Part 16 (1/2)
If such a masterpiece of organization were controlled by the Spirit that controls in these early chapters of Acts, what tremendous and thorough and rapid work would be done in world-winning! And that is the goal toward which we should be driving. The evangelization of the whole world is an easy task for the whole Church. It would be a stupendous, if not an impossible task for the few. It has been a gigantic task for the leaders, who by dint of great planning and persuasion and earnest pleading have done as much as has been done. But if the whole Church or half of it were to go at it as earnestly as men go at other things, it would be an easy task.
I remember one October morning walking across an old smoke-begrimed bridge that spans the Ohio at Cincinnati. My eye was caught by a dingy sign in large plain letters nailed up in a prominent place. It simply, said, ”Processions in crossing this bridge must break step.” That was all. But it was imperative. It was a law. The processions must break step. The same men might cross the bridge, in as large numbers, at the same time, but they must not keep step.
The authorities knew perfectly well that for a body of men to march in step, every left foot set down at once, the impact of every right foot striking at the same moment, would so--I do not say, add to the force exerted--would so multiply the force exerted upon the bridge as to endanger its safety. The power of concerted action is immense beyond any power of conception. Every bit of power at command can so be brought to bear at one point with a force beyond any words to express.
Our Master reverses for us the old bridge sign. Out from Pentecost rings this word: ”Let my followers all form in line, close ranks, and move out to a world conquest, and--keep step.” That command of His will make a winning force so great as to shorten up the world's present calendars, and shorten up the world's pain, and lengthen out the new life that will come to untold numbers through Jesus.
”Find My World and Win it Back.”
Nearly forty years ago David Livingstone, one of the Church's great world-winning pioneers, was lost in the depths of equatorial Africa. That is to say, he had advanced so far ahead of everybody else that the rest of us lost track of him, and so we called him lost. Perhaps we got the use of the word twisted, and we were the lost ones because we hadn't kept up. He had gone where the Church was told to go, but the rest of us had lingered behind, and so the main column became detached from its leader. Everybody was talking about the lost leader.
James Gordon Bennett, the owner of the New York Herald, sent a telegram to one of its correspondents, Henry M. Stanley. Bennett was in Paris, and Stanley at Gibraltar. The telegram summoned Stanley to come to Paris at once. Stanley went, reached Paris at midnight, knocked at the great newspaper-man's door, and asked what was wanted. ”Find Livingstone,” was the short, blunt reply. ”How much money do you place at my disposal?”
asked Stanley. ”Fifty thousand dollars, or a larger sum. Never mind about the money; find Livingstone.”
Stanley went. It took two years' time to get ready. It required a specially planned campaign and thorough preparation. The planning was done, and the world was thrilled when the bold missionary leader was found.
Our Master has sent a message to His Church. It is written down in a Book, and is being repeated by wireless messages constantly. He says, ”Find my world, and bring it back; never mind about the expense of money and lives.
Find my world and win it back.” And the Church has the winning power to do it.
Each One of Us
Our Drawing Power.
Sowing Ourselves in Life's Soil.
Our Need of a World to Win.
Living Broad Lives in Narrow Alleys.
Giving G.o.d Free Use of Ourselves.
Growing Bigger for Service's Sake.
My Mission-field.
Our Spirit-touch.
Each One of Us
Our Drawing Power.
The greatest human winning force is a man swayed in every bit of his being by the Spirit of Jesus. Man himself is the most attractive thing on G.o.d's earth. He has the greatest drawing power.
He is attractive to G.o.d. He drew out of the creative power of G.o.d this world of beauty and splendor. He drew Jesus down from the throne of G.o.d to the earth, to poverty and hard labor, to the limitations of human life, to misunderstandings and suffering and pain and death. These were gladly yielded to because it was all for man. How the crowds used to draw Jesus!