A good friend has used a reference to the following quote by Spurgeon to bring me great reassurance lately, and CJ Mahaney challenged many with a similar quote at T4G08. The excerpt is from a Spurgeon sermon on Ephesians 2.8:
I am led to remember this by the fact that a somewhat singular circumstance, recorded in my memory, connects this text with myself and my grandfather. It is now long years ago. I was announced to preach in a certain country town in the Eastern Counties. It does not often happen to me to be behind time, for I feel that punctuality is one of those little virtues which may prevent great sins. But we have no control over railway delays, and breakdowns; and so it happened that I reached the appointed place considerably behind the time. Like sensible people, they had begun their worship, and had proceeded as far as the sermon. As I neared the chapel, I perceived that someone was in the pulpit preaching, and who should the preacher be but my dear and venerable grandfather! He saw me as I came in at the front door and made my way up the aisle, and at once he said, “Here comes my grandson! He may preach the gospel better than I can, but he cannot preach a better gospel; can you, Charles?”
This last statement is encouraging to preachers, but is should also be challenging to every Christian as well as we share the Gospel in our daily lives. Sure, Billy Graham, Luis Palau, or our local pastor might could do a more effective job of sharing the good news than we can, but no one can preach a Gospel that is more true or more effective! God puts us in our place in the world for a reason, and we must trust His plan.
The Gospel that we proclaim is the same as what Peter declared at the Temple and that Paul taught in Athens. We point to the same Jesus, and we are empowered by the same Holy Spirit.
We can always improve our presentation, but let’s be careful to never let doubt of our ability to share the Gospel seep over and spoil our faith in the power of the Gospel that we proclaim!
