Charles Spurgeon free essay sample

He ought to pray more than the people he is leading. He further argues that a devoted prayer life will empower the pastors sermons as well as their delivery. The pastor that does not pray over his work because it shows his arrogance, for he elevates his thoughts without seeing the need to appeal to God, but his prayer should be that of one who seeking and searching for something to say to the people because he realizes that its not him who speaks to the people but God who uses him as a willing vessel to speak to his own people. Chapter 4 examines how as pastors along with our congregation should pray in front of other people.Spurgeon believes that we should pray with our hearts and from our hearts and not pray from a written script. God alone must be the object, and Scripture must be quoted accurately. Spurgeon finishes this chapter offering practical advice for the length, current, etc. of public prayers. In chapter 5 Spurgeon explains what a sermon should have in its contents. He points out that they should be made up of solid doctrine and be well throughout. The doctrine should coincide with biblical text itself, while all ways revealing the gospel.Most importantly pastors must seek to grow within their spiritual knowledge, having better understanding the truth, so they can effectively grow, encourage, empower and motivate the saints physically, mentally and spiritually grow. In chapter 6 Spurgeon talks about biblical and practical advice for choosing a particular scripture to preach. As preacher sent from God we must not randomly choose or pick scriptures out our self because often times when we do that we take it out of content, but the pastor must pray and ask God to show him the scripture that he wants the people to be informed about.As pastors we have to understand God the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what he desires his people to hear. In chapter 7 Spurgeon tells us pastors to spiritualize biblical texts. He gives various examples of too much spiritualizing and too little spiritualizing there should be a equal balance in the text for be to be able implement it in there life’s. In chapter 12 Spurgeon reveals to us the way and the importance of how we should live and socialize with our congregation or church.He tells of being real because some of us try and be to proper, instead of just being a common man when the people are around you. He must be sociable, happy, not dominating the conversations which means we must be willing to listen and seek to accomplish some good through the social interactions with people. Spurgeon concludes this section encouraging pastors to never seek the fame or fortune, nor argue but to be sure to stick by what you believe in regardless of his company. Chapter 15 Spurgeon encourages Pastors to continue in the things of Christ such as holiness, in growth, and in grace and mercy.As pastors we must gain biblical knowledge and sharpen our homiletic abilities along with our moral character, qualities, spiritual qualifications, work ethic, and missionary endeavors. In general he was telling us to move forward in Christ name. Last but not least in chapter 21 Spurgeon puts in details the most important quality that a ministers must have in order to win souls for Christ: he have sincerity, must be alert, always solemn and excellent in their deliverance of the word which is their work.Lastly they must show their passion when they actually preach their sermons, but this enthusiasm must be real and not a show. He also gives us various examples that can weaken passion, He tells pastors to continue being passionate because of the love of Christ alone. He concludes this section offering pastors advice to keep the flame going. Evaluation In this book, Charles Spurgeon offers grea insight on biblical and practical ways for pastors to begin and sustain his ministry for the glory of God. He both encourages men to pastoral ministry and discourage men from pastoral ministry.As I read this book I see Spurgeon taking it upon his self as if he considers it his duty to tell the truth of the Scriptures to each of his stud ents and to give them advice to help them flourish in ministry with such high recognition and submission for the Word of God, Spurgeons has a high view of the Scriptures as authoritative with clear visible message. Spurgeon in the book offers much practical advice all preacher even those who do not value his completely will still benefit from this book; for, Spurgeon is clearly the prince of preachers which he is known as across the world.Although he writing this book Spurgeon seem to have some subjective concerns. In chapter 6, Spurgeon explains how pastors should select a scripture to preach. He emphases that God will reveal to pastors what scripture or scriptures to preach. Spurgeon says that a pastor needs to be observant of his congregation to discern and get a better understanding of where the people is so that he can be more effective at meeting their needs as one body. Spurgeon suggest that it is the Holy Spirit that leads the pastor to know what to preach.This