Tuesday, March 20

Spurgeon on Church Growth

There is nothing new under the sun! Read this, by Charles Spurgeon!

My good ministering brother, have you got an empty church? Do you want to fill it? I will give you a good recipe, and if you will follow it, you will, in all probability, have your chapel full to the doors . . .

Read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language. And give up all your Latinized English. Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal. Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men. Tell them what you have felt and what you know, and tell it heartily with a good, bold face; and, my dear friend, I do not care who you are, you will get a congregation.

But if you say, "Now, to get a congregation, I must buy an organ."

That will not serve you a bit.

"But we must have a good choir."

I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good choir.
Wow. Timeless. This could be the opening message for one of our StraightUp Conferences! Read the whole thing here.

[h.t. Justin Taylor > Pyro > Spurgeon Archive -- wow. My hat might fall off if I tip it any more. :-)]

2 comments:

Stephanie said...

In response to the comment left on my blog...I was actually reading the e-devotional by James MacDonald that I get every monday. I haven't read any of his books, but read his devos faithfully and love listening to his sermons on the radio. And thank you for the complement about my writing...that means a lot. I just write what God puts on my heart...so all glory goes to Him :)

Beloved said...

Word to the Spurgeon General! Hiee-YAH to Joel Olsteen and cronies! Interesting post over at Jesus Creed going on about differences between clergy and laity that I think are relevant to your topic here.