ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)
As surely as the man wants his hour, so surely the hour wants its man. The church of God is always urgently in need of living ministers; to her a man is always more precious than the gold of Ophir. Formal officials do lack and suffer hunger, but the anointed of the Lord need never be without a charge, for there are quick ears which will know them by their speech, and ready hearts to welcome them to their appointed place.
Be fit for your work, and you will never be out of it. Do not run about inviting yourselves to preach here and there; be more concerned about your ability than your opportunity, and more earnest about your walk with God than about either. The sheep will know the God-sent shepherd; the porter of the fold will open to you, and the flock will know your voice.
RESOURCE FOR PASTORS
Special thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring the Pastor’s Note newsletter. The CSB is both accurate and readable. So that you (and your flock) can read God’s Word with confidence, clarity, and precision.
Click here to learn more about the CSB (and request a free CSB Bible).
SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)
Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this quotation in your own preaching to describe the power of Christ.
Sinner, fly to Christ! But you answer, “I am too vile.” The viler you are, the more will you honour him by believing that he is able to protect even you. “But I am so great a sinner.” Then the more honour shall be given to him if you have faith to confide in him, great sinner though you are. If you have a little sickness, and you tell your physician—“Sir, I am quite confident in your skill to heal,” there is no great compliment in your declaration. Anybody can cure a finger-ache, or a trifling sickness. But if you are sore sick with a complication of diseases which grievously torment you, and you say—“Sir, I seek no better physician; I will ask no other advice but yours; I trust myself joyfully with you;” what an honor have you conferred on him, that you can trust your life in his hands while it is in extreme and immediate danger! Do the like with Christ; put your soul into his care: do it deliberately, and without a doubt.
THANKS FOR READING
Brothers,
God has called you to shepherd the flock among you. The Lord has called you to this ministry and he will call you to give an account. May he find us faithful to have served our churches and not our own desires.
Your church is not an obstacle to your ministry — it is the family that God has called you shepherd. Praise him for this blessed task.
If this newsletter is encouraging, please share it with another pastor. You can forward this email to a pastor you know.
If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get another one every week. Click here to subscribe.
Blessings to your ministry,
Doug H.
Creator of SpurgeonBooks
Preaching Pastor of Pillar Church of Washington DC