Five Exhortations for the New Year from Spurgeon

Five sermons preached at the Metropolitan Tabernacle highlight Spurgeon’s understanding of what the Christian was to do with the new year: Humbly approach the Lord in prayer. Find security in God Himself. Wait expectantly for God’s mercy. Proclaim the gospel to yourself and others. Worship the living God now and forever.

Charles Spurgeon preached a plethora of New Year’s sermons during his pastorate at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. For Spurgeon, the arrival of a new year was a time that brought forth thinking on the Lord’s faithfulness and the Christian’s right response to the Lord in the new year.

Humbly Approach the Lord in Prayer

Spurgeon’s first evening sermon of 1871 was on Psalm 10:17, declaring, “Lord, thou hast hear the desire of the humble; thou will prepare their heart, thou wilt so use thine ear to hear.” For the Prince of Preachers, this text laid bare “a very blessed fact” that the Lord hears the desires of the humble. For the New Year, Spurgeon exhorted his parishioners at the Metropolitan Tabernacle to not forget their need of God. Spurgeon found great hope in holding a posture of humility in prayer before the Lord because “…it will be a fact all through this year that God will hear the desire of the humble.” But, what is a humble desire? “A humble desire,” Charles stated, “is one which leaves everything in God’s hands.” But, the deeper reality experienced by the humble, whom the Lord hears, is that the Lord “will prepare the heart of the humble to receive Christ [and to]…receive more of Christ.” Charles understood in prayer, “God will prepare our hearts for [the Christian’s service in the New Year].” In the New Year, approach the Lord in humility, and he will hear you and prepare your heart for the days to come.

Find Security in God Himself

On January 6^th 1867, Spurgeon preached addressing the Lord’s ever-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful care for his people from Moses’s statement in Deuteronomy, “The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.” Spurgeon preached this text that the people of the Tabernacle would know that God is not merely aware of them; deeper still, he knows and cares for his people in all things. According to Charles, “[1866] was, perhaps the most gloomy of our lives,” even describing the newspaper headlines as prophetic scrolls of lamentation. And looking to the New Year, Spurgeon reminded his congregation that no one could know what 1867 was to bring with it. But the Prince of Preachers could find solace in trusting that “[t]he eyes of the Lord are upon the [his people], not to merely see them but to view them with complacency and delight; not to barely observe them, but to observe them with affectionate care and interest.” Deeper still in Christ, Spurgeon declared there was a “blessed meeting of eyes,” in which, “the Lord declares, ‘I love thee,’ and [Christians] answer, ‘We also love thee, O our God.’” In this text, Spurgeon saw not merely the Lord’s omniscience but the saving and sustaining power with which he holds his people, even after the worst of years. Christian, in 2021 find your security in God.