The gospel minister is a workman. He helps to build the most important thing in the world—the church of God. What kind of workmen or builders are we? Are we careless and indifferent, or are we dependable, all-round workmen? These are vital questions. They deserve our serious study and consideration.
This is an age of specialists. Men are trained to do just one thing. They seek to become proficient in a single line or profession. This may be well so far as secular work is concerned. But there is serious danger in carrying this idea or plan into the work of the ministry.
A fellow minister once proposed to join the writer in a public effort. He suggested that he confine all his preaching to what he termed "practical sermons," while the writer would preach only "doctrinal sermons." In other words, he would specialize in a certain type of presentation. This is a wrong conception of preaching. The right method is indicated in the Scripture, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:2. Every type and kind of preaching is included in that text; and every preacher should include every type and kind of preaching in his ministry.
We must recognize that men vary in their gifts and capabilities. It is true that some excel along certain lines more than others. Some seek to become proficient as evangelists, or Bible teachers, or in some other particular line. This is commendable. We need strong evangelists, efficient Bible teachers. The cause of God needs well-trained men to lead out in different lines of work. There is, however, another aspect that should be considered. It is illustrated in the experience of a preacher who years ago labored in the cause. He was a man of power and brilliance. He could preach outstanding sermons. He could clothe his ideas with faultless diction. But when it came to the affairs of the church. everything was disorganized. The Sabbath school work was a nonentity to him. The missionary activities of the church did not interest him. The young people's work claimed none of his support or encouragement. The church school languished under his leadership. To visit the members of the church and encourage and strengthen them was out of his sphere. To pray and study with interested souls was work he left to others. He was a preacher, a specialist in preaching—a sermonizer.
Needless to say, his work was a failure. He was a disappointment to himself and a perplexity to the conference committee. He ruined his work by carrying the specialist idea too far. He was one-sided. He had not learned that in order to build up the cause of God in a strong and successful way it was essential that he give close and careful attention and supervision to all branches of the work.
Herein lies a danger to every worker in this cause today. We have our work well organized and departmentalized. One man is appointed to promote the Sabbath school interests, another to encourage home missionary activities, another to organize the young people for service, another to look after the educational work, another to lead out in the colporteur work. The tendency is to depend upon these workers to do all that needs to be done in these various lines, and for each of these to foster the work of his own department.
But this is not the best way. Every worker in this cause should seek to develop into a well-rounded, efficient worker, capable of leading souls into the church by public and personal evangelism, and capable of building them up in the church by training them in all the activities of the church. The apostle Paul set for himself the task not only of bringing men to Christ, but of building them up in the church, the body of Christ. This he sets forth in Colossians 1:23-29. He labored that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
"All branches of the work belong to the ministers. It is not God's order that some one should follow after them, and bind off their unfinished work. It is not the duty of the conference to be at the expense of employing other laborers to follow after, and pick up the stitches dropped by negligent workers."—"Testimonies." Vol. V, p. 375.
The cause of God needs workers today who are well-trained, all-round, practical men and women. New material must be built into the church. The whole must be built up in spiritual life and power and service. This is the responsibility of every worker.
Glendale, Calif.
