Sunday
August 27
1. COWORKERS WITH THE LORD OF LORDS
a. On what basis is every Christian believer—whether male, female, married, single, rich, poor, and of any age or ethnic background whatsoever—officially authorized and commanded to witness for their Lord and Master Jesus Christ? John 15:16; Galatians 3:27, 28.
“ ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15), is Christ’s command to His followers. Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term; but all may be workers with Him in giving the ‘glad tidings’ to their fellow men. To all, great or small, learned or ignorant, old or young, the command is given.”—Education, p. 264.
“When I think of the cities in which so little work has been done, in which there are so many thousands to be warned of the soon coming of the Saviour, I feel an intensity of desire to see men and women going forth to the work in the power of the Spirit filled with Christ’s love for perishing souls.”—Evangelism, p. 69.
b. What group is definitely included also in having a special part in the closing work of the gospel? 1 John 2:14 (second half).
Monday
August 28
2. DEDICATION TO THE MESSAGE FOR TODAY
a. What special significance does the “everlasting gospel” have in our time? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; Revelation 14:6, 7.
“The proclamation of the judgment is an announcement of Christ’s second coming as at hand. And this proclamation is called the everlasting gospel. Thus the preaching of Christ’s second coming, the announcement of its nearness, is shown to be an essential part of the gospel message.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 227. 228.
b. Name one factor that is closely connected with the Advent message—and actually helps us to understand it better. Romans 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
“The health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord. It is as closely connected with the third angel’s message as the hand is with the body.”—Counsels on Health, pp. 20, 21.
“The gospel and the medical missionary work are to advance together. The gospel is to be bound up with the principles of true health reform. . . . We are to present the principles of health reform before the people, doing all in our power to lead men and women to see the necessity of these principles and to practice them.”—Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 442.
c. What impels believers to spread the wonderful message of salvation? 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.
“Love to Jesus will be manifested in a desire to work as He worked for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. It will lead to love, tenderness, and sympathy toward all the creatures of our heavenly Father’s care. . . .
“No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart.”—Steps to Christ, pp. 77, 78.
Tuesday
August 29
3. EMPTIED TO BE FILLED
a. What admonition carries a distinctive force for us who are living in the last days? 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2, 6–8.
“Let us not be found sleeping on guard. Let no one say in his heart or by his works, ‘My Lord delayeth his coming.’ Let the message of Christ’s soon return sound forth in earnest words of warning. Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation; for we little know what is before us. Let ministers and lay members go forth into the ripening fields.”—Maranatha, p. 106.
“Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother. But we can never come into possession of this spirit by trying to love others. What is needed is the love of Christ in the heart. When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 384.
b. What should you do if you honestly don’t feel as enthusiastic about this message as you know you should? 1 John 4:20, 21; Revelation 2:2–5; 3:18, 19.
“We need the message to the Laodicean church. You have left your first love, and there is hardness and coldness and want of sympathy—except for the favorite few. That will never answer in the world. We are to seek and save that which is lost.”—Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 61.
“Return to your first experience, when your soul was filled with love for Christ. Gather to your heart the obedience of a faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Obedience to the law of the Lord makes men pure, holy, undefiled. . . .
“O that there might be seen among our people a deep and thorough work of repentance and reformation! O that they would fall on the Rock and be broken!”—The Review and Herald, February 24, 1903.
“There is hope for all who will hear the truth and repent of their evil works.”—Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, p. 216.
Wednesday
August 30
4. GOD’S GLORY MANIFESTED
a. What is the call of the hour, and how shall we respond to it? Isaiah 56:1–8.
“[The Lord] is now calling upon His church on the earth to awake from the lethargy that Satan has sought to bring upon them, and fulfill their heaven-appointed work of enlightening the world. . . .
“The world today is in crying need of a revelation of Christ Jesus in the person of His saints. God desires that His people shall stand before the world a holy people. Why?—because there is a world to be saved by the light of gospel truth; and as the message of truth that is to call men out of darkness into God’s marvelous light is given by the church, the lives of its members, sanctified by the Spirit of truth, are to bear witness to the verity of the messages proclaimed.”—The Review and Herald, March 31, 1910.
b. Describe Christ’s methods in working to save souls. Luke 14:23; John 4:27.
“The Lord desires that His word of grace shall be brought home to every soul.
“To a great degree this must be accomplished by personal labor. This was Christ’s method. His work was largely made up of personal interviews. He had a faith regard for the one-soul audience. Through that one soul the message was often extended to thousands.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 229.
c. What spirit is needed in laboring for God? Acts 10:38; 2 Corinthians 12:15.
“Study Christ’s definition of a true missionary: ‘Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’ (Mark 8:34). Following Christ, as spoken of in these words, is not a pretense, a farce. Jesus expects His disciples to follow closely in His footsteps, enduring what He endured, suffering what He suffered, overcoming as He overcame. He is anxiously waiting to see His professed followers revealing the spirit of self-sacrifice.”—Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 209.
Thursday
August 31
5. A TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE
a. How can each one of us cooperate in soul-saving, and what should be our most fervent desire and prayer? Romans 10:13–17; Luke 11:13.
“We need greater earnestness in the cause of Christ. The solemn message of truth should be given with an intensity that would impress unbelievers that God is working with our efforts, that the Most High is our living source of strength.”—Evangelism, p. 697.
“Some minds are led away from present truth and a love of the Holy Bible by reading other exciting books; others are filled with perplexity and care for what they shall eat, drink, and wear. Some are looking too far off for the coming of the Lord. Time has continued a few years longer than they expected; therefore they think it may continue a few years more, and in this way their minds are being led from present truth, out after the world. In these things I saw great danger; for if the mind is filled with other things, present truth is shut out, and there is no place in our foreheads for the seal of the living God. I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy place was nearly finished and that time can last but a very little longer. What leisure time we have should be spent in searching the Bible, which is to judge us in the last day.
“My dear brethren and sisters, let the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ be in your minds continually and let them crowd out worldly thoughts and cares. When you lie down and when you rise up, let them be your meditation. Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man. The sealing time is very short, and will soon be over.”—Early Writings, p. 58.
Friday
September 1
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why is no one excused from sharing the present truth with others?
2. What are we to understand by “everlasting gospel”?
3. Why is the Laodicean message needed when proselytizing is out of fashion?
4. What has been causing the world to doubt the truthfulness of our message?
5. What thoughts can I cut out of my mind to make more space for the truth?