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C.T. Studd

C.T. Studd (December 2, 1860 – July 16, 1931) was an English preacher, missionary, and evangelist whose radical devotion to Christ transformed missionary work in China, India, and Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born Charles Thomas Studd in Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, to Edward Studd, a wealthy indigo planter, and Dora Thomas, he was the third of four sons in a privileged family. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1883), he excelled as a cricketer, captaining Cambridge and playing for England in the 1882 Ashes series. Converted at age 18 in 1878 during a revival meeting led by D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey, he initially resisted a preaching call, focusing on sports until his brother George’s near-death experience in 1883 prompted a full surrender to missionary service. Studd’s preaching career began when he joined the "Cambridge Seven" in 1885, sailing to China with the China Inland Mission (CIM) under Hudson Taylor, where he preached the gospel in rural villages for a decade, often adopting Chinese dress and customs. Returning to England in 1894 due to health issues, he preached revival across Britain and America before serving in India (1900–1906) with the Salvation Army, focusing on the untouchables. In 1910, inspired by a tract titled "The Chocolate Soldier," he founded the Heart of Africa Mission (later Worldwide Evangelization Crusade) and moved to the Belgian Congo in 1913, preaching amidst disease and isolation until his death. Married to Priscilla Livingstone Stewart in 1888, with whom he had four daughters, he gave away his inherited fortune (£29,000) to ministries like CIM and Moody Bible Institute, dying at age 70 in Ibambi, Congo, leaving a legacy of sacrificial evangelism and the motto, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
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Sermon Summary
C.T. Studd passionately calls Christians to action, emphasizing the urgency of spreading the Gospel to every corner of the earth. He challenges believers to reflect on their commitment and the ease of modern travel, questioning why they hesitate to fulfill Christ's command to evangelize. Studd urges the church to abandon complacency and self-indulgence, advocating for a bold and courageous approach to mission work. He draws parallels between the dedication of soldiers and the commitment required from Christians, encouraging them to play for victory in their spiritual endeavors. Ultimately, he inspires believers to take up the mantle of evangelism with fervor and determination, reminding them that Christ will be with them in their mission.
Scriptures
Without Excuse
Our Saviour has given commandment To such as believe, in their hearts, To publish the news of Salvation On earth, to its uttermost parts. The doors of the world lie wide open; Its lands have been duly explored; The sorrows and needs of the heathen Can only be met by the Lord. Christians were never so numerous, Never so wealthy and wise, Never made bigger professions, Then why don't we race for the prize? Have we waxed fat like Jeshurun? Are our livers or heads over large? Have we become paralytic? Or deaf to Christ's summons to charge? When has the job been so easy? Peace is enthroned on the earth; Travel was never so simple; Of "Dreadnoughts" alone there's a dearth. How shall we look when our Saviour Returns in His glory from heaven, And finds we've refused or neglected E'en one tribe with salvation to leaven? If George the Fifth's soldiers or sailors Were ordered the world to subdue, They'd hasten abroad in dead earnest And pluckily dare and do. Then why should the Soldiers of Jesus Delay to obey His command? Come along! Let us tackle the business, We only need faith and sand. ("sand" is "courage" in the U.S.A.) Come! Let's stop our vain talk of traditions, Which nullify God's Holy Word, And dump all our Christless snobbery In hell, and then hurry abroad. Let us cease to do our own pleasure, Stop hoarding and living at ease; Let us fight or die to deliver The folk in the lands overseas. Let's abolish our tame stonewalling, And play for a win not a draw; We must go in for hurricane hitting, Or we'll lose as we've lost before. For Christ was a resolute hitter, And so were Stephen and Paul; They so warmed the devil's fingers That he scarce could hold the ball. They didn't play selfish in those good days, They played for their side instead; And they ran such really impossible runs That the devil quite lost his head. When a man got out he ran, not walked, And the man going in ran too; "What, stop the match for tea!" they cried; "Bah! cock-a-doodle-doo." They didn't wear pads or gloves those days, You just couldn't make them afraid; And they never stopped to look at the clock Till the winning hit was made. Now if we played the game like that, Do you think we shouldn't win? Of course we should, and, that being so, Anything else is sin. Christ to be sure would go with us; Christ would see us through; Christ wouldn't let us falter Till there's nothing more to do. So let's settle now and once for all, To finish our job or die; We can evangelise the world If we're men enough to try.
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C.T. Studd (December 2, 1860 – July 16, 1931) was an English preacher, missionary, and evangelist whose radical devotion to Christ transformed missionary work in China, India, and Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born Charles Thomas Studd in Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, to Edward Studd, a wealthy indigo planter, and Dora Thomas, he was the third of four sons in a privileged family. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1883), he excelled as a cricketer, captaining Cambridge and playing for England in the 1882 Ashes series. Converted at age 18 in 1878 during a revival meeting led by D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey, he initially resisted a preaching call, focusing on sports until his brother George’s near-death experience in 1883 prompted a full surrender to missionary service. Studd’s preaching career began when he joined the "Cambridge Seven" in 1885, sailing to China with the China Inland Mission (CIM) under Hudson Taylor, where he preached the gospel in rural villages for a decade, often adopting Chinese dress and customs. Returning to England in 1894 due to health issues, he preached revival across Britain and America before serving in India (1900–1906) with the Salvation Army, focusing on the untouchables. In 1910, inspired by a tract titled "The Chocolate Soldier," he founded the Heart of Africa Mission (later Worldwide Evangelization Crusade) and moved to the Belgian Congo in 1913, preaching amidst disease and isolation until his death. Married to Priscilla Livingstone Stewart in 1888, with whom he had four daughters, he gave away his inherited fortune (£29,000) to ministries like CIM and Moody Bible Institute, dying at age 70 in Ibambi, Congo, leaving a legacy of sacrificial evangelism and the motto, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."