Great Words From Spurgeon

Only within the last year have I really begun to appreciate, and seek out, the sermons of great Christian teachers– what a treasure I missed, all those years content with reading the Bible through once a year, glancing through my NIV Study Bible notes, and weekly sermons from the local church pastor. It was actually my discontent with that local pastor (which is another story) that God used to lead me to the good material, the solid preaching and teaching. First I started reading and listening to John MacArthur, and what a difference that has made in my life, to go deeper into the Word, to correct and increase my biblical understanding and faith.

Since then I have found a few other good teachers I enjoy listening to, including Phil Johnson and Jim McClarty. I’ve only begun to read the “dead Christian teachers” including two books from A.W. Pink, and now, especially, C.H. Spurgeon. I’ve started with my church library’s Spurgeon sermon collection, about halfway through the first volume, sermons from 1855.

Now I also enjoy the daily Spurgeon devotionals (from Alistair Begg’s website), and a new blog called “The Daily Spurgeon.” So much of Spurgeon’s words are “spot on,” timeless observations of God and man, and still as true in today’s Christian world as then– and special to me personally as well.

For example, the following quote, from his 1855 sermon “The Necessity of Increased Faith,” describes where I am now at:

From C.H. Spurgeon, sermon #32, “The Necessity of Increased Faith” (1855)

I know I can say I have had an increase of faith in one or two respects within the last few months. I could not, for a long time, see anything like the Millenium in the Scriptures; I could not much rejoice in the Second Coming of Christ, though I did believe it; but gradually my faith began to open to that subject, and I find it now a part of my meat and drink, to be looking for, as well as hastening unto, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe I have only just begun to learn the A B C of the Scriptures yet, and will constantly cry to the Lord, “Increase my faith,” that I may know more and believe more, and understand thy Word far better.

Spurgeon was only 21 then, an age now a little over half a lifetime ago; I wasn’t even yet saved at that age–God would work on my heart just three years later. But just at the point when I had become content, and thought I knew all that the Bible had to say, God has seen fit to reveal this too, and like Spurgeon I cry to the Lord, “Increase my faith.”