Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon — Sermon 22: A Caution to the Presumptuous

There are some persons here, who never attend a place of worship very likely; they do not profess to be religious; but I am sure they would be astonished if I were to tell them, that I know some professedly religious people who are accepted in some churches as being true children of God, who yet make it a habit of stopping away from the house of God, because they conceive they are so advanced that they do not want it. You smile at such a thing as that. They boast such deep experience within; they have a volume of sweet sermons at home, and they will stop and read them; they need not go to the house of God, for they are fat and flourishing. They conceit themselves that they have received food enough seven years ago to last them the next ten years. They imagine that old food will feed their souls now. These are your presumptuous men. They are not to be found at the Lord’s table, eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ, in the holy emblems of bread and wine. You do not see them in their closets; you do not find them searching the Scriptures with holy curiosity. They think they stand—they shall never be moved; they fancy that means are intended for weaker Christians; and leaving those means, they fall. They will not have the shoe to put upon the foot, and therefore the flint cutteth them; they will not put on the armour, and therefore the enemy wounds them—sometimes well- nigh unto death. In this deep quagmire of neglect of the means, many a haughty professor has been smothered.

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 22 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Dependence upon God

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

This verse informs us that a person may decide a direction to take in life and may plan how to get there, but it is the Lord Who guides his steps.  This is dependence.  As Jesus stated in John 15:5, “without me ye can do nothing”, we cannot prosper without divine assistance.  Continue reading

Resistance or Grace?

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

This verse is a paraphrase of Proverbs 3:34:

Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Pride, often manifested in scorn, will cause God to resist (oppose) us.  Pride is what caused Satan to be cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15).  Pride is one of the seven deadly sins (Proverbs 6:16-19).  If we desire God’s grace on our lives, we must be humble.  In short, we must resist pride or God will resist us.   Continue reading

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

Too many times in our society, people promote themselves and take credit whether it’s due or not.  This is a prideful way of acting and one that was foreign to a remarkable man named Daniel.

We find Daniel in the second chapter of the book bearing his name facing certain death.  King Nebuchadnezzar has ordered that all the wise men be put to death because they could not tell Nebuchadnezzar what he had been dreaming about or what it meant.  Daniel petitions the captain of the guard to take him to the king.  Upon his appearance, Daniel asks the king for some time and is granted it (Dan. 2:1-16). Continue reading