"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for ChristEllis, William T. (William Thomas)
Religion
"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for Christ
Ellis, William T. (William Thomas)
Baseball players -- United States -- Biography; Evangelists -- United States -- Biography; Sunday, Billy, 1862-1935
If it is beneath your dignity to do personal work then you are above
your Master. If you are not willing to do what he did, then don't call
him your Lord. The servant is not greater than the owner of the house.
The chauffeur is not greater than the owner of the automobile. The
servant on the railroad is not greater than the owners of the road.
Certainly they are not greater than our Lord Jesus Christ.
It requires an effort to win souls to Christ. There is no harder work
and none brings greater results than winning souls.
You'll need courage. It is hard to do personal work and the devil will
try to oppose you. You'll seek excuses to try to get out of it. Many
people who attend the meetings regularly now will begin to stay at home
when asked to do personal work. It will surprise you to see them lie to
get out of doing personal work.
We need enthusiasm for God. If there is any place on God's earth
that needs a baptism of enthusiasm, it is the church and the
prayer-meetings. It is not popular in some communities and in some
churches to be enthusiastic for God. You'll never accomplish anything
without pure enthusiasm, and don't be afraid of being a religious
enthusiast. Religion is too cold. Formality is choking it in the pews.
There is nothing accomplished in war, politics or religion, without
enthusiasm. Admiral Decatur once gave this toast: "My country: May she
always be right, but right or wrong, my country!" That's enthusiasm.
Perseverance is needed to conquer in this old life. Perseverance is
contagious, not an epidemic. Religion is contagious. Roman soldiers
shortened their swords and added to their kingdom. You shorten the
distance between you and the sinner and you'll add to the kingdom of
God. The trouble is you have been trying to reach them with a ten-foot
pole. Drop your dignity and formality and walk up to them; take them by
the hand. You are too dignified. You sit in your fine homes and see the
town going to hell.
We need carefulness to win souls. The way to win souls is to be careful
what you say. Study the disposition of the person with whom you talk.
We need tact. Personal work is the department of the church efficient
to deal with the individual and not the masses. It is analogous to
the sharpshooter in the army so dreaded by the opposing forces. The
sharpshooter picks out the pivotal individual instead of shooting at
the mass. The preacher shoots with a siege gun at long range. You can
go to the individual and dispose of his difficulties. I shoot out there
two or three hundred feet and you sit right beside people. If I were a
physician and you were sick I'd not prescribe _en masse_, I'd go down
and see you individually. I'd try to find out what was the matter and
prescribe what you needed. All medicine is good for something, but not
for everything.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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