The Role The Lesson is from Page 1- 9 and E. G. White’s comments are on pages 10–17.s:Lesson 5 July 23-29 Jesus on Community Outreach

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 30.

Memory Text: “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23, NKJV).

Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for his adventure story Treasure Island, had been a sickly boy who couldn’t go to school regularly. Finally his parents hired a teacher to teach him and a nanny to help with his personal needs. One night when his nanny came to check on him before he went to bed, he was out of bed, and his hands and nose were pressed against the window. His nanny firmly told him to get back in bed before he got a chill.

Robert said to her, “Come to the window, and see what I’m seeing.”The nanny came to see. Down below, on the street, there was a lamplighter lighting

the streetlights. “Look,” said Robert, “a man is poking holes in the darkness!”-Margaret Davis, Fear Not! Is There Anything Too Hard for God? (Aspect Books, 2011), p. 332.

We’ve seen a bit of what the Old Testament said about helping those in need. We are now going to look at what the New Testament says, and what better place to start than with Jesus? And one of Jesus’ well-known teachings is that we are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). In so doing, we reflect Jesus, the True Light of the world (John 8:12). Jesus’ teachings, which He modeled in His own earthly ministry, provide powerful instructions concerning how we, through Him, can poke holes in the darkness.

Sunday July 24 Jesus’ Mission StatementJesus, the young rabbi from Nazareth, had become very popular in the region of Galilee (Luke 4:15). When He spoke, “the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29, NKJV). One Sabbath, when handed the scroll of Isaiah, Jesus read the first two verses of Isaiah 61, stopping in midsentence just before the phrase “and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 61:2, NIV).Read Luke 4:16-19. Jesus Rejected at Nazareth 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Where have we heard these words before? (See Isa. 61:1-2.) A Possible Answer: In Isaiah 61 where it was said... 1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, What was Jesus proclaiming by reading those texts? A Possible Answer: That He was the ‘Anointed ONE’ sent in fulfillment to the prophecy of Isaiah 61.

As we already saw, the phrase “the year of the LORD’s favor” is identified as the year of jubilee (see Leviticus 25:1-55). In this visit to Nazareth, Jesus quotes a messianic passage from Scripture and assures His hearers that “ 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in

your hearing’ ” (Luke 4:21, NIV). In this sermon He reveals Himself as the Anointed One who preaches good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, and jubilee restoration. This list well describes His earthly ministry, which was focused on teaching, healing, and ministering, especially to those in need.Why would Jesus stop short of completing the sentence in Isaiah 61:2?A Possible Answer: Perhaps Jesus stopped short of the phrase “the day of vengeance of our God” because Jesus did not want His ministry to be associated with the prevailing concept that the Messiah would come to lead armies to vanquish the oppressors of Israel and bring them under Israel’s power. That was a false conception that would, unfortunately, keep many of His fellow countrymen from seeing Him and His ministry for what it really was. Instead, He focused on what He would do for those who needed what He had to offer right then and there, regardless of the political situation of the time.

What should it say to us that Jesus announces His ministry in this way; that is, what should we take away for ourselves by His emphasizing here the practical work that we would be doing? A Possible Answer: We should take away for ourselves that religion must be accompanied by and must flow out in practical terms where the felt needs of others are met.

Monday July 25 Loving Your Neighbor“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all

thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Luke 10:27).27. Thou shalt love. The lawyer quotes from Deut. 6:5 (cf. ch. 11:13). Compare Matt. 22:36-38, where Jesus later gave the same

answer to the same question put to him by another lawyer. The words of Deut. 6:5 were recited by every devout Jew morning and evening as a part of the shema‘ (see p. 57), and were worn also in the phylacteries (see on Ex. 13:9). Jews who had an insight into the inner meaning of “the law” (see on Deut. 31:9; Prov. 3:1) should have realized that its principles were not arbitrary but based on fundamental principles of right which might properly be summed up in the command “to love.”

To love God in the sense here stated and implied is to dedicate to His service one’s entire being, the affections, the life, the physical powers, and the intellect. This kind of “love” is “the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10), the kind of “love” in which a person will abide when he sets out, by the grace of Christ, to “keep” the “commandments” of Christ (John 14:15; 15:9, 10). In fact, God sent His Son into the world with the specific purpose of making it possible for us to keep “the law” in this sense and in this spirit. It is thus that “the righteousness of the law” is to be “fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:3, 4). He who truly “knows” God will keep “his commandments” because the “love” of God is “perfected” in him (1 John 2:4–6; see on Matt. 5:48). Heart. Used here in the sense of “inclination,” “desire,” “mind.” Soul. See the following from Matt. 10:28. (Soul. Gr. psuchē, “breath,” “life,” or “soul.” Psuchē (plural, psuchai) is translated 40 times in the NT as “life” or “lives,” clearly with the meaning commonly attributed to the word “life” (see chs. 2:20; 6:25; 16:25; etc.). It is rendered 58 times as “soul” or “souls” (see chs. 10:28; 11:29; 12:18; etc.). In some of these instances it means simply “people” (see Acts 7:14; 27:37; 1 Peter 3:20; etc.). In other instances it is translated as, or equivalent to, some personal pronoun (see Matt. 12:18; 2 Cor. 12:15; see on Ps. 16:10). At times it refers to the emotions (see Mark 14:34; Luke 2:35; etc.), to the natural appetites (see Rev. 18:14), to the mind (see Acts 14:2; Phil. 1:27), or to the heart (see Eph. 6:6). There is nothing in the word psuchē itself that even remotely implies a conscious entity that is able to survive the death of the body and hence be immortal. In no instance of its use in the Bible does psuchē refer to a conscious entity able to exist apart from the body. The Bible knows nothing of a living, conscious soul that, supposedly, survives the body. For the Heb. nephesh, the Hebrew equivalent of the Gr. puschē, see on 1 Kings 17:21; Ps. 16:10. All that is said of one word applies to the other.1)

Neighbour. Gr. plēsion (see on v. 36). Here the lawyer quotes from Lev. 19:18, where “neighbour” apparently means “a fellow Israelite.” Jesus obviously extends the definition to include Samaritans, and thus non-Jews (see on Luke 10:36).

Read Luke 10:25-37. The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half

1 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 379). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

34. Wounds. Gr. traumata, from which come our English words, “trauma,” “traumatism,” etc. Oil and wine. Common household remedies of ancient Palestine. Sometimes the two were mixed and used as a salve. An inn. Gr. pandocheion, “a caravansary,” from pas, “all,” and dechomai, “to receive.” A pandocheion was rather large in contrast with the less pretentious kataluma (see on ch. 2:7). The inn to which the Samaritan bore the unfortunate wayfarer was probably in or near Jericho, whither he was traveling, and the first inhabited town to which he would come. 35. Two pence. That is, two Roman denarii, now worth perhaps 22 cents, but then equivalent to two days’ wages (see p. 49). Host. Gr. pandocheus, “an innkeeper”; that is, one who operates a pandocheion (see on v. 34). When I come again. Probably on the return journey. The confidence the innkeeper seems to have had in the Samaritan may imply that the latter was a businessman who frequently passed through Jericho and was known to the innkeeper. I will repay. The Greek stresses “I.” The “two pence” were merely a down payment. It would no doubt be several days before the injured traveler would recuperate sufficiently to continue on his way (see v. 30). In view of this, the kind Samaritan assumes full responsibility for the stranger. He might have reasoned that the incident occurred in Judea, that the man was probably a Jew, and that the innkeeper was a Jew, and that therefore he, as a Samaritan, had discharged his responsibility. But not so. The Samaritan’s interest was more than momentary; he did even more than he could have been expected to do. His interest in the stranger continued even beyond the minimum obligation any passer-by might reasonably be expected to assume.

