THE KING’S BUSINESS
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What is it that impresses us in our read ing of the New Testament as the most marked characteristic of the early Chris tians? Is it not their utter absorption in the salvation of their fellow men? So enthusiastic were they in their own faith, so anxious were they that every one else should share in the blessings of the gospel, that they were willing to be wanderers on the face of the earth, willing to live in dens, willing to be burned, -willing to be covered with pitch and be made material for bonfires, willing to be torn asunder, willing to be cast to the wild beasts in the arena—glad to die if only men could be saved. Before such a church as that the devil did not have the ghost of a show. And when the adversary saw that these personal evangelistic Christians were carrying every thing before them, what did he do? He said, I will have to get even with these people somehow, and so he introduced per sonal work by proxy. He got the church member to call a minister to do the work for him. So we now have two classes in the church: the clergy and the laity. It is supposed that to the minister now is delegated all the work of preaching and soul-winning. The layman goes about his daily business; he has delegated by proxy his soul-winning duties to the minister. THE MASTER’S COMMAND What was the Master’s command to every Christian? Was it not, Go, speak this word, open men’s eyes, tear off the bandages from their eyes, open and unstop their deaf ears, arouse them, wake them up, tell them they are lost and how they can be saved. Go, save men. Is not that what the Master said? Oh, the masses, how they need to be saved! They do not need to be convinced of theological proposi tions, but they do need to know the story of the Christian faith, for know it they must if they are to be saved. And know it they shall, if not through the Christian, then through the scientist. It would be better for the Church that the masses learned the certainty and hope and power
of the Christian faith through the Chris tian, rather than through the scientist. Science- has demonstrated that faith is a reality. It has taken both faith and prayer into its laboratory and demonstrated that these things are real. But must the world be convinced of the reality of prayer and faith through the scientist, or through the believer in Christ and the theologian? The world is waiting for the Christ who can save it. The individual Christian must consider himself responsible for the carry ing of Christ to the world. He cannot evade this responsibility. He cannot serve by proxy. God holds him responsible. Do not continue to ask, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” This always seems to me to be a cold, heartless, Godless, Christless ques tion for anybody to ask. If you continue to ask, “Am I my brother’s k e e p e r i f you continue to neglect the personal evangel istic element oKthe gospel, though you build fine churches, though you have your magnificent choirs, though you have your splendid ecclesiastical organization, some day the Master will meet you, for His words fail not, and hold you responsible for your neglect. He will meet you there before the throne, and around you will be gathered the men and the women whose souls you have neglected, the widow, the orphan, the outcast, the prisoner, the hun gry, the crowds that have had no compass; the ranks that have had no refuge: the souls that have had no salvation; the hearts that have had no home of faith. These will rise up against you as so many witnesses in the last great day. And as Jesus Christ, who loved these people, gathers these nameless human wrecks, these broken hearts for their final disposition, methinks He will cry out with convicting nearness to the truth, “Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least of these my brethren, ye did it not unto me.” SEEK THE LOST Go out into the world where men are looking for Christ. You say they don’t want Christ. Very true, but Christ wants them. You say they don’t want the Church.
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