Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Evangelistic Theology and Practice of Street Evangelism

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In requirement of the M. Div. program at Toronto Baptist Seminary, I had the privilege of completing my Senior Seminar research paper. For the past year, I gave my time to studying the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Specifically, I looked at Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Evangelistic Theology and Practice of Street Evangelism.

I pray that this work would be used by God to encourage you in your soul winning labours. I wrote this for the Church. Oh, that God would raise up a new generation of evangelists!

To make this work easily accessible for those who desire to read it, I have attached a free PDF version of my paper.

SPURGEON_PUBLISHED

Soli Deo Gloria, Romans 11:36

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April 15, 2020 0

Banner Reading Challenge

When fears and doubts overwhelm your soul, where do you go to? When you find yourself in a difficult circumstance, where do you look? Right now, we are living in difficult days. The world is thrown into chaos and everything seems out of control. But is it? No. As Christians, we know that God is the Lord of history. He is seated in the heavens and He is fulfilling his purposes for His glory and the good of the Church. In these days, we need to remind ourselves of the goodness of God. When have you last read a book on the attributes of God? When have you read a book on the goodness of God? Right now, is the time to do so.

To do this, I will be reading A Discourse Upon the Goodness of God by Stephen Charnock. Will you join me? This discourse is found in volume 2 of Charnock’s collected works, published by The Banner of Truth.

Charnock so helpfully lifts our eyes away from self and onto the goodness of our Triune God.

Charnock writes, “God only is infinitely good. A boundless goodness that knows no limits, a goodness as infinite as his essence, not only good, but best; not only good, but goodness itself, the supreme unconceivable goodness” (277).

Again, Charnock writes, “God is the prime and chief goodness … [He is] one infinite ocean of sovereign goodness, whence the streams of created goodness are derived … Nothing can add to him, or make him better than he is, nothing can detract from him to make him worse, nothing can be added to him, nothing can be severed from him” (286).

To find your copy, click here:

https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/collected-workssets/the-works-of-stephen-charnock-2/

Soli Deo Gloria!

March 25, 2020 0

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and COVID-19

What does the Bible have to say about COVID-19? Is God in control of world history?

In light of COVID-19, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the surgeon of souls, gives us some helpful lessons from the book of Habakkuk.

First, Lloyd-Jones reminds us that “we are never promised in the Bible that our lives as Christian people in this world will be free from difficulty and trial” (7).

The Biblical answer to COVID-19:

(1) Though God’s ways are often mysterious, history is under Divine control:
First, “God is the Lord of history. He is seated in the heavens and the nations to Him are as grasshoppers. He started the historical process, He is controlling it, and He is going to end it. We must never lose sight of this crucial fact.”

(2) History follows a Divine plan:
Second, “Things do not just happen. Events are not just accidental, for there is a definite plan of history and everything has been pre-arranged from the beginning.”

(3) History is bound up with the Divine Kingdom:
Third, “What really matters in the world is God’s kingdom. From the very beginning, since the fall of man, God has been at work establishing a new kingdom in this world… What God is permitting in the Church and in the world today is related to His great purpose for His own Church and Kingdom.”

FINAL EXHORTATION:

Lloyd-Jones writes, “Let us not therefore be stumbled when we see surprising things in the world. Rather let is ask, ‘What is the relevance of this event to the Kingdom of God?’

My friend, are you a stranger to the Kingdom of God? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

As you face the prospect of your death and mortality, I urge you to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)… Saved from what? Saved from the wrath of God poured out against sin and sinners alike (Rom. 1:18).

March 22, 2020 0

The All-Together Lovely One

As the Puritans would say, Jesus Christ is ‘all-together lovely.’ Jesus Christ is the fairest of ten-thousand thousands. Who is like Him? Who is like our all-sufficient Saviour? Who can compare to Him? No one. No one can compare to the all-beautiful, all-glorious, all-majestic Redeemer. None can compare to the all-together lovely One.

Friend, do you know the Lovely Saviour? Has He become your greatest portion and delight? Do you meet daily with Him? do you know of His power, might, and glory? Have you tasted and seen His goodness day by day? Are you an eyewitness to His majesty?

John Flavel writes, “The whole world is not a theater large enough to show the glory of Christ upon, or unfold the one half of the unsearchable riches that lie hidden in Him!”

That is astounding! The wonder of wonders! You may be a Christian for ten years, fifty years, ninety years… and you will still barely scratch the surface of Christ and His glory. Eternity will never fully unfold Him!