36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

36. Neighbour. Gr. plesion, literally, “a near [one].” The priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan had all been “near” to the hapless wayfarer in his time of need, yet only one of them acted like a “neighbour.” Neighborliness is not so much a matter of proximity as it is of willingness to bear another’s burdens. Neighborliness is the practical expression of the principle of love for one’s fellow man (see on v. 27).

37. Shewed. Gr. poieō, literally, “to do” (cf. v. 25). Under the circumstances mere thoughts of mercy would have been of no value; it was deeds that counted. The lawyer saw the point of the story. It was an apt and effective answer to his question (see v. 29). In this true-life narrative Jesus dismissed all the legalistic quibbling about who a man’s neighbor might be (see on v. 29). A man’s neighbor is simply anyone who needs his help.

True neighborliness had saved the life of one of the lawyer’s fellow men, possibly one of his personal friends. He could find nothing to criticize in Jesus’ reply to his question. Apparently he recognized in his inmost soul that Jesus’ definition of “neighbour” was the only true one. As a lawyer, he no doubt was able to appreciate more fully than others in the audience Jesus’ profound understanding of the true significance of the law (see on vs. 26–28); as a teacher, he must have appreciated the tactful way in which Jesus handled his question. At any rate his prejudice toward Jesus was removed (see COL 380).

What message is given here to us in regard to the whole question of helping those in need? A Possible Answer: The message is that we should render the type of help where we... 1) identify with those in need, 2) are providing for them where they cannot provide for themselves and 3) even invest in their future to the extent that they can move ahead with their lives. In other words, if you wish to know true neighborliness, go and pattern your conduct after that of the Samaritan. Such is the nature of true religion (see Micah 6:8; James 1:27). Our fellow men need to feel the clasp of “a hand that is warm” and fellowship with “a heart full of tenderness” (COL 388). God “permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness” (COL 388). It is for our own eternal good to practice true neighborliness whenever we have the opportunity to do so (cf. Heb. 13:2).2 The expert in the law understood that all the commandments revolve around loving God with all you have and loving your neighbor as yourself. The question that remained to be 2 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 5, pp. 784–785). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

answered was “Who is my neighbor?”Given that the prevailing thought among the people of Israel in Christ’s time was

to favor their own kind as neighbors and relegate all others as outsiders, this expert in the law sought to have Jesus clarify the issue. The parable that Jesus tells reveals a totally different perspective. Our neighbor is anyone we encounter who is in need. Being a neighbor is meeting the needs of a neighbor. The priest and the Levite were more concerned about defiling themselves and protecting their godly duties from contamination. What a convenient way to use their religion as an excuse not to have to die to self in order to help someone who, most likely, could never pay them back.

In contrast, the Samaritan saw this wounded “outsider” and “enemy” as his neighbor, mercifully meeting his needs rather than his own. The point is that instead of asking “Who is my neighbor?” we need to be asking, “Who will be a neighbor to the downtrodden and oppressed?” It doesn’t matter who a person is: The one in need is the one whom we should help-period.

“No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere.” - Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons , p. 386 .

What prejudices might be hindering you from being the neighbor you must be? A Possible Answer: Prejudice being preconceptions, prejudgments or partiality can be demonstrated by our predisposition to treat people unfairly/differently based on the color of their skin, their nationality, their education, place of origin or even affiliations.

Tuesday July 26 The Whole Recipe“ 'You are the salt of the earth’ ” (Matt. 5:13, NIV).

13. Ye. In the Greek the pronoun “ye” is emphatic: “Ye are the salt of the earth.” It is important to remember that Jesus was addressing His disciples, particularly the Twelve, in their new role as charter members of the kingdom of His divine grace (see on vs. 1–3). Others were listening, principally peasants and fishermen (MB 39), but spies for the Pharisees were also present (DA 307; see on Mark 2:6).

Salt. In Palestine salt was gathered from marshes along the seashore or from inland lakes. The crude facilities for gathering it resulted in the presence of many impurities. In contact with dampness, or exposed to rain, the highly soluble salt itself would be washed away, leaving only the insipid impurities.

The underlying idea in comparing citizens of the kingdom to salt is in its quality as a preservative (cf. MB 35). Before the day of refrigeration and other modern modes of preserving food , salt and spices were largely used for preservation. In ancient Palestine salt was used almost exclusively for this purpose and for seasoning (see Job 6:6). In a similar way the Christian, by becoming an agent in saving others through the diffusion of the gospel, exerts a preserving and purifying influence in the world. The disciples were to recognize the salvation of their fellow men as their primary responsibility. They were not to withdraw from society, because of persecution (see Matt. 5:10–12) or for other reasons, but were to remain in close contact with their fellow men.

Lost his savour. Or, “become insipid.” It would be as unthinkable for a Christian to lose his essential characteristics and still be a Christian as it would be for salt to lose its saltiness and still be considered and used as salt. If Christians are such in name only, their nominal citizenship in the kingdom of heaven becomes a farce. They are not Christians unless they reflect the character of Christ, regardless of what their profession may be.

Salted. That is, have its essential and useful quality as salt restored. When the love, power, and righteousness of Christ are lost from the life of a professed Christian, there is no other source to which he may turn to supply their lack. A nominal Christian cannot pass on to others that which he does not himself possess. Salt was added to every sacrifice in the ancient ceremonial ritual Lev. 2:13; Eze. 43:24; Mark 9:49), without which it was unacceptable. Here, the salt typified the righteousness of Christ (see DA 439). In order that our lives may be “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom. 12:1), they must be preserved and seasoned by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (see Gal. 2:20).

Good for nothing. A Christian from whose life the grace and power of Christ are lost is, as a Christian, “good for nothing.” Even more, he becomes a positive detriment to the cause of the kingdom by living a life that misrepresents the principles of the kingdom.

Trodden under foot. From where they sat, the listening throng could see pathways white with salt, cast there because it had become worthless (MB 36, 37).

In this passage, Jesus is calling His followers to be “salt,” which is a transforming agent. The church is a “saltshaker,” which contains the “salt of the earth.” With what or whom should we, this “salt,” mix? Only with ourselves, or with ingredients different from us?

You can better understand the answer to this question if you fill one loaf pan with only salt and another loaf pan with bread that has salt as one of its ingredients. In the first pan, salt is the whole recipe; it would hardly be tasty, much less edible. In the second pan, salt is part of the recipe and is mixed with ingredients different from itself. And, as such, it transforms a loaf of bread from bland to delicious. Salt does more good when it mixes with elements unlike itself. The same is true of Christians. This won’t happen if we stay comfortably in the church “saltshaker.”

Thus, there’s a point here we shouldn’t miss. We can, in every which way, be moral in that we don’t smoke or drink or carouse or gamble or engage in crime. All that is important. But the question isn’t just what we don’t do. Rather, it is What do we do? That is, what do we do to help our community and those who are in need?

Read Matthew 5:13 again, concentrating on the rest of the verse. How can the salt lose its savor? A Possible Answer: 1) Watered down by becoming like the world around us. 2) Lose our ‘saltiness’ by not reflecting the character of Jesus. 3) Failure to permit the unencumbered flow of the Holy Spirit through us. 4) Failure to confess and profess in one’s life the name of Christ. 5) By not actively witnessing to others. 6) In that being in contact with dampness, or exposed to rain, the highly soluble salt itself would be washed away, so too the professed Christian can lose ‘saltiness by being exposed to non-Christian elements where the influence of the ‘element’ rubs off on them and 7) From the standpoint of the purpose of salt, we lose our saltiness by not mingling with those who are different.

“But if the salt has lost its savor; if there is only a profession of godliness, without the love of Christ, there is no power for good. The life can exert no saving influence upon the world.” - Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages , p. 439 .

