St Margaret's Community Church

Dear brothers and sisters,

Over the last 2 years, as the Lord has been transforming the church, some have questioned why we have pulled back somewhat from doing more active outreach as a church. Surely a church ought always to be actively involved in evangelism?

I came across this article from a church plant in Canterbury, Sydney which I found helpful in addressing this:

"…pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ. (Colossians 4:3) This request jumped out at me as I read Colossians this morning. What a strange prayer point! Why does Paul need an ‘open door’ before he can proclaim the gospel? Can’t he just tell everyone around him? He’s in prison, but can’t his mates letterbox-drop the city (probably Ephesus)? Are they really sitting there, waiting for the right occasion to evangelise, instead of getting to it? Isn’t it always the right time to share the gospel? Why can’t Paul open the door himself, and get on with it? Well, apparently it’s not that simple. It seems Paul and co. are there, not just waiting but praying and working, for the right occasion to speak the gospel in the city. It seems the letter-box dropping approach was not their modus operandi. Not every occasion was the right occasion for gospel proclamation. Paul doesn’t feel satisfied with just chatting to the gaol-keeper, trying to ‘bring the conversation around’. Paul is praying, and asking the Colossians to pray, for an opening – a God-given opportunity to get a real hearing from people in that city. I did a little research. Turns out that’s what Paul was always looking for (check out 1 and 2 Corinthians): an open door. You’d think he’d be praying that God would give him an open door out of prison, so he could get on with the mission. But an open prison door alone will not enable Paul to preach. It’s not the main issue here. His chains are not his biggest limitation. This other sort of closed door is the real problem. And Paul can’t open this door himself – only God can. Only God’s Spirit can create the opportunity Paul needs to declare Christ. Only through prayer will the space be made for the gospel to get a hearing in Ephesus. This is clearly a significant part of Paul’s mission strategy: looking for the God-given opening. "

I believe in our context, before that door could be opened for gospel proclamation to the lost, the Lord had to deal with us as a church. We had to be made ready to welcome and nurture the new converts as they come in. I am increasingly convinced that we are getting very close to that point when the Spirit will open the door for gospel proclamation. And the harvest will be far greater now the church has been transformed and made ready.

Let's maintain our expectation of very great things and be earnest in prayer for this door to open and a great harvest to come in.

God bless you, Ben

Somone sent me this article recently by David Smithers headed "Charles Spurgeon and powerful prayer". It is a reminder that we all need to be a part of the work of revival through our fervent praying.

   
The memory of Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been cherished among evangelical Christians for over the past 100 years. Many Christian leaders consider him to be the greatest preacher England ever produced. He is commonly hailed as the "Prince of Preachers". Over 63 volumes of published sermons still bear witness to the richness and success of C. H. Spurgeon's ministry. Though known as a great preacher, it was not preaching that made Spurgeon great. Mr. Spurgeon repeatedly acknowledged his success as the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. "It has often been remarked that the whole church helped produce Spurgeon."
When visitors would come to Spurgeon's church he would take them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on their knees interceding. Then Spurgeon would declare, "Here is the powerhouse of this church."
Spurgeon in his autobiography described his gratefulness for being blessed with such a praying church. "I always give all the glory to God, but I do not forget that He gave me the privilege of ministering from the first to a praying people. We had prayer meetings that moved our very souls, each one appeared determined to storm the Celestial City by the might of intercession." Spurgeon regarded the prayer-meeting as the spiritual thermometer of a church. His church's Monday night prayer meeting had a worldwide testimony for many years. Every Monday night a large portion of Spurgeon's sanctuary was filled with earnest and fervent intercessors.

"In Spurgeon's eyes the prayer-meeting was the most important meeting of the week." It is here many of us find ourselves in conflict with dear Mr. Spurgeon. We love our meetings for preaching and praising and yet sadly neglect those set aside for praying. One of Spurgeon's greatest concerns was that his people learn to truly pray. "He taught his people to pray, doing so far more by his example than by any preaching. People heard him pray with such reality that they became ashamed of their own mere repetition of words." Throughout his entire ministry many hearers remarked that they were moved by his preaching, but yet still more affected by his praying. D. L. Moody after his first visit to England, being asked upon his return to America, "Did you hear Spurgeon preach?" He replied, "Yes, but better still I heard him pray." A close friend of Spurgeon's, commented on his prayer life, "His public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory."
Spurgeon fully recognized that the Church's greatest need was not to have another, "Prince of Preachers", but to have more princes of prayer. One of his many published sermons expressed his feelings on this. He wrote, "Shall I give you yet another reason why you should pray? I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. Will not your prayers accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Is it not likely that the Church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer . . . "
There has been much talk lately about pockets of revival springing up in our nation. Many are saying they desire such revivals in our own local churches, and cities. Yet, is it not the prayer-meeting which is still most neglected? If Christ Jesus were to visit us today with real revival power, how could such a blessing be sustained where there is no ground work laid in prayer? To merely exercise our words about revival and not our knees is hypocrisy! It is time to make the prayer-meeting as crowded as our favorite preaching and praise meetings. It is then and ONLY then, that a true revival will come with lasting power!  Like Mr. Spurgeon, let us regard the prayer-meeting as our most important meeting!