Take Bold Steps (4): A Sermon by Pastor Mensa Otabil

Introduction

In his ongoing series Take Bold Steps, Pastor Mensa Otabil delves deeper into the theme of boldness, exploring its importance in our spiritual walk. In Part 4 of this teaching, Pastor Otabil emphasizes that every significant accomplishment in life and every mission God assigns requires a deep sense of boldness. According to Pastor Otabil, “Everything that is of value in this world requires boldness to achieve it.”

Drawing from Psalm 138:3, where David says, “In the day when I cried out, You answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul,” Pastor Otabil shows that boldness is not simply defiance or physical strength—it is an inner tenacity, a divine courage that propels us to take action.

Boldness: Breaking Free and Moving Forward

Pastor Otabil introduces a key Hebrew word for boldness, ‘Rahav’, which means to move forward with supreme confidence. He explains, “This boldness is more a kind of boldness that moves you to get things done. It means first to be without restraint—breaking free from everything that holds you back.” This kind of boldness is not merely about resisting challenges but about breaking through them, similar to an unrestrained force surging ahead.

Using the vivid metaphor of King Kong breaking chains, Pastor Otabil encourages believers to embrace a boldness that is boisterous and unstoppable. “It is breaking free so that you can do what God wants you to do,” he says. This boldness manifests in an active, bullish pursuit of God’s purposes, where nothing holds us back from fulfilling His will.

Boldness from God, Not of Ourselves

One of the core messages of Pastor Otabil’s sermon is that true boldness comes from God, not from ourselves. David’s cry in Psalm 138 highlights that when we are in trouble, God often does not remove the problem; instead, He gives us the boldness to confront it. “There are times you pray and say, ‘God, solve this problem,’ and He doesn’t solve it, and all He does is give you boldness so you can confront it,” Pastor Otabil explains.

This divine boldness is not about human bravado but a God-given strength that resides deep within us. It is a strength of the soul, a quality that enables us to face challenges head-on. “God is the one who makes us bold,” Pastor Otabil stresses, “and because this is a boldness that comes from God, it can only achieve things that are of God.”

Boldness Manifested in Action

To illustrate how boldness manifests, Pastor Otabil reflects on 2 Samuel 22:30, where David declares, “By You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall.” This imagery of David running into battle, rather than away from it, shows the essence of boldness. “One of the signs of God’s boldness in your life is that you are able to run against a troop,” Pastor Otabil notes. It’s a boldness that compels us to act when others hesitate, to confront challenges rather than retreat.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pastor Mensa Otabil’s teaching on boldness is a reminder that the challenges we face in life often require a supernatural courage. This boldness, rooted in God’s strength, allows us to break free from fear and limitations, and to step forward into the fullness of God’s plans for us. As Pastor Otabil concludes, “There are many challenges facing you, but God is not going to remove them. Instead, He will make you bold to go against them and to win that battle.” Let us, therefore, embrace the divine boldness that God offers and boldly move forward into victory.