Go back to the recipe symbol. As we saw, if all we have is salt, it is no good. In fact, too much salt in the diet can be toxic. Salt has to be mixed with what is different from it. Thus, if we are just like the world, we won’t make a difference in it. We will have nothing to offer. The salt becomes good for nothing. And what does Jesus say happens to it then?However, permeated with the savor of the love of Christ, we will desire to become “insiders” with the “outsiders,” mixing with others in order to be a transforming agent, to be something that will make a positive difference in their lives and, by extension, leading others to what really matters in life: salvation in Jesus.Read Deuteronomy 12:30, 31:20, Isaiah 2:8. What danger do these texts warn about, and how can we be careful not to fall into that trap?Deuteronomy 12:30 “take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’

30. Take heed. All manner of temptations would present themselves in the new homeland. Be not snared. It was a common belief among ancient peoples that it was fatal to neglect the worship of the gods of the particular locality in which a person might find himself (see 2 Kings 17:26). This accounts for the stress God laid upon not worshiping the gods of the country they were about to enter. Such worship was the root of the depravity of the heathen inhabitants about to be driven out or destroyed (Deut. 7:16, 25). A Possible Answer: This text warns about becoming ensnared into worshipping other gods based on the fact that one can believe it will be of benefit to them. Deuteronomy 31:20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me

and break My covenant. A Possible Answer: This text warns about serving other gods thus provoking our God and break the covenant He has with us.

Isaiah 2:8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.8. Full of idols. The reign of Ahaz was characterized by a great moral decline in which king and people forsook the true God and turned to the worship of idols. Images were made to Baal (see Vol. I, p. 173), human sacrifices were offered to heathen gods, altars were erected throughout Jerusalem, high places for the burning of incense to idols were dedicated throughout the land, and a heathen altar was erected in the Temple court, where Solomon’s brazen altar had stood (2 Chron. 28:2–4, 23–25; 2 Kings 16:10–14).A Possible Answer: This text warns about worship that which is of human devising or creation (including idols or images). We can avoid doing the same thing by... A) not having an interest in or inquiring about other worship customs, B) by not practicing any other methods or forms of worship out side God’s specifically prescribed methods, C) By not assimilating into our worship style, procedure and ministry that which are not of Christian origin or sanctioned by the Bible and supported by the Spirit of Prophecy. D) by loving only God with all our hearts, mind and being.

Wednesday July 27 On Being a FarmerRead John 4:35-38. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

35. Harvest. In Palestine grain was sown in the autumn and harvested in the spring (see Vol. II, pp. 108-110). Since the grain harvest in regions like Sychar came in April or May, it was now probably about the month of December or January (see Additional Note on Luke 4; Opening of the Galilean Ministry; cf. DA 191). Look on the fields. The disciples could see the villagers making their way through the fields of growing grain (DA 191) to the well. The seed of truth sown in the heart of this woman of Samaria had already begun to bear fruit, and the next two days saw a plentiful harvest (see vs. 39–42).

36. Reapeth. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 146) reading the word “already” of v. 35 with v. 36. Verse 36 would then begin, “Already he that reapeth receiveth wages.” With the Samaritan woman, seed sowing had scarcely been completed when the glorious time for harvest arrived (cf. James 5:7).

37. One soweth. Perhaps Jesus thinks of Himself as the sower and of the disciples as the reapers (see John 4:38; cf. Matt. 9:37, 38; 10:1), and envisions the greater harvest in Samaria following His resurrection (see on Acts 8:6–8, 14, 25). In the harvest of souls it is often true that the one who sows the gospel seed is not the one who has the privilege of harvesting the crop (cf. 1 Cor. 3:6, 7). For Jesus as the sower of good seed see on Matt. 13:3–8, 18–23.

38. I sent you to reap. Jesus apparently refers to the Judean ministry mentioned briefly in ch. 3:22. In a sense Jesus and His disciples were now reaping the harvest of seed sown by John the Baptist. After the resurrection the disciples would reap a bountiful harvest from seed sown during the time of Jesus’ ministry (see Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14).

What is Jesus telling us here about the different steps needed in reaching souls? A Possible Answer: Jesus is telling us that all must first live the Christian life, sow the seed and then reap a harvest. We all participate in the entire process though not at the same time. Each person must reflect the essential qualities of the “Seed”, (Jesus/ The word), then with the recipient, one person may sow that seed and another reaps. We all participate in the process and share in a mutual experience. The work of a farmer is multifaceted. Other types of farming work must be done before a harvest can be plentiful (Matt. 9:35-38). Not only reapers are needed in the Lord’s harvest field. Can you imagine a farmer at harvest time saying to his farmhands, “Harvest time is here, so we must start planting seeds”? Reaping is best done after you have been farming all along.Farming includes preparing the soil, for not all ground is good ground at first. (Read Matt. 13:3-9.) What can your church do in your community to soften “hard ground” and remove “rocks” and “thorns”? A Possible Answer: 1) Encourage each member to reflect the character of Christ in such a manner that they are letting their light shine so that other may be able to see it. 2) Discover the needs of the community

and seek to meet those needs. 3) Mingle with the community in a disinterested manner...not with the purpose of giving and not receiving. 4) Address the ‘felt needs’ of the community that is consistent with our nature and purpose.

Workers have done the hard farming work before the harvest, and other workers reap the benefits of their labor. Sometimes evangelistic outreach strategies have emphasized reaping more than they do the preparatory farming. This is not how it should be done. The soil should be prepared long before the evangelist just shows up and starts preaching in hopes of reaping a harvest.

We should look at working in the harvest field as a process: testing the soil, preparing/cultivating the soil, planting, watering, fertilizing, fighting pests, waiting, reaping, and preserving the harvest.

Reaping the harvest is only one part of the process. In the church, the “farming” process could include soil-testing activities, such as community needs assessment surveys, demographics, and interviews with community leaders. There can be soil preparing/cultivating activities, such as meeting needs in the community which are revealed by the community assessment; seed-planting activities, such as seminars, Bible studies, and small groups; and praying for the rain-the Holy Spirit. Few people are won to Christ with only one exposure. We need to nurture them with a process of multiple exposures, increasing the likelihood that they will be ready for harvesting. If we rely only on scattered events, it is unlikely that the new plants will survive until the harvest.What role should you be playing in the whole process of winning souls, as opposed to the role, if any, that you are now in? A Possible Answer: That which represents a change of position, investment or involvement... all of which should not put us in a position that can be labeled a spectator. It needs to be a role where we are called and moved by the Spirit to perform in and is consistent with our gifts, abilities and endowments. Things or activities that involve soil-testing, soil preparing/cultivating activities and seed-planting. For sure, the role should be easily identified with one or more of the following: testing the soil, preparing/cultivating the soil, planting, watering, fertilizing, fighting pests, waiting (constructively observing), reaping, and preserving the harvest.

