Jason K. Allen's Blog, page 20

Why Preaching?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the longtime pastor of Westminster Chapel in London, England, described preaching as, “The highest, the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” I share Lloyd-Jones’ lofty assessment of preaching. The call to preach is a sacred one, and the task of preaching should be undertaken with clarity, conviction, and passion.

It is easy to see that the modern pastor wears many hats. Yet, within the context of the local church, I believe preaching is the pastor’s preeminent responsibility. Preaching is his indispensable task, his most paramount duty, and his most consequential and urgent job assignment. For the pastor, preaching is priority #1.

What is more, it is not just that the pastor must preach, but that he must preach the Word. This is best accomplished through biblical exposition. But, before we get there, we must ask the important question of “why preaching?”

 The determination to preach the Word is first a theological commitment. We preach the Word because the Word is true, authoritative, and life-giving. Scripture is replete with this self-attestation. For instance, consider 1 Peter 1:23–25:

For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, {that is,} through the living and enduring word of God. For, all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was preached to you.

Similarly, James testifies, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures” (1:18).

These passages teach us that the Lord works sovereignly in the heart of the hearer by His Spirit and through His Word. Believing this Word-Spirit dynamic is a theological commitment, and thus pushes one toward biblical exposition. As Lloyd-Jones observed:

The ultimate justification for asserting the primacy of preaching is theological. In other words, I would argue that the whole message of the Bible asserts this and drives us to this conclusion. I mean that the moment you consider man’s real need, and also the nature of salvation announced and proclaimed in the Scriptures, you are driven to the conclusion that the primary task of the church is to preach and proclaim this, to show man’s real need, and to show the only remedy, the only cure for it.

Lloyd-Jones is right, and that is why preaching is a consistent theme throughout Scripture and a consistent practice throughout Protestant Christianity.

A Consistent Theme Throughout Scripture

God sent forth the prophets of old to preach. The Gospels tell us “John the Baptist preached repentance.” Jesus, too, “came preaching.”

At Pentecost, in Acts 2, the church was birthed through Peter’s preaching. Throughout the book of Acts, the Apostles preaching upended the world and fertilized the church. The office of deacon was formed to facilitate prayer and the ministry of the Word. Paul customarily went to the synagogue and reasoned from the Scriptures.

In I Timothy 3, the elder must be “able to teach.” In I Timothy 4, Paul tells Timothy, “Until I come give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to preaching.” And, of course, Paul’s final charge to Timothy is to “preach the Word.”

Most persuasively, Paul’s airtight logic in Romans 10 reminds us how high the stakes truly are—it is through preaching the lost are saved. The apostle writes,

For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:13–15)

Therefore, it is clear from Scripture why we must preach, but this is also clearly displayed in church history.

A Consistent Theme Throughout Protestantism

The structures, functions, and history of the church—especially post-Reformation—reinforces preaching’s centrality. The men who have most mightily advanced the church and shaken the world have done so through the pulpit.

As Protestants, our churches remind us of this reality as well. Our architecture places the pulpit front and center in our houses of worship. Our liturgy features preaching as the climactic point in our order of worship. Our jargon even reinforces the centrality of preaching (or at least it used to). Pastor search committees were once called “Pulpit Committees.” A call to the ministry was a “call to preach,” and the pastor was often called simply “the preacher.”

The answer to “why preaching” is not a mystery, but one that is clearly attested in both Scripture and church history alike. Therefore, as we assess the pastorate, let it be said of our pastors that they are first and foremost preachers.

____________________________________________________

 Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971, 9.

 Ibid., 26.

*This article is an excerpt from Portraits of a Pastor, by Jason K. Allen. This book is available for purchase through Moody Publishers and Amazon.*

 

The post Why Preaching? appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Count All Things But Loss” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Count All Things But Loss” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, October 14, Morning)

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person’s acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge–I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices–his attributes–his works–his shame–his glory. I must meditate upon him until I “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” It will be an affectionate knowledge of him; indeed, if I know him at all, I must love him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Saviour, my mind will be full to the brim–I shall feel that I have that which my spirit panted after. “This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger.” At the same time it will be an exciting knowledge; the more I know of my Beloved, the more I shall want to know. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the more. Like the miser’s treasure, my gold will make me covet more. To conclude; this knowledge of Christ Jesus will be a most happy one; in fact, so elevating, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than “Man that is born of woman, who is of few days, and full of trouble”; for it will fling about me the immortality of the ever living Saviour, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal joy. Come, my soul, sit at Jesus’s feet and learn of him all this day.

