“Lord Jesus, I am weary in Thy work, but not weary of it”
George Whitefield (1714-1770)
One of the amazing things about being a student is long summer holidays. Time to refocus on the glory of Jesus, time to spend time with people you value and, if you’re a bit of a Church history geek like me, time to read lots of biographies about men and women who God has used to win souls, make disciples, build His church and change history. I love being challenged and inspired by those who, through surrendering to the cause of making Christ famous, laid down their lives and saw revival in their generation. There’s few things, apart from the word and the Spirit, that cause me to gain fresh vision for all my life can be for the praise of Jesus.
With a dissertation on the 18th century evangelical revival (otherwise known as the first great awakening) on the horizon, I decided to give some time this summer to read a biography and a bunch of sermons of a man who some consider to be the greatest evangelist the world has ever been graced with – George Whitefield. I have been blown away. Never have I read of such tireless and consistent zeal for preaching the gospel and winning the lost (outside of the book of Acts).
He came to Jesus after the Holy Spirit convicted him of his own sinfulness, religiosity and weakness during his time studying in Oxford. He describes his being born again beautifully. Check this out…
“God was pleased to remove the heavy load, to enable me to lay hold of His dear Son by a living faith, and by giving me the Spirit of adoption to seal me, even to the day of everlasting redemption…My joys are like a spring-tide and overflow the banks”
From that point on, Whitefield literally sacrificed the comforts of leisure, financial security, popularity and even health to make this new hope and joy he had found in Christ known. I think his radical devotion is epitomized by the fact that in the last 30 years of his life (bearing in mind he died at only 56) it is estimated that he preached more than he slept. Preaching to multitudes was actually part of his daily discipline, just like reading the bible and praying is to believers in the Western Church today (and even more so). God equipped Him with a supernaturally loud voice in order to be heard by the countless thousands who consistently gathered to hear the word of God preached by him. He desired to preach Christ more than he desired to eat, drink or rest. He actually lived out Romans 10:13-15, giving his all in obedience to the Saviour who had given His all to make Whitefield His own. Because of all this, he faced much opposition, both from within the Church and without. He was frequently mocked and sometimes beaten. He counted it all joy, getting the privilege to suffer with the Saviour.
Whitefield not only preached extensively (massive understatement), but also saw huge fruit from his ministry. The number of souls he led to Christ, by God’s grace, is innumerable. He established countless “societies” (what today would be considered as Church plants) all through England and Wales especially, as well as in America, Ireland and Scotland. He built an orphanage in America, ministered to the upper classes of the English monarchy, trained leaders and commissioned them to plant and lead churches, led mission trips and shepherded a congregation he had begun in London. On top of all of this, and in fact the underlying source of power for all of this, he faithfully maintained a devoted prayer life. Whitefield’s regular routine would include rising at 4AM to study the bible and pray for the day to come, before launching into ministry at 5AM. He loved Jesus first and foremost, and this was the motivation for his passion in telling others about Him.
He was not without his imperfections, and it is so vital to recognize that, as the bible says of Elijah, “he was a man just like us” (James 5:17). That one man could accomplish so much for the Kingdom of God in one lifetime is testimony not primarily to his own devotion and zealousness for Christ (though this was a very important factor), but rather primarily to the grace and sovereign strength of God Himself. He loves taking messed up sinners like you and me, gloriously and mercifully saving us from His own wrath through the cross of Christ, adopting us into His family as sons and daughters and using us for the advancement of His gospel and glory in the world. He loves to show those who humbly admit they have nothing that He is everything.
God has done it in the past with men like Whitefield. And it is my earnest prayer that He would do it again in my generation, in this land that so needs men and women of courage, passion and devotion who rise up and preach the gospel no matter what it takes. This is the call of Christ to His Church. Let’s be a people who give our all to fulfill it. For His praise.