An all-round ministry - Spurgeon - XXII - Chapter 12 concluded

Required reading
An all-round ministry by CH Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 12 (The Minister in These Times).

My summary
Today we finish the chapter in which Spurgeon gives his opinion of the minister in his times.

Last week Spurgeon taught us what Jesus' position is toward the minister, now we see what should be the minister's position toward Jesus:
(i) stand in his stead;
(ii) love sinners;
(iii) fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ;
(iv) realize what he has done for us;
(v) be conscious of His power and presence;
(vi) wait for His coming.

Then to close the chapter we learn what the minister's position should be individually:
(i) self-contained;
(ii) selective in companionships;
(iii) sanctified in life;
(iv) diligent in action;
(v) confident in spirit.

What grabbed me
Spurgeon gave us some good encouragement to work hard: 'Give your very best to your Lord. Seek to be at your best whenever you serve Him. Pray Him to make you perfect in every good work to do His will, and then present yourself unto Him a living sacrifice. Let no one of us preach a sermon, and have to feel afterwards, "I could have done better than that, but it was good enough for so poor an audience." On a Wednesday evening, in a cottage, with no more than half-a-dozen present, and those old women, do your utmost. Our richest fruit is poor enough. Give your second-best never. Keep you to the very first and fullest that you can produce for Christ; let your whole life be the noblest exertion of which you are capable. I said, last night, that the minister who can do any more, and does not do it, is a sluggard. It is so. We must do all that we can do, and do it in our ablest way, or we are idle. He has come up to Christ's mark, who can truly say that he can do no more, and that, if he could do anything more, he would do it at once. How few of us could conscientiously claim to have come so far!'

It is always tempting to leave your work at second-rate level. 

But if you remember that your primary audience is God, then he deserves your very best!

One sentence final verdict
An all round ministry is a treasure trove of ministerial advice delivered passionately by the prince of preachers.

Next week's reading
Commence Ministry of the word by William Taylor  (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading Lecture I (Nature and design of the Christian ministry).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.