Christ is saying to . . . idlers in the market-place, “Go work to-day in My vineyard.” Angels who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, are saying to every true saint, There is work for you to do. “Go, stand and speak . . . to the people all the words of this life.” If those addressed would obey this injunction, the Lord would prepare the way before them, putting them in possession of means whereby they could go. If they did no more, they could diffuse the knowledge which they already have, and present Jesus as the only Mediator. . . .
The tidings of every successful effort on their part to dispel the darkness, and to diffuse the light and the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, is borne upward. The act is presented before all the heavenly intelligences, and thrills through all the principalities and powers, enlisting the sympathy of all heavenly beings.
SELF-SUPPORTING LAYMEN IN FOREIGN FIELDS
During the European Missionary Council held at Basle, Switzerland, in 1885, Mrs. E. G. White delivered many practical addresses to the workers and lay-members in attendance. On the morning of September 11, after listening to the reports of laborers who had come in from the various fields, she said:
There is a great work yet to be accomplished in all the fields from which we have heard reports. All through these countries there is precious talent that God will use; and we must be wide awake to secure it. . . .
The work of the minister is not simply to preach, but it is to visit families at their homes, to pray with them, and open to them the Scriptures. He who conducts the work outside the pulpit in a proper manner will accomplish tenfold more than he who confines his labor to the desk. When Christ was teaching on earth, He watched the countenances of His hearers, and the kindling eye, the animated expression, told Him in a moment when one assented to the truth. Even so should the teachers of the people now study the countenances of their hearers. . . .
It is not always pleasant for our brethren to live where the people need help most; but their labors would often be productive of far more good if they would do so. They ought to come close to the people, sit with them at their tables, and lodge in their humble homes. The laborers may have to take their families to places not at all desirable; but they should30remember that Jesus did not remain in the most desirable places. He came down to earth that He might help those who needed help.
Two days later, the following counsel was given:
There is a mighty power in the truth. It is God’s plan that all who embrace it shall become missionaries. Not only men, but women and even children can engage in this work. None are excused. All have an influence, and that influence should be wholly for the Master. Jesus has bought the race with His blood. We are His; and we have no right to say, “I will not do this or that;” but we should inquire, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” and do it with a cheerful, willing heart. . . .
O that every one . . . would kindle his taper from the divine altar! If Christ has given you light, let it shine to others. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” Will you not begin from this time to work upon the Bible plan, and live to do your neighbor good, to be a blessing to those around you? . . .
If we walk in the light, our wisdom will increase day by day. We should know more of the truth to-morrow than we know to-day. We cannot afford to be dwarfs in Bible knowledge, or in the religious life; but we should grow up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. Heaven is full of light and strength, and we can draw from it if we will. God is waiting to pour His blessing upon us as31soon as we draw nigh to Him and by living faith grasp His promises.
Some months later, in an appeal for laborers for foreign missions, Sister White addressed the “brethren and sisters in America” thus:
I am deeply exercised in regard to our present position, realizing how far down we are in prophetic history, so near the close of time, and so much work undone that must be accomplished to prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. The end of all things is at hand. Our time to work is short, and there is a world to be warned. There is need of more thorough missionary work. The calls are urgent for more laborers, but where are the light-bearers to the world? God has sent the truth to our doors, but are we doing all in our power to send it to the dark corners of the earth?
As we look over the vast field here in Europe, we can truly say, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.” . . .
Among our people in America, . . . there is a great lack of the missionary spirit among those who can labor in the German, the French, and other languages. How can you who have received the truth, feel so little burden for those of your own tongue in other countries? Is your interest selfishly shut up to your own family or to your own church? God pity your narrowness! You should have that undying zeal, that far-reaching love, that encircles the world. There are hundreds of millions of men, women, and children who have never heard the truth, and32multitudes are constantly going down to the grave without any sense of their accountability to God. How can you who repeat the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven,” sit at ease in your homes without helping to carry the torch of truth to others? How can you lift up your hands before God and ask His blessing upon yourselves and your families, when you are doing so little to help others? . . .
Our ideas are altogether too narrow. God calls for continual advancement in the work of diffusing light. We must study improved ways and means of reaching the people. We need to hear with ears of faith the mighty Captain of the Lord’s host saying, “Go forward.” We must act, and God will not fail us. He will do His part, when we in faith do ours. Brethren and sisters who have been long in the truth, you have not done the work God calls upon you to do. Where is your love for souls? . . .
Seventh-day Adventists are making progress, doubling their numbers, establishing missions, and unfurling the banner of truth in the dark places of the earth; and yet the work moves far more slowly than God would have it. The members of the church are not individually aroused to put forth the earnest effort they are capable of making, and every branch of the work is crippled by the lack of fervent piety, and devoted, humble, God-fearing laborers. Where are the soldiers of the cross of Christ? Let the God-fearing, the honest, the single-hearted, who look steadfastly to the glory of God, prepare themselves for the battle against error. . . .
The interest and labors of the church must be33extended more earnestly and decidedly to both home and foreign missions. Those who have been successful in using their talents to secure earthly treasures should now employ these capabilities to advance God’s cause and build up His kingdom. Their tact and ability sanctified to God, will be accepted, and He will make it effective in the grand work of turning men from error to truth. There should be deep heart-searching with our young men and women to see if they have not a work to do for the Master. There is a work to be accomplished which money cannot do. Destitute fields must be supplied with earnest laborers, with those whose hearts are warm with the love of Christ and with love for souls.
All who enter the missionary field will have hardships and trials to endure; they will find hard work, and plenty of it; but those of the right stamp of character will persevere under difficulties, discouragements, and privations, holding firmly to the arm of the Lord. They will show a zeal that will not flag, a faith that will not yield, a resolution that will not weaken. They are doing no more than God requires, when they dedicate themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to His service, becoming partakers with Christ in His sufferings. If they share His self-denial and cross-bearing, they will be partakers also in His joy,—the joy of seeing souls saved through their instrumentality in the kingdom of glory.
Within six months of the time when Sister White reached Australia, she penned the following lines in her diary:
During the day I wrote something in regard to missionary work. I felt deeply as I wrote, and my heart went up in prayer to God to set things in order in this country, and to raise up men who have wisdom to recognize the talent that God has given to many who have accepted the truth. These can be fitted for a place in the work, but they need to be educated and disciplined, that they may know how to use their talents for the spread of the truth and the upbuilding of God’s kingdom in the earth.
As the work in Australia developed, special efforts were made to give the believers thorough training in many lines of service. The lay-members in different parts of the field were encouraged to do all in their power to win souls; and whenever possible, the believers were given practical instruction in methods of labor. The progress of the work in Australia is an object-lesson of what may be accomplished in other fields by setting in operation many agencies for the dissemination of present truth.
During the General Conference of 1893, a communication was received from Sister White, in which she pleaded with the brethren and sisters in America to consider seriously the plan of encouraging suitable families to move to Australia and other foreign fields as self-supporting missionaries. In this appeal are the following paragraphs:
I feel deeply over the little burden many carry for the missionary work in the foreign fields and in the home missions. There are thousands of places to be entered where the standard of truth has never been raised, where the proclamation of the truth has never been heard in America. And there are thousands who might enter the harvest-field who are now35religiously idle, and as a result, go crippling their way to heaven, expressing their doubt whether they are Christians. Their need is a vital union with Jesus Christ. Then it can be said of them, “Ye are laborers together with God.” I want to say to many, You are waiting for some one to carry you to the vineyard and set you to work or to bring the vineyard to you, that you will experience no inconvenience in labor. You will wait in vain. If you will lift up your eyes you will see the harvest ripe, ready for the sickle, whichever way you may look; you will find work close by and far off. . . .
“Ye have not,” said Christ, “chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.” . . .
What, then, is the duty of every enlightened soul? . . .
Let those who truly love God step out from where there are large churches of Sabbath-keepers, and the cause they knew not be searched out. There is work to be done by every branch that has a vital union with the living Vine. “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” . . .
O that those whom the Lord has blessed with the treasures of truth would awake and say from the heart, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Light is increasing to enlighten every soul who will diffuse the light to others. God will have His witnesses. We want men and women to settle in Australia who have a solid, Christlike influence. The burden of this work should not rest upon the conference wholly. Many36can come to this missionary field and improve in health, . . . and at the same time they can be educating others, and can have a moulding influence. O that many may be uprooted from where they are, to become workers with Jesus Christ.
What can be done to make every believer feel that the heavenly intelligences are working for the consecration of the human living agents to carry the truth of God where it is not known?
Unbelief, like the pall of death, is surrounding our churches, because they do not exercise the talents God has given them, by imparting the light to those who know not the precious truth. The Lord calls for the pardoned soul, those who rejoice in the light, to make known the truth to others. The living agents are needed to communicate the light of truth, and the result will be, those who are now ignorant of the truth will, through the grace of Christ, become precious in the sight of the Lord, and will exert an influence to the glory of God.
Where are the missionaries? Has not the truth for this time power to stir the souls of those who claim to believe it? When there is a call to labor, why should there be so many voices to say, “I pray thee have me excused”? In Australia the standard of truth is to be established and exalted. There is great need of workers, and there are many ways in which they can labor. There is work for those in the higher as well as in the more humble positions. But we want none to come out to this field who have not a high sense of what it means to be a missionary.
Missionary Families
There are many families who could be a great blessing if they would take their belongings and settle in some town or country location where the standard of present truth has never been raised. Many should move into regions beyond and become just what Christ has said that those who believe in Him should be. . . .
The world needs the influence of every believer, as salt which has not lost its savor. . . .
When the church understands its position in the world, the missionary power of Christianity will be multiplied according to her light and knowledge. . . . A working church will be a living church. . . . While many are listeners, there are others who may go forth from our churches, not in their own strength, but in the strength of the Lord of Israel. Those who will not disseminate the light that God gives them, will not have increased light. God will not give idlers His rich grace to feed upon. He that will not work, neither shall he eat. . . .
I entreat our ministering brethren to “preach the word” in short discourses that can be easily understood. Carry your message with you in house-to-house labor, and roll upon men and women the responsibility, not only of hearing the word, but of practising it, and of communicating it to others. In harmony with Jesus’ instruction, the early disciples went everywhere telling of Christ and His resurrection from the dead. . . .
There is not only danger that those in positions of trust will fail to encourage individuals in trading38upon their talents, but there is also danger that those who do little or nothing themselves for Christ, will also seek to discourage some one who is trying to work in the Lord’s vineyard. Keep your hands off. Educate every one who is drawing from Christ the streams of salvation. It is not necessary that the word of God should be disseminated only by a few ordained ministers. The truth must be sown beside all waters. . . . O if the people of God would but realize how great is their accountability, they would deny self, they would lift the cross, they would go everywhere seeking to save souls that are perishing. God has given this promise for our encouragement: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Whole families might be missionaries, engaging in personal labor, toiling for the Master with busy hands and active brains, devising methods for the success of His work.
When the hearts of the believers are warm with love for God, they will do a continual work for Jesus. They will manifest the meekness of Christ, and display a steadfast purpose that will not fail nor be discouraged. . . .
Those who will work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, will realize that it is God that worketh in them, to will and to do of His own pleasure. There should be thousands fully awake and in earnest in the work of God, who should be bright and shining lights. There should be thousands who39know the time in which we are living, and who wait not to be urged, but who are constrained by the power of God to diffuse light, to open to others the truth that is so distinctly revealed in the word of God. There is no time to lose. Men and women should be ministering in unenlightened communities in regions beyond. After they have awakened an interest, they should find the living preacher who is skilful in the presentation of the truth, and qualified to instruct families in the word of God.
Women who have the cause of God at heart can do a good work in the districts in which they reside. Christ speaks of women who helped Him in presenting the truth before others, and Paul also speaks of women who labored with him in the gospel. But how very limited is the work done by those who could do a large work if they would!
There are families that have means which they could use for God’s glory in going to distant lands to let their light shine forth in good works to those who need help. Why do not men and women engage in the missionary work, following the example of Christ?
