C H Spurgeon - 100 Years Later (1992)

C. H. Spurgeon - 100 Years Later (1992)

What possible chance of success would a 19-year old country boy have if he assumed the pulpit of a tradition-rich but dying church located in a large metropolitan area during a skeptical time in world history? The boy was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the city was London, and the era was the second half of the 19th century. Anyone making a purely rational assessment of young Spurgeon's chances for success would have to say, "There is no way this venture can succeed!"

When Spurgeon arrived in London on December 18, 1853 for his trial sermon, he was a raw, country preacher who had only been a Christian for about three years. His only previous experience was a two-year stint as pastor of the little Baptist Church at Waterbeach. But London was a far cry from Waterbeach! You would have thought that sophisticated, worldly London would have made short work of this teenaged preacher. On his first night in London, Spurgeon stayed in a boarding house where the regulars kidded him unmercifully about how London would devour this little country preacher.

The New Park Street Church had been one of the great churches of England. Previous pastors included some of the greatest men among early Baptists. In recent years the church had fallen on bad times, and although the building seated about 1,200, less than two hundred were present for Spurgeon's trial sermon. To make matters worse, the community around the church was undergoing socioeconomic changes, and the only way to reach the church from the heavily populated northern part of London was by a toll bridge across the Thames. There was little hope that the church could last much longer.

The later half of the 19th century was a difficult period for churches. London was heavily industrialized with people working such long hours that little time was left for church activities. Science and reason seemed to leave little place in life for religion.

Now what would you give for Spurgeon's chances of success. Well, here's what happened in the next 30 years: such crowds came that the church's facilities were soon inadequate; the great Metropolitan Tabernacle was constructed to hold the thousands who came to hear Spurgeon each week; over 10,000 people joined the church; a pastors' college was founded; an orphanage was started; dozens of mission churches were established; volumes of sermons were published... and C. H. Spurgeon became a world celebrity.

How could all of this possibly have come about?

Would not every preacher love to unlock the "secret" to this kind of successful ministry?

Through the one hundred years since Spurgeon's death, many students of preaching have tried to discover how he did it. Jay Adams attributes much of Spurgeon's success to his striking illustrations, his ability to surprise the hear with the unexpected, and his appeal to people's senses [Jay E. Adams, Sense Appeal in the Sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1975) pgs. 32, 35-36].

In his biography of Spurgeon, Ernest W. Bacon points to the following factors in his success: the power of the Holy Spirit, sound doctrine, a first-hand religious experience, a passion for souls, devotion to the Bible, and the preaching of Christ [Ernest W. Bacon, Spurgeon: Heir of the Puritans (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967) pgs. 172-175].

Dr. Craig Skinner of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary attributes much of Spurgeon's success to his fresh style, his uncommon clarity, his ability to provide solid doctrine upon which people could base their lives, and an ability to link his sermons to his hearers' needs. [Craig Skinner, "The Preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon," Baptist History and Heritage #19 (October 1984) pg. 16]

The people who actually heard Spurgeon preach offered interesting evaluations of his success. The Times said that he put old truth into new dress. The Daily Telegraph reported that his secret was his zeal, his earnestness, and his courage. The Daily Chronicle wrote that he was indifferent to popularity and had a genius for commanding an audience. The Pictorial World expressed the feeling that it was Spurgeon's extraordinary earnestness that endeared him to the people. The Speaker recorded that Spurgeon not only had great oratorical powers but that he also was absolutely sincere and straight-forward. The Referee, a sports paper, said, "He had no Sunday voice" (a "Performing" or "Acting" voice) [W. Y. Fullerton, Charles H. Spurgeon (Chicago: Moody Press, 1966) pgs. 262-267].

In a very humble reply to one who asked him of his great success, Spurgeon replied —

In conclusion, all of these features contributed to his renown as a preacher. One hundred years after his death, Charles Haddon Spurgeon still stands as "The Prince of Preachers." He is still one of the most quoted and published preachers who ever lived. For today's preacher he still stands as an inspirational model of what can be accomplished in the most unlikely times and places by the most unlikely people.