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SUBJECT: George Muller

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God". These words, first written of Abraham, apply equally to the subject of today's lecture, George Muller.

George Muller was born September 27, 1805, in Prussia. His father was a man of means, collecting taxes for the king. He was also a generous man, providing his son with the best of everything. But the son was not grateful. George Muller was a hellion of a child and young man. His preferred sin was theft. He was not discriminating about it. He stole from his father; he stole from his friends; he stole from a hotel in Wolfenbuttel. For the latter offense, he was arrested and sent to jail for thirty days. He was also a drunkard. As his mother lay dying, her older son was carousing in the streets, smashed out of his mind. This was no school boy's lark, but a habit he had acquired by the age of 14.

About that time, he was taught the catechism of the Lutheran Church and received his first communion. But without effect. He cheated the pastor of his fee and came to the Lord's Table drunk.

Knowing the kind of boy he was, what career do you think Herr Muller intended for his son? Why, the ministry of course! At 18, he entered the University of Halle, expecting to take Holy Orders at the completion of his course. His first two years were more of the same: drinking, cheating, stealing, lying.

Then something happened. Young George knew that this kind of life would bar him from the pulpit--at least a prestigious, high-paying one. He decided to reform. The best way to do so, he thought, was to find a serious roommate. He found one in a man named Beta. This young man had once professed faith in Christ; then he backslid into sins similar to George's. Finally, however, he repented of these sins and began attending a meeting in the home of Herr Wagner. The meetings took place on Saturday nights.

George asked if he could go; Beta was reluctant. He was afraid the meeting would be uncomfortable for his worldly friend. It wasn't. Wagner met George at the door with a warm welcome: "Come as often as you please; house and heart are open to you!" A hymn was sung and a man knelt to pray. This posture of humility made a lasting impression on Muller. "I was much more learned than this man--he would later write--"but I could not pray as well as he". From this moment, a joy began filling George Muller's heart. It never left him. His biographer, A.T. Pierson, writes:

Pierson draws a lesson from Muller's conversion:

Muller's new life was made visible in three ways: He craved the fellowship of God's people. Wagner's meetings occurred once a week. Muller made a pest of himself by visiting the man four times a week! He was given a spirit of prayer. Before that night, he had never prayed. From then on, he would "pray without ceasing". Finally, he received a missionary impulse. He wrote to his father and brother beseeching them to "be reconciled to God"; he stuffed his pockets full of tracts which he would give to passers-by. On the back of the tracts Muller wrote his name and address, so that inquirers might learn more of Christ. This missionary zeal would never leave him. It would cost him dearly, but it would repay him "a hundredfold in this world and in the world to come, eternal life". The first sacrifice he made was his fiancee', whose father would not consent to losing a daughter to the mission field.

At the time, George Muller knew very little about the Bible. He was a confirmed Lutheran and a Divinity student--but had never read the Scriptures. He owned three hundred books in several languages--but the Bible wasn't one of them. Yet he had a feel for theology that would deepen over the years, but never change. He tells us about it in his journal:

At a village about six miles outside of Halle, Muller preached his first sermon. He was invited by the schoolmaster to speak twice that day: once in the chapel and once in the church. Muller agreed to do it, but how to preach? He thought that memorizing another man's sermon was a good idea. It wasn't. That afternoon, he preached his own sermon from the Beatitudes. About it, he wrote, "I felt myself greatly assisted. My own peace and joy were great. I felt this a blessed work". He would retain this style of preaching for the next 70 years. It would be proved--time and again--"the power of God unto salvation".

Years later, he discovered that his memorized sermon was also blessed of God. He wrote, "I preached a poor, dry, barren sermon, with no comfort to myself, and as I imagined no comfort to others. But a long time afterwards I heard of nineteen distinct cases that had come through that sermon".

After graduating from the University, Muller applied to the Berlin Missionary Society for an assignment in Bucharest. This fell through due to a war which soon broke out in the Rumanian capital. Next, he learned of an opening with the London Missionary Society as a preacher to the Jews of Poland. The Society agreed on the condition Muller would come to London for six months. He did.

For the next six months, Muller gave himself to the study of the Old Testament in its original Hebrew. He did brilliantly; but he was convicted of his bookish life and set out to evangelize the Jews of London. During this time, he came to a momentous decision: "We ought to obey God rather than man". If God led him into a work, no Missionary Society, no church, no pastor, had the right to overrule the will of heaven. He resigned his post with the London Missionary Society, and became a vagabond for Jesus Christ. Preaching wherever Christ sent him.

