The Message For The Workers

The Message For The Workers The Message for the Workers
B. L. POUTHITT
Wingo, Ky.

Tonight marks the closing service of this great feast of good things. We believe that it is through the good providence of God that we are here. It is my greatest pleasure to have a place on this program and dis-cuss “The Message for the Workers.”

I want to read one paragraph from Matthew 9:35'-38: “And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preach/ ing the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. But when he saw the multi' tudes, he was moved with com' passion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the. harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.” Jesus was moved with compassion for the multitudes, because they were distressed and scattered. In John, chapter six, Jesus discourses on the Bread of Life. He announces to the multitude that he is the. living bread which came down out of heaven and he that eateth this bread shall live forever. Many of his disciples, when they heard him say this, murmured at the saying, and said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” This seems to be a common sin of many of his disciples now. In verse 66, John says, many of h1’s disciples went back, and walked no more with him. As the disciples went back, Jesus turned to the twelve and said, “Would ye also go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” Christ has the words of eternal life. Messengers of Christ should rejoice that they have the privilege of preaching the words of eternal life to a troubled and distressed world. The brethren before me have given some splendid lessons on the characteristics, training, and qualifications of the workers. In present' ing this lesion: “The Message for the Workers”—it is my purpose to bring a message on (1) The Messenger. (2) The Message. (3) The Joy of the Harvest.

I. THE MESSENGER
1. The successful worker must have sincere conviction and retain a vital faith in God. There is a message for the messenger. That message produces faith and it is the duty of the preacher of the gospel of Christ to retain a vital faith in all of his labor of love. What is a vital faith? It is faith in a person—in Christ. A person who loves, forgives, and saves. It is a growing faith. It is an obedient faith—a child like faith. With this vital faith we can say with Paul: “I can
do all things in him that strengtheneth me.”
2. The messenger has the promise of the abiding presence of God. When Jesus gave his marching orders, he said: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” I am with you always. We do not go alone, but in the strength of his might, and led by his precious truth revealed in the Bible. We are workers together with him.

One of the most preachable texts in all of the word of God is in 2 Corinthians the first chapter. “Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God . . . For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life: yea, we. ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead: who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us; ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.”

Brother George S. Benson this afternoon mentioned the ability of the missionary to rely on God in trying times for a qualification of workers. Workers in the Lord’s vineyard should be prepared when pressed, perplexed, pursued, and smitten down to say with Paul: “God will deliver.” Persecutions, trials, and disappointments will serve a holy purpose if we keep our hope set on him with the assurance that our God will deliver. I read one time of a little girl that asked a man to write his autograph in her book. The man wrote these words: “My little girl, may you have just enough clouds in life to make a glorious sunset.” In trying times may we have the faith to say: “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more ex- ceeedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” I am grateful for the abiding presence of God.

II. THE MESSAGE FOR THE WORKERS
“Preach the gospel to the whole creation.” Paul charged young Timothy to: “Preach the word.” In 2 Timothy the worker has the doctrine and discipline of the church. “Every scripture inspired of God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruc' tion which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” (1) Profitable for teaching—doctrine. (2) Profitable for reproof, correction, instruction— discipline. That the man of God may be complete,- furnished complelely unto every good work. This is a balanced gospel. Preach it without addition, subtraction, or modification.

God commanded Jonah: “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” (Jonah 3:2.) This is a timely lesson for all of God’s preachers. Preach the preaching that I bid thee. It is one thing to preach and another to preach the preaching that God commands. The preaching that God bids is what we need in Texas—in Japan—everywhere.

Brother Coffman said: “The brethren will do more when they are taught more.” Our responsibility is to show the brethren the need of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Therefore, the question, why preach the gospel? The dire need of the gospel of Christ is seen in the answer to this question.

1. Because of its power to save. Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” In this brief passage the apostle gives us the person, power, and purpose of the gospel. Paul was not ashamed of the per' son of the gospel, the power of the gospel, or the purpose of the gos' pel of Christ. Preach it to save lost souls.

2. To edify the church. “So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another." (Romans 14:19.) In Colossians 3 we have a list of things to follow with the assurance they will maintain peace and edify one another. Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, meekness, long'suffering, forgiveness, and love. Preach the gospel that brethren may know to adorn the life with these holy virtues.

3. To destroy all barriers. “I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” (Romans 1:14.) Just so long as. there are barriers in the world we will need the gospel to bring them to destruction. With one stroke of the pen the apostle Paul destroys four barriers among brethren. “Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman: but Christ in all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11.) There cannot be Greek and Jew—no barrier of race; there cannot be circum-cision and uncircumcision—no barrier of creed; there cannot be bar-barian and Scythian—no barrier of culture; there cannot be bondman and freeman—no barrier of class. “Ye are all one man in Christ Jesus.” I read the report of a meeting in which a Jew and his wife obeyed the gospel. After they were baptised the Jew went to the preacher and said: “Brother, before our baptism, I was a Jew and my wife was a Gentile, now we are Christians.” There is salvation for both Jew and Gentile in Christ upon the terms of the gospel of Christ. Let all the workers preach in such a way that we sing with Brother M. C. Kurfees:

“Let party names no more
The Christian world o’erspread;
Gentile and Jew, and bond and free,
Are one in Christ, their head.
“Among the saints on earth
Let mutual love he found;
Heirs of the same inheritance,
With mutual blessings crowned.
“Thus will the Church below
Resemble that above,
Where streams of pleasure ever flow,
And every heart is love.”

4. Because of sorrow in the world. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” The word of God is a source of comfort. Messengers of the Cross have a comforting message for persons when they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble, for there is the redeeming love of Christ with the divine assurance that he will bring them out of their distresses. They need the comfort of the Psalmist, who said: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” No wonder Paul said, “Preach the word.”

5. Because it reveals the Christian’s view of death. The message of Christ reveals the proper attitude toward death in four verses expressed in four words. It is an appointment—“Appointed unto men once to die.” It is the Christian’s pleasure to meet the appointments of God in life, and in death the child of God meets one of the outstanding appointments of God. It is a departure—“The time of my departure is come.” It is a rest—’Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord . . . that they may rest from their labors.” It is an entrance— “For thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

6. Because it sets forth the best life. The Christian life is the best life. To live the Christian life we must “Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.” “All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them.” It is that beautiful life of faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

III. THE JOY OF THE HARVEST
The harvest period is reached in the salvation of individuals. Preach the gospel to every creature. There is the joy of the person saved from sin—the Ethiopian Eunuch “went on his way rejoicing.” Philippian Jailor “rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God ” There is the joy of the worker—“Wherefore, my brethren beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my beloved.” There is the joy of the angels—“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Oh, the joy of bringing persons from darkness to light! Let us declare his precious truth with rejoicing.

“No longer of him be it said,
‘He hath no place to lay His head’.
In every land a constant lamp
Flames by His small and mighty camp.
“There is no strange and distant place That is not gladdened by His face,
And every nation kneels to hail
The splendour shining through its veil.
“Imprisoned for His love of me,
He makes my spirit greatly free;
And through my lips that uttered sin
The King of Glory enters in.”
—Joyce Kilmer.

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Show the importance of the vital faith to the messenger.
2. What great promise has the messenger to strengthen him?
3. Why should we preach the gospel? Give six good reasons.
4. Do you know reasons why anything else should be preached?
Give examples of joys that are incident to “the harvest.”