The post Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Count All Things But Loss” by C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Five Rules for Sermon Illustrations

Have you ever heard a sermon illustration that did more harm than good? I have. In fact, just recently I heard a sermon illustration that was an absolute train wreck. It sent God’s people on an unhelpful diversion, had nothing to do with the passage, and compromised the sermon’s final, concluding thrust. In other words, it was a disaster, and the results were debilitating to the sermon.

Yet, a well-chosen illustration can illumine the passage and strengthen the sermon. That is why generations of seminary students have been taught that good sermons include explaining, illustrating, and applying the text. Of the three, illustrating the text is the least important, but it is important nonetheless.

Therefore, how should we view sermon illustrations? Consider these five rules.

1. Make sure the illustration amplifies the text and does not distract from it. This is a non-negotiable rule. If your illustration makes the meaning of the text clearer and more memorable, mission accomplished. If a week later your hearers still remember your illustration, but not the point it was making or the text connected to it, that is a problem.

2. Make sure the tone of your illustration matches the tone of your text. I do not want to take this point too far, but we need to be mindful of the emotional affect our illustrations will have on our congregants. Recently, I heard a sermon on a sober, weighty passage of Scripture. Oddly, though, the preacher chose a silly illustration to amplify the text. To make matters worse, he re-wove it throughout the sermon. Every time we brushed up against the depths of the passage, the trite illustration reappeared. The crowd needed a dose of emotional Dramamine they were so off balance throughout the sermon.

3. Never illustrate the illustration. If you find yourself needing to clarify, explain, or illustrate the illustration, it is better to abort it. The sermon illustration will likely be a verbal quagmire, helping no one. A good illustration is like fast-casual dining, you can get in and out quickly, without added commitments or complications.

4. Look for value added in your illustrations. Work to find illustrations that have added punch, helping in ways beyond merely assisting the passage under consideration. For instance, an illuminating biblical cross-reference or a moving story from church history both provide added value, as opposed to, say, a humorous aside about a mishap when changing your toddler’s diaper. Always seek to feed your people, do not settle for unhelpful—or even less helpful— diversions.

5. Do not overestimate the importance of sermon illustrations. Every sermon must explain the text, and every sermon should apply the text. But a text can stand on its own without an illustration. An illustration is merely a tool, and its utility depends on the passages need for clarification and the illustrations helpfulness in doing so. Do not feel like every sermon point needs an illustration to top it off.

In Conclusion

Illustrations are not an end unto themselves. Faithful preachers do not begin with a zinger of an illustration and then find a biblical text to go with it. They begin with the text and employ illustrations for added clarity, amplification, or to bring the passage home with added force. In other words, the text is the dog, and the illustration the tail. Make sure the latter never wags the former.

*This article was originally published on 5/10/17*

The post Five Rules for Sermon Illustrations appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Love Is Strong As Death” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Love Is Strong As Death” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, October 13, Evening)

“Love is strong as death.” (Song of Solomon 8:6)

Whose love can this be which is as mighty as the conqueror of monarchs, the destroyer of the human race? Would it not sound like satire if it were applied to my poor, weak, and scarcely living love to Jesus my Lord? I do love him, and perhaps by his grace, I could even die for him, but as for my love in itself, it can scarcely endure a scoffing jest, much less a cruel death. Surely it is my Beloved’s love which is here spoken of–the love of Jesus, the matchless lover of souls. His love was indeed stronger than the most terrible death, for it endured the trial of the cross triumphantly. It was a lingering death, but love survived the torment; a shameful death, but love despised the shame; a penal death, but love bore our iniquities; a forsaken, lonely death, from which the eternal Father hid his face, but love endured the curse, and gloried over all. Never such love, never such death. It was a desperate duel, but love bore the palm. What then, my heart? Hast thou no emotions excited within thee at the contemplation of such heavenly affection? Yes, my Lord, I long, I pant to feel thy love flaming like a furnace within me. Come thou thyself and excite the ardour of my spirit.

“For every drop of crimson blood

Thus shed to make me live,

O wherefore, wherefore have not I

A thousand lives to give?”

Why should I despair of loving Jesus with a love as strong as death? He deserves it: I desire it. The martyrs felt such love, and they were but flesh and blood, then why not I? They mourned their weakness, and yet out of weakness were made strong. Grace gave them all their unflinching constancy–there is the same grace for me. Jesus, lover of my soul, shed abroad such love, even thy love in my heart, this evening.

