Fallen Asleep

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) endures as one of the most beloved Christian pastors and writers of all time. He pastored a Baptist church in London and many of his sermons were copied by stenographers and then distributed for a penny. But like all the great writings of the past, his sermons become harder for us to follow with each successive generation. This sermon has been carefully and thoughtfully updated so that you can read it without the distraction of obsolete words, strange spelling, and figures of speech that don’t make sense to us today. Bible verses are footnoted.

“Do not regard your departure out of the world as a thing to be surrounded with horror. Do not conjure up hobgoblins, and evil spirits, and darkness, and terror.” Rather, Spurgeon explains, our departure is simply falling asleep and waking up with Christ. The believer in Christ no longer needs to fear death.  Those who have lost loved ones will surely still mourn, but not as those who have no hope.  With compassion and love, Spurgeon clears away the murkiness and helps us to see the journey to the next world as a natural transition.  As a child goes to sleep and we expect to see him in the morning, so we can look forward to seeing our loved ones.