is important because if the entire Bible carries authority, and the hearers are the sinner, that means that they need a Rhema Word from God. So the question becomes as long as a pastor preaches from the Bible, can he really preach the wrong text? Spurgeon believes that he cannot fail when he preaches the Word in context that directly comes from God. Spurgeon also argues that if a man is not given the text directly from God through some relative leading, then he is arrogantly using his own mind and ways to choose the text.This is an interesting point considering Spurgeon believes a pastor is capable of discerning the biblical needs of his congregants, but is incapable of picking the right text to preach using his own mindset. In other areas of this book, Spurgeon encourages his readers to use their minds and skills to carry out their ministry for Gods glory. Spurgeon fails to realize that the reader cannot escape his own mind and skill in choosing a text. Spurgeon even points out that when your verse gives your mind a hearty grip, from which you cannot release yourself, you will need no further direction as to your proper theme (85). My question be would how a man know that his mind is gripped without using his own skills and thoughts. The answer is that a pastors thoughts and skills are unfeasible to divorce from the process. This means there there is no example in the Bible where God gives a scripture to someone to preach. When this happens in a pastors ministry how does he know that God is the one releasing the text to him since the Bible details no similar revealing or even encourages pastors to wait on such revelation? The answer is that a pastor cannot but that they must trust in Gods voice.Spurgeon encourages originality, imagination with scripture, but without violating the common sense or reality. He even criticizes others for violating his proposed thoughts. The problem is that Spurgeon in facts determines what common sense is and the boundaries for spiritualizing. He also neglects proper and formal hermeneutics and does not even mention understanding the Holy Spirits meaning how it works in a minister’s life. Spurgeons emphasis in this book on this particular point the pastor is the interpreter instead of the Author of the scripture Himself.He forgets that all words mean something; and God the Holy Spirit meant something specific and had a purpose and reason when He wrote the Word of God. Spurgeon believes that spiritualizing scripture will help keep the audiences attention. The pastors concern however must be with preaching the truth instead of entertaining the crowd or congregation because they are not interested in the truth. Spurgeon as encourages pastors to use spiritual things to keep attention and interest of the people. Spurgeon suggests that the scripture alone is unable of keeping attention.The points in Scripture demanded to be heard, not because of their ability, creativity, or imagination, but because they came with a message from God. Application As I finished the reading of this book I personally would recommend to all that feels or know they been called to the ministry. The book is so informational for that been in the ministry can still benefit from this book. I think all seminaries as well as those pastors who have the duty and task of training preachers should required this read from their students.I recognized as a pastor I am also a continual product not a finish and still need to continue working on my spiritual life and the book reminded me of this. Spurgeon emphasized discipline and that will drastically help me to remain faithful in the ministry. He me realize the importance of daily prayer; and encouraged me to pray more intentionally on a consistent basis. Lastly despite what your congregation believes in or what their doctrine is Spurgeon encouraged me to continue on faithfully and soundly preaching the Word of God. Though he emphasizes keeping the audiences attention or ntertaining the people he still emphasized preaching the Word in context for the glory of God. Like many pastors, Im always tempted to preach something I want to preach, to compound the gospel and to seek the applause of men alone. The gospel is always relevant for whatever generation that he is in. He encourages me to have a better conversation and be real all the time because a pastors we are tempted to be fake. Spurgeon encouraged pastors to let their conversation be purposeful and meaningful and to simply be a common men among common men try not to be greater than those who you serve.He also encouraged me to be the man of God has called me to be and not worry about who life me or not, as pastor we struggle on the basis of trying make everyone like us so we spend time trying to be more like a politician than a pastor, to be a people-pleaser instead of a preacher of the Word of God. Finally, Spurgeon encouraged me to be since re for souls because that is my duty Our churches are full but full with lost souls because we constantly adding member to the church but there is not transformation taking place we don’t have true Christianity among us.