After reading Spurgeon’s An All-Around Ministry, it seems more sensible to understand
that my call is not only to teach, but to also aim for transformation: sharing God’s truth for the
purpose of transformation. After all, it is not knowledge only that pleases the Lord, but what we
do with that knowledge. Spurgeon is a minister’s minister. His words help build faith and
courage in the quest to serve the Lord no matter the cost. Charles Spurgeon in his text, addresses
ministers and seminary students; he seeks to elevate their personal effort and effectiveness in the
pastoral preaching ministry. He does this by appealing to the spiritual and practical realities
associated with the divine call and the responsibilities inherent in that role.
Spurgeon addresses an important issue regarding the object of one’s faith. He establishes
the minister’s faith upon God, Christ, and the doctrines of the gospel as laid out in scripture.
Spurgeon explains that the minister’s faith is demonstrated and increased in power through
prayer and the commission to preach the gospel. According to him “the Great Shepherd of the
sheep will grant us and all-sufficiency with which to feed His people.” Ministers need to realize
that without faith in Christ they cannot function as they ought to.
Spurgeon encourages ministers to be sure of their call and that if anyone is unsure; the
best thing is to “wait till he is sure of it. He urges that in moving forward, the minister of the
Lord should pour out all they have because the Lord is faithful to replenish—a never-ending
supply. “So let us pour forth from our very soul,” he says, and that “the Spirit of God will be in
us a well springing up unto everlasting life,” He writes that ministers must first go forward in
mental acquirements; “We must give him our mind as well as our affections, and that mind
should be well furnished, that we may not offer Him an empty casket.” Exhortations such as
these are all but absent from the American church today. Pastors are not seen as intellectual
individuals but mere public speakers. Spurgeon is right to challenge pastors to increase in this
way. He goes on to write that the first and foremost way the minister must grow intellectually is
in the Scriptures.
Spurgeon explains that “while the minister is at work, God is also at work” and that our
sufficiency to feed His sheep comes from the Great Shepherd of the sheep. In effect, he takes the
pressure off the minister from thinking that any spiritual work will be accomplished by natural
ability. He also promotes deep reliance on the Holy Spirit to speak to hearts. Spurgeon relates
that typical pressures and difficulties concerning the lot of ministry helps ministers of the Gospel
reach “grander results.” Comfort comes in knowing that in following and believing God,
“nothing can be too hard or too heavy for us,” and “our faith makes us abundant in good works,”
Spurgeon asserts.
Although Spurgeon’s message was recorded over a century ago, it is equally relevant
today. Like the consistency of God’s Word, requirements of character and intent remain
consistent for all servants of Jesus Christ through the generations. His strength was in sharing
timeless spiritual and practical truths while encouraging complete reliance on God and expecting
obedience to conformation into the image of Christ. He speaks of persistence and a ‘do not quit’
attitude: “It is onward or nothing nay, onward or dishonor; onward or death,” he says.
Today’s modern ministry often takes the form of entertainment, Spurgeon’s message drives us
back to real heart and message of the Gospel: adherence to the Word of God and reliance on the
work of God.
Spurgeon’s message for me as a minister is that I must work harder, work smarter, and invest
ample time in study and prayer, while trusting completely in God for good spiritual results.
Contingent to this are requirements to keep myself from sin and prideful comparisons while
displaying Godly humility and grace which comes from a genuine relationship with Christ. In
such a manner of being, the minister that is free to boldly proclaim the saving message of Jesus
Christ.
Spurgeon, C.H. An All-Around Ministry: Addresses to Ministers and Students. (mywsb.com)
