Biola Broadcaster - 1972-09

ten men to work, than to do the work of ten men!" It is the impor­ tant concept of multiplying the la­ borers for Christ. A little one must become a thousand because the harvest is so plenteous and the la­ borers are so few. For seven years I worked with the Billy Graham team. During that time the plenteousness of the har­ vest and the scarcity of the labor­ ers came out with great clarity. A pastor in the South, for instance, said to me one day, "While I preach to 1,700 people on Sunday actually I think I have only three who know how to lead a soul to Christ." I recall one time we were phoning churches to recruit per­ sonal workers and counselors. One church we reached the secretary answered and after she heard what we were after she inquired, "Would you describe again what kind of person you are asking for?" We patiently replied, "Yes, it is some­ one who knows Christ as Saviour, and who is able to sit down with his Bible and show another person how to come to know the Lord." There was momentary silence. Then she explained, ""Oh, I think we had someone like that in our church once but they moved away." The harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few! Here in America we have some fine organizations seeking to reach high school students. Among them are Youth For Christ, Young Life, and Campus Crusade For Christ. Within just these three fine organ­ izations they minister in over 2,000 high schools. The problem is there are more than 26,000 high schools in America. Think how many there are to go. Where are the laborers? Wycliffe Bible Translators is an out­

standing pioneer mission seeking to get the Word of God out to more than 2,000 Bible-less tribes. They need at least 6,000 more ambas­ sadors of the cross to complete the job. Where are the laborers? Japan has been considered a top mission field. A recent survey reveals that 89 percent affirmed that they had no serious religious affiliation. Of that number, 75 percent said that if they were to choose one they would select Christianity. Where are we going to get the laborers to show them the way? A little one must become a thousand be­ cause the harvest is so plenteous and the laborers are so few. We must not give up for there is hope! A little one can become a thousand! Consider Peter who was so empowered by the Holy Spirit that, under his ministry, 3,000 were added to the church in one day. Wesley, Moody, Finney, Torrey, Fuller, Graham and others follow in his train. And then there is An­ drew! He is known for reaching people one by one. Yet an Andrew can become a thousand by multi­ plication. In the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago there is an illustration of wheat and a check­ erboard. If you put one grain of wheat on the first square of that checkerboard, two on the second; four on the third, eight on the fourth, sixteen on the fifth, and keep doubling the number all the way to the sixty-fourth square, you would have enough wheat to bury the nation of India 50 feet deep. That is the power of multiplication! Consider how it can work in practice. Years ago, two school teachers in Lomita,California were praying for a bright, active young boy. He had been one of their stu-

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