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No One Can Preach a Better Gospel

In reading through Spurgeon's, Lectures to My Students, I came across this unforgettable story that the Prince of Preachers relayed about the value of impromptu speech:

"I remember to have been tried rather sharply on one occasion, and had I not been be versed in impromptu address, I know not how it would have sped with me. I was expected to preach in a certain chapel, and there was a crowded congregation, but I was not in time, being delayed by some blockade upon the railroad; so another minister went on with the service, and when I reached the place, all breathless with running, he was already preaching a sermon. Seeing me appear at the front door and pass up the aisle, he stopped and said, 'There he is', and looking at me, he added, 'I'll make way for you; come up and finish the sermon.' 

I asked him what was the text and how far he had gone with it. He told me what the text was, and said he had just passed through the first head; without hesitation I took up the discourse at that point and finished the sermon, and I should be ashamed of any man here who could not have done the same, the circumstances being such as to make the task a remarkably easy one.

In the first place the minister was my grandfather, and, in the second place, the text was, 'By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.' He must have been a more foolish animal than that which Balaam rode if, at such a juncture, he had not found a tongue.

'By grace are ye saved' had been spoken of as indicating the source of salvation; who could not follow by describing the next clause, 'through faith', as the channel? One did not need to study much to show that salvation is received by us through faith.

Yet, on that occasion, I had a further trial; for when I had proceeded a little, and was warming to my work, a hand patted by back approvingly, and a voice said, 'That's right- that's right; tell them that again, for fear they should forget it.' Thereupon I repeated the truth, and a little further on,when I was becoming rather deeply experimental I was gently pulled by my coat-tail, and the old gentleman stood up in front and said, 'Now, my grandson can tell you this as a theory, but I am here to bear witness to it as a matter of practical experience: I am older than he is, and I must give you my testimony as an old man.' 

Then after having given us his personal experience, he said, 'There, now, my grandson can preach the gospel a great deal better than I can, but he cannot preach a better gospel, can he?'"

No he can't! And nobody can! Taken from Lectures to My Students (pgs. 171,172), which is available here.

 

The Bruised Reed

"Therefore, if there be any bruised reed, let him not make an exception of himself, when Christ does not make an exception of him. 'Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden' (Matt. 11:28). Why should we not make use of so gracious a disposition? We are only poor for this reason, that we do not know our riches in Christ. In time of temptation, believe Christ rather than the devil. Believe truth from truth itself. Hearken not to a liar, an enemy and a murder." -Richard Sibbes, The Brusied Reed

Acted Out Sermons

One of the things that struck me when I preached through Mark's Gospel last year, was the method of how Jesus healed people. Very often, Jesus used different methods to miraculously bring healing to different people. Sometimes He would touch the affected area of the person. Sometimes He simply spoke someone well. Other times, He called the person to act in some way. The clear implication is that there was a message being communicated through the method of the miracle.


This is something that Charles Spurgeon makes note of in his "Lectures" to his students. He says that "there can be no doubt that the miracles are the acted out sermons of the our Lord Jesus Christ". He then goes on to quote from R.C. Trench, who he acknowledges has many doctrinal failures, yet, when it comes to finding the deeper lessons in Christ's miracles, serves as a very good resource. The example he provides is the healing of a deaf and mute man of Mark 7:31-37.  


Warning: One must be careful in interpreting miracles like this. There is much opportunity to over-spiritualize and harm the text (which is the very warning Spurgeon gives in this chapter). But when done faithfully, there is much to be gained. Here is the example he provides:

"The poor creature's maladies are eminently suggestive of man's lost estate, and our Lord's mode of procedure most instructively illustrates that plan of salvation.

'Jesus took him aside from the multitude' -the soul must be made to feel its own personality and individuality, and must be led into loneliness.  He 'put his fingers into his ears', the source of the mischief indicated; sinners are convinced of their state. And 'spat' -the gospel is a simple and despised means, and the sinner, in order to salvation, must humble himself to receive it. He 'touched his tongue', further pointing out where the mischief lay - our sense of need grows on us. He 'looked up to heaven' - Jesus reminded his patient that all strength  must come from above - a lesson which every seeker must learn. 'He sighed', showing that the sorrows of the Healer are the means of our healing. And then he said, 'Ephphatha, Be opened!' - here was the effectual word of grace which wrought an immediate, perfect, and lasting cure.

From this one exposition learn all, and ever believe that the miracles of Christ are a great picture gallery, illustrating his work among the sons of men."

Preach Your Text!

I have been reading through Charles Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students". It is a veritable gold mine of pastoral insight. The hardest part of reading through these lectures is trying to figure out what not to highlight and quote. Here is one portion that I could keep from sharing. 
The Prince of Preachers is writing about the importance of actually preaching our given text of Scripture and not just using a text as a launching pad to our own brilliant insights.

"Some brethren have done with their text as soon as they have read it. Having paid all due honour to that particular passage by announcing it, they feel no necessity further to refer to it. They touch their hats, as it were, to that part of Scripture, and pass on to fresh fields and pastures new. Why do such men take on texts at all? Why limit their own glorious liberty? Why make Scripture a horsing-block by which to mount upon their unbridled Pegasus? Surely the words of inspiration were never meant to be boot-hooks to help a Talkative to draw on his seven-leagued boots in which to leap from pole to pole."