Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

Let me say to my brethren, and especially to my fellow workers in the kingdom of Christ, it is for us just now while our Lord is walking in his garden, while he is finding satisfaction in his work and in his people, to beware of taking any satisfaction in the work ourselves, and equally to beware that we do not neglect the appropriate duty of the occasion, namely, that of feasting our souls with our Lord’s gracious provisions. You are caring for others, it is well; you are rejoicing over others, it is well; still watch well yourselves, and rejoice in the Lord in your own hearts. What did he say to the twelve when they came back glorying that even the devils were subject unto them? Did he not reply, “Nevertheless rejoice not in this, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven”? It is your personal interest in Christ, you being yourself saved, Christ being present with you, that is your main joy. Enjoy the feast for yourselves, or you will not be strong to hand out the living bread to others. See that you are first partakers of the fruit, or you will not labor rightly as God’s husbandmen. The more of personal enjoyment you allow yourself in connection with your Lord, the more strong will you be for his service, and the more out of an experiential sense of his preciousness will you be able to say with true eloquence, “oh taste and see that the Lord is good.” You will tell others what you have tasted and handled; you will say, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him from all his fears.” I put this before you with much earnestness and I pray that none of you may think it safe so to work as to forget to commune or wise to seek the good of others so as to miss personal fellowship with the Redeemer.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the believer’s desire to be with Christ.

We are necessarily abroad through the day, looking after this or that work which needs attention, but the moment we are at liberty, we know where our nest is. It is with the hearts of many of us as it is with the needle in the mariner’s compass. Do you see it? It is pointing to the pole. If you will, you may put your finger on that needle, and turn it round. It points east now; yes, you turn it round till it points south; but take your finger off, it is back at once to its true pole; so is it with our hearts. Our hearts are with Christ on his throne, always magnetized and polarized for Christ, and we shall never rest until we get back to him. He is in our first thoughts in the morning, and our last meditations at night.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“There are some preachers who cannot or do not preach about the blood of Jesus Christ, and I have one thing to say to you concerning them — Never go to hear them!” — Charles Spurgeon