Home Missionary Work
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All heaven is in activity, and the angels of God are waiting to co-
operate with all who will devise plans whereby souls for whom Christ
died may hear the glad tidings of salvation. Angels who minister to
those that shall be heirs of salvation, are saying to every true saint:
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“There is work for you to do.” “Go, stand and speak ... to the people
all the words of this life.”
Acts 5:20
. If those addressed would obey
this injunction, the Lord would prepare the way before them, putting
them in possession of means wherewith to go.
Arouse the Idlers
Souls are perishing out of Christ, and those who profess to be
Christ’s disciples are letting them die. Our brethren have talents
entrusted to them for the very work of saving souls, but some have
bound these up in a napkin and buried them in the earth. How much
do such idlers resemble the angel who is represented as flying in the
midst of heaven, proclaiming the commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus? What manner of entreaty can be brought to bear upon the
idlers that will arouse them to go to work for the Master? What can we
say to the slothful church member to make him realize the necessity
of unearthing his talent and putting it out to the exchangers? There
will be no idler, no slothful one, found inside the kingdom of heaven.
Oh, that God would set this matter in all its importance before the
sleeping churches! Oh, that Zion would arise and put on her beautiful
garments! Oh, that she would shine!
There are many ordained ministers who have never yet exercised
a shepherd’s care over the flock of God, who have never yet watched
for souls as they that must give an account. The church, instead of
developing, is left to be a weak, dependent, inefficient body. The mem-
bers of the church, trained to rely upon preaching, do little for Christ.
They bear no fruit, but rather increase in selfishness and unfaithfulness.
They put their hope in the preacher and depend upon his efforts to
keep alive their weak faith. Because the church members have not
been properly instructed by those whom God has placed as overseers,
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many are slothful servants, hiding their talents in the earth and still
complaining of the Lord’s dealing toward them. They expect to be
tended like sick children.