Labor With Christ
Am I a co-laborer with Jesus Christ? What is the matter? It is because you have robbed God all through the week. You have committed robbery of God, and you have no part in His work. God help you to be converted. Some of you may be touched and say, "I don't like such straight preaching." I cannot help it if you do not. There must be somebody. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" [Isaiah 58:1]. We want your help, brethren, every soul of you.
What is the word that comes from the watchman on the walls of Zion? "The morning cometh, and also the night" [Isaiah 21:12]. Both are coming. The watchman has to give the note of warning. Every watchman on the walls is to take up the note and to sound it to the people. What do the people do--just sit and gape at the watchman? They have got, in their turn, to catch the trumpet sound, then to take it up and sound it through the churches; not call, "Watchman, come here, come here," because of this note, of this warning here in our church. Give it yourself, because you are connected with God. Give it yourself, because you are the channel of light. Catch the words all burning from the throne of God and give them to the people. That is what you are to do. Instead of quarreling about who shall be the greatest; instead of dissension, instead of strife, God help you to be converted. What you want is to become as little children.
I want heaven. Do you want it? We shall all see just how much we want it. We shall see just how much faith we have. For the Lord is coming and He is right at the door. We have but a little time to work, and if we let the world come in here and absorb all our attention and all our means, how can it be said of you in the judgment, "Enter ye in. Well done, good and faithful servant"? Where is your goodness and faithfulness? Was it on your farm? Was it in working with your hands? You can be faithful there, but you have something else to do. There is a world to be warned; there is a world to be saved; there is a sinner to be converted. While you are asleep the sinners are perishing; Satan is sowing his tares. You want to be wide awake in your churches. All heaven is interested for you; why not be interested for yourselves? "Open the door, and I will come in," said Christ. Will you open it? Will you let Him in? Will you be zealous and repent of your backsliding, your lack of love, your coldness, your indifference?
What we want is Jesus. What we want is His love. What we want is the elevation and ennobling of character. What we want is to die to self right here--not wait until some future period. We want to make the consecration here. Oh, I am so thankful that it is not too late for us to be righteous. I am so thankful we have a Jesus. I am so thankful that He is able to cleanse us from all sin! I am so thankful that I can hope for His blessing. I am so thankful that I can hide in Him now, and that I can accept His light and give it forth to others. May the Lord breathe upon us His Holy Spirit, and may we grow up into Christ, our living Head. We want this salvation today. We don't want to wait; we don't want to dispel Christ by our unbelief. We want to take right hold of Him because He has told us to do it; and He says--now listen, I want you to hear every word of it--"Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me" [Isaiah 27:5]. "Come now, and let us reason together. . . ; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" [Isaiah 1:18]
1SAT 191