Thursday July 28 Church PlantingRead Matthew 10:5-10. Sending Out the Twelve 5 These twelve Jesus sent out

and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

5. These twelve. The Twelve, who thus far had assisted Jesus (see DA 349) in His ministry, were now to be sent forth to labor alone. They had been officially appointed as disciples during the summer of A.D. 29 (see on ch. 5:1), probably not more than six months previously (see on ch. 9:36). Peter, Andrew, James, and John had been called to full-time discipleship, probably in the late spring of A.D. 29 (see on Luke 5:1). Three of these—all except James—as well as Philip and Bartholomew, had been part-time disciples since the late autumn of A.D. 27 (see on John 1:35–45). All the Twelve had been with Jesus on His Second Galilean Tour, probably during the late summer or early autumn of A.D. 29 (see on Matt. 9:35; Luke 8:1), and had thus had opportunity to observe Christ’s methods, to listen to His teaching, and to profit by instructions He had given privately to His disciples from time to time. Now that the Twelve were sent out by themselves they went two by two (see Mark 6:7; see on ch. 3:14), brother with brother and friend with friend (DA 350). Way of the Gentiles. Or, “the road of the Gentiles,” meaning any road that led to an essentially Gentile community. For instance, the Twelve would visit none of the cities of the Decapolis, which was largely Gentile in population. The basis for this restriction was probably that so long as there was opportunity to labor for the Jews, Jesus would do nothing that would unnecessarily prejudice them against Him. Furthermore, the disciples themselves were unprepared to labor for their Gentile neighbors, and the prejudice they shared with all Jews against the Gentiles would no doubt have effectively thwarted efforts they might have—unwillingly—put forth. The injunction against working among non-Jews was not placed upon the Seventy when they were sent out nearly a year later; in fact, they began their labors among the Samaritans (see DA 488). By that time the situation had changed; Jesus Himself, having been rejected by the people of Galilee, worked on behalf of both Samaritans and Gentiles, and instructed the disciples to do so also (see Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8). City of the Samaritans. Concerning the Samaritans see pp. 18, 45. At Jacob’s Well Jesus had taken the initiative in extending to the Samaritans of Sychar an invitation to believe in Him as the Messiah (see John 4:4–42).

However, there is no record of any further ministry by Jesus for Samaritans up to this time.A final restriction as to territory permitted the Twelve to visit only those towns and villages where Christ Himself had already

been (DA 351).

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

6. Lost sheep. In the OT Israel is often spoken of under the figure of sheep, and their leaders as shepherds (see Eze. 34:2–16; etc.). In Jer. 50:6 God speaks of His people as being “lost sheep.” Isaiah speaks of those who have wandered into sin as being “like sheep” that “have gone astray” (Isa. 53:6). Jesus represented Himself as a Shepherd, and those who hear His voice, as the sheep of His fold (see John 10:1–16).

“It was necessary that the word of God should first” be spoken to the Jews, and it was only when they rejected it that Christ and the apostles turned to the Gentiles (see Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28). This fundamental fact Christ brought before the Jewish leaders, during the course of His last day of teaching in the Temple, in the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (see Matt. 21:41, 43).

7. Preach. Gr. kērussō, “to herald,” “to proclaim” (see DA 352). Kingdom of heaven. See on ch. 4:17.8. Heal the sick. Christ enumerates the various types of miracles the disciples had so often seen Him perform. All that He had

done, they were to do. Demons and even death itself were to be subject to them. Freely ye have received. Simon Magus sought to buy divine power (Acts 8:18–24), but learned that the gifts of God cannot be purchased with money. The water of life may be taken freely by all who desire to do so (see Rev. 22:17). The disciples were not to make a profit from preaching the gospel, yet at the same time they were to remember that “the workman is worthy of his meat” (see on Matt. 10:10).

9. Provide. Gr. ktaomai, “to procure [for oneself],” or “to acquire [for oneself].” They were to set forth in faith, confident that their needs would be provided for. Their preparations would thus be simple, and there would be nothing to divert them from their assigned task. On their journey they might accept hospitality as it was offered to them (see vs. 10–13), but were not to expect or to accept gifts in excess of their immediate needs. In other words, they were not to make a profit from their ministry. Brass. Rather, a “bronze” or “copper” (see on Ex. 25:3). Purses. From the Gr. zōnē, “belt,” or “girdle,” used to bind the “cloak” (Gr. himation), or outer garment, about the body (see on ch. 5:40). In the zōnē, money was commonly carried by ancient peoples.

10. Scrip. Gr. pēra, “a leather sack,” or “a wallet”; often used by travelers for carrying provisions or clothing. Coats. Gr. chitōnes, the “tunics,” or inner garments; coats only in the sense of being undercoats (see on ch. 5:40). The disciples were to take only the clothing they wore. They were to be dressed like the common peasants among whom they were to labor, and be one with them. Their labors would thus be more effective. Shoes. Literally, “sandals.” According to Mark 6:9 the disciples were to wear sandals on this journey, and it would therefore seem that Matthew means they were not to carry along an extra pair with them (see Luke 10:4). Staves. In the parallel passage in Mark (ch. 6:8) they were instructed to take nothing “save a staff only.” Perhaps Matthew intends to emphasize that they were not to “provide” anything extra for the journey (see on v. 9), and means here that the disciple who did not have a staff already was not to consider it necessary to procure one. Workman. Or, “laborer.” The disciples themselves were the “labourers” whom they were to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth into the harvest field (see ch. 9:38). Meat. Gr. trophē, “nourishment,” or “food” (see on ch. 3:4). In his account of the instructions to the Seventy (Luke 10:7) Luke uses misthos, “wages.” Compare Paul’s position on the gospel laborer (1 Tim. 5:18).

Why would Jesus send His disciples out into the surrounding towns and villages without any resources? A Possible Answer: 1) Teach them to depend on their heavenly Father. 2) To not give the impression that they were working for gain. 3) To be an example of working in faith, confident that their needs would be provided for. 4) Their preparations would thus be simple, and there would be nothing to divert them from their assigned task. On their journey they might accept hospitality as it was offered to them (see vs. 10–13), but were not to expect or to accept gifts in excess of their immediate needs. In other words, they were not to make a profit from their ministry.

It seems strange that Jesus’ disciples would have direct orders to enter their ministry territory with little to sustain themselves. Apparently, Jesus placed His disciples in this situation to teach them dependence on God and also the importance of creating friendships through service to the local residents. These local residents would then value their service enough to provide support for the ministry.

Pastor Frank’s local conference asked him to plant a church in a section of a large city that had virtually no Adventist presence. Initially, he had no budget to do so. He consulted a map and determined the boundaries of that section of the city and studied

the demographics of the people there. Then he parked his car in the busiest part of the neighborhood and began going from business to business asking questions about life in that area. He visited with political, business, and social agency leaders, asking questions about the greatest needs in that community. He made friends with some of the local residents, who invited him to join a local civic club. In that setting he discovered other leaders who opened the way to rent the annex of a local Presbyterian church. The civic club members provided seed money to buy paint and cleaning supplies to refurbish the annex to use for community services. Interviews with community leaders indicated that health care was an important felt need in the community. Therefore, Pastor Frank brought together a team of volunteers who ran various health-screening programs and follow-up meetings in the annex for community residents. Those who benefited from the screenings and programs paid a modest fee, which helped pay the expenses. Soon a branch Sabbath School was started, and some of the residents began to attend.

Pastor Frank soon learned that one of the best ways to plant a church is to first plant a ministry that meets the needs of the community-and then grow a church through that ministry. This community-based ministry spawned a Seventh-day Adventist church of more than 140 members.

Pastor Frank’s story illustrates what can happen when we follow Jesus’ teachings about reaching our community. How did Jesus live out His own teachings about ministry? Next week we will begin exploring Christ’s ministry method, which “will give true success in reaching the people.” - Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing , p. 143 .

Friday July 29 Further Thought:Read other teachings of Jesus that inform you and your church’s role in the

community: Matthew 7:12, 23:23, 25:31-46, Mark 4:1-34, 6:1-13, Luke 6:36, 11:42, 12:13-21, 14:16-24, 16:13, 18:18-27, 19:1-10, John 10:10, 12:8, 17:13-18. Read Ellen G. White, “ 'The Least of These My Brethren,’ ” pp. 637-641, in The Desire of Ages ; “The Missionary’s Pattern,” in Signs of the Times , March 19, 1894 .

