Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

The Lord Jesus “went about doing good and healing all.” We have thought that our Lord did this not merely to show his power and universality of his benevolence and to teach spiritual truth by acted parables, but also to say to us in these days, “Followers of Jesus, do good in all sorts of ways.”

You may think it to be your special calling to feed souls, but remember that your Master broke loaves and fishes to hungry bodies. You may deem it your chief object to instruct the ignorant, but remember that he healed the sick. You may make it your chief joy to pray for the healing of sick spirits, but remember that he rescued many bodies from incurable disease.

As much as it depends on us, let us do good to all men and good of all sorts too; especially to the household of faith and especially in a spiritual sense. Let no act of mercy seem beneath him who is a follower of the man that went about doing good.

There is a spirit springing up among us which is very dangerous, though it wears the garb of excessive spirituality. It is unpractical and unchristlike—a spirit which talks in this fashion—“The sons of men tried to improve the world and make it better; but as for Enoch, the man of God, he knew that the world was so bad that it was of no avail to attempt to better it, and therefore he left it alone, and walked with God.” It may be well, they say, for such carnal-minded Christians as some of us, to try and improve society and to give a better tone to morals; but these dear spiritual brethren are so taken up with divine things, and so assured that the mission is of a super-celestial character, that they will have nothing to do with blessing mankind, being quite sufficiently occupied with blessing themselves and one another. I pray God that we may never fall into the unpractical speculations and separations of certain brethren whose superior sanctity they must allow us to suspect.

The large-heartedness of the Lord Jesus Christ is one of the most glorious traits in his character. He scattered good of all sorts on all sides. Let us, if we profess to be his followers, never be straitened even by pretended spirituality. Do good “as much as depends on you,” to the utmost extent of your power, and let that be of every sort. It strikes me that the Lord Jesus also did much moral good.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe coming to Christ.

A certain king was accustomed on set occasions to entertain all the beggars of the city. Around him sat his courtiers, all clothed in rich apparel; the beggars sat at the same table in their rags of poverty. Now, it came to pass that on a certain day one of the courtiers had spoiled his silken apparel, so that he dare not put it on, and he felt, “I cannot go to the king’s feast today, for my robe is foul.” He sat weeping, till the thought struck him, “Tomorrow, when the king holds his feast, some will come as courtiers, happily decked in their beautiful array; but others will come and be made quite as welcome who will be dressed in rags. Well, well,” says he, “so long as I may see the king’s face, and sit at the king’s table, I will enter among the beggars.” So, without mourning because he had lost his silken habit, he put on the rags of a beggar, and he saw the king’s face as well as if he had worn his scarlet and fine linen. My soul has done this full many a time, and I bid you do the same; if you cannot come as a saint, come as a sinner, only do come, and you shall receive joy and peace.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize.” — Charles Spurgeon