Flavel goes on to say that,

“There is no doctrine more excellent in itself, or more necessary to be preached and studied—than the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified! The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the very marrow and kernel of all the Scriptures—the scope and center of all divine revelation! Both Testaments meet in Christ. The knowledge of Christ is profound and large. All other sciences are but shadows—this is a boundless, bottomless ocean! Though something of Christ is unfolded continually, yet eternity itself cannot fully unfold Him. O then devote and wholly give yourself, your time, your strength—to this most sweet transcendent study!”

As we close 2019 and approach 2020, give yourself to the study of Christ. Be resolved in this new year to know more about Jesus Christ and Him crucified!

Out of Christ’s condemnation—flows our justification!
Out of His agony—comes our victory!
Out of His pain—comes our ease!
Out of His stripes—comes our healing!
Out of His gall and vinegar—comes our honey!
Out of His curse—comes our blessing!
Out of His crown of thorns—comes our crown of glory!
Out of His death—comes our life!
O what a melting consideration is this![1]

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[1] John Flavel, https://gracegems.org/30/short_pithy_gems_from_flavel.htm

December 19, 2019 0

The Missionary Spirit

As Christians, we are called by God to participate in God’s act of
Redeeming love amongst the Nations. In the book of Acts, Luke shows us that God is continuing to accomplish his purposes and plans through the risen Lord Jesus Christ by the sending of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Spirit of God equips the people of God to participate in the Redeeming plan of God. The whole Church must take the whole Gospel to the whole World.

Click here to listen to my sermon: Acts 1:8 – The Missionary Spirit.

December 9, 2019 0

It Is Finished!

Your greatest need as a Christian is to have your eyes again and again fixed upon Jesus Christ.In John 19:30, the apostle wants us to see that the death of Christ was the predetermined plan of God for Salvation. It was formed in eternity past, recorded in the Old Testament Scripture, and Fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To listen to my exposition of John 19, please follow this link:

John 19:30 ‘It is Finished!’

Solo Deo Gloria!

December 9, 2019 0

Banner of Truth Coffee Mug

Each morning I enjoy waking up early, having a nice freshly brewed coffee on my desk, and my Bible opened to read. Am I alone? I don’t think so. I find it refreshing to have a nice cup of coffee in the morning. It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, who once said, “Advice to a thirsty soul. Try coffee.”[1] Geoff Thomas recalled a time when Dr. Lloyd-Jones would preach every two years in Aberystwyth, and after one occasion Thomas went to see him for morning coffee.[2] Do we see a pattern here? Spurgeon… Lloyd-Jones… Coffee? Now, I say this all with tongue in cheek. However, if you drink coffee or tea, I have an ideal mug for you!

We all know how important it is to have a proper mug for our hot beverage. We don’t want it to be too big or too small. It is ideal when it fits comfortably into the shape of your hand. What mug could fit these difficult criteria? Behold, the Banner of Truth Coffee Mug.

Here is the product description:
“This premium, etched (not printed), 16 ounce coffee mug is the perfect gift for the Banner book reader. Tea could equally be enjoyed with this mug, although its hearty frame lends itself to a stronger hot beverage.”

The Banner Mug is by far my favourite mug. I use it almost every day. Here is a picture of my morning coffee:

If you are a Banner book reader, get this mug! If interested, click here.

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[1] See: https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/10-spurgeon-quotes-for-the-new-school-year

[2] See: https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2007/the-piety-of-dr-martyn-lloyd-jones-submitting-to-the-spirit-of-god/

September 5, 2019 0

Desiring One Thing

⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Ps. 27:4)

Matthew Henry writes, “With what a gracious earnestness David prays for a constant communion with God… If he were to ask but one thing of God, this should be it; for this he had at heart more than anything. He knew something of the beauty of the Lord; his holiness is his beauty; his goodness is his beauty. The harmony of all his attributes is the beauty of his nature.”

Do you know the beauty of the Lord? Is it your one desire to commune with the Triune God? If we are being honest, far too often we forget about the beauty of the Lord, and as a result, we don’t desire Him as we should. Oh, Christian, we need to pray for illuminating grace to see and know the beauty of the Lord. Oh, I long to see Him as the all-together lovely One. Is He your greatest attraction? In Psalm 73:25, the Psalmist cries out to God, saying, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” Is this your desire? Oh, God, I desire nothing but you!

This earnestness to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD reminds me of the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-11. Paul writes,

⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith– ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The apostle Paul counted all things as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. He left all behind so that he could gain Christ, the greatest treasure, and be found in Him alone. Paul wanted one thing: he wanted to know Christ. He wanted to see his beauty, his glory, and his power.

Is this your heartbeat? Will you count all the treasure of this world as rubbish so that you can commune with God more fully? Do you long to see His beauty more clearly?

