Sermon/Labor for the Unconverted
Boulder, Colorado
August 29, 1909
Portions of this manuscript are published in 10MR 111-112.
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7:1-5.] 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 1
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This promise is worth all the riches of the world. We can bring it to Christ and claim its fulfilment. “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” [Verses 7, 8.] 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 2
It is the duty of every soul before me today to have clean hearts. Then we will have clean lips and clean hands. Let us do our work in such a way that we shall not be ashamed to meet it in the judgment. But if we are not sweet in temper, if we are not clean in heart, if we will not do the works of justice and mercy and the love of God, we will have to give an account to God for the work that we might have done, but failed to accomplish. Every soul is amenable to God to develop a character that will help the next soul. We need to learn the art of overcoming. “They overcame,” we read, “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” [Revelation 12:11.] There is a testimony to be borne. Your lips are to be sanctified, your eyes are to be enlightened, that you shall see your opportunities and give a work of counsel to others when it is needed. If they are willing, pray with them. Ask your heavenly Father to be in your midst, to work for you and for them. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 3
God would have every soul come into right relation to Him. You are not your own, for you are bought with a price. You are to appreciate that price. When you see souls going out of the way, do not pass by and say no word to help them. Stand by them, and speak some word that will lead to the saving of the soul. They may obtain a heaven of bliss, a life that measures with the life of God. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 4
When we are converted to God, we shall understand our duty to labor for those who are around us. We will be laborers together with God. We need to realize that our salvation has been purchased with the infinite price of the life of the Son of God. If we will cleanse heart and mind and body, bringing ourselves into right relation to God, God will give us an influence, a powerful influence for the truth. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 5
We hope that this meeting will be a special meeting for every soul here. We have a work to do if we appreciate the great sacrifice that has been made in our behalf. It was made that we might be laborers together with God. But there are so many who profess to be Christians, but who do not live Christ. How little influence His Word has upon them! Yet there is comfort in the Word, power in the Word, educating power, power to sanctify the soul, power to give right to the tree of life and an entrance through the gates to the city where Christ abides. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 6
What we need is true religion. Let us not believe a falsehood at a time when a falsehood will prove our ruin and the ruin of many others. You cannot afford to do this. Life, life in the kingdom of glory, is appointed to every soul that lives, because God gave His Son to die, that the transgressor might be forgiven and accept the hope of the gospel. Let us in no case refuse the Word of life and salvation. I feel intensely in earnest as I consider these things; and if I can at this meeting speak words that will be a blessing to you, I shall be more than satisfied. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 7
Make this meeting a special occasion for every one of you. Examine your hearts. If you have been dishonest, repent of your wrong and put away the evil. Remember that when you enter any wrong path, you influence others in the same direction. If you have been honest and true, although you may have made mistakes, your soul is precious in the sight of God. Will you not search your hearts carefully, and come to the Lord with broken heart and contrite spirit, telling Him that you have had enough of the old life of service to Satan, and that you want to change leaders? Will you not ask the Lord to forgive your sin and pardon your transgressions? Place yourselves where His blessing can rest upon you. It is you privilege in your human nature to take hold of the divine nature. You cannot of yourself do this work. It was because you could not do it of yourself that God sent Jesus to stand without reproach among men, and by His life of purity and sinlessness to give evidence that humanity can be partakers of the divine nature and overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 8
Consecrate yourselves to God. Work in harmony with His Word. Exalt the Word. Honor its precepts by a consistent course of action. It is your privilege to receive such blessings as the early disciples received on the day of Pentecost. Then, when their prayers ascended to God, when they were of one accord and one mind, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and every man heard the Word spoken in his own language, and thousands were converted in a day. This was very soon after the ascension of Christ to heaven. Now the people took hold of the Word that had been declared to them during the time of Christ’s ministry. You have a right to claim these blessings if you will comply with the conditions. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 9
“What man is there,” the Saviour says, “whom, if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” [Matthew 7:9-11.] 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 10
Why, then, do we not ask more often? Why be scant in our words of praise? 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 11
