The art of visiting church members cannot be acquired in a moment. It is not something that can be learned by rote, to be applied alike to every case. Rather, it is a lifetime practice, to be continued day by day. An intern learns to preach by studying, following worthy examples, and then actually putting into practice what he has learned. Likewise, by continual effort and perseverance, an intern learns tact and wisdom in visiting church members.
The messenger of God, in Gospel Workers, gives this counsel : "Carry forward your work in humility. Never rise above the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Not in the art of display, but in lifting up Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer, will you find success in winning souls. As you work for God in humility and lowliness of heart, He will manifest Himself to you."—Page 355.
An intern is often a young shepherd of the sheep. The wise man Solomon admonishes in Proverbs 27:23, "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds." Jesus, in sending forth the twelve apostles, said, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Matt. lo :16. Insight and judgment will come with constant practice and effort.
Every soul is precious to Jesus. Even the little children are not to be despised. Jesus came to "seek and to save that which was lost," and by the visitation of church members, knowledge will be gained which will be a great asset to the intern as he goes out into the highways and hedges to compel other people to come and follow Jesus. The art of visiting members can be developed into the art of convincing nonchurch members to become sincere and consecrated people. Without the effort exerted in continual practice to develop, the art of visiting, the intern is certain to be handicapped for future usefulness.
The art of visiting is not learned by two or three attempts to call on church members who are not at home at the first calling. The one who is everlastingly visiting church members and nonchurch members gets the results.
Dr. T. L. Cuyler wrote : "The easily discouraged, who are pushed back by a straw, are all the time dropping to the rear—to perish or to be carried along on the stretcher of charity. They who understand and practice Abraham Lincoln's homely maxim of 'pegging away' have achieved the solidest success."
The intern must take time to visit. He must not stop merely because of muddy roads, inclement weather, or door slams ; he must exercise the valiant spirit of Benaiah, one of David's mighty men. Benaiah was not stopped by big tasks. He even "went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day." i Chron. 11:22. May God give every intern, yes, every minister, young or old, grace and power to have courage to fight Satan, whether in sultry July or in subzero December.
Truly, constant visiting will pay high dividends. It will result in souls saved to the glory of God. The importance of visiting can be seen in this quotation from Testimonies, Volume IV, page 536:
"While in the midst of a religious interest, some neglect the most important part of the work. They fail to visit and become acquainted with tkose who have shown an interest to present themselves night after night to listen to the explanation of the Scriptures. Conversation upon religious subjects, and earnest prayer with such at the right time, might balance many souls in the right di"rection. Ministers who neglect their duty in this respect are not true shepherds of the flock."
The visitation of church members will not only be an asset to believers themselves but greatly aid the minister in the desk. By contacting people in their homes the minister becomes better acquainted with them, and will be able to solve difficult problems that may arise. He will often obtain suggestions for sermons and illustrations which will, be his very own. He will be able to attend to the spiritual problems of the church more efficiently because he has had firsthand knowledge of the need.
Visiting with church members will open avenues of approach to nonbelievers, which will in many cases result in increased membership, more tithe, more workers in the conference, and the second-coming of our Lord will be brought that much closer. The young minister will develop discernment and wisdom. He will learn to understand people and to relate himself to their actions accordingly.
The apostle Paul learned a good lesson from his visiting, for Inspiration records in Acts 18 :20 that "when they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not." In other words, the apostle Paul learned not to wear out his welcome and make himself a burden to others.
Visiting with other people is in itself a sacred privilege. It is following in the footsteps of Jesus. He went from house to house from early morning till late at night, soothing the afflicted, healing the sick, and bringing courage and peace to the disconsolate. Many times He blessed the children, and His teachings were plain and convincing. Sincerity and earnestness marked every expression. Jesus had a love for souls. That love caught fire in other hearts, and others in turn loved Jesus. "God's ministers are to learn Christ's method of laboring."—Acts of the Apostles, p. 365. "Let ministers teach the truth in families, drawing close to those for whom they labor, and as they thus co-operate with God, He will clothe them with spiritual power."—Ibid., p. 364.
Jesus told the one-time demoniac of Decapolis to go home to his friends and tell what the Lord had done for Him. Jesus will say to those who are worthy of a place at His right hand, "I was sick, and ye visited Me."
The disciples were daily in the temple and taught in "every house" concerning Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:42.) The apostle Paul taught the people publicly and from house to house. (Acts 20 :20.)
He made it very specific in Col. 1:28 that every man should be reached and taught and made perfect in Jesus. In fact, every man was repeated three times.
Other great men have followed in the footsteps of Jesus. Calvin made his way "from house to house, opening the Bible to the people, and speaking to them of Christ and Him crucified." He did this while the halls of the universities were filled with the clamor of theological disputations. John Wesley's first audience was small, but from the outdoor pulpit he reached the people until he could say that the world was his parish.
What were the results of such consecration on the part of the followers of Christ? The Scripture; in Isaiah 9:2, tells us : "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." Not only was that true back in the days of Jesus, the apostles, Calvin, and Wesley, but it is true today. Those who continually strive to preach Christ to church members in a one-person audience, or to nonbelievers in their homes, together with an earnest prayer, will eventually get results. The people who were once in darkness will see the light, and many will accept it and walk therein. By way of conclusion, the messenger of God gives this pointed warning:
"To my ministering brethren I would say, By personal labor reach the people where they are. Become acquainted with them. This work cannot be done by proxy. Money loaned or given cannot accomplish it. Sermons from the pulpit cannot do it. Teaching the Scripture in families,—this is the work of an evangelist, and this work is to be united with preaching. If it is omitted, the preaching will be, to a great extent, a failure."—Gospel Workers. p. 188. (Italics mine.)
