By personal work or personal evangelism, I mean the efforts that we have involved ourselves in personally to spread the gospel. Personal work consists of two things. Number one: you. It is personal. It is you being personally involved. Number two: it is work. You must labor, you must put forth an effort, you must be involved in something. Just being a member of a church does not constitute personal work. Neither does just setting a good example. We need to be actively involved in spreading the gospel.

Many people have told us what personal work is. Books have been written and lectureships and weekend meetings have been held to discuss the different ways to do personal work. There has been more than enough talk on the subject. As the popular shoe ad says, we need to "Just Do It!" The purpose of this article is to motivate us to action by discussing Bible reasons for us to be involved in personal work.

1. God commands us to spread the gospel. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20). Some want to say that this command was given only to the apostles, but it wasn't. They were to go and make disciples. And when they had made disciples they were to teach them to observe all the things that Jesus had commanded them. The last thing that Jesus commanded them was to go and make disciples. It is a perpetual command.

Taking the gospel to the lost is not just good advice. It is not something we can do if it is convenient, if we have time or if it fits our lifestyle and personality. It is a command to be obeyed!

2. God wants everyone to be saved. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3-4). God wants everyone to be saved, and He has made a plan to save them, but you and I play a part in that plan. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not hard? And how shall I they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10: 13-14) You and I have been entrusted with the gospel. God expects us to take it to the lost.

3. The examples of New Testament Christians. The book of Acts is a handbook on personal work. Acts 8:4 tells us that the Christians "that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." They were persecuted and scattered - but not silenced! They used this as an opportunity to spread the gospel. In doing so they left us an excellent example.

The church in Thessalonica has a reputation for being full of good personal workers: "And ye became followers of Lis, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing" (I Thessalonians 1:6-8). The Bible says that the word of the Lord sounded forth from them. Could the same thing be said of the local church which you and I are members of? The world isn't beating a path to the doors of the church building - therefore the word must sound forth out of it! The church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15) - not the storehouse!

Hebrews 12:1 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Some of these witnesses for us are the personal workers of the New Testament. What must they think when they see our efforts (or lack thereof)?

4. The laborers are too few. "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:36-38). The harvest is plentiful, there is no shortage of prospects for the gospel. The fields are still white for harvest. but the laborers willing to go and work in the great harvest of souls are just too few. There aren't enough people doing personal work to reach everyone who needs the gospel!

We prove that we are disciples of Jesus by producing fruit (John 15:8). A part of this fruit is souls that we bring to Christ through personal work. I have heard people say things like "You aren't going to Heaven if you don't plan on taking anyone with you." There is a lot of truth to that. Revelation 14:13 tells us that when we die we are going to rest from our labors. But the fact is - some of us won't have any labors to rest from.

We are to be doers of the word. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving you own selves. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:21-22,25). Once we have received the word we are to do it (once we have obeyed the gospel we are to proclaim it). The church is full of too many talkers and not enough doers. One has said that the church is made up of 5% who are willing_ to work 95% who are willing to let them. This may be a working arrangement--but not much work will get done.

James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." No commentary is needed on this verse. We can either be involved in personal work or we can sin.

We owe it to those who taught us, to the Lord who bought us, and to those who are dying in sin around us to be personal workers. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that you labour is not in vain in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58).

The Preceptor