One of the major qualifications of a successful Adventist minister is an "understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." First Chronicles 12 :32 mentions a group of Old Testament men from the tribe of Issachar, who were thus described. The people recognized them as true leaders, with "all their brethren . . . at their commandment." Men like this are greatly needed today. In fact, the Adventist minister cannot fill his place acceptably, or measure up to the requirements of God for this hour, unless he has this "understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do."
This naturally brings us to the question, How can we as ministers have a true realization of our time, and of the relation we should sustain to it? One effective way is to study our day in the light of what Christ says in Matthew 24:37: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." These last days are likened to the days of Noah before the flood. Among all the multitudinous matters that engaged men's attention and effort in the days of Noah, two were more important than anything else in the world—being ready for the flood, and helping others to get ready. Nothing else at that time really counted.
As it was then, so it is today. Out of the endless list of activities to which men are giving themselves, we can confidently declare that the two most important matters in all the world are being ready to meet the Lord ourselves, and helping others to get ready. This brings us face to face with certain solemn questions. Are we really acting according to our belief and conviction in reference to these two supreme matters ? Am I myself ready for the close of probation? What am I actually doing each day to help others get ready ? Am I doing what I ought to do, or what I could do, to help every possible soul to get ready ? These are questions that every worker does well to ponder carefully. Each one must give these questions the right answer in his life and experience, if ever he is to hear the "well done" from the Master's lips. The minister who achieves true success must have an undimmed, unblurred conception of the real purpose of the ministry, and give himself unreservedly to it.
We do well to consider, What is a minister here in the world for ? What is the real purpose of being a minister ? God calls men to be ministers for the one great purpose of making disciples, the one supreme objective of winning souls for the kingdom of God. Our orders are:
. . . and make disciples." A minister, then, ought to think of his work first, last, and all the time in terms of saving souls. In "Gospel Workers," page 31, we are told that the minister's first consideration must be to win souls for the kingdom of God.
There are two points in this divine charge that ought especially to come home to our hearts. First, a minister must win souls. That is his only business. Second, soul winning must be his first consideration and emphasis. Winning souls must come before everything else. John Wesley told his preachers: "Your business is not to preach so many times, and to take care of this and that society, but to save souls." Is that the way you and I view our work as preachers ? Are we actually devoting ourselves to our real task?
The Weightiest Matter of All
I fear that many have lost the true perspective of their place as gospel ministers. Many ministers are doing everything else that pertains to the work of the church except the supreme business of the church and the ministry, which is to make disciples for the Master. Their entire time and effort is consumed on ordinary church activities, so that scarcely anything—and in some cases virtually nothing at all—is being done to save souls. We face an increasing trend of thinking of our work in terms of preaching so many times a month, presiding at certain meetings, promoting this and that, conducting certain church campaigns, raising assigned goals, etc. These matters must be taken care of, but a minister must not leave undone that weightiest matter of all—the saving of souls. Is it not high time for every preacher to make the winning of souls his first consideration ? 'Shall we not in obedience to our divine commission make everything else subservient to the business of making disciples ?
There is another vital, related question for every preacher, which calls for an answer—How can a preacher give proof of his divine call to the ministry in this matter of evangelism? The word of God furnishes a sure answer to this question. In i Corinthians 9 :2, Paul wrote to those whom he had won to the Lord at Corinth, "The seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord." And to Timothy he wrote : "Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Paul was not advising Timothy to give up his pastoral work, or to leave the churches which had been placed under his care, and travel into new fields to hold evangelistic efforts. But he was advising Pastor Timothy to make his pastoral work evangelistic. He was to make the winning of souls his objective in his pastoral work, and by so doing he would make full proof of his ministry.
A pastor should never feel satisfied to come to the close of a year with scarcely anything to show for his work in the matter of souls won to Jesus. In the "Testimonies," the messenger of the Lord says : "We feel pained beyond measure to see some of our ministers hovering about the churches, apparently putting forth some little effort, having next to nothing to show for their effort."—Vol. III, p. 406. Not a single minister needs to come to the close of a year without having a goodly number of souls for his hire, if he will but utilize the soul-saving methods which are available to him. Ministers unable to conduct public efforts should not think for a moment that they are deprived of effective ways or means of winning souls. There are eight other lines of evangelism which may be effectively used by the minister besides conducting public efforts. These are:
1. Personal work.
2. Sunday night Bible lectures.
3. Radio preaching.
4. Cottage meetings.
5. Community Bible schools.
6. Training and enlisting the laity to win souls.
7. Working for the conversion of the youth of the flock.
8. Enlisting young people to prepare for and enter the work of the Lord.
Every minister, regardless of whether or not he conducts public efforts, may and should be using all these lines of evangelism to the very limit of his opportunities. And he should be constantly studying how he can better utilize these various avenues of evangelism to win souls to God.