it spread no further among the people let us straightly threaten them That they speak henceforth to no man in this name and they called them and commanded them Not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus now. We're not at this point yet in this nation But we get something similar sometimes on doors. Don't we don't you knock around here? Don't you you shouldn't be saying you shouldn't be telling kids how to get saved What that what is wrong with you those kids that are out on their own their parents don't even care They're out there on their own dare a Christian try and show them the Bible the danger the danger that they might even get saved Yeah, commanded to get out of here get out of this air. We sometimes get that don't we don't knock on that door They won't be my neighbor. My neighbor doesn't want you knocking on their door. Well, that's funny because I'm gonna knock on it anyway Because I'm a new independent fundamental Baptist lie First 19 but Peter and John answers said unto them whether it be right in the sight of God to harken unto you more than unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard amen today We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard but we want to speak it boldly So when they had further threatened them They let them go finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people for all men glorify God for that which was done so being threatened and let go jump forward of verse 29 now verse 29 and Now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word Nothing wrong with praying for boldness is there anything wrong with that pray for boldness, but it's boldness to serve God Yeah to speak his word. The purpose is to get people saved. It's not boldness to Whatever it is boldness to do something in the world where you're just gonna look a bit cooler a bit more But no, it's boldness in the faith. It's boldness to get people say he says in verse 30 It says here by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs of wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus and when they're prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they Spake the Word of God with boldness. So they were filled with the Holy Ghost. They're doing amazing things miracles for God They spake the Word of God with boldness. Yeah now turn to Ephesians chapter 6 Because there are some here that might find that hard. There are some people that aren't maybe as outgoing there are some people that maybe just Something they suffer with more than others is the anxiety the fear Yeah, the issues with talking to people the social awkwardness Pray for it pray for it pray for boldness, but it's not praying for boldness so you can just Compete with others. It's not praying for boldness so you can be some name in the church It's not praying for boldness so you can appear unto men to be whatever it is You want to appear to be it's praying for boldness serve God. Yeah, it's praying for boldness to be a servant of God Paul prayed for boldness Paul who's perhaps one of the boldest men that ever lived isn't he? He prayed for bold boldness. In fact, he didn't only pray for it He requested that the Ephesian Church pray for his boldness and we should all be praying for each other's boldness That's a good example for us Ephesians 6 and from verse 19 Paul says and for me the utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly To make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak as he ought to speak Yeah, that's how he should speak. That's look You're bringing The gospel to someone's thought you're bringing eternal life to someone's door to someone in the street to someone in the park Whatever it is to someone in your personal life There's nothing to be embarrassed about what on earth are you embarrassed about? You're bringing the gospel you you're bringing the words of eternal life What are you embarrassed about? What are you shy about? What you nervous about? Get them saved if they don't that's down to them. Yeah, we should be bolder And you know what you know what a difference it is when you're bold on the door Do you know what a difference it is when someone stands it looks at you and says to you that I know I know What the Bible says is true, and I want to show you how to get saved then someone who goes Would you like to hear what or sorry to disturb you, but we just do you think they want to hear you? Do they think you're bringing something that's going to change their lives? Do they think that you're bringing the truth to their doors or do they think that you're just another Jehovah's Witness? Yeah There's a there's a big difference isn't there yeah, of course it's a word of God that saves yeah Of course we want to find people that want to hear but you know what they're gonna want to hear you when you're bold with It yeah They're gonna want to hear you when you come with the boldness that you should that you ought to have you ought to speak Because you you're coming with the Word of God You're coming with salvation come with the Holy Spirit You're coming to get people saved and we need to make sure we're doing that without preaching the gospel Make sure you're going there with boldness when you're banging on that door. You're banging with boldness Yeah, you're