I recently read two biographies on the great British
preacher and pastor of the nineteenth century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
One book was a traditional biography by Arnold Dallimore titled "Spurgeon" and the other is titled the "Forgotten Spurgeon" by Iain Murray where he seeks to explain the man by the
theological controversies and ministerial challenges he faced throughout his
ministry. Having read the two books coupled with the lessons he taught ministers in training, here are some lessons we can glean from the
man and his ministry
It
is essential that you keep growing
Spurgeon understood the need for a preacher to keep
growing. In speaking to the students in the ministerial college, he urged them
on the necessity of ministerial progress for a preacher. He highlights four
areas where growth is needed. “It is desirable that the Lord’s ministers should
be the picked men of the church, yea of the entire universe, for such the age
demands; therefore, in reference to yourselves and your personal
qualifications, I give you the motto, “Go forward.” Go forward in
personal attainments, forward in gifts and in grace, forward in
fitness for the work, and forward in conformity to the image of Jesus.”[1]
Preaching
should be central to a pastor and the church
From a tender age of 17, Spurgeon was a preacher and
preaching was central to his ministry. Though he was a man who wore many hats,
preaching was by far his main priority and invariably become central to the
life of the church. And his preaching proclaimed Christ and him crucified. And
he himself claimed:
“The motto of
all true servants of God must be, ‘We preach Christ; and him crucified.’ A
sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No
Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have
something worth preaching.” [7/9/1876; sermon #2899]
Ministers
should be men of action
He exhorts ministers by saying, “I have to say to you, go forward in actual work, for, after all, we
shall be known by what we have done. We ought to be mighty in deed as well as
word. There are good brethren in the world who are impractical. The grand
doctrine of the Second Advent makes them stand with open mouths, peering into
the skies, so that I am ready to say, “Ye men of Plymouth, why stand ye here
gazing up into heaven?” The fact that Jesus Christ is to come is not a reason
for star-gazing, but for working in the power of the Holy Ghost” He then
concludes the charge by exhorting the men “Brethren,
do something; do something; do something. While committees waste their time
over resolutions, do something. While Societies and Unions are making
constitutions, let us win souls. Too often we discuss, and discuss, and
discuss, and Satan laughs in his sleeve. It is time we had done planning and
sought something to plan. I pray you: be men of action all of you. Get to work
and quit yourselves like men. Old Suvarov’s idea of war is mine: “Forward and
strike! No theory! Attack! Form column: Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center
of the enemy.” Our one aim is to save sinners, and this we are not to talk
about, but to do in the power of God.”[2]
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