The post Lord’s Day Meditation: “Love Is Strong As Death” by C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Five Principles for Maximizing Your New Year

A while back, I received a kind email inquiring how I maintain my personal schedule, many life commitments, and most faithfully steward all the Lord has entrusted to me. There’s a sense in which I hate answering questions like this because too often it smacks of “Success and how I’ve achieved it.” Yet, I banged out a brief reply to this inquiring pastor, hoping to help him. Here are five principles I shared with him. Perhaps you’ll find them helpful as you navigate the new year.

1. Stewardship. I view my life, family, and calling all through the lens of stewardship. I do not own these things; I am a mere custodian. I will give an account one day for how I stewarded every aspect of my life, and all the Lord has entrusted to me. How I allocate my time, who I intentionally invest in, when and where I devote my energy, how faithfully I minister the gospel and the Word of God, and so much more, all matter. I am just a steward, but I am the steward of these things. I will give an account for how wisely I exercised my stewardship.

2. Intentionality. I intentionally plan, schedule, and track, every meaningful aspect of my life and ministry. For example, I schedule an hour of devotional time early every morning. After that, I schedule an hour of exercise. When at all possible, I keep my mornings for study, sermon preparation, and writing. My afternoons are for meetings and office matters, and my evenings are for my family. Of course, every day has its own wrinkle, but living an intentional life is key.

3. Saying No. Learning to pronounce the word no was a breakthrough for me. Earlier in life, I had trouble saying no. Once I learned to say no, I felt liberated. I could not imagine my life at this stage without the ability to kindly, but firmly, decline opportunities and requests. This is especially important when it comes to calendaring. From a distance, most everything seems manageable. Yet, when in the day-to-day throes of life’s responsibilities, you often find yourself asking, “Why in the world did I agree to this?” A basic principle, which I learned from Greg McKeown in his book Essentialism, is if the answer isn’t “heck yeah,” the answer probably needs to be no.

4. Discipline. Having a routine and sticking to it, whenever possible, is key. I am mindful of how much time I give to social media, web surfing, and other rabbit trails that will distract and move me from the important to the intriguing. John Piper once quipped that Facebook will be used at the judgment seat as evidence that we had enough time for prayer, but we squandered it away. Don’t fritter away your life due to a lack of discipline.

5. Productivity. I enjoy being productive. It gives me a sense of fruitfulness, and of accomplishment. I even find it restful. I track my faithfulness in most every meaningful area of my life. This primarily takes place through goal setting, to-do lists, Evernote planning and review, and journaling. Whether it is one’s personal or professional life, one’s avocations or one’s vocation, the maxim is true: you occasionally get what you expect, you consistently get what you inspect.

As I told the gentleman that emailed me, I’m just a beggar telling another beggar where I’ve found a little bread. I hope he found my email to be helpful, as I hope you’ve found this brief article helpful. May the Lord use these five principles to help to make your 2019 maximally lived for him.

*This article was originally posted on 1/18/17*

The post Five Principles for Maximizing Your New Year appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, October 13, Morning)

“Godly sorrow worketh repentance.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature’s garden. Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them. If thou hast one particle of real hatred for sin, God must have given it thee, for human nature’s thorns never produced a single fig. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”

True repentance has a distinct reference to the Saviour. When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both our eyes upon Christ and see our transgressions only, in the light of his love.

True sorrow for sin is eminently practical. No man may say he hates sin, if he lives in it. Repentance makes us see the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally–as a burnt child dreads fire. We shall be as much afraid of it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid of the thief upon the highway; and we shall shun it–shun it in everything–not in great things only, but in little things, as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes. True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against him.

Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent until their dying day. This dropping well is not intermittent. Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows with our growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank God we are permitted to enjoy and to suffer it until we enter our eternal rest.

 

The post Lord’s Day Meditation: “Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance” by C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Counsel for Those Considering Year-End Contributions

With the Christmas season just behind us, year-end solicitations are upon us as well. I know this all too well. I am on the receiving end of scores of appeals, and, as president of Midwestern Seminary, I am on the requesting end also.

With so many pressing needs and viable ministries to which you can give, how should you discern which causes are most deserving of your financial support? How should you consider year-end giving in light of biblical principles of Christian stewardship?

