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| The Greatest Fight: Spurgeon’s Urgent Message for Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists (1891, Revised Edition 2018) by Charles H. Spurgeon, Audiobook |
I’ve listened to this audiobook for the third time already! (that shows how good it is). Every time I hear it again, I learned something new. There is something peculiar about Christian classic books written by old, faithful, and powerful preachers like Charles H. Spurgeon that draw me to them over and over again. Perhaps it is due to (most, not all) shallow popular Christian writings in this present day. Or perhaps it is due to Bible-saturated, thoughtful, and meaty writings of the past. Or maybe both (obviously, I’m biased). One observation that I see in the writings of such men and women of God of the past that are considered timeless is this: they believe by faith that the Scriptures, namely the Bible, is the very Word of God. The assumption is that if God said it in the Scriptures, then it is so. Spurgeon once remarks: “If your creed and Scripture do not agree, cut your creed to pieces, but make it agree with this book.”
And hear this: “Men talk of ‘the mistakes of Scripture.’ I thank God that I have never met with any. Mistakes of translation there may be, for translators are men. But mistakes of the original word there never can be, for the God who spoke it is infallible, and so is every word He speaks, and in that confidence, we find delightful rest.” Spurgeon was not uninformed with the Biblical and textual criticism issues during his lifetime (in fact, he engaged with it directly in the famous Downgrade Controversy). But Spurgeon - and few others - stand firm in the promise of God that He will keep and preserve His words forever (Psalm 12:6-7). Because of this Spirit-originated conviction, I can hear his confident and urgent plea for the pastors, teachers, evangelists, and Christians, in general, to continue to fight the greatest fight in the world in the pages of this powerful book… Errr… or in my case, in the audiobook to be exact.
This short book is originally known as The Greatest Fight In the World and was first published in 1891. Aneko Press revised and updated it in 2018 by replacing the terminology from the 1800s with language that modern readers would understand “while keeping the heart of the message unchanged.” They also replaced the old references from Scripture by using the Jubilee Bible. I love to hear the soothing voice of the narrator, Saethon Williams, with the not-so-thick Englishmen accent (Spurgeon was a British preacher). In 1891, one year before Charles H. Spurgeon's death (1834-1892), he delivered his final annual address to his fellow pastors and Pastors’ College students offers them practical advice on how to approach the fight of faith. He does so under four (4) main headings:
Chapter 1: Our Fight. “My topics have to do with our lifework - with the crusade against error and sin in which we are engaged. I hope every person here wears the red cross on his or her heart as a badge and promises to act boldly for Christ and His cross and to never be satisfied until Christ’s enemies are defeated and Christ Himself is satisfied. Our fathers used to speak of ‘the cause of God and truth,’ and it is for this that we bear arms, the few against the many, the feeble against the mighty. Oh, to be found good soldiers of Jesus Christ!.” This first chapter set the tone for the old Spurgeon to challenge his readers to fight the good fight of faith by the power and grace of God. Truly, the battle is the Lord’s, rather than ours, he reminds us.
Chapter 2: Our Armory. In my opinion, this is the most important chapter in the book (although Spurgeon said chapter 4 is). It is worth the time to consume it and reflect upon the wisdom of this wounded but victorious man of God on his theology and practice of the Scriptures. “The first is our armory – our weapon, which is the inspired Word.”
Chapter 3: Our Army. “The second is our army, the church of the living God, called out by Himself, which we must lead under our Lord’s command.”
Chapter 4: Our Strength. “The third is our strength, by which we wear the armor and use the sword. The Holy Spirit is our power to be and to do, to suffer and to serve, to grow and to fight, to wrestle and to overcome. Our third theme is of main importance, and though we place it last, we rank it first.”
You don’t have to be a pastor or a teacher or an evangelist - or even an unashamed Calvinist like him - to appreciate this book. If you’re a Christ-follower, I highly recommend that you read or listen to it. Spurgeon speaks with authority because he relies on our common authority, namely, the Scriptures. In his own words: “Go forth, oh, soldiers of Jesus Christ, with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).” Amen!
[Note: I get the audiobook - and many other wonderful books - from Aneko Press YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Anekopress. Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE it! Also, if you prefer to read the ebook, you read it for free from their website.]
#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #1Book1Week #CharlesSpurgeon #TheGreatestFightInTheWorld #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain
To read my other book reviews and articles related to Spurgeon, CLICK HERE
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