when they open the door you're boldly Speaking the gospel to them Yeah Look, we could all be reminded that because they will all every single one of us here will have times that we knock on the Door and we're just not quite that bold are we and what a difference it is when you go out and you're feeling that little Bit nervous it a little bit insecure a little bit fearful about something Maybe it's an area that you're not used to when that happens. What a difference it is, isn't it? Yeah, do you get the results? Do you get the results that you let you get when you're just bolder? You're like, I want to show you how to get safe. I Say you don't You're bringing the gift of salvation Don't whisper it Why do you need to whisper it? Shout it if you need to preach the gospel to him the neighbor might hear it as well great Don't whisper it. Okay, and look some of us have quieter voices than others if you have a quiet voice then learn a shout Yeah, learn to roar like that lion when you preach the gospel because there's nothing to keep secret about preaching the gospel These guys here were having their lives threatened. Yeah, they're having their lives threatened Turner acts chapter 19 Are you getting your life threatened for preaching the gospel? No Not yet. Maybe not ever. I don't know But there's a difference by the way between boldness And forcing people to hear you Okay, just remember that there's a difference between boldly preaching and boldly rowing with reprobates Okay, there's nothing there's nothing desirable about standing there having a row for an hour with a rip. I was bold man I let him have it. I told I told him that that he's preaching at that church and it's wrong Yeah, but what did you just do for an hour? You just told a reprobate who knows he's a reprobate that he's a reprobate Or you told a guy that can't believe the gospel the gospel that he can't believe Look, we should try. Yeah, we should try and preach the gospel to people and we don't know for sure with a lot Some people you do know for sure, but when someone stands and says to me, I'm the pastor at You know, whatever False Church down the road. Yeah, and And he starts talking about repenting of your sins He starts talking about you know, some sort of world as long as you keep repenting or any of that sort of rubbish I don't want to talk to that guy. I'll rebuke him and walk off. Yeah What have I got to say to that guy? Yeah, that ain't a kill that I want to eat. Yeah No, I'm a lion. I don't want to eat that. That's some dirty old mank twice dead meat. That's rotting flesh Yeah, I don't want that. It's gonna make me sick I want to gather and get the fresh meat I want to get the people that want to get say the people that can get saved. Yeah, we've got to remember that as well Yeah, remember that when you're out on the door in acts 19 Verses 8 to 9 Paul is at Ephesus. He's preaching. He's leading disciples verse 8 It says that he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months Disputing and persuading the things concerned the kingdom of God But when divers were hardened and believed not But spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them and separated the disciples disputing daily in the school of one Taranis So, what did he do with the hard-hearted rejectors rejectors did he boldly beat them into submission Did he boldly debate those ones that were hardened? We're talking about the hardened here We're not about disputing with those, you know, where he's trying to get people say we're talking about one divers were hardened And believe not but spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them. Yeah They're done. These people are done. Yeah. Yeah, and we've got to remember that okay There's nothing bold about getting in rows out in on the doors. Nothing bold about getting in rows on the streets. Yeah The there's something bold about opening your mouth boldly to preach the gospel. That's what we're there to do We're there to preach the gospel He departed from them. He left he moved on and look you got to remember that when you preach in the gospel Yeah, you're not trying to beat them into submission that ain't bold You're not trying to force someone to just eventually disagree with everything you say because that will shut you up That's not bold. That's that's that's a full salvation You're trying to get them to want to put their faith in Jesus Christ not to just shut you up Yeah, there's a difference obviously. Yes. We want to be bold, but the boldness is not to waste our time with distraction It's not to waste our time with people that just want to shut you up Toddler my son is a new independent fundamental Baptist lion. We're looking at three areas Yeah, number one The NIFB lion is bold in their faith number two The NIFB lion is bold in their soul and in number three the NIFB lion is bold in their prayer The NIFB lion is bold in their prayer turn to James chapter 1 you say hold on brother Ian What does boldness have to do with prayer? There's a lot to a successful prayer Boldness has a lot to do with successful prayer James chapter 1 and from verse 5 Says James 1 5 if any of you lack wisdom Let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him But let him ask in faith Nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and