A Charles Spurgeon Sighting!!

Well, not literally!!

As many of you know, I am an active reader of writings and sermons by Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon was a pastor in the late 1800's in London. He is commonly referred to as the "Prince of Preachers". While I have read much of his material, one of his most popular books I have not read as of yet. The book is titled "Lectures to my students". This book is on every recommended reading list that I have received from pastors and pastors conferences. In fact, one of my favorite "living" preachers, C.J Mahaney, says that no man should be entrusted with a congregation without having read this volume between 10 and 20 times!! So, since I have never read it, I guess I have a lot of catching up to do. A couple of other pastors along with myself and Aaron Thomas (missionary to Papua New Guinea) met this morning at Panera Bread (and will continue to meet once a month) to discuss this book.

So far, I have read the first few chapters and thought I would share some quotes and thoughts from chapter 1 entitled "The Minister's Self-watch" coming from 1 Timothy 4:16 - 'take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine'.

First, he challenges pastors to take heed to themselves and be sure that they are not preaching something that is foreign to themselves. On this subject, he quotes Richard Baxter:
"Take heed to yourselves lest you should be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others, and be strangers to the effectual working of that gospel which you preach; and lest, while you proclaim the necessity of a Savior to the world, your hearts should neglect him, and you should miss of an interest in him and his saving benefits. Take heed to yourselves, lest you perish while you call upon others to take heed of perishing, and lest you famish yourselves while you prepare their food."

Second, he reminds us that others depend upon our walk with God. He says, "it is with us and our hearers as it is with watches and the public clock; if our watch be wrong, very few will be misled by it but ourselves; but if the Horse Guards or Greenwhich Observatory should go amiss, half of London would lose its reckoning. So it is with the minister; he is the parish-clock, many take their time from him, and if he be incorrect, then they all go wrongly, more or less, and he is in a great measure accountable for all the sin which he occasions".

Last, he warns ministers of the danger of ministerialism -
"the tendency to read our Bibles as ministers, to pray as ministers, to get into doing the whole of our religion as not ourselves personally, but only relatively, concerned in it. To lose the personality of repentance and faith is a loss indeed". Therefore, as John Owen said, "no man preaches his sermon well to others if he does not first preach it to his own heart".

Please pray for me in regards to these important truths. While I covet your prayers for myself, I would also ask that you would pray for Pastor Brian Main of Walnut Creek Community Church and Pastor Neil Appell of Grace Ridge Bible Church. These are two other pastors who are studying this book along with me. We are meeting once a month to discuss these "lectures" and to encourage one another in the ministry! I am so thankful for these men, for their friendship, and for their ministries.