Preaching in Earnest - Part 1

Charles Spurgeon considered earnestness one of the most essential elements of effective preaching. In this episode, I look at what Spurgeon means by "earnestness" in his book titled Lectures to My Students.

Preaching on the street, or open air preaching, is good for the preacher, the church, and the city. This episode shares a summary of Spurgeon's advice on the benefits of street preaching and a few pointers on how to do it well.

This chapter in Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students" is titled "The Need for Decision for Truth." It is about why preachers need to make up their minds about what is true, and then to stick to it; how preachers need to stop giving in to the spirit of the age and forsaking doctrines that the Bible declares as true, and instead should be bold in their declarations of truth.Spurgeon lived in an age when theological liberalism was beginning to invade the church. Ministers of all denominational varieties were beginning to chip away at the doctrinal pillars of the gospel of Christ. That trend continues today, and Spurgeon’s words in this chapter are still relevant for modern Christians.I’m going to divide the chapter along three lines, which are questions which Spurgeon answers:• “In what ought we to be positive?”,• “How are we to show this decision?”, and finally,• “Why should we at this particular age be decided and bold?”The last episode dealt with the first question. In this episode I’ll address the other two questions.You can buy "Lectures to My Students" here: https://amzn.to/3qaAYQlHave a blessed day!

At first glance, this chapter may sound like a lesson on how to lead people to make a decision for Christ, but that is not what this chapter is about. This chapter is about why preachers need to make up their minds about what is true, and then to stick to it; how preachers need to stop giving in to the spirit of the age and forsaking doctrines that the Bible declares as true. Spurgeon lived in an age when theological liberalism was beginning to invade the church. Ministers of all denominational varieties were beginning to chip away at the doctrinal pillars of the gospel of Christ. That trend continues today, and Spurgeon’s words in this chapter are still relevant for modern Christians.

This is part 2 of a 2 part series. Spurgeon discusses the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the chapter titled “The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry” in his classic book, Lectures to My Students. In this chapter, Spurgeon approaches the subject along the lines of two questions, “In what way do we need the help of the Holy Spirit?” and “How can we lose this help of the Spirit of God?”

The ultimate goal of gospel ministry is not to fill a building but to impact eternity. It is very possible to be numerically successful in ministry – to have large buildings crammed with people, to garner large amounts of donations, to become a household name in contemporary Christianity – and to have zero eternal impact.This is why preacher’s need the Holy Spirit. As believers we have the indwelling Spirit, but as preachers we need the influencing Spirit as well.Spurgeon discusses the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the chapter titled “The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry” in his classic book, Lectures to My Students. In this chapter Spurgeon approaches the subject along the lines of two questions, “In what way do we need the help of the Holy Spirit?” and “How can we lose this help of the Spirit of God?”

This episode is about the chapter titled “To Workers with Slender Apparatus” – which is a very strange chapter title. What Spurgeon means by “workers with slender apparatus” is preachers with few books and little or no means by which to purchase more. When reading "Lectures to My Students" there is a temptation to skip this chapter because books are cheaper today, and ebooks are free. But I think you’ll be glad you read this chapter because in it Spurgeon does not give advice so much on how to get books for less money, rather he reveals his own philosophy of reading, which I have found very helpful.

Today’s episode is about the chapter titled “The Minister’s Ordinary Conversation” in Spurgeon’s timeless classic Lectures to My Students. And by “the minister’s ordinary conversation” Spurgeon means the preacher’s demeanor and behavior around others in his everyday life. Listen to my 6 takeaways from this chapter.

Preacher's can struggle with spiritual depression as much (or even more) than others. Spurgeon shows us the What's, Why's, and How's of dealing with spiritual depression from his own experience.I am not (and neither was Spurgeon) a medical or mental health professional. The content of this video is for general information purposes only and should not be misconstrued as professional medical or mental health advice.

Have you ever seen one of Spurgeon’s sermon outlines? They are very minimal – almost bare-boned.  Have you ever read one of Spurgeon’s sermons? They are as full of meat as an egg. How can a man take such a skeletal outline and turn it into such weighty sermons? The answer to the question is the faculty of impromptu speech. And by this, Spurgeon means “speaking without special preparation, without notes or immediate forethought.” It’s a vital skill every preacher needs – and Spurgeon was a master at it. In today’s episode, I arrange Spurgeon's chapter titled "The Faculty of Impromptu Speech" around 4 imperatives.