Charles Spurgeon’s 4 Irrefutable Keys to Church Growth byLARRY TOMCZAK for Charisma News
Charles Spurgeon has rightly been acclaimed as the “prince of preachers.” Apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers honor him as probably history’s greatest pastoral leader.
Mr. Spurgeon had a megachurch before the term existed. He ministered weekly to over 10,000 in his Metropolitan Tabernacle pulpit without amplification or the benefit of social media.
Ministering over four decades, he’s considered one of Christianity’s most prolific communicators. It’s unprecedented that his 63 volumes of over 4,000 sermons are still utilized by leaders throughout the world to this day.
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In my 46 years of ministry, I’ve never encountered anyone like him. His incredible blending of evangelistic and pastoral ministry provides us with many insights into healthy church growth. If he were alive today and we tuned in to his podcast, he’d pass along this time-tested wisdom.
Suggestions From Spurgeon
1. Prioritize the primacy of evangelism. “Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minister; indeed it should be the main pursuit of every true believer.”
Intentionally living the adventure of lifestyle evangelism was atop Charles Spurgeon’s shortlist. He didn’t make the mistake of merely delegating evangelism to an evangelist or an “evangelistic ministry team”; he engaged in missional living with passion and built it into the culture of the church by his example.
Turn up the volume on your computer to hear him through the corridors of time. In his classic book The Soul Winner, he said emphatically, “Our main business is to win souls!”
“If you are eager for real joy, such as you may think over and sleep upon, I am persuaded that no joy of growing wealthy, no joy of increasing knowledge, no joy of influence over your fellow-creatures, no joy of any other sort, can ever be compared with the rapture of saving the soul from death, and helping to restore our lost brethren to our great Father’s house.”
2. Pray for and engage the lost. “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for!”
For decades I’ve encouraged and equipped Christians to slow down and enjoy the adventure of lifestyle evangelism. Many opportunities for sharing Christ come disguised as unwelcomed interruptions.
Many Christians miss divine appointments because they’re simply too hurried in their daily lives. They’re so busy looking for the shortest lines, avoiding conversations, always trying to get in and out as fast as possible.
