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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 the distinction between two types of preaching: one that relies on human wisdom and eloquence, which Christ forbade, and another that demonstrates the Spirit's power. He argues that true faith must be rooted in a personal communion with God, rather than in the wisdom of man, which is weak and unstable. Murray warns that relying on persuasive speech can nullify the power of the cross, as it detracts from the divine working of the Holy Spirit. The sermon calls for a return to preaching that is grounded in the supernatural power of God, which transforms lives and communities. Ultimately, Murray encourages believers to seek a deeper experience of God's operation in their lives.
Scriptures
Preaching With Words or Demonstration of the Spirit
There is a twofold preaching of Christ and his cross. The one is what Christ forbade, and Paul therefore so emphatically rejected: the preaching in wisdom of words, in excellency of speech and wisdom, in persuasive words of wisdom. The other is in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; the proof of a direct supernatural divine working. Corresponding to these there is a twofold faith. The one stands in the wisdom of man, is feeble and changeable, and ever dependent upon human support. The other stands in the power of God which has its roots and its strengths, on the part of the convert, in the personal communion with God and the experience of his almighty operation. When scriptural truth is studied or heard, is received and held as true, and does not work in power, the chief reason is that it is held in man’s wisdom, in the power of the mind, and not of the Spirit of God. There is nothing that so effectually makes void the cross of Christ and robs it of all its power as the wisdom of words and excellency of speech. (Excerpted from The Coming Revival, by Andrew Murray , pg. 18)
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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.