COV LIFE BLOG

Acts 26:12-31 Fearless Persuasion in Sharing the Gospel

The next preparation for the Lord’s minister was that he should be encouraged. The Lord Jesus said to him, “Rise, and stand upon your feet.” As much as to say—“You are forgiven, you are chosen, you are beloved—therefore lie no longer prostrate, overwhelmed with fear. Give not way to despondency. Resign yourself into My hands and be prepared, with activity and diligence, to spend the rest of your life in doing good. Arise, stand on your feet, for work is to be done at once which will need all your courage and might!”

Men can hardly be very useful till they cease to be despondent, diffident, depressed and become energetic and hopeful. Even good men need to be braced up that they may rise to bold attempts and believing labors for their Lord. Many are slow to take the encouragement which is offered them and need to hear a voice, saying, “Shake yourself from the dust, O captive! Rise and serve your God.” I wish that I could speak to any Brother here whose heart is true and right, and who has the power to be exceedingly useful, but who has not yet the courage to proceed to his proper work. O my Brother, rise and stand upon your feet!

“Alas,” you say, “I have tried to do good, but I have seen no effects following my endeavors. I have spoken to one or two about their souls, but I have not yet won a heart for Christ.” Did you really expect to do so? I have noticed that those who do not believe that they will be successful seldom are so—but those who rise and stand upon their feet and manfully expect that God will bless them are not disappointed. We are not to hope for success because there is anything in us, but because God has promised that His Word shall not return unto Him void! And if we,  therefore, sow in faith, a harvest will assuredly follow. Faith receives promises—unbelief goes empty-handed. Arise, then, and stand upon your feet!

Who knows but somebody who shall receive encouragement this morning will, from this day, become the messenger of God to open the blind eyes of others? The strengthening of the worker is as necessary a part of God’s work as the immediate operation of the Spirit with the message. The vessel must be prepared for the Master’s use and Grace is to be clearly seen in the making and fitting of that vessel for so Divine a purpose. The uplifting work being done, it remained
that Paul should now be made, constituted and ordained a minister—and to this end he must see the Lord for himself. The Lord said, “I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness.”

Charles Spurgeon

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Heart Preparation
Read Acts 26:12-31 and note the confidence of Paul in the Spirit’s working through his testimony and proclamation of the gospel. In what ways can God grow you in confidence in his work in your sharing of your faith?