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Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray (1828 - 1917). South African pastor, author, and revivalist born in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony, to Dutch Reformed missionary parents. Sent to Scotland at 10, he studied at Aberdeen University and Utrecht, Netherlands, returning ordained in 1848. He pastored in Bloemfontein and Worcester, later moderating the Dutch Reformed Church’s Cape Synod. In 1860, he sparked a revival in the Orange Free State, preaching to thousands across racial lines despite apartheid’s rise. Murray wrote over 240 books, including Abide in Christ (1882) and With Christ in the School of Prayer, translated into dozens of languages. His emphasis on holiness, prayer, and divine healing influenced global Pentecostalism. Married to Emma Rutherford in 1856, they had eight children, four becoming missionaries. He founded theological seminaries and the Huguenot College for women. Despite chronic illness, he traveled to Europe and America, speaking at Keswick Conventions. His devotional works remain widely read, shaping Christian spirituality across denominations.
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Sermon Summary
Andrew Murray emphasizes that Christ is not the ultimate goal but the pathway to knowing God. Many Christians mistakenly view Christ as the end of their spiritual journey, failing to realize that true fulfillment comes from drawing near to God and experiencing communion with Him. The sermon highlights the distinction between seeking Jesus for salvation and seeking God for a deeper relationship, urging believers to value Christ for the access He provides to the Father. Murray encourages a restless pursuit of God's presence, as true knowledge of God is reserved for those who earnestly desire it.
Scriptures
Drawing Near to God
Christ is not the End but the Way. He came to reveal the Father, to bring us ‘unto God,’ to open a way in which we could draw near to God. Many Christians regard Christ as the End: if they have found him they are content. They do not understand that to have found Christ is just the beginning: the true End is to know God, and to have communion with him, to serve him, to receive the manifestation of God himself in one’s soul. This knowledge of God is given to those who cannot rest content without it. The question may be asked, What is the difference between drawing near to Jesus, who is God, and drawing near to God? The answer is two fold. For one thing, in Jesus the divine has been clothed in human garb, and so it is hard to be sure how far it is really the divine in Jesus which attracts us. For another, in Jesus the divine grace and mercy is above all revealed, so in him we are all too apt to be seeking only our salvation, while we profess to be seeking God. The true test of the reality of our turning to God, the proof that we are not merely seeking salvation, is this: that we prize Christ and his work because he brings us to God, because in him we draw near to God. (Excerpted from The Promise of the Spirit, pg. 57)
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Andrew Murray (1828 - 1917). South African pastor, author, and revivalist born in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony, to Dutch Reformed missionary parents. Sent to Scotland at 10, he studied at Aberdeen University and Utrecht, Netherlands, returning ordained in 1848. He pastored in Bloemfontein and Worcester, later moderating the Dutch Reformed Church’s Cape Synod. In 1860, he sparked a revival in the Orange Free State, preaching to thousands across racial lines despite apartheid’s rise. Murray wrote over 240 books, including Abide in Christ (1882) and With Christ in the School of Prayer, translated into dozens of languages. His emphasis on holiness, prayer, and divine healing influenced global Pentecostalism. Married to Emma Rutherford in 1856, they had eight children, four becoming missionaries. He founded theological seminaries and the Huguenot College for women. Despite chronic illness, he traveled to Europe and America, speaking at Keswick Conventions. His devotional works remain widely read, shaping Christian spirituality across denominations.