Spurgeon on Evangelism

I thought I might just share an outline of one the talks I gave at Shepherd Conference.  It has got some great quotes you might enjoy.

Charles Spurgeon on Evangelism

In this seminar I want us to consider what we can learn from Charles Spurgeon about what makes an effective, God-glorifying evangelist.  1.         The Importance of Being Earnest“If I were asked ‘What in a Christian minister is the most essential quality for securing success in winning souls for Christ?’ I should reply, ‘Earnestness’; and if I were asked a second or third time, I should not vary the answer, for personal observation drives me to the conclusion that as a rule, real success is proportionate to the preacher’s earnestness…In many instances, ministerial success is traceable almost entirely to an intense zeal, a consuming passion for souls, and an eager enthusiasm in the cause of God, and we believe that in every case, other things being equal, men prosper in the divine service in proportion as their hearts are blazing with holy love.”I thought I might try to give you a number of practical steps towards developing this kind of all out passion for the lost like Spurgeon described.   (*Adapted from John Piper)   -         Reflect on God’s attitude towards the perishing. -         Do not allow yourself to forget what is going to happen to those who do not believe the gospel.-         Don’t allow yourself to minimize the consequences of sin.-         Rejoice in the grace God has provided for sinners in Jesus Christ.-         Rejoice in God the Holy Spirit’s ability to bring about repentance  in even the hardest sinner. -         Think about how happy you will be to see someone turn to Christ and how happy you will be when the believer changes and grows  spiritually.-         Spend time with someone who is passionate about people’s spiritual good.-         Remember what God has done in your life.-         Do something about your loving desires.-         Ask God to increase your love for the people you all around you.2.         Avoid being simplistic, while keeping it simpleSpurgeon deliberately spoke in simple language so that it would be easier for people to understand even though he knew that scholars and the elite might belittle his intelligence for doing so. He writes, “A certain man placed a fountain along a busy road.  Then he hung a cup near to it by a little chain.  He was told sometime afterward that a great art critic had found much fault with its design.  ‘But’ he asked, ‘do many thirst people drink at it?’ Then they told him that thousands of poor people, men, women and children, quenched their thirst at this fountain.  He smiled and said that he was not troubled by the critic’s observation.  He only hoped that on some hot summer’s day the critic himself might fill the cup, be refreshed and praise the name of the Lord.  Here is my fountain, and here is my cup.  Find fault if you wish, but do drink of the water of life.  I care only for this.  I would rather bless the soul of the poorest street cleaner or rag-gatherer than please a prince and fail to convert him to God.”It wasn’t just that Spurgeon was committed to simplicity, it was that he was committed to plain preaching of the gospel.He says in another place, “As for the ostensible means, would any church prosper, there must be much plain preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have been struck lately in looking through the history of the Reformation, with the remarkable downrightness of the testimony of the early preachers.  If you look at the life of Farren you find him not preaching about the gospel, but preaching the gospel.  So it was with John Calvin.  He is looked upon now, of course a theologian only.  But he was really one of the greatest of gospel preachers.  When Calvin opened the Book and took a text, you might be sure he was about to preach, “Through grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  And it was the same with Luther.  Luther’s preaching was just the ringing of a big bell, the note of which was always, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and live…’ They spake this and they spake it again, neither did they couch the doctrine in difficult words, but they labored with all their might, so to speak, that the farmer, the fishermen and the common person could understand…My brethren, if we are to see the church of God really restored to her pristine glory, we must have back this plain, simple, gospel preaching.  I do believe that the hiding of the cross beneath the veil of fine language and learned dissertation is half the cause of the spiritual destitution of our country.” 3.         Get Real!Spurgeon wasn’t afraid to talk about his own experience and his own relationship with God and when he does, he speaks in such sincere terms that you can’t help but see at least that this is something this man is not just talking about, it is something he has experienced and that is part of what makes it so compelling and attractive.As one biographer of Spurgeon notes,“We cannot understand the work of Spurgeon unless we take his integrity into account.  We cannot duplicate his work unless we take our place with him at the same point of spiritual existence.”Thoughts on pursuing sincerity in your own preaching:*         Be honest about your own struggles.*         Be honest about your goals and desires.*         Don’t make a habit out of saying truths without meaning them.*         Remember that the gospel you are proclaiming has application to you.*         Think about what you are really saying before you say it.4.         Walk the talk“If we would see the gospel spread abroad in London as once it did in Geneva, as once under John Knox it did in Scotland, as it did in Luther’s day throughout German, we must have much holy living to back it all up.  After we have done the sermon, people say, ‘How about the people that attend there?  What about the church members, are they upright?  Are they such people as you can trust?  What about their homes?  Do they make good husbands?  Are they good servants?  Are they kind masters?”5.         Believe God can do the impossible“Many will urge discouragements.  ‘How is it likely,’ says one, ‘that we can hope to make an impression on the present age? What means have we but the simple gospel of Jesus Christ?’ . . . My dear brethren, we are weak, but we are not weaker than the first disciples of Christ.  Neither were they learned, nor were they wealthy of the earth; fisherman, the most of them . . . [but] wherever they went and wielded the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, their enemies were put to confusion. . . The primitive church did tell upon its age, and left a seed behind which the whole earth could not destroy, and so shall we by God’s grace if we are equally set up on it.”6.         Put your trust in the right person! You cannot speak on Spurgeon and evangelism without noting his absolute dependence on the Holy Spirit.In his words,“Nothing can avail without the operation of the Holy Spirit and the smile from heaven.  Paul planteth, Apollos watereth, and God giveth the increase.  We must never begin our catalogue of the outward means without referring to that blessed and mysterious potentate who abides in the church, and without whom nothing is good, nothing efficient, nothing successful.”