Sunday
June 25
1. WHY ARE WE HERE?
a. Why does God have a church? Isaiah 43:10–12.
“The members of the church, those whom [God] has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory.”–The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9.
b. Who composes the church? Revelation 12:17; 14:12.
“From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people.”–The Acts of the Apostles, p. 11.
Monday
June 26
2. THE CALL
a. What commission is given to the church? Matthew 28:19, 20.
b. How far is this message to go? Mark 16:15.
c. Who are the ones who are to obey this commission? 1 Corinthians 1:2.
“Someone must fulfill the commission of Christ; someone must carry on the work which He began to do on earth; and the church has been given this privilege. For this purpose it has been organized. Why, then, have not church members accepted the responsibility?”–Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 295.
“It was the Saviour’s purpose that after He ascended to heaven to become man’s intercessor, His followers should carry on the work that He had begun. Shall the human agent show no special interest in giving the light of the gospel message to those who sit in darkness? There are some who are willing to go to the ends of the earth in order to carry the light of truth to men, but God demands that every soul who knows the truth shall seek to win others to the love of the truth. If we are not willing to make special sacrifices in order to save souls that are ready to perish, how can we be counted worthy to enter into the city of God?”–Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 103.
d. What is said of those who are not working to fulfill this commission? Matthew 20:6.
“Wake up, brethren and sisters, wake up. Sleep no longer. ‘Why stand ye here all the day idle?’ Jesus calls you, saying, ‘Go work today in My vineyard.’ Whoever has received the Holy Spirit, will make it manifest; for all his powers will be employed in the most active service. All who actually receive Christ by faith, work. They feel the burden of souls. God now calls upon everyone who has a knowledge of the truth, who is a depositary of sacred truth, to arise and impart the light of heaven to others.”–The Review and Herald, December 5, 1893.
Tuesday
June 27
3. WHO IS THE HEAD?
a. What will be characteristic of those whom God has called? 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40; Ephesians 4:4, 11.
“God is a God of order. Everything connected with heaven is in perfect order; subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. Success can only attend order and harmonious action. God requires order and system in His work now no less than in the days of Israel. All who are working for Him are to labor intelligently, not in a careless, haphazard manner. He would have His work done with faith and exactness, that He may place the seal of His approval upon it.”–Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 376.
“If discipline and order are necessary for successful action on the battlefield, the same are as much more needful in the warfare in which we are engaged as the object to be gained is of greater value and more elevated in character than those for which opposing forces contend upon the field of battle. In the conflict in which we are engaged, eternal interests are at stake.”–Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 649.
b. Who is to control the movements of the church? Colossians 1:18.
“To human agencies is committed the work of extending the triumphs of the cross from point to point. As the Head of the church, Christ is authoritatively calling upon everyone who claims to believe on Him to follow His example of self-denial and self-sacrifice in working for the conversion of those whom Satan and his vast army are exerting every power to destroy. God’s people are called upon to rally without delay under the bloodstained banner of Christ Jesus. Unceasingly they are to continue their warfare against the enemy, pressing the battle even to the gates. And everyone who is added to the ranks by conversion is to be assigned his post of duty. Everyone should be willing to be or to do anything in this warfare. When church members put forth earnest efforts to advance the message, they will live in the joy of the Lord and will meet with success. Triumph always follows decided effort.”–Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 30.
Wednesday
June 28
4. WHAT IS NEEDED?
a. In order to be effective in doing our God-given task, what is needed? Titus 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15.
“That which is needed now for the upbuilding of our churches is the nice work of wise laborers to discern and develop talent in the church–talent that can be educated for the Master’s use. There should be a well-organized plan for the employment of workers to go into all our churches, large and small, to instruct the members how to labor for the upbuilding of the church and also for unbelievers. It is training, education, that is needed. Those who labor in visiting the churches should give the brethren and sisters instruction in practical methods of doing missionary work.”–Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 117.
“In every church the members should be so trained that they will devote time to the winning of souls to Christ. How can it be said of the church, ‘Ye are the light of the world,’ unless the members of the church are actually imparting light?
