Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-04-13
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.


Topic For the Week BEGINNING April II.
Comment by Rev. :. II. Doyle.
ToPIC.-Lcssons from great missionaries. S.
Acts xiii, Is, 1913, - 80.
Christianity is essentially a mission
airy religion. The mission of the Chris
tian church, as marked out by its Head
and Founder. is worldwide mission.
All nations are to be led to Christ, and
the only way by which this can be done
is for the disciples of Christ to go ~
missionaries and tell all men the story
of Jesus and His love. This has been
done from the earliest days of Chris
tianity This thirteenth chapter of the
Acts of the Apostles tells the story of
the origin and beginning of the first
great missionary movement under the
Holy Ghost and Paul, by which the
Roman empire was to be led TO Christ
Paul was the greatest of the early fol-
lowers of Christ. He conSecrated his
life to missions Many of Christianity
great men have dene the same thing
since From their lives we may learn
useful and important lessons as to what
is necessary to successfully carry for
ward God S work, whether at home or
abroad.
/. From great missionaries we may
learn to submit ourselves to God. This
is characteristic Of all great mission
aries. They submitted themselves en-
tirely to God They Were guided by the
Holy Ghost. In the origin Of Christian
missions the Holy Ghost said to the
church at Antioch, Separate Me Bar
nabas and Saul for the work whereunto
! have called them" The church sub
mitted. Barnabas and Saul submitted
After fasting and prayer and the laying
on of hands Barnabas and Saul were
sent away After listening to mission
airy address when a young man IN Eng
land Robert Moffat, the great mission
airy, went home to his room and prayed
that if it were Gods will he would send
him forth to preach the gospel to the
heather. He found it was Gods will
and gladly went forth. Entire surrender
to God is necessary prerequisite to
successful work for God.
2. From great missionaries we may
learn to be willing to labor in new and
uncultivated fields. Barnabas and Saul
carried the gospel where it had not
been before. Paul afterward declared
that he built upon no other mans foun-
dation. 1t is recorded III the life of Liv-
ingstone that early he showed "a fixed
determination not to labor in more ac
cessible fields, but to- strike out be
yond" To strike out beyond requires
courage, self sacrifice, willingness to do
hard work, but it pays i'll the end, and
We should be willing to do it. In his
first striking out into the inland of
Africa Robert Motfat lived for six
months alone in a rude hut. In this
hut, says the historian, he remained,
exposed to the sun, rain, dogs, snakes
and cattle, doing his own sewing and
cooking and often having nothing to
cook, consoling himself With his violin
and Scotch psalms, bat with all his
hardships maintaining regular day
schools and preaching services. . And
God blessed his arduous, self sacrificing
toll. God will bless Us If we are will
ing to do the hardest work for Christ.
Bible Readings. lisa lii, :; Nah. i,
10; Math. V, H. II; xviii. 1920;
Rom. tx, 10; Y, il, 10; Acts i, 6-l4;
viii, 26-40; XIV, %, %; xvi, sig, |
Cor iii, $40; ix. 1922; II Cor. ri, 23
33; II Tim. iv, 6-s; Heb. Vi, 1910.