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 T. Austin Sparks (1888 – 1971)
Read freely text sermons and articles by the speaker T. Austin Sparks in text and pdf format. He was ordained as a Baptist pastor at the age of 24, and from 1912 to 1926 led three congregations in Greater London. During these years, he was also closely related to Jessie Penn-Lewis and her publication and speaking ministry, the "Overcomer Testimony."
Among the many books that he wrote, at least three are regarded as Christian classics: The School of Christ, The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and We Beheld His Glory. The primary theme of Sparks' books is the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. He mentored Watchman Nee for many years and was very influential in his understanding of the Church Life.
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showing from 401 to 450 of 944 articles
The Ark of the Testimony
"Who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:2).
"I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the w ... read more
The Authority is Invested in the Man on the Throne
As you know, this first section in chapters one through three deals with the preparation of the Lord's servant for his ministry. So far we have considered firstly the prophet in himself and then the opened heaven, and then we have gone on with the vision ... read more
The Basis Of Oneness
Now, seeing that it is set forth as being so, that we are together, we want to see something more of the ground of this oneness. I think perhaps we could be helped most by reminding ourselves of the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, the chapter which contains th ... read more
The Battleground of the Soul (Matthew 16:13-25)
Reading: Matt. 16:13-25; Luke 22:31-34.
"Blessed art thou, Simon... My Father (hath revealed it unto thee)" (Matt. 16:17).
"He... said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan" (Matt. 16:23).
"Simon... Satan asked to have you... but I made supplic ... read more
The Beginning of a New Humanity
Referring back to our original definition and reminding ourselves that the word 'horizon' is the English form of the Greek word horizo, and that it is applied to Christ twice in the book of the 'Acts' (10:42, 17:31), its definite meaning being: 'to m ... read more
The Belovedness of Christ
Reading: Exodus 32:1-6, 15-29; Malachi 2:4-6; 3:1-3; Numbers 4:1-3; Luke 3:23.
The matter of the priestly service or ministry of the people of God, the service of God in terms of priestliness, is one which has been on my heart for a considerable tim ... read more
The Belovedness of Christ
Reading: Exodus 32:1-6,15-29; Malachi 2:4-6; 3:1-3; Numbers 4:1-3; Luke 3:23.
The matter of the priestly service or ministry of the people of God, the service of God in terms of priestliness, is one which has been on my heart for a considerable time no ... read more
The Blue of Heaven
I would ask you to turn to God's picture book, the Old Testament, in two places: "And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue" (Exodus 28:31).
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of ... read more
The Body of Christ: Its Heavenly Aspect
We are going, as the Lord enables us, to meditate afresh on the Body of Christ. We know, when we want to have the larger unfoldings of this "Mystery" where to turn; we instinctively turn to the Ephesian letter. In this letter we note, first of all, the ... read more
The Bride
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).
“Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, an ... read more
The Bringing in of a Man
"The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam a life-giving spirit" (1 Cor.15:45).
A Lost Impact
We are going to be occupied with the meaning of Christ. Before we come immediately into touch with that matter, there are a few preliminary ... read more
The Burden of the Valley of Vision (Isaiah 22:1)
Reading: Isaiah 22:1
The word ''burden'' here just does mean a load or weight, as much as a man can carry. Thus the Prophets felt what the Lord had shown them to be something that weighed heavily upon them and often overwhelmed them.
The prophetic ... read more
The Capture of Jericho
We come to the sixth chapter of the Book of Joshua. This chapter contains the story of the capture of the city of Jericho, and is one more chapter in the story of the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus as represented by the ark of the covenant. You wil ... read more
The Cause And Ground Of Blindness
But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away: how shall not rather the ministrat ... read more
The Centrality And Supremacy Of Christ (Galatians 1:15,16)
“It pleased God… to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him” (Gal.1:15,16)
1. Everything Tested by Inwardness
Since Paul’s day so very much of Christian activity has been the furthering of a movement, the propagating of a teaching, and the f ... read more
The Centrality and Supremacy of Christ as "Head of All Principality and Power"
Reading:Ephesians 1:15-23; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13; 2:10,15.
