versy with one another. Instead of preaching the Gospel and evangeliz ing the lost, they argued over Chris tian doctrine. They should have gone to “the next towns” instead. If they had, within a very short time they could have reached the southern tip of Africa, covering the entire con tinent with the salvation’s message. It might have been that Africa would have sent missionaries to Europe and America instead of the reverse. But take heed, it could, and in some areas, it is happening here. If the Church of Jesus Christ doesn’t awak en, giving the Gospel to the whole world, spiritual darkness may com pletely envelope our land. People will always comment: “Why go, with so much to be done here at home?” Ask why David Liv ingstone left Scotland, heading for Africa before everyone in his home land had become a Christian. There are still thousands in Scotland who care nothing for Christ. Why did William Carey leave England for In dia when there was so much to be done in the British Isles? Why did Adoniram Judson leave America for Burma when the needs here were so great? Why did Paul leave Palestine, his own homeland, and head for Eu rope, to evangelize our forefathers? There is only one answer to these questions: “The field is the world.” You’ve never heard of a farmer working in one little corner of his field, leaving the rest to the ravages of nature. We’re not called to spend our lifetimes in a little fenced area. God wants us to look over the fence and do something positive on the oth er side. We’re to reach the rest of the world. The entire world must be our field. It's never been God’s will that we should remain at home until the work is finished here. To dis agree with this is to say that Paul made a mistake. It would have been better had he stayed home in Israel. When the Lord Jesus fed the 5,000, He had them sit down in rows. The
loaves and the fishes were blessed and given to His disciples to distrib ute. They saw to it that everyone was fed. They didn’t keep passing the food to the front rows, neglecting those who were farther away. Any thing else wouldn’t have been fair. Why should anybody hear the Gos pel twice, before everyone has heard it once? Inc iden ta lly , I’ve never known a minister to have any trou ble with the back rows. The problem is that the front rows are overfed so that they have developed spiritual indigestion. If a minister had any sense, he’d leave the front rows for awhile and let them get hungry for once in their lives. The back rows should have food, too. I’ve been with the back rows where countless mil lions are famished for the Bread of Life. Is it right? We should be training the front rows to share what they have with others, reach ing them with the Gospel. The greatest thing a church can do for itself is to send its pastor to one of the foreign mission fields. There’s no vacation like it. He’ll come back a new man. No one can see the need of the world and ever be the same again. Dr. Alexander Duff was a great veteran missionary to India. He had returned to Scotland to die. He was invited to speak before the General Assembly of th e P re sb y te ria n Church to tell them of his work. He made a strong appeal but there was no response. He was so grieved that he fainted and had to be carried off the platform. When he was revived, doctors told him to lie still for he had sustained a heart attack. He would not hear of it, for he felt he must press home his appeal for the spiritual needs of India. In spite of the physician’s protest, the old white- haired warrior struggled to his feet. With the doctor on one side and the moderator of the Assembly on the other, he again mounted the pulpit. The entire assembly rose to do him 7
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