I am not sure but that we fail in our work upon this one point of shepherding the flock more than upon any other. Yet it is vitally important. We talk about our gains. We are rather pleased to emphasize that part of our work, but on the other hand we prefer to dismiss as quickly as we can any reference to our losses. Why do we have these losses? We realize, of course, that there never has been a time, and never will be a time in the history of the church, when every person who unites with it will be held in fellowship by the church. But that fact should never be made an alibi for poor care in shepherding the flock.
Now the Scriptures give us a key to much of our difficulty. And I am convinced, too, that our failures in this matter are not due so much to the fact that we do not know what we ought to do, but rather that we do not do all that we know we ought to do in shepherding the flock. Recall the searching statements recorded in Ezekiel 34:
"The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds : Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves ! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed : but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which Was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost ; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd : and they became meat to all the beasts of the field." Verses 1-5.
Every false doctrine and teaching had access to the flock of God when the shepherds were lax in their duties. And as a result the Scripture says:
"My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill : yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds. hear the word of the Lord : As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My flock ; therefore, 0 ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord : . . . "Behold, I am against the shepherds ; and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock ; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore ; for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them." Verses 6-10.
Now that is very plain, very severe language, is it not? Sometimes, in our efforts to interpret this prophecy, we apply it to that class that we sometimes call the pastors of the flock of the nominal churches. But, my dear brethren, let us take earnest heed that it does not apply to us. In this matter of our losses, and in holding the flock, I have been deeply concerned as I have studied our statistics. I have made the discovery—and you probably have observed it—that in the last quarter of every year there is a great shrinkage because of dismissals from the church. I have asked myself over and over again, Why does that all have to take place in the last quarter of the year? Does the church board, the pastor, the church elder, have to discover only at that particular season of the year that a person is unfit to be a church member? t I believe that there is lack of faithfulness in looking after this matter, and that if we will give attention to
t Cognizance of this regrettable situation was taken by the General Conference in session, and the following action, as an amendment to the By-Laws recommended by the committee on Constitution and By-Laws, was adopted by the full delegate body :
"10. Whereas, The General Conference Committee at the Spring Meeting in 1935, passed a recommendation that at the next session of the General Conference, consideration be given to the question of revising the Constitution so as to provide a more satisfactory basis of membership for computing church mission goals, it being suggested that goals be computed on the average membership of the four quarterly reports of the second preceding calendar year.
"We recommend, That Article XVII, Section 4, be amended to read as follows :
"The basis for computing per-capita funds shall be the average of the membership of the four quarters of the second preceding calendar year as published by the Statistical Secretary in his quarterly reports."—Review and Herald, May 31, 1936, p. 57.
this situation we will hold more members in our ranks. Somehow we need to gather to ourselves the encouragement that is contained in that twenty-third psalm. You remember how it starts: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Why? Because the Lord, the Chief Shepherd, prepares a "table" before us, and there is no want or lack. As undershepherds, we should always remember our solemn obligation to feed the flock of God.
Recognize Solemn Responsibility
There are certain things I wish to suggest: I believe that every minister and every church officer ought to recognize his solemn responsibility as an undershepherd. I would like to put that down as a prime essential. We often take our responsibility altogether too lightly; we are not impressed with the tremendous seriousness of it. My friends, it is a terrible thing to realize that human souls are being lost, and that the responsibility for it may rest upon us.
I was in New York City some years ago when one morning there came out in the press the story of a little girl, little Minnie. The father had taken her out on the street. He stepped back just a moment, to see if his wife was coming, and in that brief moment—that unguarded moment—he returned to find his little girl missing. Somebody had snatched her away and was gone. Day after day, and day after day, on the front pages of all those great metropolitan dailies was the story of little Minnie, the girl who had been kidnapped. I noticed that everybody would reach for every special edition to read the story of little Minnie, the child who had been lost. It seemed in the public mind to be of more importance than the world news.
I have not the time to tell you the whole story, but finally one day the little child was picked up on the street by a woman. She was taken into the police station, and the great burly police sergeant got down on his knees and said to the child, "What is your name, my dear?" and she lisped out, "Minnie." He sprang to the telephone, called the father, and said, "We have your child." The father rushed across the city to the police station in a, taxicab. At first he could scarcely recognize his child. Her hair had been dyed, her clothing had been changed. But it was only a moment until he clasped her to his heart. Then he hired a taxicab and rushed to his home where the mother lay prostrate with grief. The father carried the child in and placed her in the mother's arms. O my friends, isn't the Lord just as anxious over every lost soul as those parents over their lost child? And ought we not to have a vivid sense of our responsibility for the straying or lost?
These church members that come to us, and then drift away into forbidden bypaths, ought to be searched out. I know it is easier to call the church council and dismiss them.
but I do not believe that is the Lord's way. That may be necessary as a last resort, but only as the last. I believe that every worker and every church officer ought to recognize the need for this special type of service. It is not enough to bring people into the truth; we should seek to build them up in the truth,—to feed their souls, to encourage them, and help them on in the spiritual way. And I believe that every worker ought to hold himself resolutely to this task. He ought not to take his ease.
I have wondered whether we take time to visit our members as we should. You probably know more about that than I, but I really wonder if you visit the members and take time to inquire into their spiritual condition, and pray with them. I remember that when I was a boy, the early pioneer ministers used to come to our home. The first minister I ever saw was J. N. Loughborough. He used to come to our home, and I was so delighted to see him come. He received a warm welcome. He would come in and visit with us, he would read the Sriptures to us, and pray with us; and as children we grew up with a profound respect for this man. I believe if we would do more of this work today we would win and hold more of the respect and confidence of our people.
Thorough Instruction Necessary
Then, there are certain other things we ought to remember: Keep the flock busy; keep them engaged in useful gospel service. Train them to witness to their neighbors and to work for their friends. Lead them in practical work for souls. This will strengthen their faith and enrich their experience. Feed the members on spiritual food. I think it is a mistake, my friends, to devote too much time merely to the promotion of activities in our Sabbath services. I do not believe we should stand for an hour or an hour and a half, and strive and struggle and work, in order to put over some program. I believe the people would do more, and with more zest and good will and spirit, if we would bring to them more of the bread of life in these services. (Voices: Amen!)
Another thing: we should instruct our members in the principles of the message. Many people join the church after hearing just a few sermons, or after they have been through a series of discourses, while there are many of our principles with which they are not acquainted. Teach them, so that they have a sure foundation in the principles of the message.
There is another thing we ought to avoid, and that is having fads in our preaching. I might give some concrete illustrations, but my time has expired. Let us preach the Word. Let us bring to the people a well-rounded menu, feeding them upon the bread of life, helping spiritually to build them up in the Lord, and seeing that they are rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus.
* Subject discussed during one of the memorable hours in Polk Hall where the vital issues confronting the ministry of the advent movement were most candidly studied and discussed by able, experienced leaders. Stenographically reported for the benefit of all association members throughout the world, they are here sent forth to counsel and bless and tangibly help the full evangelical force of the movement.—Editor.
