Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:14, 15

"In the training of the [workers] the example of the Saviour's life is far more effective than any mere doctrinal instruction. If this was true of the early disciples, how much more important that we spend time looking at the life of the Master"?

What is more important than the teaching of doctrines in the training of workers?

"Calling the twelve about about Him, Jesus bade them go out two and two through the towns and villages. None were sent forth alone, but brother was associated with brother, friend with friend. Thus they could help and encourage one another, counseling and praying together, each one's strength supplementing the others weakness. It was the Saviour's purpose that the messengers of the gospel should be associated in this way. In our own time evangelistic work would be far more successful if this example were more closely followed."

What was the Saviour's purpose in having workers teamed together?

"The followers of Christ are to labor as He did. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted. The love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in reforming the evildoer than will be the sword or the court of justice. Through His servants, God designs that the sick, the unfortunate, those possessed of evil spirits, shall hear His voice. Through His human agencies He desires to be a Comforter such as the world knows not."

What does God design to accomplish through His workers?

"As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. We are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a saviour of our activity. We need to look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. This is the effectual preparation for all who labour for God."

What danger is there in increased activity in religious lines?

What work only will, in the end, prove to be acceptable to God?

"Nothing must be allowed to divert our minds from the great work, or in any way excite opposition and close the door for further labor.

"The message we have to bear is the word of eternal life, and the destiny of men depended upon their reception or rejection of it."

Can you honestly say the message you bear is a life or death message? Do you know for yourself the words of eternal life?

"'Behold,' said Jesus, "I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Christ Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced sin and apostasy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes."

List 5 principles of how Christ spoke to those He ministered to.

What does it mean when it says Christ did not censure human weakness? Should we not rebuke sin?

"The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or the still showers that refresh the withering plants. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. But God's servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ. They are to fix their eyes upon His loveliness. Then they can present the gospel with divine tact and gentleness. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provocation will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any argument, however forcible."

What are the servants of Christ not to do?

What does Satan want the servants of Christ to do?

What will speak most effectively for the truth? 

"Those who are brought in controversy with the enemies of truth have to meet, not only men, but Satan and his agents. Let us rest in the love of God, and the spirit will be kept calm, even under personal abuse."

How can we remain calm even under abuse?

"God is dishonored and the gospel is betrayed when His servants depend on the counsel of men who are not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. Those who rely upon it will surely err."

How is God dishonored?

"Jesus never purchased peace by compromise. His heart overflowed with love for the whole human race, but He was never indulgent to their sins. He was too much their friend to remain silent while they were pursuing a course that would ruin their souls,—the souls He had purchased with His own blood. The servants of Christ are called to do the same work, and they should beware lest, in seeking to prevent discord, they surrender the truth. Real peace can never be secured by compromising principle. And no man can be true to principle without exciting opposition. A Christianity that is spiritual will be opposed by the children of disobedience."

What work are we called to do?

What kind of Christianity will meet with opposition?

"The servant is not above his Master. The Prince of heaven was called Beelzebub, and we will be misrepresented in like manner. Opposition is the lot of all whom God employs to present truths specially applicable to their time. Those who present the truth for this time should not expect to be received with greater favor than were the earlier reformers. Those who preach the word of God in its purity will be received with no greater favor now than then. The forms of opposition to the truth may change, the enmity may be less open because it is more subtle; but the same antagonism still exists and will be manifested to the end of time."

Opposition is the lot of who?

If we preach the word in purity and truth, what can we expect?

"The servants of Christ are to prepare no set speech to present when brought to trial, [or accused]. Our preparation was to be made day by day in treasuring up the precious truths of God's word, and through prayer strengthening their faith. A daily, earnest striving to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, would bring power and efficiency to the soul. The knowledge obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures would be flashed into the memory at the right time. But if any had neglected to acquaint themselves with the words of Christ, if we had never tested the power of His grace in trial, we could not expect that the Holy Spirit would bring His words to their remembrance. We were to serve God daily with undivided affection, and then trust Him."

How is our preparation for crisis and trial to be made?

"Jesus said, as you confess Me before men, so I will confess you before God and the holy angels. You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world.

He who would confess Christ must have Christ in him. We cannot communicate that which we have not received. We might speak fluently on doctrines, we might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless we possess Christlike meekness and love, we are not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. We may deny Him by shunning life's burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasures. We may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of our own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways we declare that Christ is not in us."

Even though we speak fluently on doctrine and even repeat the words of Jesus, what must we possess to truly confess Him?

List some ways we may deny Christ.

"The Saviour has bade us not to hope that the worlds enmity to the gospel would be overcome, and that after a time its opposition would cease. He said, "I came not to send peace, but a sword." This creating of strife is not the effect of the gospel, but the result of opposition to it. Of all persecution the hardest to bear is variance in the home, the estrangement of dearest earthly friends. But Jesus declares, "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me." The mission of Christ's servants is a high honor, and a sacred trust.

"Now the Saviour has ended His instructions. In the name of Christ we are to go out as He had done. "To preach the gospel to the poor…to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Luke 4:18, 19."

Why is it that strife is created by the preaching of the gospel?

What opposition is the hardest to bear? And what was Christ's counsel in regards to that opposition?

Excerpts from Desire of Ages, chapter 37. See also Desire of Ages, pp. 252, 253;152, 455.