FAKE CHRISTIANS, BOLD PREACHERS, AND SACRIFICIAL MISSIONARIES: The Nineteenth Century (pt.1)

In the Nineteenth Century, though fake Christian movements arose the church stood firm through bold preaching and sacrificial missions.

MEMORY VERSE. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’”” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

MEMORY QUOTE. “The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage" (Charles Haddon Spurgeon). 

Fake Christians, Bold Preachers, and Sacrificial Missionaries - The Nineteenth Century (pt.1)

FAKE CHRISTIANS, BOLD PREACHERS, AND SACRIFICIAL MISSIONARIES

The nineteenth century was an era of both peril and power. Counterfeit movements arose claiming the name of Christ, yet the true church stood firm. Faithful preachers thundered the Word from their pulpits. Sacrificial missionaries carried the gospel farther than ever before. Through every challenge and advance, Christ proved Himself the sovereign builder of His church. The gates of hell did not prevail. 

Fake Christian Movements Arose, but Christ’s People Stood Firm. 

The nineteenth century witnessed the emergence of several movements that claimed the name of Christ but denied essential truths of the gospel. In the 1830s Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after claiming visions and publishing the Book of Mormon in 1830.1 The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew from the Millerite movement in the 1840s, formalized around the visions and teachings of Ellen G. White.2 The Bible Student movement, led by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s, later developed into the Jehovah’s Witnesses.3 These groups introduced new scriptures, new prophets, and new doctrines that contradicted the finished revelation of God in the Bible.

  The apostle John warned believers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” In the face of these deceptions, Christ preserved a faithful remnant who tested all teaching by the written Word. The true church did not waver. She continued to confess that Scripture alone is the infallible rule of faith and practice, that Christ alone is the mediator between God and men, and that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Though counterfeit movements multiplied, Christ’s sheep heard His voice and followed Him, refusing to be led astray.

Great Preachers Thundered God’s Word from Their Pulpits

While error spread in some quarters, Christ raised up powerful preachers who proclaimed the whole counsel of God with clarity and courage. In England, J. C. Ryle, later Bishop of Liverpool, wrote plainly and preached plainly, defending evangelical truth against ritualism and liberalism.4 In Scotland, Robert Murray M’Cheyne of St. Peter’s, Dundee, lived a life of uncommon holiness and preached with tender urgency, leading many to Christ before his early death at age twenty-nine.5 Thomas Chalmers, also in Scotland, combined intellectual depth with fervent gospel preaching, awakening entire communities to the reality of sin and grace.6 In London, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” filled the Metropolitan Tabernacle Sunday after Sunday, proclaiming justification by faith and the sovereignty of God to tens of thousands.7

  The apostle Paul charged Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). These men obeyed that charge. Their pulpits became fortresses of truth in a century of theological drift. Through their faithful exposition, Christ awakened sinners, edified saints, and equipped the church to stand against error. The impact of their ministries extended far beyond their lifetimes, strengthening the church in Britain, America, and the mission fields.

Sacrificial Missionaries Took the Gospel Further Than Ever Before

The nineteenth century was the greatest missionary century in the history of the church. Christ sent out men and women who risked everything to carry the gospel to unreached peoples. Adoniram Judson left America for Burma in 1812, enduring imprisonment, torture, and the death of his wife Ann, yet he translated the Bible into Burmese and saw hundreds converted.8 Hudson Taylor founded the China Inland Mission in 1865, adopting Chinese dress and living among the people, opening vast regions of China to the gospel.9 David Livingstone explored Africa, exposing the horrors of the slave trade while preaching Christ to tribal peoples.10 John Paton carried the gospel to the New Hebrides Islands, facing cannibals and disease, yet witnessing entire islands turn to Christ.11

Jesus commanded His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” These missionaries believed that promise. They left home, family, and safety, trusting Christ’s presence. Their sacrifices opened doors in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and beyond, and the church grew explosively in places where the name of Jesus had never been heard.

Conclusion: Christ’s Unstoppable Conquest

In the nineteenth century, though counterfeit movements arose, Christ’s people stood firm. He thundered His Word through faithful preachers like Ryle, M’Cheyne, Chalmers, and Spurgeon. He extended His kingdom through sacrificial missionaries like Judson, Taylor, Livingstone, and Paton. In every trial and advance, Christ proved Himself the sovereign builder of His church. False prophets came, but the gospel marched forward.

  Let us take heart from this century. When error abounds, we must test every teaching by Scripture. When the pulpit grows silent, we must pray for men who will preach the Word in season and out of season. When the nations remain in darkness, we must obey the Great Commission, willing to go, to give, and to die if necessary. Christ is still building His church. He is still conquering the nations. And He has promised to be with us to the end of the age.

May we, like the faithful of the nineteenth century, stand firm in the truth, proclaim the gospel boldly, and spend our lives for the glory of King Jesus. Amen.

MEMORY VERSE.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

MEMORY QUOTE.

“The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage" (Charles Haddon Spurgeon). 

CITATIONS

1 Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005), 32–45.

2 Richard W. Schwarz and Floyd Greenleaf, Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 3rd ed. (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2000), 67–85.

3 M. James Penton, A History of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985), 13–28.

4 J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (London: William Hunt and Company, 1877), preface.

5 Andrew A. Bonar, Memoir and Remains of R. M. M’Cheyne (Edinburgh: William Oliphant & Co., 1844), 45–78.

6 Thomas Chalmers, The Works of Thomas Chalmers, vol. 1 (Glasgow: William Collins, 1836), 112–134.

7 Charles H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle: Its History and Work (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1876), 23–56.

8. Francis Wayland, ed., The Life of Adoniram Judson (New York: Sheldon, Blakeman & Co., 1853), 145–189.

9 Hudson Taylor, Retrospect (London: China Inland Mission, 1902), 34–67.

10 David Livingstone, Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (London: John Murray, 1857), 78–112.

11 James Paton, ed., John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1889), 89–123.