Evangelism's Basic Principles
By A. W. STAPLES, Evangelist, Johannesburg, South Africa
Experience teaches that the ideal method to be used today in soul winning is a blending of public and personal evangelism. Our methods should be aggressive, but they should advertise the message rather than the man. Every sermon should be preached from the heart. Simplicity and sincerity enable the man of God to preach with persuasive earnestness. His own soul bent under the urge of the Holy Spirit, he becomes the instrument of God to reach the sinner's heart. In the presentation of this message, every sermon may and should resolve itself into an appeal to the hearer to accept the Lord Jesus. Should we not restudy and reoutline until Jesus is made the heart of every sermon and the objective of every appeal?
From the platform, the evangelist is led of the Spirit into the homes of the people. He now finds their minds open, their hearts tender, and their souls convicted. Many are lost and do not know the way to Christ. The man of God must lead and guide them. He must go with them to the mercy seat. There they receive not only the forgiveness of sin, but a new and clean heart. Tears and joy mingle in reconciliation with God. This personal follow-up work with the one-soul audience is the proved method of lasting success. The evangelist cannot lightly delegate this work to others. The one who touched the heart publicly can best win the heart privately. The Bible worker may guide the evangelist to those who are under conviction and in the valley of decision, but the evangelist should bring the soul to the final decision.
No soul can stand against the evil one, resisting the impact of modern life, and remaining loyal to all the principles of this message, except that soul be born again. Only the twice-born will keep step with the advancing message and movement of God and go all the way into the kingdom. Let us take nothing for granted in our work, but know that the individual accepting the message is converted. The evangelist must work both in public and in private for the true conversion of the people. His eye should not be on numbers, but on souls saved. God will take care of the numbers, if we will but keep our eyes on the individual soul.
Man seeks better devices, but God seeks for better men—men whom He can clothe with the sufficiency of His Holy Spirit, The worker must guard against the tendency to lean upon devices for results. They may have their place, but God essentially uses men—consecrated men. The sermon never rises in its life-giving power above the experience of the evangelist. Should we not seek the Lord for that unction which alone enables a man to win souls? 0 that in every effort we might be men "sent from God"!
As evangelists, we should lead the people understandingly from one testing truth to another. Should not the people gain an experience in one truth before we present another to them? To illustrate, would it not be wise to see the people gaining an experience in Sabbathkeeping before we set before them their duty to pay tithe? As they gain the blessing in tithing, will they not then be better prepared to accept the Spirit of prophecy? Accepting the Spirit of prophecy and experiencing the illuminating and spiritual uplift of this gift, would they not then be prepared to accept and put into practice the advanced principles of health reform?
It appeals to me that the acceptance of this message is a spiritual growth, and not merely an intellectual assent. The convert should have time for the settling of his convictions, and the message must be an experience—a saving power in his life. With the passing of months, the candidate asks for baptism. He is not attached to the evangelist, but is joined to the Lord. He is not a Seventh-day Adventist because of the superimposed mind and personality of the evangelist, but because he knows the Saviour and the sanctifying power of the "present truth" in his own life.
Opportunity Knocks Again
By DELOE R. HIATT, Designer of Message Posters, Orlando, Florida
The very existence of a posting plant is dependent upon the readiness of a large number of advertisers to pay rental for poster space and service. Any condition which tends to restrict the effectiveness of a space to a limited segment of the public automatically discounts the rental value of that space. It follows, therefore, that the interests of the plant owner are best served by keeping his panels full of interesting and up-to-date material, calculated to appeal to the greatest possible number of diversified classifications into which the buying public may be divided. It puts dollars in his pocket to keep his coverage broad, to interest many, and to offend as few as possible.
Obviously, there is a sizable segment of the citizenry to whom the endless liquor, tobacco, and certain other advertisements are definitely objectionable. How many parents, for instance, have regarded such posters with distaste, regretting that their children must see them. Every posting company is well aware of this growing aversion on the part of conscientious people, and welcomes any high-grade advertising material which would raise the average moral level of his showings. Almost invariably he has one or more temporarily vacant boards which he would greatly prefer to donate to a religious or charitable organization, rather than to allow them to remain in a tattered or faded condition.
And now, what are we going to do about availing ourselves of this most effective medium of wholesale publicity ? We know that the time will shortly arrive when we cannot purchase advertising privileges at any price. Already the sinister web of censorship is being gathered about our radio broadcasts. Our denominational advertising matter will sometime be banned from public display. One by one, each medium of publicity will be sealed against our message, perhaps never to be reopened. Now, with our present facilities, we can reach a thousand with less effort and expense than we can reach one soul later on.
Our evangelists long to blazon our precious truths on the nation's highways where the scurrying millions must pause and see and consider. They cannot do so, however, because of the lack of suitable paper posters of standard outdoor dimensions with which to publicize their meetings. As a denomination, we conduct several hundreds of public evangelistic efforts each year. Thousands of attention-compelling posters could be effectively utilized in advertising them. Our Saviour, while on earth, spoke often in the market place. America's market place today is reached through outdoor advertising, for America today is out of doors.
With the encouragement of General Conference leaders, several appropriate poster designs have already been created, produced in smaller sizes and illustrated in the advertising columns of this magazine. A processing plant capable of producing these greatly needed materials has been equipped at private expense, and stands ready to serve. Talent and experience are available and waiting. One thing alone is lacking to set the wheels in motion,—working capital for the purchase of paper, paint, and other materials.
When informed of these facts, the heart of every interested Seventh-day Adventist worker will burn to have a part in correcting this situation. All will be happy to learn of a plan that has been provided, as follows. A series of attractive "Poster Stamps" is being prepared in several colors, each design based upon some phase or appeal of our message. These stamps will be issued in sheets of twelve assorted designs, perforated, gummed, ready to go out and perform a modest bit of missionary work when affixed to letters, packages, and other surfaces. They will be distributed at a price so reasonable that all should purchase and use them generously for their missionary effect.
Every cent of profit realized from their distribution will be utilized to produce needed outdoor posters. [See advertisement, page 43. —Editor.] If all will get under the burden, it will cease to be a burden and will in turn become a pleasurable privilege.
Tabernacle Bookstand
By H. M. S. RICHARDS, Evangelist, Southern California Conference
The distribution of literature before, durA big, and after an evangelistic campaign is important. Before the campaign, it should arouse interest in Bible truth, but should not stir up prejudice. Such subjects as the inspiration of the Bible, the love of God, prayer, faith, and the second coming of Christ would seem to be best.
The tabernacle bookstand ought to be the center of interest except during the time of the actual services, when it should be closed or darkened. It is poor policy, of course, to have book sales going on while the service itself is in progress. Someone should be in charge of the bookstand who is actually connected with the effort as a worker. Thus, contacts made in this way can be fully developed.
I believe that we have scarcely touched our large cities with literature in connection with our efforts. It is through literature and the radio that the millions will be warned. And we might ask, In what other way can they ever be reached? New converts, as they see the extensive use of literature in the effort, will come into the message with the idea of literature distribution firmly in mind. They will desire to be supplied with all our denominational books, papers, and tracts. And thus, the effect of the campaign will be crystallized and made permanent as the workers move on to other fields.
