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The following excerpt is taken from Spurgeon & Revival: Only a Revived Church Brings Glory to God by Robert H. Lescelius:
Spurgeon and Revival
By Robert H. Lescelius
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” shines as a bright luminary in the sky of Church History. Certainly the word revival must come to mind as we consider such a life and labor owned by God with such phenomenal success. Without doubt his success was the fruit of revival, and his doctrine, passion, and practice were inseparable from the biblical truths of spiritual renewal.
Here are the simple facts of history in a nutshell. A young 19-year-old becomes the pastor of a 200-year-old church. In the River Flood district—“the gloomy, narrow streets of a dingy repellent section of London.” The New Park Street Church had a membership of 232, but a congregation of eighty heard the young C. H. Spurgeon for the first time on Sunday morning, December 18, 1853. The church extended him a call, which he accepted on April 28, 1854, and within ten months the congregation, growing rapidly, moved to Exeter Hall, while the church building was expanded to accommodate the crowds.
Upon returning to the church location in May, the renovation was already found inadequate, and the church was finally forced in June, 1856, to return to Exeter Hall for Sunday evening services. Soon Exeter Hall was too small, and a monumental move was made to the Surrey Gardens Music Hall, where for three years Spurgeon preached to 9,000 to 10,000 people every Sunday. The young pastor’s fame spread, and he had invitations to preach in open-air meetings to thousands throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. On October 7, 1857, Spurgeon preached to a record crowd of 23,654 in the famous Crystal Palace.
In March, 1861 the congregation moved into their new facility, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where for the next thirty-one years Spurgeon preached to an average of 5,000 to 6,000 people every Sunday, morning and evening.
In the decade from 1854 to 1864, the church recorded 3,569 baptisms. During the entirety of his pastorate from April 28, 1854, to Spurgeon’s death, January 31, 1892, a total of 14,460 were added to the church.
Besides this should be mentioned the Pastor’s College and the orphanage, as well as Spurgeon’s printed sermons (over 3,000) and writings that circled the globe and bless the Church to this day.
How can all this (and much more) be explained? Talent? To a certain extent we must say, “Yes,” for C. H. Spurgeon was truly a man of extraordinary gifts and abilities. We must admit his brilliance and eloquence. Yet, Spurgeon himself acknowledged it to be all of God. He testified:
If we had the Spirit sealing our ministry with power it would signify very little about talent. Men might be poor and uneducated, their words might be broken and ungrammatical; but if the might of the Spirit attended them. The humblest evangelist would be more successful than the most learned divine, or the most eloquent of preachers.
It is extraordinary power from God, not talent, that wins the day. It is extraordinary spiritual unction, not extraordinary mental power, that we need. Mental power may fill a chapel, but spiritual power fills the church with soul anguish. Mental power may gather a large congregation, but only spiritual power will save souls.
Prayed…
Thank You, Lord, hallelujah!
Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this place
Father, we ask that the power of Your Holy Spirit would fall on the children
Go into our schools, move in and through each and every child
We thank You for the presence of God to move from room, to room, to room
Declaring that there would not be a single student left behind
Calling forth the presence of God over each and every one of them
We ask that they would feel and know Your presence, Lord
Cover them with Your love, today, Father
Holy Spirit, move through our schools!
You have done it before, and You will do it again!
We lift up pastors before You, we cover them with the precious blood of Jesus
Give them wisdom on every decision that needs to be made today
Praying over principals, teachers, and every staff member in the schools
Grant unto them boldness and courage to do the right things, Lord
We ask for a revival to move across every school in this nation
Declaring for a great sense of Your supernatural presence to permeate these children
No, not one would escape out of the school without knowing Your love for them, Father
We ask for them to be filled with the infilling and baptism of the Holy Ghost with fire!
Calling these things forth in the name of Jesus!
Thank You for Your fire and for Your presence to be manifested in the classrooms
Declaring that each and every believer in the school would shine their light for the kingdom
No, they will not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Give them boldness and courage to stand up for what is right, Lord
Lifting up those that serve in ministry, we pour out a fresh baptism of Your Holy Spirit upon them
You are working in and through them, Lord
They will accomplish what is in Your heart for these children!
We lift up every youth member, Lord
Declaring forth a revival in these last days
Covering each and every one of them with the precious blood of Jesus!
They will walk out new territories in You, Father
We yield to You, and to them move of Your Spirit
Spirit blow, blow open the doors, Spirit blow!
Chains are being broken, and walls are crumbling down at the sound of the Spirit!
Seeing in the spirit, seeing in the spirit, overflow!
You have clothed us in authority, and we thank You for it, Lord
We are ready, God’s people are ready, and we are equipped in this day!
Lifting up America from the north to the south and from the east to the west
It is covered in Your precious blood today, Lord
We thank You for our President, his family, and his staff
Grant unto him wisdom for this day, You are leading and guiding him each step of the way
You are guiding him every hour of every day
America, America, we lift up America!
Thank You, Lord, for this land, thank You that Your promises are true!
Dry bones are rising; dry bones are rising to live again
By the power of the Spirit, by the power of His word, dry bones will live again!
We call for restoration in America!
He is rising up in you, He is rising up in the church, He is rising up in His people once again
Father, we are rising up to walk in all You have planned, and we are empowered by Your mighty hand
We will rise up in the power of Your blood
Speaking peace and grace to America, speaking peace and grace to America!
Dry bones will rise, Jesus will split the skies and His glory upon His people will arise!
Let Your glory upon us arise, Lord
