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The Lord would have His ministers who preach the Word energized by His Holy Spirit; and the people who hear should not sit in drowsy indifference, or stare vacantly about, making no responses to what is said. The impression that is thus given to the unbeliever is anything but favorable for the religion of Christ. These dull, careless professed Christians are not destitute of ambition and zeal when engaged in worldly business; but things of eternal importance do not move them deeply. The voice of God through His messengers may be a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. The spirit of the world has paralyzed them. The truths of God's Word are spoken to leaden ears and hard, unimpressible hearts. There should be wide-awake, active churches to encourage and uphold the ministers of Christ and to aid them in the work of saving souls. Where the church is walking in the light, there will ever be cheerful, hearty responses and words of joyful praise.-- 5T 318. {PaM 177.1}
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| There is too much formality in our religious services. The Lord would have His ministers who preach the Word energized by His Holy Spirit; and the people who hear should not sit in drowsy indifference, or stare vacantly about, making no responses to what is said. The impression that is thus given to the unbeliever is anything but favorable for the religion of Christ. These dull, careless professed Christians are not destitute of ambition and zeal when engaged in worldly business; but things of eternal importance do not move them deeply. The voice of God through His messengers may be a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. The Spirit of the world has paralyzed them. The truths of God's Word are spoken to leaden ears and hard, unimpressible hearts. There should be wide-awake, active churches to encourage and uphold the ministers of Christ and to aid them in the work of saving souls. Where the church is walking in the light, there will ever be cheerful, hearty responses and words of joyful praise.-- Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 317, 318. {YRP 334.3} |
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| There is too much formality in the church. Souls are perishing for light and knowledge. We should be so connected with the Source of light that we can be channels of light to the world. The Lord would have his ministers who preach the word energized by his Holy Spirit. And the people who hear should not sit in drowsy indifference or stare vacantly about, making no response to what is said. The spirit of the world has paralyzed the spirituality of such, and they are not awake to the precious theme of redemption. The truth of God's word is spoken to leaden ears, and hard, unimpressible hearts. The impression given the unbeliever by these professed Christians is anything but favorable for the religion of Christ. They show zeal and ambition when engaged in the business of the world, but things of eternal importance do not engross the mind, and interest them as do worldly things. The voice of God through his messengers is a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. Eternal and sacred things are placed upon a level with common things, and the Holy Spirit is grieved. Said Christ, "Take heed, therefore, how ye hear." Those are spiritually dead who profess to worship God while the heart is not in the work. There should be a hearty, wide-awake church to encourage and uphold the hands of the ministers of Jesus Christ. {ST, June 24, 1886 par. 3} |
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| The members of the church in ----- need very much done for them. They must have fervent zeal for Christ, must be more humble, more patient, more kind, more teachable, more Christlike in every respect. In their character they should manifest to the world the sanctifying power of grace. God forbid that you should, by precept or example, bar the way to this essential work. Will you work with Jesus? Will you be true to the Lord who has bought you? Will you put into the background all matters of minor importance? You must be baptized into a larger faith, a larger charity. You need greater reverence for things of eternal importance. It is impossible for me to impress upon your mind too strongly the extent and power of the influence which flows from the example of individual piety and from the exhibition, by the church, of the sanctifying influence of the truth upon the character. {5T 570.4} |
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| Jesus would not have his people worrying and toiling and fretting under a yoke of their own imposing. He invites them: "Take my yoke upon you." The world's yoke is galling, and too heavy to bear; but the gracious words of our Lord are, "Take my yoke upon you," and "ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Oh, how many galling yokes, how many unnecessary burdens, are borne because men will grasp this world and this world's treasures, because they choose things that are of no importance, while things of eternal importance are considered of little or no value! The things of this world are the things that worldlings love and seek for; but should Christians do the same as they? No, they must take an entirely different course. They must seek those things that are above, "where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." {ST, July 28, 1887 par. 6} |
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| How few have qualified themselves in the science of saving souls! How few understand the work that should be done in building up the church, in communicating light to those who sit in darkness! Yet God has given to every man his work. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. In the work of salvation there is a co-operation of human and divine agencies. There is much said concerning the inefficiency of human effort, and yet the Lord does nothing for the salvation of the soul without the co-operation of man. The word of God is clear and distinct on this point, and yet when so much depends upon our co-operation with the heavenly agencies, men conduct themselves as though they could afford to set aside the claims of God, and let the things of eternal importance wait their convenience. They act as though they could manage spiritual things to suit themselves, and they place eternal interests in subordination to earthly and temporal matters. But how presumptuous is this to deal thus with that which is most essential, and most easily lost. {RH, February 14, 1893 par. 12} |
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| The enemy of Christ, who rebelled against God's law in heaven, has, as a skilled, trained general, worked with all his power, bringing out one device after another, full of deception, to make of none effect the law of God, the only true detector of sin, the standard of righteousness. The great mass of mankind are thoughtless, careless, irreverent, and they do not concern themselves with serious thoughts as to the things of eternal importance. One reason for the state of carelessness in society is that the Christian world itself has made void the law of God. Large numbers claim sanctification who will not hear to the binding obligation of the divine precepts. They are willfully ignorant of the attributes of God, ignorant of the law, ignorant of what constitutes genuine religion, and ignorant of their own sinful, defective characters. If the truth as it is in Jesus should flash upon their hearts, they would be constrained to cry out, "Unclean, unclean." They would, if candid, have to repent of their transgression of God's law; for "by the law is the knowledge of sin;" they would have to exercise faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood alone can cleanse from all sin. Then they would have the peace of Christ. Righteousness and peace would meet together in their experience, and they would be able to become symmetrical Christians. They would have the peace that passeth understanding. {RH, November 18, 1890 par. 3} |
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| interest in things of eternal importance |
| Many who claim to be followers of Christ are withered branches, that must ere long be separated from the living vine. The love of the world has paralyzed their spirituality, and they are not awake to the precious theme of redemption. The impression made upon the world by these professed Christians is unfavorable to the religion of Christ. Such dull, careless ones manifest ambition and zeal in the business of the world, but they have little interest in things of eternal importance. The voice of God through his messengers is a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. Eternal interests are placed on a level with common things. The Holy Spirit is grieved, and its influence is withdrawn. {RH, September 20, 1881 par. 7} |
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| Some who claim to be followers of Christ are withered branches, that must erelong be separated from the living vine. The love of the world has paralyzed their spiritual life, and they are not awake to the precious theme of redemption. The impression made on the world by these professed Christians is unfavorable to the religion of Christ. They manifest ambition and zeal in the business of the world; but they have little interest in things of eternal importance. The voice of God through his messengers is a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. Eternal interests are placed on a level with common things. The Holy Spirit is grieved, and its influence is withdrawn. Fruitful Christians are connected with God, and hence they are able to place a right value on eternal things. They feast upon the words of life; and whenever they listen to the "message of glad tidings," they can say, as did the disciples to whom Christ explained the prophecies on the way to Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?" It is the duty of every child of God to store his mind with divine truth; and the more he does this, the more strength and clearness of mind he will have to fathom the deep things of God. And his growth in grace will be more and more vigorous, as the principles of truth are carried out in his daily life. {ST, March 10, 1887 par. 13} |
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| But if by the restaurant work there is not awakened a deep and living interest in the things of eternal importance, what is gained by the work? Christ is hungry for souls, hungry to see those for whom He gave His life receiving the blessings placed within their reach. Shall He have died for them in vain? Satan will use every opportunity to seduce men from their allegiance to God. He and the angels who fell with him will appear on the earth as men, seeking to deceive. God's angels, also, will appear as men, and will use every means in their power to defeat the purposes of the enemy. We, too, have a part to act. We shall surely be overcome unless we fight manfully the battles of the Lord. {HFM 66.3} |
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| But, if by the restaurant work there is not awakened a deep and living interest in the things of eternal importance, what is gained by this work? Christ is hungry for souls, hungry to see those for whom He gave His life receiving the blessings placed within their reach. Shall He have died for them in vain? Satan will use every opportunity to seduce men from their allegiance to God. He and the angels who fell with him will appear on the earth as men, seeking to deceive. God's angels, also, will appear as men, and will use every means in their power to defeat the purposes of the enemy. We, too, have a part to act. We shall surely be overcome unless we fight manfully the battles of the Lord. {8MR 399.1} |
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