Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 153, 1897

Every Individual Member Should Be an Active Missionary Worker

1897

This manuscript is published in entirety in PH007 27-29.

The church of Christ has been organized on earth for missionary purposes, and it is of the highest importance that every individual member of the church should be a sincere laborer together with God, filled with the Spirit, having the mind of Christ, perfected in sympathy with Christ, and therefore bending every energy, according to his entrusted ability, to the saving of souls. Christ requires that every one who will be called by His name should make His work [the] first and highest consideration, and disinterestedly co-operate with heavenly intelligences, in saving the perishing for whom Christ has died. 12LtMs, Ms 153, 1897, par. 1

The members of the church of Christ, are to be faithful workers in the great harvest field. They are to be diligently working, earnestly praying, making progress, and diffusing light amid the moral darkness of the world, for are not the angels of heaven imparting to them divine inspiration? They are never to think of, and much less to speak of failure in their work. They are to be filled with hope, knowing that they do not rely upon human ability, nor upon finite resources, but upon the promise of divine aid, the ministry of heavenly agencies, who are pledged to open the way before them. The promise is given them, “Righteousness shall go before them.” [Isaiah 58:8.] We, of ourselves, have no righteousness. We have only that righteousness which is imparted from Christ, the Fountain of righteousness. He is “the Lord our righteousness.” [Jeremiah 23:6.] The angels of God will break the way before us, preparing hearts for the gospel message. 12LtMs, Ms 153, 1897, par. 2

The Lord Jesus is our efficiency in all things; His spirit is to be our inspiration; and as we place ourselves in His hands, to be channels of light, our means of doing good will never be exhausted, for the resources of the power of Jesus Christ are to be at our command. We may draw upon His fullness, and receive of that grace which has no limit. 12LtMs, Ms 153, 1897, par. 3

Souls are to be gathered as sheaves to Jesus Christ; but where are the reapers? Christ has commanded, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into the harvest.” [Matthew 9:38.] Not only is there a need of reapers, but of other agencies that will work in various lines according to their ability. Every kind of labor is to be devised and set in operation. Every follower of Christ is to do something in the work, and not to do what you can, is to manifest an indifference to the claims of Christ. If you refuse to be a faithful steward working under the Master, then you are following the directions of another leader, and ranging yourself with those who are warring against God. Christ said, “He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.” [Matthew 12:30.] If we are not active in the service of Christ, we are ranking with those who are in positive hostility against Him, for we are in the position of stumbling blocks. Every means of influence God has given you, should be employed to the utmost. 12LtMs, Ms 153, 1897, par. 4

Listen to the voice of Jesus, as it comes sounding down the long lines to our time, addressing the professed Christians who stand idly in the marketplace: “Why stand ye here all the day idle? ... Go ye also into the vineyard.” [Matthew 20:6, 7.] Work while it is day, for the night cometh in which no man can work. 12LtMs, Ms 153, 1897, par. 5