Work in Progress

I love the title of this book by Dallimore! It’s as new as I am - first published in 1984! It was new at the time though!

Spurgeon is an incredible man! He did an outstanding amount of minsitry over the course of his life, and like Whitefield (and many of the other great men of faith I have read about) served the Lord right up to the day they died. Oh how I long for this to be my story… that I would serve God will all my heart until He takes me home to Heaven.

When someone asked Spurgeon the secret of his success, he replied, “My people pray for me”. He meant not prayer in the usual formal and unexpectant manner but wrestling with God in living faith that He would answer. (p49)

This is the truth! God releases His power as His people pray. I can’t help but pose this as a challenge to all those who seek to lead a ministry… Do you have people praying… really praying for your ministry? And to those who don’t feel called to lead… Are you committed to wrestling in prayer for the people God has put in leadership? I acknowledge that any success I have in ministry comes from God. I pray that He would continue to inspire people to support me in the Spiritual Realm as they cry out to God that lives would be changed as I do the things He calls me to.Spurgeon’s ministry was huge as was the burden he had to carry. On so many occasions these men of faith fall ill as a result of the huge amount of ministry they carry out. Sometimes it is as a result of the terrible living conditions, health awareness, and medical care of their age… but often we can read clearly the effects of burnout that we are cautioned against today. Take note… if amazing men like Spurgeon experience burnout, how important it is that we have caution! Eventually he realised that the burden was too much to carry alone and sought out godly men and women who could take some of his responsibility from him. Almost instantly as the burden is released, his health improves and his ministry is strengthened. (p145-135)

He had incredible humility. One night he watched the streetlights being lit one at a time, yet noted that because it was so dark he couldn’t see the person lighting them. It cause him to reflect:

How earnestly do I wish that my life may be spent in lighting one soul after another with the sacred flame of eternal life! I would myself be as much as possible unseen while at my work, and would vanish into eternal brilliance above when my work is done. (p162)

Every man or woman used by God has to wrestle with this same issue. As God thrusts us into leadership it is easy to enjoy the “praises of men”. On some occasions they attempt to hide the pride under the guise of a false humility. God alone knows the heart.

Spurgeon accepted his first full-time pastor position aged only 17 and saw huge success. Eventually, he would be preaching to tens of thousands as he pastored The Metropolitan Tabernable, lead a college for pastor’s, ministries to the poor, to widows, an orphanage… He preached multiple sermons a day, travelled around Britain preaching in various pulpits leading thousands upon thousands to a deep and meaningful faith, equipping and sending thousands of leaders around the globe to serve in ministry. Aside from that, he published books, sermons, commentaries, wrote thousands of letters, and met individually with numerous people to listen to their testimonies of God’s work in their lives. His work is outstanding! Yet, as always seems to be the case met with harsh opposition with people who were no doubt power-hungry and jealous of his success.

My heart resonates with aspects of Spurgeon’s story. God has called me to lead in ministry. He has burdened my heart to equip leaders to be sent around the world. He has called me to preach the Gospel of Jesus to the saved and unsaved, not being content that people hear it, but that through it their lives are transformed. May God use me as He desires, leading me near or far, giving me much or little.