In
today’s modern American society money is everything. We set up multiple savings
accounts, which sit accumulating money. Once we acquire a desired salary, we
seek to make more. Our houses are filled with multiple flat screen TVs and
expensive furniture. We are constantly trying to keep up with the neighbors
next door. The idea that Jesus presents to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21 of
selling everything you have to give to the poor is quite foreign to us. I would
dare say it is repulsive. I would like suggest, however, living a life of
complete faith and trust in God for all our provisions is the more enjoyable
lifestyle.
I
would like to share with you the story of a man who ended his life with only
160 pounds to his name.
I’m sure you’re thinking what kind of life could this man have had dying in clear
poverty? The answer is one so extraordinary, it will, hopefully, encourage you to
live a life of radical nature too.
George
Mueller is this radical man with only a few hundred dollars to his name.
Mueller was a missionary to Bristol England. During his time there, he touched
the lives of tens of thousands of people, including over 10,000 orphans. While doing
his ministry, Mueller decided to do an experiment. His experiment was to see if
God would truly provide for all the needs of his family and the orphans he supported.
Over the course of Mueller’s story, we shall see how the experiment faired.
George
Mueller was born in Kroppenstaedt, Prussia, on September 27, 1805. This is in
modern day Germany. He was especially privileged growing up except that he did
not grow up in a family of believers. Therefore, Mueller did not know Christ.
Ironically, even though Mueller’s father was not a believer, he sent him to
school to become a clergyman. It was a way Mueller could
become successful and make a good living. You might be thinking this path would
help him to discover Christ. You are right, but it took quite a long time for
it to sink in. During his youth, he stayed far from God. He fell into the
addictive sin of stealing. He didn’t just steal little things, but large sums
of government money that had been entrusted to his father. He even spent some
time in jail as a teenager. He was addicted to drinking and was even found
drunk with his friends the day after his mother died. Mueller’s life did not
look like it would ever turn around. By God's Grace, however, Mueller came to a turning point.
A
friend of Mueller’s, Beta, told Mueller about a meeting he was planning to
attend. The meeting consisted of prayer, scripture reading, and singing hymns.
For some strange reason, which could only be the Lord, Mueller had a desire to
go too. Against Beta’s better judgment, he decided to take Mueller along. Upon
entering the house, Mueller felt so out of place he apologized for being there.
The response to his apology, however, left a deep impression on him, “Come as
often as you please; house and heart are open to you.”
As the night continued, Mueller was left with many deep impressions. George
Mueller’s own words describe the meeting for us.
“We sat down and
sang a hymn. Then brother Kayser, afterwards a missionary in Africa in
connection with the London missionary society, who was then living at Halle,
fell on his knees and asked a blessing on our meeting. This kneeling down made
a deep impression upon me; for I had never either seen any one on his knees,
nor had I ever prayed myself on my knees. He then read a chapter and a printed
sermon; for no regular meetings for expounding the scriptures were allowed in
Prussia, except an ordained clergyman was present. At the close we sang another
hymn, and then the master of the house prayed. Whilst he prayed my feeling was
something like this: I could not pray as well, though I am much more learned
than this illiterate man. The whole made a deep impression on me.”
This deep
impression led to his conversion. Mueller’s life was completely transformed.
Three
lessons can be found in Mueller’s conversion story. The first is deals with
grace. You are never too deep in sin to receive God’s grace. Please don’t say
to yourself, “God could never forgive me because I’ve been too bad.” That is
not how God works. Mueller’s story is just like the prodigal son. In every way,
the son did not disserve to be forgiven; he squandered away all his father’s money
and was left to tend pigs. Upon returning home, however, the father runs to
embrace the son and rejoices that he has returned. The father then proceeds to
clothe him and celebrate his return. The father knew the sins the man had
committed, but he forgave his son anyway. God is our Father waiting for us to
come to him, so he can embrace us. If you make the decision to turn to God, He
will embrace you, no matter where you are or have been in the past.
The second lesson from Mueller’s
life is that a truly converted life, shows transformation. While Mueller didn’t
walk a perfect Christian life right off the bat, there was evidence he was
being transformed. He did not want to return to his old bad friends, but
instead, returned almost daily to the house of the man who had prayed at the
end of the meeting. He went there to study Scripture because he felt it would
be too long to wait until the next Saturday. I would encourage each of you, who
call yourselves Christians, to examine your lives. Is there evidence of
transformation? Or does your life look just like your non-Christian neighbors?
If we are truly saved, we should be different.
