Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

We must preach Christ as coming. “Why!” says one, “he has come.” I know that he has, but he is coming again. It is a blessed thing that, whereas the prophets saw him as coming, they only differed from us in this respect—that we can look back to his first coming as they looked forward to it and we can also look onward to his coming a second time, “not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28), and we are to speak of him as coming.

It is grand preaching when the preacher can see Christ coming, when he can behold the throne of judgment, and can gaze upon the King in his beauty sitting upon it, and see him reigning over all, King of kings and Lord of lords. It is glorious when he hears the hallelujahs of the new heavens even while he is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“He is coming,” he says; and he sees him coming, for he is not like the virgins who had fallen asleep and so did not watch for the bridegroom’s appearing. May we have open eyes, expectant hearts, and earnest tongues to see, long for, and tell of our coming Lord. This is the way the faithful witness preaches him to the people.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe waiting for the return of Christ.

“When we expect any one, we turn our eyes that way, as the wife looks toward the sea, when she expects her husband’s return.”

Surely, then, if we look for Christ to come we shall keep our eyes heavenward and our minds occupied with the country from which he cometh. If we mind earthly things, it will be evidence that the coming of the Lord has no power over us.

Yet a good wife does not sit idly by the sea watching for a sail, but she sets the house in order for her husband’s return. She who should sit looking out of window or studying almanacs, and have no provision made for the homecoming, would show only a little love for her lord. We should watch, but we should also stand prepared and do the duty of the hour so that when our Lord comes he may not blame our negligence in his service. If we know little of the prophecies, we can show our expectancy by keeping the precepts.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“We cannot too often tell someone that the only hope for salvation lies in Jesus.” — Charles Spurgeon