#160 Spurgeon, Sin, and Evangelism

How did Mary King impress upon Spurgeon the value and contribution of lay people in evangelism and disciple-making? Give modern applications for valuing and engaging Laity

Mary King stood out to Spurgeon for her strong Christian beliefs. Mary knew the Bible quite well. Despite the fact that she was not in ministry and was not formally educated Spurgeon said “She was a good old soul, and used to read ‘The Gospel Standard” (Earls 2022, 46). By which Spurgeon here communicates that he learned much about the Gospel from her. Spurgeon even goes as far as saying that he learned more about the Gospel from Mary than he did from the pastor at the time. In the same way that Spurgeon learned from Mary King there is much that Christians may learn from our ‘Mary Kings.’ Laity today are used to preach occasionally and are often used to lead small groups and to disciple new believers. Because of the use of laity in the church the pastor may be freed to some degree for more strategic ministry.

Discuss Spurgeon’s understanding of sin and the cross. Why did this give him a strong passion to love and serve the Savior? How will this inform your sharing the gospel with the lost?

Spurgeon described sin as a form of sickness and the cross as an antidote to that sickness. When Spurgeon realized the depth of his sin it shook him to his core. Yet once he realized the power of the cross this gave him a new confidence in who God had called him to be. The process of feeling the pain and then experiencing the hope that comes from the cross was one that Spurgeon wanted everyone to experience. It is the pain and the hope that all true believers have experienced to some degree.

Bibliography

Earls, Rod. Spurgeon’s Theology for Multiplying Disciples and Churches. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2022.