The third and final lesson we find
in Mueller’s conversion story is the idea of outreach. What do visitors think
as they pass through our doors? Are they deeply moved by your hospitality, or
are they even noticed? The man, who spoke the words of welcome to Mueller, made
Mueller feel comfortable. Once he was comfortable, he began to engage himself
and hear what the Holy Spirit was saying to him. Do not underestimate the power
of a kind word, or an invitation to church. We need to be reaching out to our
friends, so they can have the opportunity to hear the word of God.
George
Mueller was very serious about his conversion and his commitment. Within a few
short weeks of conversion, he resolved to become a missionary. Over the course
of the next few years, he became a missionary in Bristol, England, working as a
preacher and reaching out to Jews.
Mueller was so confident the Lord would provide for him in this position, that
he resolved to never again take any salary. I know what most of you are
thinking right now. Was he crazy? The answer is no. He was totally sold out on
the truth of Scripture, believing God will provide for his children. You now
are thinking wow, that man has the gift of faith! Mueller, on the other hand,
would disagree. In response to people putting him on a pedestal, Mueller
writes, “Think not, dear reader, that I have the gift of faith, that
is, that gift of which we read in 1 Corinthians 12:9.”
Instead, Muller believed he had the grace of faith. He explains it this way,
“The difference
between the gift and the grace of faith seems to me this. According to
the gift of faith I am able to do a thing, or believe that a thing
will come to pass, the not doing of which, or the not believing of which would
not be sin; according to the grace of faith I am able to do a thing,
or believe that a thing will come to pass, respecting which I have the word of
God as the ground to rest upon, and, therefore, the not doing it, or the not
believing it would be sin. For instance, the gift of faith would be needed, to
believe that a sick person should be restored again though there is no human
probability: for there is no promise to that effect; the grace of faith is
needed to believe that the Lord will give me the necessaries of life, if I
first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness: for there is a promise to
that effect.”
Muller feels everyone
can have the same extraordinary things happen to them, if they trust God for
their provisions. He was truly upset to see so many believers with such little
faith in the provision of God. This idea that everyone with God’s help can have
faith drove his ministry.
How many of us like to believe we cannot do as much as others for God because
we do not have the gift of faith? As you listen to the rest of this message, I
would like you to focus on how much this man did without the “gift” of faith.
While
serving in his church, Mueller’s eyes were opened to the needs around him,
orphans and believers with very little faith. Mueller’s idea to open his first orphan
house came when he saw a little boy being taken to the poor house because of a
lack of homes available to care for orphans. In England in 1834, there was only
room for 3,600 orphans at established institutions. There were more than double
that many orphan children under the age of eight in prison because of the lack
of orphanages. Stepping out in faith with just enough money for him and his
young family, he proposed that his church start an orphan House. They too saw
the need and jumped on board. Mueller saw this as an opportunity to not only
serve orphans, but also to encourage the saints by growing their faith. Referring
to his first orphanage, Muller states,
“I know you can
reach up and touch God when you pray. I’ve proved it to myself. It changed my
life. And I want to convince other people. I think I can, if I can point to
something God has done through prayer. Something real and tangible. If God can
take me, a very poor man; if I can bring together twenty children in an
orphanage; if He will give the strength to ask no man for anything- to ask only
him for my money- then I will prove to some people anyway that God is still
faithful today.”
Mueller came up
with three key goals, when he started his Orphan Houses. All of these goals
reaffirm that Mueller wanted to encourage believers. In order of importance,
the first goal was God would be glorified by showing other believers, it is
possible to trust in God alone for every need. The second goal was to promote
the spiritual welfare of the fatherless and motherless children. The final goal
was to provide physically for the children. George Mueller successfully
accomplished all three through prayer alone. Over the course of his time in
orphan work, five orphan houses were opened, accommodating over 10,000 children
who passed through the doors. Many of these children came to faith in Christ,
while living in one of those houses. Not only were the goals for the orphans
accomplished, but also the first goal, to encourage believers’ faith in God,
was accomplished. George Mueller had an open book policy, meaning anyone could
look into the finances of the orphan houses. If you were to take a look, you
would find he received almost a million and a half pounds over the course of
his life. We should remember that Mueller was living almost 200 years ago.
Author,
A.T. Pierson, described Muller, as someone who, “devised large and liberal
things for the Lord's cause.”
I’m not going to try and convince you Mueller’s life was always easy, or he
didn’t struggle with moments of lack of faith in the Lord, but I think we can
agree, at the end of his life, it was clear God never stopped providing for
Mueller. I would like to offer you one final question. What large and liberal
things is God calling you to do? How is God calling you to help the orphan? Now you have seen how one very sinful man was
made clean by the blood of Christ, and how he gave his life to fully trust in
him. I hope you too are encouraged by Mueller’s life and how God can and will
use you in mighty ways too; of course you have to allow him to do so.
Mueller, Narrative,
1:302.
