Review and Herald, August 13, 1889.
Ministers Enlist Churches in Evangelism—Sometimes ministers do too much; they seek to embrace the whole work in their arms. It absorbs and dwarfs them; yet they continue to grasp it all. They seem to think that they alone are to work in the cause of God, while the members of the church stand idle. This is not God’s order at all.—The Review and Herald, November 18, 1884. (p.114)
A Working Force Augmented by Laymen—How can our brethren and sisters continue to live close to large numbers of people who have never been warned, without devising methods of setting to work every agency through whom the Lord can work to the glory of His name? Our leaders who have had long experience will understand the importance of these matters, and can do much to increase the working forces. They can plan to reach many in the highways and in the hedges. As they put forth calm, steady, devoted effort to educate the church members to engage in personal work for souls wherever there are favorable openings, success will mark their labors.—Manuscript 53, 1910.
The Fields in Your Neighborhood Are Ripe—The truth will triumph gloriously. Let the churches begin to do the work that the Lord has given them—the work of opening the Scriptures to those who are in darkness. My brethren and sisters, there are souls in your neighborhood who, if they were judiciously labored for, would be converted. Efforts must be made for those who do not understand the Word. Let those who profess to believe the truth become partakers of the divine nature, and then they will see that the fields are ripe for the work that all can do whose souls are prepared by living the Word.—(Australasian) Union Conference Record, March 11, 1907.
Distributing Literature From Door to Door—Brethren and sisters, will you put on the Christian armor? “Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” you will be prepared to walk from house to house, carrying the truth to the people. Sometimes you will find it trying to do this kind of work; but if you go forth in faith, the Lord will go before you, and will let His light shine upon your (p.115) pathway. Entering the homes of your neighbors to sell or to give away our literature, and in humility to teach them the truth, you will be accompanied by the light of heaven, which will abide in these homes.—The Review and Herald, May 24, 1906.
Organizing Into Working Bands—In our churches let companies be formed for service. In the Lord’s work there are to be no idlers. Let different ones unite in labor as fishers of men. Let them seek to gather souls from the corruption of the world into the saving purity of Christ’s love.
The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort is a plan that has been presented before me by One who cannot err. If there is a large number in the church, let the members be formed into small companies, to work not only for the church members but for unbelievers also.—(Australasian) Union Conference Record, August 15, 1902.
Like a Well-drilled Company of Soldiers—Ministers should love order, and should discipline themselves, and then they can successfully discipline the church of God and teach them to work harmoniously, like a well-drilled company of soldiers. If discipline and order are necessary for successful action on the battlefield, the same are as much more needful in the warfare in which we are engaged as the object to be gained is of greater value and more elevated in character than those for which opposing forces contend on the field of battle. In the conflict in which we are engaged eternal interests are at stake.
Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony and order of the angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly agents in our behalf.—Letter 32, 1892. (p.116)
Relationship of Evangelist and Pastor
Evangelists and Pastors Needed—God calls for evangelists. A true evangelist is a lover of souls. He hunts and fishes for men. Pastors are needed [See also pp. 345-351, “Pastoral Evangelism.”]—faithful shepherds—who will not flatter God’s people or treat them harshly, but who will feed them with the bread of life.
The work of every faithful laborer lies close to the heart of Him who gave Himself for the redemption of the race.—Letter 21, 1903.
Evangelist-Pastor—One man usually performs the labor which should be shared by two; for the work of the evangelist is necessarily combined with that of the pastor, bringing a double burden upon the worker in the field.—Testimonies For The Church 4:260 (1876).
Confidence in the New Laborer—Let not the laborer be fearful that because a new laborer is introduced to the people the interest will be interrupted and the work in which he is engaged will be marred.
Keep your hands off the ark; God will take care of His work. Additional light will flash forth from the men who are sent of God, who are laborers together with God, and the original workers should receive God’s messengers cordially, treat them respectfully, and invite them to unite with them and speak to the people.—Manuscript 21, 1894.
Guarding Against Overorganization
Motion Not Necessarily Life—It is not orthodox theories, not membership in the church, not the diligent (p.117) performance of a certain round of duties, that gives evidence of life. In an ancient tower in Switzerland I saw the image of a man that moved as if it possessed life. It looked like a living man, and I whispered when I came near, as if it could hear me. But though the image looked like life, it had no real life. It was moved by machinery.
Motion is not necessarily life. We may go through all the forms and ceremonies of religion; but unless we are alive in Christ, our work is worthless. The Lord calls for living, working, believing Christians.—The Review and Herald, April 21, 1903.
Work Made Difficult by Useless Inventions—Men make the work of advancing the truth tenfold harder than it really is, by seeking to take God’s work out of His hands into their own finite hands. They think they must be constantly inventing something to make men do things which they suppose these persons ought to do. The time thus spent is all the while making the work more complicated; for the Great Chief Worker is left out of the question in the care of His own heritage. Men undertake the job of tinkering up the defective characters, and only succeed in making the defects much worse. They would better leave God to do His own work, for He does not regard them as capable of reshaping character....
Instead of toiling to prepare set rules and regulations, you might better be praying and submitting your own will and your ways to Christ. He is not pleased when you make hard the thing He has made easy. He says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” The Lord Jesus loves His heritage, and if men will not think it their special (p.118) prerogative to prescribe rules for their fellow laborers, but will bring Christ’s rules into their life and copy His lessons, then each will be an example, and not a judge.—Manuscript 44, 1894.
Contrary to Human Planning—Unless those who can help in _____ are aroused to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that