In a previous meditation it was Christ's centrality and supremacy in the light of the individual which occupied us; then it was His centrality and supremacy in the Church, which ... read more
The Centrality and Supremacy of Christ to the Church Which is His Body
Reading: 1 Chronicles 28:1-21; Colossians 1:18.
The second realm of the centrality and supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ is that of the Body, the Church. First of all let us take note of exactly what is said in this verse. "He is the head of the body ... read more
The Centrality and Supremacy of Christ to the Individual Believer
Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14.
We now go on to the second of the aspects of "Christ in you" and come to the familiar words of Gal. 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I no ... read more
The Centrality and Supremacy of Christ to the Individual Believer
Reading: Hebrews 1:1-14.
We now go on to the second of the aspects of "Christ in you" and come to the familiar words of Gal. 2:20. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I no ... read more
The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ
Reading: Colossians 1:9-29.
The clause in the thirteenth verse very largely represents what has been laid on my heart for this time: "The Son of his love"; then that which follows, the position which He occupies according to the will of the Father - ... read more
The Challenge of Love
"...His great love, wherewith he loved us" (Eph. 2:4).
"The love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us" (Rom. 5:5).
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another... We love, ... read more
The Challenge to and Exposure of the Jewish Rulers
These chapters, read as narrative, might be thought to be historical in the sense of giving an account of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, but there is that which is much more and much deeper than that. Indeed, the true meaning and value is not the his ... read more
The Change Made by Resurrection
Reading: Mark 16:9; John 20:1,11-18; 1 Cor. 15:3-8.
The forty days after the Resurrection established a new spiritual régime. The end of the phase of Christ's earthly life has - from some standpoints and in some ways - to have "Failure" written over ... read more
The Changed Position of the Companions
As a subject, we have pointed out that this is a key to the whole of this Letter to the Hebrews, which is an appeal for companions of Christ, and for companions of a heavenly calling. We have also said that this Letter is a summary of the whole of the New ... read more
The Character of Jesus Christ
"I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the midst of the lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. An ... read more
The Character of the Gospel
"...THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF THE BLESSED GOD, which was committed to my trust" (1 Tim. 1:11).
"In whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION, - in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit ... read more
The Character of the Lord's Vessel of Recovery
Reading: Isaiah 58:6-14.
We come now to the second thing, the vessel of recovery; for it is the recovery of the full and complete testimony according to God's mind which is represented by the work of Nehemiah, especially the recovery of the testimony ... read more
The Chief Occupation of a Disciple
In this initial chapter we shall be laying the foundation for what is to follow. Later we shall be breaking up the whole ground that we shall be covering now, and we shall get to the real application of the Lord's Word, but this chapter will be of a gene ... read more
The Church - Its Nature, Principles and Vocation
Next to the Person of Jesus Christ the Church has been, and continues to be, the great battleground of history. So much so is this the case that an ever-increasing number of books, journals, periodicals, 'Councils', 'Convocations', discourses, etc., a ... read more
The Church - The Anointed Vessel
In the Scriptures there are many ways in which the Holy Spirit's work is spoken of. There is the 'receiving'; the 'filling'; the 'baptizing'; the 'enduing'; the 'gifting'. It is not our purpose to consider the meaning of this variety of express ... read more
The Church - Transition from the Natural to the Spiritual
After having read this chapter of John, we should immediately add Hebrews 13:20:
"Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every ... read more
The Church According to God's Thought
Our hearts have been directed anew to the relationship between the Cross, the Church, and the spiritual conflict, and what we are seeing in the first place is that, in the purpose of God, the Cross is intended to lead directly and immediately to the Churc ... read more
The Church According to God's Thought (continued)
Well then, if the Church is the Divine outcome of the Cross, it must define the nature and meaning of the Cross. What does the Cross do? What is the function of the Cross? We have viewed that in three directions in our previous meditation - God-ward, man- ... read more
The Church According to God's Thought (continued) II
The Cross Removes the Curse of Babel
May I just say a word or two more before we close? The Cross removes the curse of Babel. What is Babel, or Babylon, which is the full-grown Babel? Well, first of all, it is that principle of man's saving power as r ... read more
The Church and the World
In our quest for the secrets of the power in the church “As it was in the beginning” — that is, in the years immediately subsequent to the great Pentecost — it is inevitable that we come to its relationship to the world. This inevitability is forced upon ... read more
The Church as a Functioning Body
Reading: John 4:20-24; Matt. 4:8-10; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:4,8,15; 19:20; 20:4,5; Eph. 3:21.