“Unless the church is the light of the world, it is darkness.” - Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times , September 11, 1893 . That’s a powerful thought. It reminds us of Jesus’ words, “ 'He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad’ ” (Matt. 12:30, NKJV). Jesus is making it plain: there is no neutral territory in the great controversy. We are on Christ’s side or the devil’s. To have been given great light and to do nothing with it is, really, to be working against it. We have been called to be lights in the world; if we aren’t light, then we are darkness. Though the immediate context is different, the principle is the same: “ 'If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!’ ” (Matt. 6:23, NIV). Perhaps all this could be summed up with the words: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48).

Discussion Questions:1 Discuss how we are to mingle with the world in order to reach out to others. How do

we strike the right balance here; that is, how do we mingle with the world in a way that we can do others some good, while at the same time not getting so caught up in it that we become part of the problem, not the solution?

2 So often, if we are involved in our community, the question of politics arises. After all, many of the issues that we want to help with-poverty, education, health care, and so on-are part of the political debate. How can we be careful that we don’t allow the inevitable polarization of politics to contaminate what we want to do? Some political involvement seems unavoidable, so how can we position ourselves in a way to keep out of the political fray as much as possible?

3 Or, on the other hand, are there situations in which we need to be in the political arena in order to best minister to the community? If so, what are they, and how do we operate in ways so that we don’t compromise our gospel commission?

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Monday – Loving Your NeighborEllen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 384-387.

Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother. But we can never come into possession of this spirit by trying to love others. What is needed is the love of Christ in the heart. When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within--when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart and is revealed in the countenance.

It is not possible for the heart in which Christ abides to be destitute of love. If we love God because He first loved us, we shall love all for whom Christ died. We cannot come in touch with divinity without coming in touch with humanity; for in Him who sits upon the throne of the universe, divinity and humanity are combined. Connected with Christ, we are connected with our fellow men by the golden links of the chain of love. Then the pity and compassion of Christ will be manifest in our life. We shall not wait to have the needy and unfortunate brought to us. We shall not need to be entreated to feel for the woes of others. It will be as natural for us to minister to the needy and suffering as it was for Christ to go about doing good.

Wherever there is an impulse of love and sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to bless and uplift others, there is revealed the working of God's Holy Spirit. In the depths of heathenism, men who have had no knowledge of the written law of God, who have never even heard the name of Christ, have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. Their acts show the working of a divine power. The Holy Spirit has implanted the grace of Christ in the heart of the savage, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his education. The "Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9), is shining in his soul; and this light, if heeded, will guide his feet to the kingdom of God.

The glory of heaven is in lifting up the fallen, comforting the distressed. And wherever Christ abides in human hearts, He will be revealed in the same way. Wherever it acts, the religion of Christ will bless. Wherever it works, there is brightness. No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is

recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's circle the poor souls who have been deluded by this deceptions. It places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free. All are brought nigh by His precious blood. (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:13.)

Whatever the difference in religious belief, a call from suffering humanity must be heard and answered. Where bitterness of feeling exists because of difference in religion, much good may be done by personal service. Loving ministry will break down prejudice, and win souls to God.We should anticipate the sorrows, the difficulties, the troubles of others. We should enter into the joys and cares of both high and low, rich and poor. "Freely ye have received," Christ says, "freely give." Matt. 10:8. All around us are poor, tried souls that need sympathizing words and helpful deeds. There are widows who need sympathy and assistance. There are orphans whom Christ has bidden His followers receive as a trust from God. Too often these are passed by with neglect. They may be ragged, uncouth, and seemingly in every way unattractive; yet they are God's property. They have been bought with a price, and they are as precious in His sight as we are. They are members of God's great household, and Christians as His stewards are responsible for them. "Their souls," He says, "will I require at thine hand."

Tuesday - The Whole RecipeEllen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 438-441.

The fact that one does not in all things conform to our personal ideas or opinions will not justify us in forbidding him to labor for God. Christ is the Great Teacher; we are not to judge or to command, but in humility each is to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. Every soul whom God has made willing is a channel through which Christ will reveal His pardoning love. How careful we should be lest we discourage one of God's light bearers, and thus intercept the rays that He would have shine to the world!

Harshness or coldness shown by a disciple toward one whom Christ was drawing--such an act as that of John in forbidding one to work miracles in Christ's name--might result in turning the feet into the path of the enemy, and causing the loss of a soul. Rather than for one to do this, said Jesus, "it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." And He added, "If thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell." Mark 9:43-45, R. V.Why this earnest language, than which none can be stronger? Because "the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." Shall His disciples show less regard for the souls of their fellow men than the Majesty of heaven has shown? Every soul has cost an infinite price, and how terrible is the sin of turning one soul away from Christ, so that for him the Saviour's love and humiliation and agony shall have been in vain.

"Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come." Matt. 18:7, R. V. The world, inspired by Satan, will surely oppose the followers of Christ, and seek to destroy their faith; but woe to him who has taken Christ's name, and yet is found doing this work. Our Lord is put to shame by those who claim to serve Him, but who misrepresent His character; and multitudes are deceived, and led into false paths.

Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice. That which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul. The blessing of heaven cannot attend any man in violating the eternal principles of right. And one sin cherished is sufficient to work the degradation of the character, and to mislead others. If the foot or the hand would be cut off, or even the eye would be plucked out, to save the body from death, how much more earnest should we be to put away sin, that brings death to the soul!

In the ritual service, salt was added to every sacrifice. This, like the offering of incense, signified that only the righteousness of Christ could make the service acceptable to God. Referring to this practice, Jesus said, "Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." All who would present themselves "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Rom. 12:1), must receive the saving salt, the righteousness of our Saviour. Then they become "the salt of the earth," restraining evil among men, as salt preserves from corruption. Matt. 5:13. But if the salt has lost its savor; if there is only a profession of godliness, without the love of Christ, there is no power for good. The life can exert no saving influence upon the world. Your energy and efficiency in the upbuilding of My kingdom, Jesus says, depend upon your receiving of My Spirit. You must be partakers of My grace, in order to be a savor of life unto life. Then there will be no rivalry, no self-seeking, no desire for the highest place. You will have that love which seeks not her own, but another's wealth.

Let the repenting sinner fix his eyes upon "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29); and by beholding, he becomes changed. His fear is turned to joy, his doubts to hope. Gratitude springs up. The stony heart is broken. A tide of love sweeps into the soul. Christ is in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life. When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, working to save the lost, slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying in agony,--when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be recognized. Looking unto Jesus, we shall be ashamed of our coldness, our lethargy, our self-seeking. We shall be willing to be anything or nothing, so that we may do heart service for the Master. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, to endure trial, shame, or persecution for His dear sake.

"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Rom. 15:1. No soul who believes in Christ, though his faith may be weak, and his steps wavering as those of a little child, is to be lightly esteemed. By all that has given us advantage over another,--be it education and refinement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience,--we are in debt to those less favored; and, so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the weak. Angels of glory, that do always behold the face of the Father in heaven, joy in ministering to His little ones. Trembling souls, who have many objectionable traits of character, are their special charge. Angels are ever present where they are most needed, with those who have the hardest battle with self to fight, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging. And in this ministry Christ's true followers will co-operate.

If one of these little ones shall be overcome, and commit a wrong against you, then it is your work to seek his restoration. Do not wait for him to make the first effort for reconciliation. "How think ye?" said Jesus; "if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

In the spirit of meekness, "considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted," (Gal. 6:1), go to the erring one, and "tell him his fault between thee and him alone." Do not put him to shame by exposing his fault to others, nor bring dishonor upon Christ by making public the sin or error of one who bears His name. Often the truth must be plainly spoken to the erring; he must be led to see his error, that he may reform. But you are not to judge or to condemn. Make no attempt at self-justification. Let all your effort be for his recovery. In treating the wounds of the soul, there is need of the most delicate touch, the finest sensibility. Only the love that flows from the Suffering One of Calvary can avail here. With pitying tenderness, let brother deal with brother, knowing that if you succeed, you will "save a soul from death," and "hide a multitude of sins." James 5:20. But even this effort may be unavailing. Then, said Jesus, "take with thee one or two more." It may be that their united influence will prevail where that of the first was unsuccessful. Not being parties to the trouble, they will be more likely to act impartially, and this fact will give their counsel greater weight with the erring one.

