George Muller Starts Preaching
George Muller wrote in his diary, “I had once fully served Satan; but now, drawn by the love of Christ, I was willing to suffer affliction for the sake of Jesus. Earnestly, I prayed about my future work.”
He eventually decieded that he should go to England. But he could not get a passport to leave Germany. Many preachers got exemptions from the law that stated every man must serve 3 years in the army. But George was refused an exemption. The request was made to a general. Nope. Many wrote to the king to no avail.
He knew that God wanted him in England but George could not see how he could get there. It looked like preaching would have to wait. George went to the army and had to undergo a medical exam. The doctors found him unfit health wise to serve in the army and George got a full release.
God was starting to teach him to have faith, to trust and to let God handle things. He was learning that God works in the circumstances of life.
He went to London and was accepted under probation by the London Mission Society. Toward the close of 1829 he began to doubt whether it was right to be supported by the London Society. It seemed unscriptural he said for a servant of Christ to put himself under the control and direction of anyone but the Lord.
He dissolved his relationship with them and writes, “I was now free to preach the gospel wherever the Lord opened the way.” He figured out what the largest number of those in ministry never figure out. A servant of Christ should only have one over him and that is Christ Alone.
Very soon he gets a call to preach in Lympstone, which was a large parish where there was little spiritual light. George writes, “God blessed and encouraged me as I worked for His Kingdom. I began learning to be sensitive to His Spirit. He taught me how to study and revealed more of His Word to me. More opportunities to preach were opened, and I rejoiced to serve my Lord Jesus Christ.
George gets another opportunity to preach in another town and after preaching daily in the chapel for a short time he gets asked to stay and be their minister. He decided to stay until he was formally rejected. That Sunday he preached and many did not enjoy his sermon.
Some people left and never came back, other new people came and a spirit of inquiry and a searching of the Scriptures suddenly began. People wanted to know whether what George said was true.
He preached as a visiting minister for 12 weeks. When the 12 weeks were over the 18 member church unanimously invited him to become their pastor.
During this time he changed his opinion about the best method of preparing for public ministry of the Word. Rather than presuming to know what is best for the hearers, he asked the Lord to graciously teach him the subject that he should speak about, or the portion of His Word that he should explain.
When a passage is brought to mind, he asked the Lord again if this is His will. If after prayer, his mind was peaceful about it, then he took it to be the text.
He writes, “The Lord always helps me when I preach, provided I have earnestly sought Him in private. A preacher cannot know the hearts of the individuals in the congregation or what they need to hear. But the Lord knows; and if the preacher renounces his own wisdom, he will be assisted by the Lord. But if he is determined to choose a subject in his own wisdom, he should not be surprised when he sees little fruit resulting from his labors. “
“I then leave myself entirely in the hands of the Lord asking Him to bring to mind what I have learned in my prayer closet.”