Be Pre-Committed to Biblical Stewardship

First, consider your giving in light of the broader, biblical principles of Christian stewardship. Ultimately, your resources are not your own. They are the Lord’s resources, with which you have been entrusted as a steward.[1]

Be honest with yourself, your income, and your giving opportunities. Sheltering money from the government may work on earth, but it doesn’t work in heaven. God does not desire excuses; he desires obedience. He’s not looking for us to negotiate or enter into private arrangements with him; he is looking for us to be faithful, sacrificial stewards with all he’s entrusted to us.

Give to Your Local Church First

Second, prioritize your local church. In the New Testament, we see by prescription and by pattern God’s people giving to their local church. The Apostle Paul repeatedly instructed and celebrated this pattern. Though I lead a theological institution dependent upon the generous donations of God’s people, my wife and I prioritize our local church, and encourage others to do the same.

Doubtlessly, you are confronted with many worthwhile opportunities to give this Christmas season. As you pray through these options, do not let any of them displace or curtail your giving to your local church.

Look for Optimal Impact

Third, look for optimal impact. Don’t give to fill ditches. Give to build mountains. Every Christian entity faces seasons of unusual need or unanticipated challenges. But, if an entity perennially engages in crisis fundraising, odds are they do not have a donor problem, they have a business-model problem. Be leery about throwing good money after bad.

On the contrary, look for organizations that have a track record of good financial management. Moreover, look for ministries wherein your gift will have a ripple effect. Why settle for making a short-lived impact if you can make an ongoing one?

Be Fully Informed

Fourth, be fully informed about the cause you are considering supporting. Are they a distinctively Christian organization? What is their vision? What is their mission statement? What is their doctrinal statement? Where do they stand on pressing social issues like marriage and abortion? Are they committed to the Word of God as absolutely true and the exclusivity of the gospel as the only message that saves? Specifically, how will the gift be utilized? Be on the lookout both for what they don’t state publicly as well as what they do.

As a donor, no question should be off-limits. In fact, if there is an inappropriate question for a donor to ask, I have yet to be faced with it. There are too many great Christian ministries with pressing needs to settle for making ill-informed contributions.

Run From Manipulation

Finally, run from manipulation. Making needs known is entirely appropriate, but placing undue expectations on potential supporters is not. If a solicitor resorts to heavy-handedness, it may belie duress, or something much worse. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured by such tactics. Instead, pray, reflect, inquire, and seek the will of God.

Conclusion

Christian stewardship includes more than generous giving, it includes wise, discerning giving as well. The power to give is the power to impact lives. The upside can be unlimited, and that is good. In fact, the upside is too great to be careless. Be a generous—and wise—steward of all God has entrusted to you.

____________________________________________________

[1] See, e.g., Genesis 2:15; Psalm 24:1–2; 2 Corinthians 9:8.

*This article was previously posted 11/29/2015*

The post Counsel for Those Considering Year-End Contributions appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Comforter, Which Is The Holy Ghost” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Comforter, Which Is The Holy Ghost” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, October 12, Evening)

“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.” (John 14:26)

This age is peculiarly the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us, not by his personal presence, as he shall do by-and-by, but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Ghost, who is evermore the Comforter of the church. It is his office to console the hearts of God’s people. He convinces of sin; he illuminates and instructs; but still the main part of his work lies in making glad the hearts of the renewed, in confirming the weak, and lifting up all those that be bowed down. He does this by revealing Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit consoles, but Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician, but Jesus is the medicine. He heals the wound, but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ’s name and grace. He takes not of his own things, but of the things of Christ. So if we give to the Holy Spirit the Greek name of Paraclete, as we sometimes do, then our heart confers on our blessed Lord Jesus the title of Paraclesis. If the one be the Comforter, the other is the Comfort. Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be thy Comforter: dost thou imagine, O thou weak and trembling believer, that he will be negligent of his sacred trust? Canst thou suppose that he has undertaken what he cannot or will not perform? If it be his especial work to strengthen thee, and to comfort thee, dost thou suppose he has forgotten his business, or that he will fail in the loving office which he sustains towards thee? Nay, think not so hardly of the tender and blessed Spirit whose name is “the Comforter.” He delights to give the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Trust thou in him, and he will surely comfort thee till the house of mourning is closed forever, and the marriage feast has begun.

