Finishing the Work

Every day more than 200, 000 people are born. That means that each day more people are born than we have Adventists in many of our world divisions. It also means that there are that many more mouths to feed—and this becoming one of the world's greatest and seemingly insoluble problems. Each year there are 75 million more mouths to feed. Already two out of every five children in the world who die before age 6 are dying of malnutrition. One and one-half billion people are already underfed. Even the optimistic estimates indicate that we can stave off mass starvation in the less developed areas of the world for only the next two decades. Many consider the outlook beyond that absolutely hopeless.*

As we consider these statistics and prospects, we are struck with another startling thought. With 200,000-plus people being born every day, what about that other famine—the "famine for the Word of God"? What a superhuman challenge faces those attempting to carry the gospel to all the world so that Jesus can come.

Two Distinct Impressions Emerged

Two very distinct impressions emerged from our nearly three weeks in Vienna last summer. The first was in our Ministerial Advisory. There a suggestion was made that in addition to setting baptismal goals again, which would be a repetition of the past, we focus in on a new objective for the next five years. One that would give us a new challenge and be expressive of what we should be doing if we truly believe what we profess to believe about the nearness of the coming of the Lord.

The second was in the General Conference session. On numerous occasions, beginning with Elder Pierson's opening address, it was mentioned wistfully by many speakers that our next session should be in the kingdom, rather than in Dallas.

As these two thoughts turned over and over in our minds, the question emerged, What are we really doing to finish the work? Are we engaged merely in a holding operation? Are we thinking in terms of expansion only? What special plan do we have?

This vital question has been considered by numerous workers and leaders, inducting prominent laymen, over the past few months. As never before, we are addressing ourselves to complete the task God has committed to our trust.

We cannot expect anyone else to carry the ball for us. We cannot expect them to preach the three angels' messages. This has been the special assignment given to God's remnant church.

With these thoughts in mind, certain vital questions present themselves to us: The first of these is, "What is it that stands between us and the coming of the Lord?"

The answer is plainly stated in two messages from the Lord to His people: The first of these is quite familiar. "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.

"It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain." — Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69.

In this statement we are reminded of the fact that our fitness for heaven is closely related to the finishing of the work. The Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, appeals to us to "cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and en vying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Rom. 13:12-14).

When this counsel is faithfully fol lowed by God's people, then the prophecy of Isaiah will be fulfilled: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. . . . And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising" (Isa. 60:1-3). Therefore, we can logically conclude that character preparation is a prerequisite to successful evangelism.

In All the World

The second barrier that stands be tween us and the coming of the Lord is brought to our attention in the familiar words of Jesus in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The fact that we are still in this world is a positive indication that we have not fulfilled our great commission to "Go . . . into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Many years after the great Disappointment, in Minneapolis in 1888, the servant of the Lord wrote these significant words that still speak to us today: "There is so little real vitality in the church at the present time, that it takes constant labor to give men the appearance of life to the professed people of God. When the converting power of God comes upon the people, it will be made manifest by activity." —Review and Herald, Jan. 17, 1893.

Again the Lord pleads with us in startling terms: "God calls upon all, both preachers and people, to awake. All heaven is astir. The scenes of earth's history are fast closing. We are amid the perils of the last days. Greater perils are before us, and yet we are not awake. This lack of activity and earnestness in the cause of God is dreadful. This death stupor is from Satan." — Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 260, 261.

"Here is our great sin. We are years behind. . . . Not one one-hundredth part has been done or is being done by the members of the church, that God re quires of them." —Home Missionary Leaflet, No. 9, p. 10.

"The work of God is retarded by criminal unbelief in His power to use the common people to carry forward His work successfully." —Review and Herald, July 16, 1895.

These are indeed serious indictments and clearly indicate what it is that stands between us and the finishing of the work and the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

How Is It to Be Done?

Another question that demands attention is, How is this work of carrying the gospel to every creature under heaven to be done? We are not left in darkness about the answer:

"In a large degree through our publishing houses is to be accomplished the work of that other angel who comes down from heaven with great power and who lightens the earth with his glory." —Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 140.

"I am bidden to say to our publishing houses: 'Lift up the standard; lift it up higher. Proclaim the third angel's mes sage, that it may be heard by all the world. Let it be seen that 'here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Rev. 14:12. Let our literature give the message as a witness to all the world." —Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 61.

"Our publications should go every where. Let them be issued in many languages. The third angel's message is to be given through this medium and through the living teacher. You who believe the truth for this time, wake up." —The Colporteur Evangelist, p. 101.

It seems to me that the servant of the Lord is simply telling us that every agency at our disposal—including news papers, radio, television, literature in all of its forms, as well as house-to- house work by individual church members, and the living preacher and teacher—should be proclaiming the special message for this time.

What is the actual key to the finishing of the work? Again inspiration gives us the answer:

"The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work, and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers." — Gospel Workers, p. 352.

