Page 99 - Testimonies for the Church Volume 9 (1909)

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Methods of Labor
In connection with the proclamation of the message in large
cities, there are many kinds of work to be done by laborers with
varied gifts. Some are to labor in one way, some in another. The
Lord desires that the cities shall be worked by the united efforts
of laborers of different capabilities. All are to look to Jesus for
direction, not depending on man for wisdom, lest they be led astray.
As laborers together with God they should seek to be in harmony
with one another. There should be frequent councils and earnest,
wholehearted co-operation. Yet all are to look to Jesus for wisdom,
not depending upon men alone for direction.
The Lord has given to some ministers the ability to gather and to
hold large congregations. This calls for the exercise of tact and skill.
In the cities of today, where there is so much to attract and please,
the people can be interested by no ordinary efforts. Ministers of
God’s appointment will find it necessary to put forth extraordinary
efforts in order to arrest the attention of the multitudes. And when
they succeed in bringing together a large number of people they
must bear messages of a character so out of the usual order that the
people will be aroused and warned. They must make use of every
means that can possibly be devised for causing the truth to stand
out clearly and distinctly. The testing message for this time is to
be borne so plainly and decidedly as to startle the hearers and lead
them to desire to study the Scriptures.
Those who do the work of the Lord in the cities must put forth
calm, steady, devoted effort for the education of the people. While
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they are to labor earnestly to interest the hearers and to hold this
interest, yet at the same time they must carefully guard against
anything that borders on sensationalism. In this age of extravagance
and outward show, when men think it is necessary to make a display
in order to gain success, God’s chosen messengers are to show the
fallacy of spending means needlessly for effect. As they labor with
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