During middle school I somehow acquired what is now one of my favorite books in my whole small library: "Spurgeon at His Best". Several thousand quotes from Charles H. Spurgeon's sermons organized by topic and/or passage. Such unction, passion, and frankness. Ouch! Here is one I'm wrestling with tonight:
"If there be any one point in which the Christian church ought to keep its fervor at a white heat, it is concerning missions. If there be anything about which we cannot tolerate lukewarmness, it is in the matter of sending the gospel to a dying world."
The apostle Peter said that our Lord is holding back His return--longing to come, yet staying Himself--for the desire that NONE should perish (2 Peter 3). Then, what did Peter do? He walked his way down into India sharing the good news of the kingdom and there was killed while preparing the way of the Lord.
May the Chinese believers be a challenge to me: they talk about missions and evangelism over their meals; while they pray, worship, and study scripture, they dream of advancing the gospel; they put aside what little funds they have to send people from their midst into areas that have little or no gospel yet; they preach, and then are beaten and shamed because they don't keep it to themselves.
Are any of us confused about our "purpose in life"? How many hours have I spent daydreaming and planning little goals and ideals for myself? Wake up Bethany! Life is not complicated. I don't lack direction. I must live (pray, eat, breath, sleep, think, do...) to spread the gospel around me and use all means possible to forward the gospel in places where I can't be (since I'm not omnipresent like Someone :).
Oh, Church. In this one area, let us not be passionless, lukewarm, distracted. Let us not tolerate ourselves to be so. Christ, come quickly! What can I do to hasten your return?!?!
"There is a prayer I mean to continue to offer until it is answered, that God would pour out on this church a missionary spirit." - Spurgeon
Well put, Bethany (or should I say, Holy Spirit through Bethany).
ReplyDeleteI echo your call and Spurgeon's prayer: "Lord will You open our eyes (of your Body in the West) to see heavenly treasures of eternal value (souls) as greater than those meager and temporal things the world thrusts in our face. Revive us with Your desire for Your glory in every nation!"
Thank you, dear one, for sharing this. I have felt so directionless since moving to Michigan...and needed to be reminded of this.
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