One of our greatest responsibilities as ministers is to train and involve our church members in active service for the Lord. We have been assured that when the majority of church members become laborers together with God He will manifest His blessing by pouring out His Spirit without measure.

We must develop a project for the next five years that is truly aimed at "finishing the work" rather than just baptizing a certain number. Baptismal goals are based largely, usually, on what has been accomplished in the past, with some challenge to do more than before. And this is good, but this will never succeed in finishing the work. We must raise our sights to encompass what Heaven expects, not just man's goals.

Our challenge is to fully unite and coordinate all our efforts on reaching every home in the world with the vital aspects of the three angels' messages—not "in this generation," which has been our slogan for the past seventy years, but in the next five years. In order to do this we need to assign territory so that each member has his "parish" and is responsible for getting the message into the homes in his territory.

Such a project will require administrative guidance, participation, and support on all levels of our organization, and the full cooperation and coordination of all our departmental activities. All interests from each year's project should be carefully followed up, and repeated visits should be made periodically to areas already covered. The task is an immense one and the challenge great, but under the blessing of God and with consecrated people the work can be finished, for the Lord has promised "he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth" (Rom. 9:28).

At the last Annual Council, time was given to a consideration of this important theme, and from the results of the discussions that followed, and from other such group discussions in various parts of the world field, the following recommendations emerged, which are now being studied for implementation.

Below we summarize just a few of these important suggestions that are being given priority attention:

1. To give renewed and urgent emphasis to repentance, revival, and reformation in all of our homes and churches as a means of preparing God's people for the latter rain and the speedy finishing of the work. Our ministers must demonstrate their leader ship commitment to such an endeavor, both by the kind of lives they live and the nature of the sermons they preach. To aid in such an endeavor we urge that each church organize its entire membership into small prayer and study groups, the purpose of which shall be to diligently study God's Word and to seek the Lord for personal victory and power to share the blessed hope with loved ones and neighbors and friends.

2. To take as our objective for the next five years the placing of the vital truths of the three angels' messages in some form in every home on Planet Earth.

3. That as one vital means of accomplishing this, we prepare a series of four-, eight-, or sixteen-page tracts that will deal with the mighty truths contained in the three angels' messages, and seek by personal contact, through the mails, and by every other means at our disposal, to place these in every home in every land where people can read.

4. That we reinstitute the mailing-band pro gram of former years, especially for the purpose of getting our literature into the great apartment complexes of our cities. Special prayer should be offered over the tracts, asking the Holy Spirit to attend the readers and to open their hearts to the message. The tracts should contain a warmhearted invitation to attend the nearest Adventist church on the Sabbath of the Lord.

5. That we pledge ourselves to make our churches real training centers, where the members are prepared to do effective personal and house-to-house soul-winning work.

6. To request all of our radio and television programs to proclaim clearly and effectively in true Christian love the three angels' messages in their public broad casts. To focus on the second coming of Christ and the preparation that is needed to make ready a people for the coming of the Lord.

7. That one of our missionary journals be prepared for the specific purpose of giving the three angels' messages to all listeners and viewers and tract interests who desire further study, and that a year's subscription be offered to all who write in for it. The expense should be met by the local churches.

8. To make our churches truly evangelistic centers, where services are offered and meetings held to encourage and reap the interests that develop from all our missionary endeavors; and to hold at least one major evangelistic campaign in each church or area each year. Where the pastor has more than one church in his district, lay or youth efforts can be conducted in such churches under pastoral guidance and with his support.

9. That each institution educational, medical, and publishing plan to prepare for and conduct one evangelistic campaign in some underdeveloped or unworked area, and that employees be invited to participate.

10. That as an aid in such evangelistic out reach special doctrinal films be prepared that would take advantage of all the avail able media materials and that these be used to develop interest in the meetings and to reinforce the messages presented by the speakers. These films also should be considered for use on television programs whenever possible.

11. To encourage more of our ministers to use radio and television wherever possible in order to proclaim with a clear voice the vital message for the world today.

In recent issues of Religious News Service the following interesting information has appeared:

"The Jesuits plan to set up a multi-million dollar fund to provide for a communications center from which by way of satellite the 'Holy Father' can communicate the 'true faith' to all the peoples of the world."

"The World Council of Churches has launched out on a program to give the Gospels, or portions of them, to every person in the world."

"Leaders of fifteen major evangelical denominations recently met to try to develop a set of Sunday School lessons that would be used in all of their churches at the same time."

We are all aware, of course, that Campus Crusade has already started on a program to take the gospel to every home in all the world. Certainly, God's remnant church must not do less in the fulfillment of our great commission.

It is indeed possible for the next General Conference session to be held in heaven rather than in Dallas, Texas. If every member of the church had been faithful at his post of duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, we would long since have been in the kingdom of heaven. Let us awake out of our sleep. Let us go forth in the power of the Spirit to finish God's work quickly and to hasten the coming of our blessed Redeemer.