And He said unto them, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

“Evangelism” in Webster’s Dictionary is generically defined as, “Zealous advocacy of a cause.” Oh, that the “cause” of Christ be proclaimed from the rooftops of the world!
   
Evangelism is still the life of the Church. It is the spirit of Christ. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10).

For the conversion of one soul we should tax our resources to the utmost. If Christ left the ninety and nine, that He might seek and save the one lost sheep, can we be justified in doing less? Is not a neglect to work even as Christ worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, a betrayal of sacred trusts, an insult to God? Sound an alarm…Tell the people that the day of the Lord is near and hasteth greatly. Let none be left unwarned. We might have been placed among barbarians. We have no time to lose. The end is near. The passage from place to place to spread the truth will soon be hedged with dangers on the right hand and on the left. Everything will be placed to obstruct the way of the Lord’s messengers, so that they will not be able to do that which it is possible for them to do now. We must look our work fairly in the face and advance as fast as possible in aggressive warfare. From the light given be of God, I know that the powers of darkness are working with intense energy from beneath and with stealthy tread Satan is advancing to take those who are now asleep, as a wolf taking his prey. We have warnings now which we may give, a work now which we may do; but soon it will be more difficult than we can imagine. God helps us to keep in the channel of light, to work with our eyes fastened on Jesus our Leader, and patiently, perseveringly press on to gain the victory. It is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found (Marantha, 29).

Jesus is the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world…He had come to seek and to save that which was lost, and He could not permit Himself to be turned from His one object. He allowed nothing to divert Him. This work He has given into our hands  (FE, 183).

Jesus looked upon the world in its fallen state with infinite pity. He took humanity upon himself that He might touch and elevate humanity. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He reached to the very depth of human misery and woe, to take man as He found him, a being tainted with corruption, degraded with vice, depraved by sin, and united with Satan in apostasy, and elevate him to a seat upon His throne. But it was written of Him that “He shall not fail nor be discouraged,” and He went forth in the path of self-denial and self-sacrifice, giving us an example that we should follow in His steps. We should work as did Jesus, departing from our own pleasure, turning away from Satan’s bribes, despising ease, and abhorring selfishness, that we may seek and save that which is lost, bringing souls from darkness into light, into the sunshine of God’s love. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the gospel to every creature. We are to bring to the lost, the tidings that Christ can forgive sin, can renew the nature, can clothe the soul in the garments of His righteousness, bring the sinner to His right mind, and teach him and fit him up to be a laborer together with God. The concerted soul lives in Christ. His darkness passes away and a new and heavenly light shines into his soul. “He that winneth souls is wise.” “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” What is done through the co-operation of men with God is a work that shall never perish, but endure through the eternal ages…

There is a great work to be done…the love of Christ, and love for souls for whom He has died, should constrain us to put forth every effort in our power to seek and to save that which was lost (FE, 199, 206).

Dear ones, I don’t need to tell you that the world is desperately lost without a goal or a guide. The world is so lost that they don’t even realize they are lost. Deceived, ignorant, dead, enemies of the cross of Christ are given over to sin.

We have only one short life to live on this earth and millenniums in eternity. William Bramwell said, “I grieve that my love is no stronger, and that I am no more like Him. I wonder at His glory, and sink before Him with shame. How is that the soul being of such value, and God so great, eternity so near and yet we are so little moved?”

Oh, to lose ourselves in God and allow our lives to conform to His wonderful will in this short life. The most profitable testimony of a life spent on this earthly sojourn would be the epitaph title “walked with God.”

Is there any concern in your soul over your state of ineffectiveness while the world, the sin and the devil triumph over you? Has the sacrifice of Christ made any difference in your earthly walk? Are you separate from the world in word, conversation, and deed? There will be a great day of trying where our works will be tested. Oh, to hear those words resound from the Saviour’s lips, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

There is no fooling anyone on that day. It is the great exposure where all things will be laid bare before all the saints of all the ages. Your life will be read before the holy angels and Christ who is holy and before a Holy God. Will you stand in that day or hang your head in shame?

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Do you think all Christians die happy? No. Some of them die as miserable as sinners because they’ve misused their time and wasted their lives. Read this heart-searching poem:

When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
And He shows His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been,
Had He had His way,
And I see how I blocked Him here,
And checked Him there,
And I would not yield my will,
Will there be grief in my Savior’s eyes,
Grief though He loves me still?
Would He have me rich and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing.
Down the paths I cannot retrace.
Lord, of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand.
Take me and break me and mold me,
To the pattern that Thou has planned!

It will be too late to pray that prayer then. A. W. Tozer said this:


We’ll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity that we’ll bow our heads in shame and humiliation. We’ll gaze on eternity and say, “Look at all the riches there were in Jesus Christ, and I’ve come to the Judgment Seat almost a pauper.”