If he will not hear them, then, and not till then, the matter is to be brought before the whole body of believers. Let the members of the church, as the representatives of Christ, unite in prayer and loving entreaty that the offender may be restored. The Holy Spirit will speak through His servants, pleading with the wanderer to return to God. Paul the apostle, speaking by inspiration, says, "As though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20. He who rejects this united overture has broken the tie that binds him to Christ, and thus has severed himself from the fellowship of the church. Henceforth, said Jesus, "let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." But he is not to be regarded as cut off from the mercy of God. Let him not be despised or neglected by his former brethren, but be treated with tenderness and compassion, as one of the lost sheep that Christ is still seeking to bring to His fold.

Christ's instruction as to the treatment of the erring repeats in more specific form the teaching given to Israel through Moses: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in anywise rebuke thy neighbor, that thou bear not sin for him." Lev. 19:17, margin. That is, if one neglects the duty Christ has enjoined, of trying to restore those who are in error and sin, he becomes a partaker in the sin. For evils that we might have checked, we are just as responsible as if we were guilty of the acts ourselves.

Thursday – Church PlantingEllen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 139-145.

Teaching and HealingWhen Christ sent out the twelve disciples on their first missionary tour, He bade them, "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7, 8.

To the Seventy sent forth later He said: "Into whatsoever city ye enter, . . . heal the sick that are

therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." Luke 10:8, 9. The presence and power of Christ was with them, "and the Seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name." Verse 17.After Christ's ascension the same work was continued. The scenes of His own ministry were repeated. "Out of the cities round about" there came a multitude "unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." Acts 5:16.

And the disciples "went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them." "Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake. . . . For unclean spirits . . . came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city." Mark 16:20; Acts 8:5-8.

Work of the DisciplesLuke, the writer of the Gospel that bears his name, was a medical missionary. In the Scriptures he is called "the beloved physician." Colossians 4:14. The apostle Paul heard of his skill as a physician, and sought him out as one to whom the Lord had entrusted a special work. He secured his co-operation, and for some time Luke accompanied him in his travels from place to place. After a time, Paul left Luke at Philippi, in Macedonia. Here he continued to labor for several years, both as a physician and as a teacher of the gospel. In his work as a physician he ministered to the sick, and then prayed for the healing power of God to rest upon the afflicted ones. Thus the way was opened for the gospel message. Luke's success as a physician gained for him many opportunities for preaching Christ among the heathen. It is the divine plan that we shall work as the disciples worked. Physical healing is bound up with the gospel commission. In the work of the gospel, teaching and healing are never to be separated. The work of the disciples was to spread a knowledge of the gospel. To them was committed the work of proclaiming to all the world the good news that Christ brought to men. That work they accomplished for the people of their time. To every nation under heaven the gospel was carried in a single generation.

The giving of the gospel to the world is the work that God has committed to those who bear His name. For earth's sin and misery the gospel is the only antidote. To make known to all mankind the message of the grace of God is the first work of those who know its healing power.When Christ sent forth the disciples with the gospel message, faith in God and His word had well-nigh departed from the world. Among the Jewish people, who professed to have a knowledge of Jehovah, His word had been set aside for tradition and human speculation. Selfish ambition, love of ostentation, greed of gain, absorbed men's thoughts. As reverence for God departed, so also departed compassion toward men. Selfishness was the ruling principle, and Satan worked his will in the misery and degradation of mankind.

Satanic agencies took possession of men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, became the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the organs of men were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which men were possessed.

What is the condition in the world today? Is not faith in the Bible as effectually destroyed by the higher criticism and speculation of today as it was by tradition and rabbinism in the days of Christ? Have not greed and ambition and love of pleasure as strong a hold on men's hearts now as they had then? In the professedly Christian world, even in the professed churches of Christ, how few are governed by Christian principles. In business, social, domestic, even religious circles, how few make the teachings of Christ the rule of daily living. Is it not true that "justice standeth afar off: . . . equity cannot enter. . . . And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey"? Isaiah 59:14, 15.

We are living in the midst of an "epidemic of crime," at which thoughtful, God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast. The corruption that prevails, it is beyond the power of the human pen to describe. Every day brings fresh revelations of political strife, bribery, and fraud. Every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy the body? And while the world is filled with these evils, the gospel is too often presented in so indifferent a manner as to make but little impression upon the consciences or the lives of men. Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace. Many who once knew the power of God's word have dwelt where there is no recognition of God, and they long for the divine presence.The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago--a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.

Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me."

There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.

We should ever remember that the object of the medical missionary work is to point sin-sick men and women to the Man of Calvary, who taketh away the sin of the world. By beholding Him, they will be changed into His likeness. We are to encourage the sick and suffering to look to Jesus and live. Let the workers keep Christ, the Great Physician, constantly before those to whom disease of body and soul has brought discouragement. Point them to the One who can heal both physical and spiritual disease. Tell them of the One who is touched with the feeling of their infirmities. Encourage them to place themselves in the care of Him who gave His life to make it possible for them to have life eternal. Talk of His love; tell of His power to save.This is the high duty and precious privilege of the medical missionary. And personal ministry often prepares the way for this. God often reaches hearts through our efforts to relieve physical suffering.

Medical missionary work is the pioneer work of the gospel. In the ministry of the word and in the medical missionary work the gospel is to be preached and practiced.In almost every community there are large numbers who do not listen to the preaching of God's word or attend any religious service. If they are reached by the gospel, it must be carried to their homes. Often the relief of their physical needs is the only avenue by which they can be approached. Missionary nurses who care for the sick and relieve the distress of the poor will find many opportunities to pray with them, to read to them from God's word, and to speak of the Saviour. They can pray with and for the helpless ones who have not strength of will to control the appetites that passion has degraded. They can bring a ray of hope into the lives of the defeated and disheartened. Their unselfish love, manifested in acts of disinterested kindness, will make it easier for these suffering ones to believe in the love of Christ.Many have no faith in God and have lost confidence in man. But they appreciate acts of sympathy and helpfulness. As they see one with no inducement of earthly praise or compensation come into their homes, ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the sad, and tenderly pointing all to Him of whose love and pity the human worker is but the messenger--as they see this, their hearts are touched. Gratitude springs up. Faith is kindled. They see that God cares for them, and they are prepared to listen as His word is opened.

Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 637–641.Chapter 70 - "The Least of These My Brethren"

When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another." Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the great judgment day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the suffering.

In that day Christ does not present before men the great work He has done for them in giving His life for their redemption. He presents the faithful work they have done for Him. To those whom He sets upon His right hand He will say, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me." But those whom Christ commends know not that they have been ministering unto Him. To their perplexed inquiries He answers, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

Jesus had told His disciples that they were to be hated of all men, to be persecuted and afflicted. Many would be driven from their homes, and brought to poverty. Many would be in distress through disease and privation. Many would be cast into prison. To all who forsook friends or home for His sake He had promised in this life a hundredfold. Now He assured a special blessing to all who should minister to their brethren. In all who suffer for My name, said Jesus, you are to recognize Me. As you would minister to Me, so you are to minister to them. This is the evidence that you are My disciples. All who have been born into the heavenly family are in a special sense the brethren of our Lord. The love of Christ binds together the members of His family, and wherever that love is made manifest there the divine relationship is revealed. "Everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." 1 John 4:7.

Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.

How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me"! How glad will be the heart of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval!

But not to any class is Christ's love restricted. He identifies Himself with every child of humanity. That we might become members of the heavenly family, He became a member of the earthly family. He is the Son of man, and thus a brother to every son and daughter of Adam. His followers are not to feel themselves detached from the perishing world around them. They are a part of the great web of humanity; and Heaven looks upon them as brothers to sinners as well as to saints. The fallen, the erring, and the sinful, Christ's love embraces; and every deed of kindness done to uplift a fallen soul, every act of mercy, is accepted as done to Him.

The angels of heaven are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We know not now who they are; it is not yet made manifest who shall overcome, and share the inheritance of the saints in light; but angels of heaven are passing throughout the length and breadth of the earth, seeking to comfort the sorrowing, to protect the imperiled, to win the hearts of men to Christ. Not one is neglected or passed by. God is no respecter of persons, and He has an equal care for all the souls He has created.

As you open your door to Christ's needy and suffering ones, you are welcoming unseen angels. You invite the companionship of heavenly beings. They bring a sacred atmosphere of joy and peace. They come with praises upon their lips, and an answering strain is heard in heaven. Every deed of mercy makes music there. The Father from His throne numbers the unselfish workers among His most precious treasures. Those on the left hand of Christ, those who had neglected Him in the person of the poor and the suffering, were unconscious of their guilt. Satan had blinded them; they had not perceived what they owed to their brethren. They had been self-absorbed, and cared not for others' needs.

To the rich, God has given wealth that they may relieve and comfort His suffering children; but too often they are indifferent to the wants of others. They feel themselves superior to their poor brethren. They do not put themselves in the poor man's place. They do not understand the temptations and struggles of the poor, and mercy dies out of their hearts. In costly dwellings and splendid churches, the rich shut themselves away from the poor; the means that God has given to bless the needy is spent in pampering pride and selfishness. The poor are robbed daily of the education they should have concerning the tender mercies of God; for He has made ample provision that they should be comforted with the necessities of life. They are compelled to feel the poverty that narrows life, and are often tempted to become envious, jealous, and full of evil surmisings. Those who themselves have not endured the pressure of want too often treat the poor in a contemptuous way, and make them feel that they are looked upon as paupers.

But Christ beholds it all, and He says, It was I who was hungry and thirsty. It was I who was a stranger. It was I who was sick. It was I who was in prison. While you were feasting at your bountifully spread table, I was famishing in the hovel or the empty street. While you were at ease in your luxurious home, I had not where to lay My head. While you crowded your wardrobe with rich apparel, I was destitute. While you pursued your pleasures, I languished in prison.When you doled out the pittance of bread to the starving poor, when you gave those flimsy garments to shield them from the biting frost, did you remember that you were giving to the Lord of glory? All the days of your life I was near you in the person of these afflicted ones, but you did not seek Me. You would not enter into fellowship with Me. I know you not.

Many feel that it would be a great privilege to visit the scenes of Christ's life on earth, to walk where He trod, to look upon the lake beside which He loved to teach, and the hills and valleys on which His eyes so often rested. But we need not go to Nazareth, to Capernaum, or to Bethany, in order to walk in the steps of Jesus. We shall find His footprints beside the sickbed, in the hovels of poverty, in the crowded alleys of the great city, and in every place where there are human hearts in need of consolation. In doing as Jesus did when on earth, we shall walk in His steps.

All may find something to do. "The poor always ye have with you," (John 12:8), Jesus said, and none need feel that there is no place where they can labor for Him. Millions upon millions of human souls ready to perish, bound in chains of ignorance and sin, have never so much as heard of Christ's love for them.

Were our condition and theirs to be reversed, what would we desire them to do for us? All this, so far as lies in our power, we are under the most solemn obligation to do for them. Christ's rule of life, by which every one of us must stand or fall in the judgment, is, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matt. 7:12.

The Saviour has given His precious life in order to establish a church capable of caring for sorrowful, tempted souls. A company of believers may be poor, uneducated, and unknown; yet in Christ they may do a work in the home, the neighborhood, the church, and even in "the regions beyond," whose results shall be as far-reaching as eternity.

It is because this work is neglected that so many young disciples never advance beyond the mere alphabet of Christian experience. The light which was glowing in their own hearts when Jesus spoke to them, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," they might have kept alive by helping those in need. The restless energy that is so often a source of danger to the young might be directed into channels through which it would flow out in streams of blessing. Self would be forgotten in earnest work to do others good.

Those who minister to others will be ministered unto by the Chief Shepherd. They themselves will drink of the living water, and will be satisfied. They will not be longing for exciting amusements, or for some change in their lives. The great topic of interest will be, how to save the souls that are ready to perish. Social intercourse will be profitable. The love of the Redeemer will draw hearts together in unity.

When we realize that we are workers together with God, His promises will not be spoken with indifference. They will burn in our hearts, and kindle upon our lips. To Moses, when called to minister to an ignorant, undisciplined, and rebellious people, God gave the promise, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." And He said, "Certainly I will be with thee." Ex. 33:14; 3:12. This promise is to all who labor in Christ's stead for His afflicted and suffering ones.

Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.

But "if thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?" Prov. 24:11, 12. In the great Judgment day, those who have not worked for Christ, who have drifted along thinking of themselves, caring for themselves, will be placed by the Judge of the whole earth with those who did evil. They receive the same condemnation.

To every soul a trust is given. Of everyone the Chief Shepherd will demand, "Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" And "what wilt thou say when He shall punish thee?" Jer. 13:20, 21.

Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, March 19, 1894.The Missionary’s Pattern

"BEHOLD my servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth ; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the. Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench ; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged ; till he have set judgment in the earth."

There is need for every soul to study the Pattern, Christ Jesus. Those who know his methods of labor will have freedom in utterance and earnestness in manner. They will be inspired by the sacred themes of truth. Christ understood the needs of all classes, and was successful in preaching the gospel to the poor. He understood all their temptations. We need to study methods whereby we may preach the gospel to the poor and downtrodden and degraded of humanity. But let no one think that God will approve of a method which will require a man to act the part of a clown, or like a man who has lost his senses. Such methods as these are wholly unnecessary and inappropriate.

Among the Salvation Army workers such methods as these have been employed ; but it is more necessary that they should study and preach the word than act in a sensational way in order to draw the attention of the people. It is the word of truth that, like a strong, golden chain, will bind men to God, where they will learn of the great Teacher. It is the word of God that is to test character. The Lord has precious, conscientious souls who have joined the Army; but they need to -advance and receive other and higher truths of the word of God.

Those who are teaching the way to life have much to learn, and the Lord invites all who will to come to him and learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart. He declares, " My yoke is easy, and my burden is light; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Take your text from the word of God, and make use of the scenes of nature, and of events and objects about you, to make the meaning plain, and find your way to the hearts of the people, and angels of God will make a personal application of the truth to the hearts of those who are ignorant. You need not be formal or mechanical. You need not depend upon notes, neither need you be rough and uncouth, and use coarse language and slang expressions; thinking that. ill this way

you will reach the uneducated classes. Look at the manner in which Jesus addressed the poor. His language was pure, but. it was simplicity itself, and through the imagination and the heart he reached the hearts of the 'people. Boisterous gesticulation, jumping up and down, and pounding on the desk, is not after the order of Christ, and the good that has been accomplished has not been on account of these things, but in spite of them.

