September 30, 2022 - Good Morning! It’s Friday, September 30.
On September 30, 1770, George Whitefield died in Massachusetts at the age of 55. He was short, small, and cross-eyed. And he was, very possibly, the greatest preacher who has ever lived.
Whitefield preached over 18,000 times, usually to crowds gathered in the open air. He had a freakishly strong voice that could carry over 500 feet (2 football fields) and spoke to tens of thousands of people at a time. In his career, it is estimated that he preached to over 10 million souls. He was Billy Graham, two centuries before Billy Graham.
Born in England, Whitefield visited America (the colonies) seven times and was a leading figure in the revival called the Great Awakening. His preaching was passionate and theatrical. He would often "act out" Bible stories during his sermons. By all accounts, he was a mesmerizing orator. He was a celebrity. He was a phenomenon.
The night before he died, George Whitefield preached to a large crowd gathered in a field in the cold autumn air. He was often known to say, "it is better to wear out, than to rust out". He lived a life dedicated to the gospel and was passionate about his calling. He believed that religion "engaged the heart, not just the head."
One of the multitude who were converted under Whitefield's preaching was John Newton, the writer of "Amazing Grace". George Whitefield lived an amazing life, had an amazing impact, and served an amazing God.
We remember George Whitefield today.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
