Read Isaiah 58. This week we studied in detail the missionary nature of the church and how our election is for the purpose of service. Such service is beautifully yet practically described in this chapter.
"I have been instructed to refer our people to the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. Read this chapter carefully and understand the kind of ministry that will bring life into the churches.... When you meet suffering souls who need help, give it to them. When you find those who are hungry, feed them. In doing this you will be working in the lines of Christ's ministry. The Master's holy work was a benevolent work. Let our people everywhere be encouraged to have a part in it."
"The union of Christlike work for the body and Christlike work for the soul is the true interpretation of the gospel." --Welfare Ministry, pp. 29, 33. (Also read "To Meet the Bridegroom," Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 415-419.)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Isaiah 58:13, 14 urges God's people to keep the Sabbath. How can doing so help us to assist suffering humanity?
2. Discuss specific ways you can share the three angles messages in your community while carrying out type of service described in Isaiah 58. Give special consideration to problems and issues that are affecting individuals in your part of the world.
3. Why is the following statement true? "If left to itself, a church will inevitably spend most of its time and energy taking care of itself." What can your church do to avoid this problem?
SUMMARY: The church, by its very nature and design in the Lord's plan, is a dynamic missionary enterprise that encompasses all humanity. Throughout the Bible it is pictured as such. Evangelization is the core of all the church's activities.