toss don't waver stand fast in your Faith be bold when you ask God or you won't receive Yeah Be bold or you will not receive verse 7 says for let not that man think that he shall receive Anything of the Lord a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways you want to receive from the Lord You need to be bold in your prayer life. You want to receive you need to be bold Don't be praying on one hand, but expecting not to receive on the other. That's a double-minded man. That's unstable in all his ways Okay, don't be there praying. Oh, yeah, but I know he's not gonna give me that. Yeah, I'm gonna give you it Yeah, okay, you ain't gonna get it says that not that man think they should he shall receive anything of the Lord You listen to that. Yeah, you're hearing that NIFB lion out there. You might be bold in your faith You might be bold in your soul winning But if you're not bold in your prayer life, then you're missing out big-time. You're missing out on all the many things that you could be getting Ephesians 3 12 you'd have to turn to turn to first John 5. You've got to ask boldly Well, I read Ephesians 3 12 first John 5 your tone to Ephesians 3 12 talking to Jesus Christ says in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him So we have access of boldness. We have sorry boldness and access with confidence. Yeah We should we should be confident in that access to Jesus Christ and bold in it But what does it mean that we can does that mean we can just boldly ask for anything? Is that what it means just boldly ask for anything you get anything you like if you're bold, you're gonna get it Well, as long as it's according to his will yeah as long as it's according to his will and look I don't want things that aren't according to his will do you want things that aren't according to God's will? The flesh might do the lusts of the flesh does but we shouldn't want that should we yeah And if we you know, what's good for yourself you want to only have things which according to God's will Well first John 5 and verse 14 says and this is a confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to His will he heareth us and if we know that he hear us whatsoever We ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. So if it's according to his will he hears us Yeah, he will hear you if it's according to his will obviously if you're praying for the Ferrari You're praying for the might get you to soul winning quicker. It must be as well No, because you're probably gonna crash and die Yeah, if you're praying for the lottery I don't think it's according to his will because you're probably just gonna end up being a scumbag Okay, because money corrupts. Yeah, but if you're praying for something according to his will well, he hears you and verse 14 says and If he hears us, this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything called his will he hear us So verse 15 says and we if we know that he hear us What said we asked we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him So he will then give us what we ask That's great, isn't it? If you know that he hears you then you know He's gonna want to you because he will answer but you got to do it in in faith You got to do it in boldness. Nothing wavering not unstable not double-minded turn to Proverbs 28 Okay, so well you're saying okay. So how do I get bold as a lion? When I'm praying How do I get as bold as a lion when I'm praying? Well, it comes back to being righteous doesn't it comes back to being righteous we start in Proverbs 28 But have a look at verse 9 not verse 1 Proverbs 28 9 Says he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law Even his prayer shall be Abomination Abomination, can you listen to that there if you turn away your ear from hearing the law if you sit in church Then you're like, I don't want to hear that. I don't want I don't want to hear what God's saying on that subject I don't want to hear our brother is just getting us again on that bit. I don't care about that bit And then you go home and you pray to God for things well, do you know what he thinks it's an abomination That's a strong verse of the Bible, isn't it? You turn away your ear from here you read in the Bible You read something that says clearly clear as day God's telling you how he wants you to behave how he wants you to act How he wants you to live and you go now And then you go and pray to him. Do you know that is? Abomination that means he hates it's abominable. He detests it He detests you turning away you hear from him and pray to him and I was thinking it's a bit like this Imagine your kids are just ignoring your rules. Imagine one of your kids some of you parents here You you said to her could you just not and they went like this la la can't hear you La la no, no, not not interested. No, no, okay, then they take their hands away from their ears ago. Can I have an ice cream? No Can I have can I have this can you can you do something else? Can you can you go and spend a lot of time and money on me though? Are you gonna what are you gonna think about that request? Abomination it'll be you little you little brat. Come here How dare you in fact, you should be like that when they're doing this bit. Yeah You know, oh, yeah. Yeah sure. Whatever