ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)
The passion for saving souls is implanted in believers for the church’s good. There can be no doubt that the passion for winning souls expends the church’s energy in a healthy manner. Churches that do not care for outsiders quickly suffer from disunity and strife. What unites a church completely is the calling out of all its forces for accomplishing the Redeemer’s grand objective.
This passion for saving souls not only employs but also draws forth the strength of the church. It awakens the church’s latent energies and arouses its noblest abilities. Communion in service and success welds the saints together and is one of the best securities for mutual love. As a common desire to defend their country welds all the regiments of an army into one, so the common desire to save souls makes all true believers akin to one another
SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)
Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the benefit of serving others.
I may care about myself till I grow morbid; I may watch over my own feelings till I feel nothing; and I may lament my own weakness till I grow almost too weak to lament. It will be far more profitable for me to become unselfish, and out of love to my Lord Jesus begin to care for the souls of those around me. My tank is getting very low; no fresh rain comes to fill it; what shall I do? I will pull up the plug, and let its contents run out to water the withering plants around me. What do I see? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A secret spring is at work. While all was stagnant, the fresh spring was sealed; but as my stock flows out to water others the Lord thinks upon me. Hallelujah!
THANKS FOR READING
Brothers,
Have you ever thought about the power of evangelism to unify your church? Let me encourage you — get your people active in ministry together and you will see your church grow in Christlikeness.
At our church, we host “Gospel & Grub” nights twice a month. We meet up, go out in pairs for street evangelism for an hour, and then we gather up again and have dinner together.
We’ve seen incredible fruit — not just non-believers hearing the gospel and coming on Sundays, but also the members of our church committing to live for God’s glory together!
Don’t overthink it — just “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5).
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Blessings to your ministry,
Doug H.
Creator of SpurgeonBooks