What Do You Need To Have Done For You To Be Convicted?

What do you need to have done for you to be convicted? Acts 26:12-19

1. we see Christ takeing the control in sending convicting power.

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

King Agrippa is called upon by the apostle, to deepen his attention to what he was about to relate. The news he had to give was very remarkable and of great importance. I was on the way to Damascus when a light from heaven descended which was above the brightness of the sun; it was a greater light than that or it would not have the effect it had upon me, those with him. This account of the greatness of the light is not in the other places where this account is given. No one comes to Christ unless the Spirit draws him. There are some who say when I decide to do what Christ wants me to do I will do it. That is not biblical. I talked about the fear of God last week. I did not mention the fact that the fear of God should make us to want to listen and act whenever the Spirit speaks. I know of one lady who in her teen years felt God’s call to go and be a missionary to the Indian people in Arizona. She married a man who was not a Christian and missed what God called her to do. She took God’s second best and was active in the church. I wonder if it weighs upon her that God spoke and she did not act. If God is speaking I want to be doing.

2. we see a personal encounter with God.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecute you me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless: dazed and stunned, they could not speak one word, they could not rise from the ground, and they could not move one step forward; they were as if they were fastened to the earth; for this standing is not opposed to their being fallen to the earth, but to their going forward hearing a voice, but seeing no man; that is, they heard the voice of Saul, saying, “who are You? And what will You have me to do?” They did not hear the voice of Christ that spoke to him or if they heard the voice of Christ, it was only the sound of his voice, but they did not understand what he said. Saul did not know who was speaking but was in no position to doubt something had happened to him. God is in this world and I often ask Him what he needs to do to get people’s attention like he did Saul’s.

3. WE SEE a Sincere desire to know God’s will bring inner assurance of God’s salvation and a purpose for one’s life. 15 And I said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said “I am Jesus whom you persecute.” Saul did not know whether it was God, or an angel, or who it was that spoke to him; he knew not Christ by his form or voice. When he saw him standing at the right hand of God; he was lacking important information, and knew neither the person, nor voice of Christ, and yet his heart was so far softened, that he was desirous of knowing who he was. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Christ says that if Saul should go on to persecute him and his people, to oppose his Gospel, and the strong evidence of it, in doctrine and miracles, would find himself in grave trouble. If he turned to Christ he would have the power of god in his life. This is the power we need to see in our day. We are in a spiritual war and only God can make a difference in changing a person’s life.

Every Christian will experience occasional moments of doubt. Perhaps you've prayed about a problem, but the solution falls through. Maybe you've obeyed God, but your situation worsens. Or a criticism might make you question your ability to carry out His plan. However, when doubts linger, they can affect your relationship with God in a variety of ways: Doubt affects our peace with God. Believers are to live by faith, which is the only way to please God. Doubt short-circuits faith and causes insecurity. Doubt affects our prayer life with God. Our prayers become ineffective when we fail to trust God. The impossible becomes possible only for those who believe God and don't doubt. Doubt affects our programs for God. The Lord asks Christians to do God-sized tasks. But He doesn't leave us to our own devices. He promises the Holy Spirit will empower us to fulfill His plan. When we doubt, we'll fail to either answer God's call or stop halfway through. Doubt affects our provisions from God. It produces discouragement, which crowds out our confidence and hope in the Lord. James 1:6-8 says, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." Doubts come from a variety of sources. These include unconfessed sin, lingering guilt, continued disobedience, misplaced focus or ignorance of the truths of Scripture. When doubts surface follow these simple steps: