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By Oswald J. Smith, Litt.D.
What, then, is the most important work of the hour? It is to carry out our Lord’s last orders. It is to give His gospel to the unreached tribes and peoples of the world. That, my friends, is more important than anything else. “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). By this, a*id this alone, we must judge all spirituality, all Bible knowledge, all doctrinal and theological discussions. If we are truly spiritual, if we are real Bible students, if our doctrines are scriptural, we will put world evangelism first; we will give, and give liberally, to missions. All our Bible knowledge, all our spirituality, all our doctrinal standards are nothing but make-believe, unless we are putting first things first, and we are only deceiving ourselves. Let those who do not have the vision, those who do not know God’s program, let them give to the many worthy causes here at home; but let those of us who have heard God’s call, let us concentrate on pioneer work in the regions beyond. Let us put our money into one thing and one thing only, that of reaching the remaining thousand unevangelized tribes with the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are those without a vision, who are moved by appeals and give a little here and a little there, and have but little to show for it, whereas they could put all they give back of the most important work of the hour and see a whole new tribe or a whole new country evangelized. There are men who could have the untold joy of supporting fifty or a hundred missionaries in pioneer territory, who are today giving to a hundred and one nearby enterprises, to which thousands who do not have the God-given vision of world evangelism are glad to contribute. The home work will never lack. We have but one great task and God’s Word, “his blood will I require at thine hand,” will apply to us if we withhold the gospel. If the King is to reign, we must finish the task. He is counting on us. How long, I wonder, are we going to keep Him waiting? We should lay everything else aside and concentrate on this one great objective, the completion of the evangelization of the world in our own generation. If you cannot go yourself, you will have to send a substi tute. Why not put your prayers, your talents and gifts, and your money, back of substitutes, and have your own represen tatives on the foreign field? We will never be satisfied until we have five hundred substitutes in the regions beyond. That is our prayer. That is our vision. We live for nothing else. Our Lord’s last words ring in our ears? “ The gospel must first be published among all nations.” Paul could have first evangelized Palestine, but he didn’t. Countless thousands had never even heard the gospel in Page Eleven
Street Scene—Old Cairo, Egypt Photo by Adelbert Bartlett, Santa Monica, Calif.
L ET US turn to Romans, the tenth chapter, verses thirteen to fifteen. They read as follows: “ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beau tiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Here you have the four “hows” of God’s Word. First, there is the promise, “ call” and “be saved.” But to call, they must believe. To believe, they must hear. To hear, someone must preach. To preach, he must be sent. Thus God puts the respon sibility on us. If we send, the missionary can preach. If he preaches, the heathen can hear and believe. If he believes, he can call. If he calls, he will be saved. But it starts with us. We must first of all send. The Most Important Work What, then, is the most important work of the hour? Is it to pray for revival, to lead God’s children into the deeper life, to instruct them in the truths of the Bible? I think not. Is it to establish Bible schools and Christian colleges, to train ministers and pastors? No, I do not think it is. Is it to build hospitals, orphanages and asylums? Or to erect new church buildings and repair old ones? It is not. Is it then to distribute Bibles and New Testaments, to circulate gospel literature; to support the many home move ments that abound on every side? I do not think so. Is it to work among children and the youth of our country; to back philanthropic enterprises; to eradicate disease and minister to the unfortunate? Again, I answer, No. A U G U S T , 1 9 4 9
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