104
Evangelism
who have been long in the truth not to hurt the new converts by living
irreligious lives. Lay aside all murmuring and do thorough work in
your own hearts. Break up the fallow ground of your hearts and seek
to know what you can do to advance the work....
Awake, awake, and give to the unconverted evidence that you
believe the truth of heavenly origin. Unless you do awake, the world
will not believe that you practice the truth that you profess to hold.—
Letter 75, 1905
.
The Church Members to Help—The Lord requires that far
greater personal effort shall be put forth by the members of our
churches. Souls have been neglected, towns and villages and cities
have not heard the truth for this time, because wise missionary efforts
have not been made.... Our ordained ministers must do what they
can, but it must not be expected that one man can do the work of
all. The Master has appointed unto every man his work. There are
visits to be made, there is praying to be done, there is sympathy to be
imparted; and the piety—the heart and hand—of the whole church is
to be employed if the work is to be accomplished. You can sit down
with your friends, and in a pleasant, social way, talk of the precious
Bible faith.—
The Review and Herald, August 13, 1889
.
Ministers Enlist Churches in Evangelism—Sometimes minis-
ters do too much; they seek to embrace the whole work in their arms.
It absorbs and dwarfs them; yet they continue to grasp it all. They
seem to think that they alone are to work in the cause of God, while the
members of the church stand idle. This is not God’s order at all.—
The
Review and Herald, November 18, 1884
.
[114]
A Working Force Augmented by Laymen—How can our
brethren and sisters continue to live close to large numbers of people
who have never been warned, without devising methods of setting to
work every agency through whom the Lord can work to the glory of
His name? Our leaders who have had long experience will understand
the importance of these matters, and can do much to increase the work-
ing forces. They can plan to reach many in the highways and in the
hedges. As they put forth calm, steady, devoted effort to educate the
church members to engage in personal work for souls wherever there
are favorable openings, success will mark their labors.—
Manuscript
53, 1910
.