 

The post Lord’s Day Meditation: “The Comforter, Which Is The Holy Ghost” by C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

The Essential Marks of a Preacher

“How shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). With airtight logic, the Apostle Paul sets forth the indispensable human link in fulfilling the Great Commission—the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In so doing, he instructs us in the way of the kingdom, that in every generation God is calling out preachers to serve His church.

Paul’s timeless question is especially relevant for the twenty-first-century church. Evangelical churches are in the midst of a massive generational transition, with vacant pastorates and empty pulpits dotting the landscape.

Vacant pulpits ought not induce the wringing of hands. Christ is building His church. He does not hope for ministerial volunteers; He sovereignly sets apart pastors to serve His church and preach His gospel.

Nonetheless, the church is to call out the called, and every qualified man of God should consider if God is calling him to pastoral ministry.

How might one know if God is calling him to the ministry? There are four essential marks.

A Burning Desire

The leading indicator of a call to ministry is a burning desire for the work. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul begins the list of ministry qualifications by asserting, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” In fact, Paul testified that he ministered as one “under compulsion,” fearful of God’s judgment if he did not preach.

In his Lectures to My Students, Charles Spurgeon argued, “The first sign of the heavenly calling is an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work. In order to be a true call to the ministry, there must be an irresistible, overwhelming craving and raging thirst for telling to others what God has done to our own souls.”

Those who have been most used of God carried this weight of the soul. Men such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Spurgeon owned this inner compulsion that, like an artesian well, continuously poured power and urgency into their ministries.

The preacher may not feel every Sunday what Richard Baxter felt when he famously resolved “to preach as a dying man, to dying men; as one not sure to ever preach again.” But the one called of God knows a constant, ongoing desire for the work of ministry.

A Holy Life

First Timothy 3:1–7 offers a clear and non-negotiable list of character qualifications for the ministry. This list is prescriptive, not descriptive; it is regulative, not suggestive. In summary, the minister of God must be above reproach.

Before a church evaluates a pastoral candidate’s gifting or talent, it must first evaluate his character. To be sure, for a man aspiring to ministry, it may help to be winsome, to be eloquent, or to possess a magnetic personality. Yet, before one looks for these secondary—and tertiary—strengths, one must first meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3.

What is more, the 1 Timothy 3 qualifications do not simply represent a one-time threshold to cross. Rather, they are a lifestyle to be maintained, a character to be cultivated, and an ongoing accountability to God’s Word and God’s people. One’s call to ministry is inextricably linked to one’s biblical character. The two cannot—and must not—be decoupled.

A Surrendered Will

The Apostle Paul was set apart from his mother’s womb and testified that he “became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me” (Col. 1:25). Paul chose to preach because God chose him to preach. Every call to preach originates in heaven. Our response is total surrender.

In fact, “surrendering to ministry” used to be common parlance in evangelical churches. We would do well to recover that phrase because that is how one enters the ministry—through surrender. God’s call to ministry comes with the expectation that you will go whenever and wherever He calls you. His ministers are His agents, deployed for service according to His providential plan.

An Ability to Teach

Finally, the one called to the ministry must be able to teach the Word of God. In 1 Timothy 3, this is the distinguishing qualification between the office of the deacon and elder. There are a thousand ways a minister can serve the church, but there is one, indispensable, and non-negotiable responsibility—to preach and teach the Word of God.

Does the preparation and delivery of sermons fulfill you? Do the people of God benefit from your ministry of the Word? Does your church sense your gifting and affirm your ability to preach or teach about God?

Conclusion

Any man can choose the ministry, and too many unqualified men have. Only a select few are called by God. Discerning between being called of men and called of God is urgently important.

If God is calling you to be His servant, then realize, in the words of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “the work of preaching is the highest and greatest and most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” If God has called you to be His preacher, never stoop to be a king of men.

 

*This article was originally published on 11/22/15*

The post The Essential Marks of a Preacher appeared first on Jason K. Allen.

Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Will Meditate In Thy Precepts” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Will Meditate In Thy Precepts” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, October 12, Morning)

“I will meditate in thy precepts.” (Psalm 119:15)

There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on his Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser’s feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice will not flow; and they must well tread the grapes, or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the wine of consolation therefrom. Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscle, and the nerve, and the sinew, and the bone, is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness, and the inward digesting of the truth lies for the most part in meditating upon it. Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord, and be this our resolve this morning, “I will meditate in thy precepts.”

 

The post Lord’s Day Meditation: “I Will Meditate In Thy Precepts” by C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Jason K. Allen.