Three days after he comes to Cambridge, the provost of the university sends words specifically

to him and the other freshmen that they will attend communion, the Lord's Supper in three weeks.

Now, something happened in Simeon's heart, and he was terrified.

Terrified that he would be called upon to attend communion as a sinner, which he knew he was.

Imagine being told that you must take communion, the Lord's Supper, in realizing for the very first time that you're actually unprepared to meet God.

I'm Dan Kruver.

In this episode of Light and Truth,

John Piper shares how deep guilt became the doorway to grace for a man named Charles

Simeon.

This biographical message was delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday evening, April 4th, 1989.

Why Charles Simeon then? If it's good and helpful to read biography, why Simeon?

I wrote down six reasons why he's attractive to me. Now,

he may not be attractive to you. I don't know, but I think there's some lessons in his life

that are going to help you. He's attractive to me, number one, because he's a pastor.

He was the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, England for 54 years.

He's an Anglican.

This is an ecumenical enterprise I'm into tonight.

He is sort of the John Stott of his day.

John Stott's an Anglican evangelical today.

In fact, John Stott, I'll allude to in a minute, wrote the

introduction for this collection of sermons on Simeon. Second, he is evangelical. Now that's the

word we sling around a lot. I wonder how many could define that. I'll give you four things I mean

...