He sent Muller first to Teignmouth, a port city in southwestern England. There, along with his friend, Henry Craik, Muller pastored a church for two years and five months. During that time the membership grew from 18 to 51. He also came to "Believer's Baptism" at that time. Here's how. Three female saints asked him about baptism. He replied, having been baptized as an infant, he saw no need of being baptized again. They went on to ask if he had ever prayerfully studied the issue in light of Scripture. "I have not" he admitted. They answered the pastor: "I entreat you, then, never again to speak any more about it till you have done so!"

He took their advice; he studied the Bible and found infant baptism without its support. He was re-baptized. This was a big change--to be sure. But it didn't knock Muller to the other extreme: later, he and Craik admitted believers into their church without believer's baptism. Like Bunyan, George Muller found: Water Baptism, No Bar to Communion.

From Teignmouth, George Muller went to Bristol, about 20-30 miles northwest. There he would live for more than sixty years. He began teaching in two Chapels--Bethesda and Gideon. Under his ministry these little churches would grow into what we'd now call "Megachurches". But the simplicity of worship never changed. The saints met for prayer, the reading of God's Word, expositions of the Word, the Lord's Supper, and an "open time" where anyone could speak a word of praise to Christ; anyone could offer an exhortation; and so on. About the Church Order, it was--he wrote--"Without any rules, desiring to act only as the Lord should be pleased to give light through His Word".

In Bristol, Muller read a book, The Life of Augustus H. Franke. Franke had also attended Halle University. About 100 years before, he founded an orphanage in that city. Muller began to wonder what was being done for England's homeless children. He looked into the matter and found: Not much. This gave Muller an idea. To found an orphanage without asking for donations--or anything else--would publicly demonstrate the faithfulness of God. After much prayer and discussion with Mr. Craik, Muller placed an announcement in the newspaper: His orphanage would open that year.

This presented certain problems: he didn't have a building; he didn't have a staff; he didn't have money; he didn't have orphans. Muller, his wife, Mr. Craik and his wife began to pray for all of the above. They let no one know their needs. "God supplied them all according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus". They took in about 60 orphans the first year; by the time of Muller's death, more than 2,000 children were being cared for.

The years ahead were hard. The orphanage rarely had any money in reserve. The next day's breakfast was often not available until the night before. Muller's faith, though, did not waver. He held God to His promise of being "the Father of the fatherless"; he pleaded with Him to redeem the pledge: "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it".

After a night of agonizing prayer, Muller woke up one morning with nothing to feed the children. Yet he gathered them into the cafeteria at the regular time, and as the staff looked on in despair, he bowed his head to pray: Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat". At knock was heard at the door; the baker hadn't been able to sleep that night; he thought he would put his insomnia to good use: he baked Muller children a cart-load of bread. Muller thanked God and the baker; turning to the children, he said: "We not only have bread, but the rare treat of fresh bread".

Another example is worth noting. One morning dawned without milk for the children. Thanks were again given. Another knock: the dairyman's cart had just broken down in front of the orphanage. Lest it go sour, the man asked Mr. Muller if he could use some milk that morning. He could.

All of this occurred without advertising! Muller lived up to his name: He was stubborn as a mule. Once, a man wrote Muller asking--in private--if he had a need. He did, a great one; but he refused to tell the man. The man then sent him a sum of money--just what the orphans needed. Once, a poor woman sent Muller a L100 note. He knew she couldn't afford it; he brought it back to her. He didn't know she had just come into an inheritance. Another man gave Muller a gift; but George knew the man was in debt; he returned the money to him.

George Muller's philosophy is summed up in his proverb: "Our need is my comfort."

For sixty years, Muller prayed each day for his orphans. And each day, he found:

"They are new every morning;

Great is Thy faithfulness."

Naturally, the orphanage took up most of Muller's time. But it wasn't his only concern. As a pastor, he was concerned for his church--he saw it grow in number and grace. As a Christian, he was concerned for his lost friends.

Finally, not long after Muller's death, the fifth man for whom he had prayed all those years found Christ.

George Muller "did not stagger at the promise through unbelief". And his faith--like Abraham's-- gave "glory to God". This is why he founded the orphanage:

Muller's faith has been hailed as miraculous. By his seventies, he was a worldwide celebrity; he toured England, Europe, and the United States, filling churches wherever he went. He met the President; an orphanage was opened in Japan after his model. But Muller disagreed with the assessment of his faith. He writes

What was the secret of George Muller's success? He tells us

To the doubting and fearful, give George Muller one last word: "There is life and power and reality in our holy faith. If you never yet have known this, then come and taste for yourself".