1)Burning in spirit—“Being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus” (Acts 18:25).
2)Being provoked in spirit—“His spirit was provoked in him as he beheld that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16).
3)Not being ashamed—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one…” (Rom. 1:16).
4)Willing to sacrifice our status—“For though I am free from all, I have enslaved myself to all, that I might gain the more…To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, that I might by all means save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (1 Cor. 9:19-23).
5)Gladly spending and being spent—“But I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15).
6)Not being afraid of suffering evil—“Suffer evil with the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Tim. 1:8).
7)Leaving all—“One who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My [the Lord’s] sake and for the gospel’s sake” (Mark 10:29).
Burning in spirit, being provoked in spirit, not being ashamed of the gospel, willing to sacrifice one’s status, gladly spending and being spent, not being afraid of suffering evil, and leaving all, as mentioned above, are the attitudes we should have in preaching the gospel. May the Lord give us grace that we may imitate the beautiful and excellent patterns of the early saints.
1)Being worthy of the Lord’s gospel—“Conduct yourselves worthily of the gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27).
2)Abiding in the Lord—“He who abides in Me [the Lord] and I in him, he bears much fruit” (John 15:5).
The conduct of one who preaches the gospel must be worthy of the Lord’s gospel. He also must be one who abides in the Lord and allows the Lord to abide in him, living together with the Lord without any barriers between him and the Lord.
1)The authority of the resurrected Christ—“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations” (Matt. 28:18-19). The authority for gospel preaching is all the authority of Christ in heaven and on earth, which transcends all, rules over all, and controls all.
1)The power of the consummate Holy Spirit— “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses…unto the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The power for gospel preaching is the very Spirit of power, who is the consummate expression of the Triune God, including the Triune God and all the processes which He has passed through.
(Life Lessons, Vol. 2 (#13-24), Chapter 10, by Witness Lee)