John 3:1-2a (ESV)
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night ...
In order to fully appreciate the above passage, we should read the following:
John 19:39-40 (ESV)
Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
Nicodemus, who first came by night to see Jesus, would eventually live his faith out loud by being the one who helped bury. In the beginning, he had quiet faith. In the end, his faith was loud. That is the path of Christianity. When we first get saved, we’re more timid and less willing to live our lives in a way that others view us. Later, as we grow, we get boulder in our faith. That boldness should cause us to live our faith out loud. Notice what the psalm writer wrote:
Psalms 100:1 (ESV)
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Psalms 66:1 (ESV)
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
The Hebrew word for the word noise, and shout, and the above Psalms is that of a trumpet sound. God is not wanting us to be quiet with what we know about him. God is wanting us to live our lives out loud. It doesn’t mean we have to be obnoxious. It doesn’t mean we have to always be offensive. It doesn’t mean that we have to change our personality from an introvert to an extrovert. What it means, is that we are to be so bold in our faith; that we back away from nothing. Think of these individuals who didn’t back away:
1. Daniel ripped his feet out loud simply by refusing to eat the same way as other others. (Daniel 1)
2. Daniel also refused to be quiet about his prayer life. He literally threw the windows open so people could see him pray. (Daniel 6:10)
3. Daniel three friends were willing to burn in a fiery furnace simply because they would not bow down. That’s living in your life out loud. (Daniel 3)
4. Noah live his life out loud with a hammer. (Genesis 6)
5. Nathan lived his life out loud by calling out David sin (2 Samuel 22-23)
Nicodemus, at first was quiet, and then he got the boldness of a lion, and lived his life out loud. That should be our trajectory.
Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
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