Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

Brothers, God’s Word never returns void. If you're feeling discouraged about ministry, I hope this newsletter encourages you to press on. What you’re doing matters.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

You are not getting distrustful of the use of preaching, are you? I hope you do not weary of it, though you certainly sometimes must weary in it. Go on with your preaching. In the great day, all those who are converted through fine music, church decoration, and religious exhibitions and entertainments, they will amount to the tenth part of nothing; but it will always please God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Keep to your preaching; and if you do anything else, do not let it throw your preaching into the background. In the first place preach, and in the second place preach, and in the third place preach.

Believe in preaching the love of Christ, believe in preaching the atoning sacrifice, believe in preaching the new birth, believe in preaching the whole counsel of God. The old hammer of the gospel will still break the rock in pieces; the ancient fire of Pentecost will still burn among the multitude. Try nothing new, but go on with preaching and if we all preach with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, the results of preaching will astound us. Why, there is no end after all to the power of the tongue! Look at the power of a bad tongue, what great mischief it can do; and shall not God put more power into a good tongue, if we will just use it rightly?

Look at the power of fire, a single spark might give a city to the flames; even so, the Spirit of God being with us, we do not need to calculate how much we can do or what we can do; there is no calculating the potentiality power of a flame and there is no end to the possibilities of divine truth spoken with the enthusiasm which is born of the Spirit of God. Have great hope yet, brothers, have great hope yet, despite objections. Go on; go on; go on; in God’s name, go on, for if the preaching of the gospel does not save sinners, nothing will. If the Lord’s own way of mercy fails, then hang the skies in mourning, and blot out the sun in everlasting midnight, for there remains nothing before our race but the blackness of darkness. Salvation by the sacrifice of Jesus is the promise of God. Rejoice that it cannot fail. Let us believe without reserve, and then go straight ahead with the preaching of the Word.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the love of God.

Any animal that belongs to us causes us concern if we lose it or it is in trouble. I noticed the other night how even the little kitten could not be missing without causing anxiety to the household. What calling and searching! Rougher natures might say, “If the kitten will keep out of doors all night, let it do so.” But the owner did not think so, for the night was cold and wet. I have seen great trouble when a bird has been lost through the opening of a cage door, and many a vain struggle to catch it again. What a stir there is in the house about a little short-lived animal.

We do not like to lose a bird, or a kitten, and do you think the good God will willingly lose those whom he has made in his own image and who are to exist forever? I have used a very simple and homely illustration, but it commends itself to the heart. You know what you would do to regain a lost bird, and what will not God do to save a soul! An immortal spirit is better than ten thousand birds.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“What shall I say to young men who are about to enter the ministry that shall be more useful to them than this? Keep to the cross; keep to the cross!” — Charles Spurgeon