“Let those who have charge of the flock of Christ awake to their duty and set many souls to work.”–Ibid., vol. 6, p. 436.
“The greatest help that can be given our people is to teach them to work for God, and to depend on Him, not on the ministers.”–Ibid., vol. 7, p. 19.
b. What hinders the church or its members from being efficient? Joshua 22:20.
“If those who profess to believe present truth were indeed representatives of the truth, living up to all the light which shines upon their pathway, they would constantly exert upon others an influence for good, thus leaving a bright track heavenward for all who are brought in contact with them. But a lack of faithfulness and integrity among its professed friends is a serious hindrance to the prosperity of God’s cause. Satan works through men who are under his control. The sanitarium, the church, and other institutions at Battle Creek have less to fear from the infidel and the open blasphemer than from inconsistent professors of Christ. These are the Achans in the camp, who bring shame and defeat. These are the ones who keep back the blessing of God and dishearten the zealous, self-denying workers in the cause of Christ.”–Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 563, 564.
Thursday
June 29
5. HOW CAN IT BE DONE?
a. What methods did Christ use in training His disciples? Matthew 5:1, 2; 13:1–3.
“Sometimes [the Saviour] taught [His disciples] as they sat together on the mountainside, sometimes beside the sea, or from the fisherman’s boat, sometimes as they walked by the way. Whenever He spoke to the multitude, the disciples formed the inner circle. They pressed close beside Him, that they might lose nothing of His instruction. They were attentive listeners, eager to understand the truths they were to teach in all lands and to all ages.”–Education, p. 85.
b. How can we follow Christ’s way and be successful in our training? Matthew 11:29.
c. Who should be the ones to do the training? 2 Timothy 2:1, 2; 1 Timothy 3:1, 2, 8, 11.
“Great care should be exercised in selecting officers for the new churches. Let them be men and women who are thoroughly converted. Let those be chosen who are best qualified to give instruction, those who can minister both in word and in deed. There is a deep-seated necessity for work in every line.”–Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 85.
d. What will be needed in order to get the best training? Deuteronomy 6:7.
“True education is missionary training. Every son and daughter of God is called to be a missionary; we are called to the service of God and our fellow men; and to fit us for this service should be the object of our education.”–The Ministry of Healing, p. 395.
“It is to fortify the youth against the temptations of the enemy that we have established schools where they may be qualified for usefulness in this life and for the service of God throughout eternity.”–Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 495.
Friday
June 30
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is God’s purpose for the church, and why am I involved?
2. Am I willing to be used by the Lord to reach out to suffering souls?
3. Why is order and organization important? Is it implemented in my life?
4. Why is training needed in the church?
5. Am I partaking of helping in the training or in being trained for God’s work?
The Call. “Every soul whom Christ has rescued is called to work in His name for the saving of the lost.”–Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 191.
Organized for Service. “Time is short, and our forces must be organized to do a larger work.”–Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 27.
Growing in Grace. “It is the privilege of every soul to make advancement. Those who are connected with Christ will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to the full stature of men and women. If all who claim to believe the truth had made the most of their ability and opportunities to learn and to do, they would have become strong in Christ. Whatever their occupation–whether they were farmers, mechanics, teachers, or pastors–if they had wholly consecrated themselves to God they would have become efficient workers for the heavenly Master.”–Ibid., vol. 6, p. 423.
Educated for Service. “Many would be willing to work if they were taught how to begin. They need to be instructed and encouraged.
“Every church should be a training school for Christian workers. Its members should be taught how to give Bible readings, how to conduct and teach Sabbath school classes, how best to help the poor and to care for the sick, how to work for the unconverted. There should be schools of health, cooking schools, and classes in various lines of Christian help work. There should not only be teaching, but actual work under experienced instructors. Let the teachers lead the way in working among the people, and others, uniting with them, will learn from their example. One example is worth more than many precepts.”–The Ministry of Healing, p. 149.