We shall be considering certain features of the church as a functioning Body, and the first of these, and the all-inclusive one, is worship.
When we come to ... read more
The Church in the Spiritual Realm
Although we have said a great deal about spirituality, and that as to the new man and our spirit, I have not failed to recognise that all this is perfectly meaningless unless we know the Holy Spirit Himself. I trust that no one will have the impression th ... read more
The Church is Essentially Supernatural
When our Lord made the great pronouncement about His Church: "...I will build my Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it", He intimated three things. One, that He would build a definite entity called His Church. Two, that that Church ... read more
The Church Local
It is of considerable importance to note that, although the “Letter to the Ephesians” is a majestic presentation of the Church in its entirety, ranging every dimension of the eternities and realms and ages and setting forth the profound councils of God, t ... read more
The Church: Its Birth, Vocation And Completion
Why the Church?
The greatest concern or interest of God is His Son. The second greatest interest or object with God in this universe is the Church. And in the Scriptures those two are put together. Here is the statement:
“He... gave Him to be head o ... read more
The Church's Vocation
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil... Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them and he said unto him, All these thing ... read more
The City - The Seat of Heavenly Government
"Thus saith the Lord God: This is Jerusalem: I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are round about her" (Ezekiel 5:5).
We have traced Jerusalem from Melchizedek, king of Salem, to David, the great king, and then on to the Book of ... read more
The City Which Hath Foundations
READING: Hebrews 11:10; Ezekiel 5:5.
Our object is to see that because Jerusalem is so closely related to God, indeed has been brought into being by Him, her values must be pre-eminently spiritual and divine. Back of her history there lie those element ... read more
The Climax of the Way of the Lamb
Reading: Revelation 19:1-10.
As we pursue our consideration of this matter of the followers of the Lamb, we come to the part which relates to the climax of that path, the climax of the way of the Lamb — the climax of the Cross. But here it becomes nece ... read more
The Coming Again Of The Lord Jesus
So we come to the last note of the octave of redemption: The Coming Again of the Lord Jesus. No attempt has been made to give a comprehensive presentation of any one of these aspects of redemption, but only to provide, if possible, a concise answer to the ... read more
The Coming of the Crowning Day
Peter, Paul, James and John all point us onward to the crowns which God offers to His servants. In each case the thought is related to an ordeal, whether it be a fight, a race or a trust. Three crowns are spoken of - the crown of righteousness, the crown ... read more
The Companions as the Bride of the Lord
(Earlier we said that we should be dealing with the Bride more fully later. We come now to a consideration of this matter.)
"For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy redeemer" (Isaiah 54:5).
" ... read more
The Company on Mount Zion
"And l saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as ... read more
The Conflict
We shall, by the Lord's enabling, go on with our consideration of the Church, the Cross, and the Spiritual Conflict.
So far we have been occupied with the Cross and the Church; in the first place seeing that the Cross, in the mind and purpose of God, ... read more
The Conflict (continued)
The True Nature of the Church
That makes it necessary to say just a few words here in parenthesis about the true nature of the Church. What is the Church? Well, to begin with, it is the spiritual relatedness of the children of God. That is the first, s ... read more
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