Friend, under the New Covenant, we now behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). How often do you behold your all-sufficient Saviour in the Scriptures? Daily? Or bi-weekly? Far too often, we do not behold Him as we should. Far too often, we do not desire Him as we ought to. Oh, may God help us both to love him supremely and earnestly as our greatest treasure and delight.

September 5, 2019 0

Eternity: Thoughts in the Hospital

“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

Where will you spend eternity? Have you asked yourself that question? Do not look away from this question. I am speaking to you. Stop right now and consider eternity. When your heart stops beating, and you stand before the judgment seat of Christ, will it be well with your soul? Are your sins forgiven? Have you been reconciled to God through the person and work of Jesus Christ?

This past week, my grandma had a heart attack and now remains in the palliative care unit. Over the past week, I have watched her health decline significantly. However, amid this dark providence, the Lord has been very kind to us all. I have had the opportunity to lead my grandmother each day closer toward the Celestial City, where her Glorious Redeemer dwells. We have been able to read Scripture, sing, pray, and recall the glorious gospel and the prospect of the Christian’s eternity. We have had many precious moments with her.

As of late, I have been impressed with the shortness of life and the length of eternity. Every one of us stands on the brink of eternity. We are all living on borrowed time. No one knows how much time they have left in that hourglass of life. Shouldn’t that change how we live? At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is whether you lived for Jesus Christ. I suspect that on my deathbed, I will not be wishing that I spent more time playing sports or going on vacation. Rather, I will be wishing that I spent more time in communion and fellowship with the Triune God and with his people. I will wish that I spent more time in prayer and under the ministry of the Word. I will wish that I spent more time making the All-Sufficient Saviour known to a lost and dying world.

Friend, what is robbing you of your time with God and others? I think one of the biggest challenges of our day is our social media usage. It was Tony Reinke who said, “Nothing puts social media and smartphone habits into context like the blunt reality of our mortality. Let it sink in a bit. Feel the brevity of life, and it will make you fully alive.” How true is that? When we are faced with our mortality, we see the vanities of this life. We so easily exchange our time with God, in His Book, for endless scrolls through Facebook. Instead of first talking with God, we so often Tweet to others. Is this exchange worth it? No. If you have come to realize this, how then will you spend your life?

Do you want to make your life count? Friend, invest in eternity! Live for eternity! Oh, that God would impress upon your eyes the reality of Heaven and Hell. Do you understand that there is a coming Day where you will give an account for how you spent your life? The apostle Paul says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10).

Friend, give your life to knowing Christ. Dive deep into the unfathomable ocean of His glories, found in His Word. Eternity itself will never fully unfold Christ. For all of eternity, you and I, Christian, will be unfolding the endless curtains of His glories. We will never come to an end. Why not begin that journey today? Christian, give your life to the study and meditation of God’s Word. Give yourself to prayer. Give yourself to making much of Christ to a lost and dying world. Time is short and eternity is long. The best use of your time is found in knowing God and making Him known.

If you are not a Christian, do you understand God’s kindness towards you? He has brought you to this blog to call you to repentance (to turn from your sin) and by faith come to God through Jesus Christ. The fact that your heart is still beating right now is God’s grace towards you. Do not put this off. Get right with God today. You stand on the brink of eternity. Where will you spend eternity?

My friend, if you have not come to Jesus Christ, I plead with you to read this short article. It will only take a few minutes. It will be well worth it. This article explains (1) the Character of God, (2) the Problem of Man, and (3) the hope of eternal life. Click the following link to read: What is the Gospel?

With mercy and with judgment
My web of time He wove;
And always dews of sorrow
Were lustered with His love;
I’ll bless the hand that guided,
I’ll bless the heart that planned,
When throned where glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

September 2, 2019 2

Ministerial Lessons from M’Cheyne

INTRODUCTION

If you could learn from one person in church history, who would it be? I would argue that every minister of the gospel must become familiar with Robert Murray M’Cheyne. On March 20th, 1832, after reading part of the Life of Jonathan Edwards, Robert Murray M’Cheyne penned these words: “How feeble my spark of Christianity appears beside such a sun! But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.”[1] Like Edwards, M’Cheyne was a man who maintained a close fellowship with his Creator and Redeemer. As a result, though he has been with the Lord for some time, his life and ministry still speak today.

Passion About Holiness

To begin, M’Cheyne makes it clear that every minister must be a man who is passionate about holiness. This concept of personal holiness should not be new to us. Throughout the Bible, we see that our calling as a Christian and pastor is a calling to personal holiness: “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’ (1 Pet. 1:15 – 16).