But we can say nothing more than to repeat what has been said. Instruction has been given, but how few have acted upon it! How few have been sufficiently interested to go without the camp bearing the reproach of Christ! God calls for personal effort from those that know the truth. He calls for Christian families to go into communities that are in darkness and error, to go into foreign fields, to become acquainted with a new class of society, and to work wisely and perseveringly for the cause of the Master. To answer this call, self-sacrifice must be experienced.40While many are waiting to have every obstacle removed, souls are dying without hope and without God in the world. Many, very many, for the sake of worldly advantage, for the sake of acquiring knowledge of the sciences, will venture into pestilential regions, and will go into countries where they think they can obtain commercial advantage; but where are the men and women who will change their location, and move their families into regions that are in need of the light of the truth, in order that their example may tell upon those who shall see in them the representatives of Christ?
The Macedonian cry is coming from every quarter of the world, and men are saying, “Come over, . . . and help us,” and why is there not a decided response? Thousands ought to be constrained by the Spirit of Christ to follow the example of Him who has given His life for the life of the world. Why decline to make decided, self-denying efforts, in order to instruct those who know not the truth for this time? The chief Missionary came to our world, and He has gone before us to show us the way in which we should work. No one can mark out a precise line for those who would be witnesses for Christ. Those who have means are doubly responsible; for this means has been entrusted to them of God, and they are to feel their accountability to forward the work of God in its various branches. The fact that the truth binds souls by its golden links to the throne of God, should inspire men to work with all their God-given energy, to trade upon their Lord’s goods in regions beyond, disseminating the knowledge of Christ far hence among the Gentiles.
If families would locate in the dark places of the earth, places where the people are enshrouded in spiritual gloom, and let the light of Christ’s life shine out through them, a great work might be accomplished. Let them begin their work in a quiet, unobtrusive way, not drawing on the funds of the conference until the interest becomes so extensive that they cannot manage it without ministerial help.
In humble dependence upon God, families are to settle in the waste places of His vineyard. Consecrated men and women are needed to stand as fruit-bearing trees of righteousness in the desert places of the earth. As the reward of their self-sacrificing efforts to sow the seeds of truth, they will reap a rich harvest. As they visit family after family, opening the Scriptures to those in spiritual darkness, many hearts will be touched.
In fields where the conditions are so objectionable and disheartening that many workers refuse to go to them, most remarkable changes for the better may be brought about by the efforts of self-sacrificing lay-members. These humble workers will accomplish much, because they put forth patient, persevering effort, not relying upon human power, but upon God, who gives them His favor. The amount of good that these workers accomplish will never be known in this world.
Self-supporting missionaries are often very successful. Beginning in a small, humble way, their work enlarges as they move forward under the guidance of the Spirit of God. Let two or more start out together in evangelistic work. They may not receive42any particular encouragement from those at the head of the work that they will be given financial support; nevertheless, let them go forward, praying, singing, teaching, living the truth. They may take up the work of canvassing, and in this way introduce the truth into many families. As they move forward in their work, they gain a blessed experience. They are humbled by a sense of their helplessness, but the Lord goes before them, and among the wealthy and the poor they find favor and help. Even the poverty of these devoted missionaries is a means of finding access to the people. As they pass on their way, they are helped in many ways by those to whom they bring spiritual food. They bear the message God gives them, and their efforts are crowned with success. Many will be brought to a knowledge of the truth who, but for these humble teachers, would never have been won to Christ.
God calls for workers to enter the whitening harvest-field. Shall we wait because the treasury is exhausted, because there is scarcely sufficient to sustain the workers now in the field? Go forth in faith, and God will be with you. . . .
“Nothing is so successful as success. Let this be secured by persevering effort, and the work will move forward. New fields will be opened. Many souls will be brought to a knowledge of the truth. What is needed is increased faith in God.”
CALLS FOR LABOR AMONG THE NEGRO RACE IN THE SOUTH
In 1891 Mrs. E. G. White wrote an earnest appeal to Seventh-day Adventists to labor for the colored people in the South. The following extracts from this appeal show that from the beginning a large and unselfish work in behalf of the Negro race has been called for, and that in the prosecution of this work, which was to be inaugurated and supervised by men in positions of official responsibility, many consecrated laymen of limited talent were to act a part: