My friends, when God works many things will be done "out of the
regular order." It seems to me that will be a good thing. There are a
few who cannot be reached, apparently, through the regular channels,
who will come to meetings like these out of the usual routine. We have
got our churches, it is true, but we want to make an effort to reach
the outlying masses who will not go to them. Many will come in to
these meetings simply because they are to be held only for a few days.
And so, if they are to come at all, they must come to a decision about
it quickly. Others come out of idle curiosity, or a desire to know
what is going on. And often at the first meeting something that is
spoken or that is sung will touch them. They have come under the sound
of the Gospel; probably they will become real Christians and useful
members of society. You will sometimes hear people say, "We have our
churches; if men will not come to them, let them keep out." That was
not the spirit of the Master. When our Civil War broke out we had a
very small standing army. Government asked for volunteers to enlist.
Several hundreds of thousands of men came forward and joined the ranks
of the regular army. There was plenty for every man to do. These
volunteers were not so well trained and drilled as the older solders,
but we could use the irregulars as well as the regulars. Many of the
former soon became efficient soldiers, and these volunteers did great
service in the cause of the nation. If the outlying masses of the
people are to be reached we must have the regulars and the irregulars
both.
I remember hearing of a Sunday-school in our country where the teacher
had got into ruts. A young man was placed in charge as Superintendent,
and he wanted to re-arrange the seats. Some of the older members said
the seats had been in their present position for so many years, that
they could not be moved! There is a good deal of that kind of spirit
nowadays. It seems to me that if one method is not successful we ought
to give it up and try some other plan that may be more likely to
succeed. If the people will not come to the "regular means of grace,"
let us adopt some means that will reach them and win them.
Do not let us be finding fault because things are not done exactly as
they have been done in the past, and as we think they ought to be
done. I am sick and tired of those who are constantly complaining. Let
us pay no heed to them, but let us go forward with the work that God
has given us to do.
Another very serious charge is brought against revivals. They say the
work will not last. As I have said there were doubtless many at the
day of Pentecost who said that. And when Stephen was stoned to death,
James beheaded, and finally all the apostles put to death, no doubt
they said that Pentecost was a stupendous failure. But was it a
failure? Are not the fruits of that revival at Pentecost to be seen
even in our time?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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