Robert Murray M’Cheyne was convinced that personal holiness and ministerial success were intimately connected. Are you aware of this connection? Pastor, do you know that your personal holiness influences your ministry? M’Cheyne writes,

But do not forget the culture of the inner man – I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword – his instrument – I trust a chosen vessel unto him to bear his name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.[2]

M’Cheyne shows us that the minister who is greatly used by God is the one who exhibits the greatest likeness to Jesus Christ. The minister who diligently pursues holiness in his life is ready to be used by God. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:21 – “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Pastor, do you know that your calling is a calling to a life of holiness? We need to be daily reminded of this and pursue holiness diligently through the ordinary means of grace that God has given us (the word, sacraments, and prayer).

One of the most outstanding qualities given to Robert Murray M’Cheyne was his personal holiness. Andrew Bonar said, “it was testified of him that not the words he spoke, but the holy manner in which he spoke, was the chief means of arresting souls.”[3] Today, the idea of personal holiness is often neglected in many churches across our land. M’Cheyne does well to remind us that our congregations need our own personal holiness.

Persistent in Prayer

Secondly, though prayer is one of the greatest privileges of the Christian life, it is often the most neglected. M’Cheyne teaches us that ministers must be persistent in prayer. Robert Murray M’Cheyne saw prayer not as a “mere discipline or duty to be fulfilled – it was a delight to be savored… He saw prayer as the end itself, the very heart of a believer’s communion with God on earth.”[4] However, though prayer is a great privilege, it is also a great duty. M’Cheyne believed that “a minister’s duty is not so much public as private… if a minister is to thrive in his own soul, and be successful in his work, he must be the half of his time on his knees.”[5]

The temptation for every minister is to rely on his strength to fulfill his duty. However, this is a grievous error. Our Lord Jesus says, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). M’Cheyne confronts this error and shows us that the minister must be a man who goes forward on their knees. On one occasion, M’Cheyne said to his church, “Who knows how many souls would be saved if you would make serious use of daily weeping and praying before God over your unconverted friends and over the unconverted world.”[6] What would our churches look like if we seriously gave ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word? Like M’Cheyne, every minister must be persistent in the prayer closet.

Persevere in Evangelism

Thirdly, we learn that a passion for God overflows in a deep love for the lost. Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s love for souls was the sprung from the outflow of his love for God. M’Cheyne wrote the following statement in his journal: “I have never risen a morning without thinking how I could bring more souls to Christ.”[7] Horatius Bonar rightfully notes that “our power in drawing men to Christ springs chiefly from the fullness of our personal joy in Him, and the nearness of our personal communion with him.”[8] When we see the beauty and glory of Christ in the Scriptures, how can we not joyfully tell about him to others?

Therefore, if we desire to persevere in evangelism, we must begin with God himself. The fuel for evangelism is found in beholding the beauty of the Lord. If we long to be more evangelistically minded, then we must have a growing communion with our Triune God. Our perseverance in evangelism springs chiefly from our deep love for Christ and his Word. If we are to grow in our love for the lost, we must first grow in our love for Christ. Most importantly, if we are to speak for eternity, M’Cheyne reminds us that we must cultivate our own spirit. “A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God’s Spirit, is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin.”[9]

CONCLUSION

To conclude this essay, we have seen that Robert Murray M’Cheyne never ceased from the cultivation of personal holiness, and the most anxious efforts to save souls.[10]As Robert Murray M’Cheyne reflected upon his ministry, he said the following: “I feel persuaded that if I could follow the Lord more fully myself, my ministry would be used to make a deeper impression than it has yet done.”[11] What would it look like if God were to raise-up another generation of men like Robert Murray M’Cheyne in our day? Christian, today you are called to be passionate about holiness, persistent in prayer, and persevere in evangelism.

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These lessons were largely drawn from The Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne. To read more about Robert Murray M’Cheyne, please visit Banner of Truth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beaty, David P. An All-Surpassing Fellowship. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage, 2014.

Bonar, Andrew. Robert Murray M’Cheyne. 2012. Reprint. Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2014.

Bonar, Andrew. Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne. 1966. Reprint. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1973.

Jeffery, Peter. Preachers Who Made a Difference. New York: Evangelical Press, 2004.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.

M’Cheyne, Robert Murray. From the Preacher’s Heart. Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 1995.

Murray, Iain. A Scottish Christian Heritage. 2006. Reprint. Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2014.

[1] David P., Beaty. An All-Surpassing Fellowship (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage, 2014), 12.

[2] David P., Beaty. An All-Surpassing Fellowship, 65.

[3] David P., Beaty. An All-Surpassing Fellowship, 127.

[4] Ibid., 117.

[5] Ibid, 118.

[6] Ibid., 120.

[7] Ibid., 139.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Andrew, Bonar. Robert Murray M’Cheyne, 144-145.

[10] Ibid., 229,

[11] Ibid., 218.

August 28, 2019 0

Fount of Life