When Charles Spurgeon surveyed the preaching of his own day he lamented that, “There is very much rubbish about, brethren.” Now, after a century and a half, his observation appears equally penetrating and applicable. Spurgeon advised pastors to, “Preach you Christ, and Christ, and Christ, and Christ, and nothing else but Christ.” When opposition arose his response was simple, “Let the dogs bark, it is their nature to. Go on preaching Christ crucified.” But as a preacher what made Spurgeon unique? While his immense knowledge of the bible, personality, and quick wit, all contributed to his popularity it was his calling from God and love of Christ and his people which formed the “Prince of Preachers” remembered today.
In Spurgeon's view, for a sermon to be “true preaching” it must include “adoration of God by the manifestation of his gracious attributes.” Preaching was the proclamation of God's gospel “which pre-eminently glorifies him.” Spurgeon also believed that to hear true preaching was “an acceptable form of worship to the most high,” and was perhaps “one of the most spiritual in which the human mind can be engaged.” For Spurgeon, to preach Christ was to preach “the glory of heaven conjoined with the beauty of the earth,” and to extol “the perfection of humanity united with the glory and dignity of Deity.” In his view, the job of the preacher was simple and direct because, “We are mirrors reflecting the transactions of Calvary, telescopes manifesting the distant glories of an exalted Redeemer.” As a result, he declared that “The nearer we keep to the cross, the nearer I think, we keep to our true vocation.”
Furthermore, Spurgeon believed the best preachers were men who knew “the ins and outs of a sinner's heart,” men who could “talk from experience instead of from theory.” Preachers were meant to imitate Christ whose preaching was “meant for the worst of men.” Preaching was to be clear, cut to the heart, and not be encumbered by human speculation. Spurgeon believed that “A true servant of Christ must never try to let the people see how well he can preach.” Rather, preachers must preach Christ so simply that the hearers “cannot misunderstand him even if they try to do so.” Indeed the sermon had to be clear and Christ-centered because “it must not be tolerated that Christ should be unknown through our silence, and sinners unwarned through our negligence.” After all, It would be a tragedy for, “the sheep [to look] up to the shepherd, and not [be] fed.”
Spurgeon loved to preach the gospel. Indeed, He always believed “The world need still be told of its Saviour, and of the way to reach him” and so he never tired of telling the Old, old story. In honor of Spurgeon's legacy as the “Prince of Preachers” here are twelve quotes on preaching.
“It must not be tolerated that Christ should be unknown through our silence, and sinners unwarned through our negligence.”
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