It is the privilege of parents to give to their children an example, in life, in words, in actions, that will help them obtain a fitness for the kingdom that Christ would have them enter. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 12
Parents, when difficulties arise in your families, do not speak severely. Often we may pass over the offense as unworthy of notice. If you have been in the habit of speaking in passion, if you have allowed your children to do as they please, you must give account for this to the Master. You must answer for the education you have given them, for the mold of character you have placed upon them. There are none who want to have judgment passed upon them because of neglect. God forbid that you should hear the words spoken to you, Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Rather let us strive that we may hear the blessed words of commendation pronounced upon the obedient. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 13
Let there be no impatience, no fretfulness. You will meet things that are provoking, but do not be provoked. When the heart is stirred by a spirit not of God, at such times silence is eloquence. Your very silence will have a convincing power. We must be thoroughly converted if we would do our appointed work in the world. This is no cheap, fancy work, but a work that calls for heart service, for diligence, and the strength of divinity united with our humanity. It requires determination of purpose to lead souls to accept the truth as it is in Jesus. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 14
Parents, begin to work without delay. Let your powers be sanctified to God. Let your hearts come into harmony with His Holy Spirit. Let your hold upon God be strong. Wrestle with Him until you can say, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand on the earth at the latter day; and I shall stand with Him because I seek to carry out His will in the earth. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 15
All heaven is interested in your salvation, and angels of God are waiting to do for you what they did for the early disciple on the day of Pentecost. Do your duty to your children, and for those who are ignorant of the truth. Carry out the teachings of the Word in your homes. You must stand in harmony with the God in heaven if you would lay hold of divine power. Humanity may reach divinity through faith in Christ. Then humanity can reach out to humanity, imparting the hope of the gospel to souls who are perishing out of Christ. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 16
The Holy Spirit came to the disciple Philip, bidding him go to a certain place, where he would find an opportunity to open the Scriptures to a seeker after truth. Philip obeyed and found the Ethiopian eunuch reading the Scriptures. Philip said to him, “Understandest thou what thou readest?” The eunuch answered, “How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he should come up and sit with him. ... Then Philip ... preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.” [Acts 8:30-31, 35-39.] God wants us to stand in that relation to Him, that we can understand His voice when He speaks to us. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 17
“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] I would press upon every soul the need of receiving the truth in humbleness of mind. Let no pompous words come from your lips. The same Christ that died for your brethren and for your children and your neighbors died for you. “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ wants every soul to come to the truth. Do not turn away from the unconverted, but labor for them in self-sacrifice and with earnest effort consider Him who laid off His royal robe and crown, to come to our world as a poor man. When one came to Him, saying, “Lord, we will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest,” the Saviour replied: “The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” [Luke 9:57; Matthew 8:20.] 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 18
You build houses, and you find satisfaction in doing this, but do you build up the house of the soul? Power is promised to you if you will lay hold of the unbelieving soul and teach him how to believe. There is a work to be done for God in every place. God calls upon ministers and upon those who are acting a part in our sanitariums and in the educational work to labor to win souls for Him. He calls upon you to consider how you lay out your dollars and cents. He requires that a work be carried on through your personal ministry and means. There is a world to be labored for. When you get to the kingdom of heaven, you will wish you had done one hundred times as much as you have in working for Christ and in giving of your means for the upbuilding of His work. Our intelligence belongs to God; our working energies belong to God; our money belongs to Him. We are expected as His professing people to do His work intelligently. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 19
Will you not at this meeting get hold of God? Will you not determine to win the crown of glory? Before you is the suffering of the Son of God. Will you not consider what He suffered—He who was without a stain of sin? Repent of your sins, and you will be received by Christ. Let your humanity grasp divinity, and in the power of divinity labor with sanctified powers for the souls who are in danger of losing eternal life. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 20
“Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” [Matthew 7:13, 14.] How many will find this path right here? Will there be a few? His arms are ever outstretched to receive every penitent soul. Brethren and sisters, come up higher. There is a crown for you to win. There is a battle for you to fight, and God and His angels will help you in the warfare. Let us take hold together at this meeting, making this a place where God’s honor dwelleth. 24LtMs, Ms 75, 1909, par. 21