you want you poor little thing Oh, well, it was so no cuz that bit was a bit hard for you Oh, well, you know don't doing that bit, you know, well, you know that bit in church with that That was a bit mean wasn't it? Oh two weeks in a row the preaching hit you I don't know. Of course. You don't have to do that. But what would you like? What would you like? That's what it's like, isn't it? Yeah, listen to what God's got to say. Yeah. Look you might not always get it, right Yeah, of course, of course. We're all sinners. Of course. We all have the sinful flesh But if you're just turning away your ears, you're going I don't want to hear that. I'm gonna switch off at this part I'm gonna go away and just I don't want to hear what brother Ian's got to say about following church rules That's coming from God ultimately. Okay, cuz God wants you to be a good church member Okay, I don't want I don't want to hear what brother Ian's got to say about how we should dress when we're not at church No, cuz that's what God has to say. Yeah, you're turning away your ears Oh, well, I don't want to hear what brother Ian's got to say about this sin in my life about this sin or that sin Or you know about how I should be reading my Bible But God said Night and day didn't he? He said he said through the Psalmist Thy law do I love yeah, we should love it. You should want to read it You should and you should want to pray to him You should want to pray to him if you want to pray to him You don't want your prayer to be abomination. You need to get right you need to not turn away your ears from hearing the law Otherwise your prayer shall be abomination turn to Proverbs chapter 10 If you hear what God's saying to you He will hear what you're saying to him and then you can be bold in what you ask Pretty simple, isn't it? So it should be Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 24 Proverbs 10 24 says the fear of the wicked It shall come upon him, but the desire of the righteous shall be granted It's all about being righteous, isn't it? It all comes back to it. It's all about but yeah, we're saved grace through faith Yeah, we make a point don't we and we say it a lot when we're out there. Look. We're just another sinner Yeah, of course we sin. Yep. Sadly we sin every day. Yeah Look, we're not trying to deny that but we want to be trying to be righteous. Yeah, and God sees a heart, doesn't he? Yeah sees a heart He knows what you want to do and sometimes I think we can get so carried away with obviously Because we're those of you that preaching a gospel a lot. You should be preaching a gospel a lot We're saying to people look we're all sinners. Yep, and look and we are I'm not trying to say we're not but you know What ain't an excuse? It's not an excuse and it's not just pick and choose time with what God's law said No, we want to try want to get our hearts right want to try and live for God We don't want to turn away our ears from the law and like it says here the fear of the wicked It shall come upon him, but the desire of the righteous shall be granted. You want your desires granted then get right Get righteous. Yeah get right with God. It's all about being righteous even in prayer It's a righteous abode as a lion and that's why when it comes back to what I said at the beginning We're new independent fundamental Baptist. You know that really means Ultimately, what it really means is that we're trying to get righteous. We're trying to live how God wants us to live We believe the whole counts of God. We believe the whole word of God and we try and follow it Okay, and that's what it comes down to and that's why when you when you try and do things right you can say yeah I'm a new independent fundamental Baptist line Yeah, and that's what it comes down to get righteous get bold get line like so, you know I've been lying is bold in their faith bold in the soul winning bold in their prayer and on that let's boldly pray Father we we thank you that that look there are people around that that you know that we can all join together and Want to be how you want us to be that we're all here because we all just want to Live by your word and whatever label you call that ultimately It's just trying to be a righteous Christian trying to do things right trying to get things right? We're gonna fail we're gonna fail regularly We're gonna fail daily But but help us to want to get right help us to wanna Not want to pick and choose not not make it a pick a mix and just just when you clearly tell us to do Something you clearly command us to do something to want to do it Father I pray that you help us to do that this afternoon for starters and just go out and preach the gospel like you command Just to to preach the gospel to every creature to go out and do that Pray that your your help fill us with boldness when we do that. Pray that every single person here man woman Child is filled with the boldness that you want us to have to get right to get righteous to To want to live right to then be filled with that boldness help us to Get all these things in order help us get our lives in order help us to start with that this afternoon and help us To continue that this evening to return for this evening service for the men's preaching night in Jesus name approval this