Personal labor is far more effective than is preaching, and yet this essential feature of the work has been strangely neglected. The ministers of different . denominations do little personal labor; but we should not wait for needy souls to come to us. We should go forth to seek and to save that which is lost. We should seek individual intercourse with the wealthy as well as with the poor; for gen- &ally the rich are poorer in spiritual knowledge and experience than are the poor. The sermons that they hear do not touch them, and laborers are needed who will dare .not only to seek out the jewels from among the low and degraded, but will also go to the rich, and bring to them a knowledge of the word of the Lord. There are some who have had a knowledge of the word of God who have once been in high position, but have become poor through misfortune and failure, and are obliged to occupy a position among the very poor. In circumstances of this kind some are seeking to keep alive the feeble flame that they have kindled at the divine altar. There are also souls who, through intemperance, have been brought very low, who are in misery hardly to be conceived of by those who have never acted the part of a true missionary. There are souls in the strongholds of sin who have nothing to give them a ray of hope, or inspire in them a spark of courage that they may live a better life.Oh, that all who claim to be Christians might have a view of the misery, the destitution, of those who are low down in the scale of humanity, and might realize at the same time that these are souls for whom Christ died! God understands every woe. His heart is touched with human woe and sorrow, and it is time that all Christians should wear his yoke, and work in his line, identifying themselves with human sympathy in the way in which he identified himself with our fallen race.

Whatever may be your office, your position, your wealth, if you are a laborer together with Christ, you will seek out the needy and the distressed, the bereaved and afflicted, and will make their interests your own. You will possess the spirit of self-sacrifice and self-denial, which led. Jesus to yield up his life as a sacrifice for Man on. Calvary's cross: You will carry forward his work, and walk in his footsteps, and will look upon all as the purchase of the blood of the Son of God. Jesus died for every son and daughter of Adam, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The love of Christ in the heart will be manifested in unselfish missionary labor, and will be more mighty to deal with the evil doer than will the sword and the courts of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the heart of the law breaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. The medical missionary can take up his appointed work, and relieve not only the physical maladies, but, through the grace and love of Christ, can lead the sinner to the great Physician, who can heal the soul of its leprosy of sin.However much we may deserve rebuke, the heart will harden under reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. It is to manifest his love to the fallen that Jesus has enlisted every follower of his, that the transgressor may be brought back to allegiance to God. Jesus accepts all who will give themselves to his service, who will cooperate with heavenly agencies, as they seek to restore the moral image of God in man. The work we are given is to bid the sinner hope in God, and not feel that he is an outcast in the world, a discouraged, desperate sufferer, but that he is a prisoner of hope. Let your words to him be,- "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Present before him a love that cannot be measured, and bring the lost back to faith in God.

He who is actuated by the love of Jesus will see in every soul, whether rich or poor, a value that cannot be computed, in comparison with which the world sinks into insignificance. Oh, the love that God has revealed for. the soul is infinite, beyond estimation! He who is a partaker of the divine nature will love as Christ loved; he will work as Christ worked, and will manifest sympathy and compassion. He will not fail nor be discouraged. This love can exist and be kept pure and refined and elevated only by continual communion with Jesus Christ. All coldness and hardness of heart will pass away from those who come into the sunshine of Christ's presence; and those who abide in him, and let him abide in them, will naturally, willingly obey his injunction, "Love one another as I have loved you."

Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, September 11, 1893.Holiness the Power of the Church

The professed church of God maybe possessed of wealth, education, and .knowledge of doctrine, and may say by her attitude, "I-am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; " but if its members are -devoid of inward holiness, they cannot be the light of the world. The church is to reflect light into the moral darkness of the world, as the stars reflect light into the darkness of the night. These who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, do not reflect light into the world, and will not have power to reach the hearts of the unsaved. Without vital connection with Christ the value of truth cannot be made to appear in good fruit in the world; but if Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, his saving grace will be

manifested in sympathy and love for perishing souls. Every soul truly converted to God will be a light in the world, Bright, clear rays from the Sun of Righteousness will shine forth through human agents who use their intrusted ability to do good; for they will cooperate with heavenly agencies, and labor with Christ for the conversion of souls. They will diffuse the light which Christ sheds upon them. The Sun of Righteousness shining in their hearts will shine forth, enlightening and blessing others.

The rays of heaven shining from human agents will exert a subduing influence upon those whom Christ is drawing to himself. The church is weak before the angels of heaven, unless power is revealed through its members for the conversion of those who are perishing. Unless the church is the light of the world, it is darkness. But of the true followers of Christ it is written : " We are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."The church may be composed of those who are poor and uneducated; but if they have learned of Christ the science of prayer, the church will have power to move the ;,,in of Omnipotence. The true people of God will have an influence that will tell upon hearts. It is not the wealth or the educated ability which the members of the church may possess that constitutes their efficiency. The members of the church may have been so situated that they may have had every spiritual advantage, they may have been so situated that they have had opportunity to know the truth, to know Jesus Christ their Lord; but notwithstanding their advantages, if they are not humble, praying men and women, there will not be with them the hiding of the power of God. They will not exert that influence that will 'be far reaching as eternity in its results, and men will not see their good works, and glorify God because of his people's faithfulness. It is when the Sun of Righteousness shines forth from the people of God that Christ is glorified and his kingdom advanced. It is then that they are chosen vessels of salvation, and are fit for the Master's use.

If the churches established in our world would follow Christ, they would pray as Christ prayed, and the result of their prayers would be seen in the conversion of soul's; for when communication is opened up between souls and God, a divine influence is shed upon the world. When the members of the church abide in Christ, they deliver an effective testimony in their lives. They fulfill the words of Christ, " Ye are my witnesses." By their influence all the day long by precept and example, they say, :‘ Come," "behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

The Lord, is our light. The Lord is our salvation. This is the period in the earth's history when light will surely be given to the Lord's chosen people. The world's Redeemer "is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Jesus says, " He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." To -those who will appreciate light, and who in their turn will impart light to others, God will give increased light. Saints and prophets of former ages were recipients of precious light and knowledge that was, to be unfolded to the chosen of God in these last days, The disciples of Christ were honored in having Christ, the Light of the world, among them. But they failed to appreciate their great privileges and blessings, until Jesus had left them. When his presence was no longer with them, they realized that they had been blessed with association with the only begotten Son of the infinite God. That they might fully realize the blessing that had been bestowed' upon them, the Lord Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, which would bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them. In their blindness and unbelief they had not comprehended the value of the celestial truth presented to them; but the Holy Spirit was to illuminate the lessons of Christ before their minds, that they might have an appreciation of heavenly things.

Jesus is the. fountain head of knowledge, the treasure-house of truth, and he longed to open before his disciples treasures of infinite value, that they in turn might open them to others. But because of their blindness he could not unfold to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. He said to them, "I have many things to say unto you; but ye cannot bear them now." The minds of the disciples were to a great degree influenced by the traditions and maxims of the Pharisees, who placed the commandments of God on a level with their own inventions and doctrines. The scribes and Pharisees did not receive or teach the Scriptures in their original purity, but interpreted the language of the Bible in such a way as to make it express sentiments and injunctions that God had never given. They put a mystical construction upon the writing of the Old Testament, and made indistinct that which the infinite God had made clear and plain. These learned men placed before the people their own ideas, and made patriarchs and prophets responsible for things they never uttered. These false teachers buried up the precious jewels of truth beneath the rubbish of their own interpretations and maxims, and covered up the plainest specifications of prophecy regarding Christ. They made the keeping of the commandments of God appear to be a rigorous round of ceremonies, so needless and foolish that the force of God's law was destroyed. They heaped exactions upon the commands of God that could never be met, and thereby lessened respect for God.

When the Author of truth came to our world, and was the living interpreter of his own laws, the Scriptures were opened to men like a new revelation; for he taught as one having authority, as one who knew whereof he was speaking. The minds of men were confused with false teaching to such an extent that they could not fully grasp the meaning of divine truth, and yet they were attracted to the great Teacher, and said, "Never man spake like this man ?"