Sometimes referred to as the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon was famed for preaching at his church in London to crowds of more than six thousand people. With more than twenty-five hundred of his sermons published, this famous preacher has more books in print than any other pastor in history.
In one account from Spurgeon’s life, a young pastor approached the famed preacher and asked if he’d listen to him teach and provide feedback of his presentation.
Spurgeon agreed.
The young pastor preached a passionate sermon. He waited in excited expectation for Spurgeon’s response.
Spurgeon observed that while the sermon was well-delivered and well-prepared, it was poor.
The young pastor pressed Spurgeon to know why.
“Because there was no Christ in it,” Spurgeon replied.
“Well, Christ was not in the text, we are not to be preaching Christ always, we must preach what is in the text,” the young pastor protested.
“Don’t you know, young man, that from every town, and every village, and every little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London?”
“Yes,” the young pastor answered.
“Ah!” Spurgeon said. “And so from every text in Scripture there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. Dear Brother, when you get to a text, say, ‘Now, what is the road to Christ?’ and then preach a sermon, running along the road toward the great metropolis—Christ.”
Though every passage in the Bible is not explicitly about Christ, Scripture is constantly grounding us in the story of redemption and salvation that God has put in motion since the beginning of time, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus.
Our purpose in reading God’s Word isn’t to collect historical facts or to become a Bible trivia ninja, but to know and encounter God.
God is waiting to meet you in the Bible!
Sometimes as we read the Bible, we’ll receive a word of encouragement and hope; sometimes we’ll be faced with a word of confrontation. A passage may expose our pride or selfishness or personal idols and call us to repent that we can walk in greater holiness and freedom.
