Several years ago I wrote an article inviting brethren to join hands in creating and maintaining a fund for home mission work. The background of this fund was simply the recognition of a great need. It was my privilege to hear of, and to observe, a number of neglected and undeveloped fields--fields where the opportunities were indeed great. I saw these fields by simply obeying my Lord, who said: "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are already white unto harvest." John 4:35. To look is to obey Christ--but how can one look and not be stirred by that which is seen! Indeed, that is the reason, surely, that our Lord wants us to look.

      I saw the fields. I saw the need. I didn't see the means with which to send forth laborers, except by faith; and I didn't definitely see the laborers. But I saw a passage of scripture that said: "The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest that he send forth laborers into his harvest." Matt. 9:37, 38. It was Christ's passion for souls that led Him to utter this statement. He saw the multitudes, and "was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd." Matt. 9:36. And then it was, in the spirit of deep compassion, that the Lord asked His disciples to do something about the situation. And sad to say, the very thing our Lord requested his [18] disciples to do--something that every child of God can do--is the very thing that very few are doing. Jesus said: "Pray"! Pray for laborers. Pray the Lord of harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest. But I've been hearing the prayers of many brethren--godly men, too--and seldom hear any such petition as this. And I find myself to be numbered among the guilty. A sermon on this subject usually, will stir brethren to pray this petition a few times, while the message is still fresh in their memories; but soon the fires of enthusiasm die away, and we again walk in disobedience along this line.

      But as I looked on the field, and as I was stirred to renewed knowledge of the need to pray for laborers, I noted another passage of scripture that said: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent? even as it is written. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!" Now, I never did think that feet were particularly beautiful things--but here God speaks of beautiful feet. But they are beautiful because they take preachers to places where God would have them to go with a beautiful message. My! how we, the preachers, need those beautiful feet! And we can have them, whether physically beautiful or not, if only there will be an awakening on our part in this matter of taking "glad tidings of good things" to those who know not God. I recently picked up a book containing a description [19] of the zeal and sacrifice of those who led in the movement that we are now engaged in--a movement that may be starting over again, more or less. But I read that preachers everywhere left the places of ease, turned down the good paying pulpits, and struck out, taking with them no gold, or silver, or brass in their purses; no wallet, neither two coats etc.--but they proceeded on the basis of faith, and that "the laborer is worthy of his food." And many of them went hungry. But they had beautiful feet--feet that led them into the rough country, to preach in school houses and abandoned buildings wherever they could find such, and thus the message of Christ and simple New Testament Christianity was heard far and near, and rapidly spread.

      So, we need, as preachers, to be stirred to get out and preach the glad tidings. Two things are especially noticeable in the passage in Romans. Hearing, by which faith comes, 1. depends upon a preacher, and 2, upon the sending of the preachers. And it is with that conviction filling my heart that I felt led not only to pray the Lord of harvest to send forth laborers; but I felt that faith would prepare to send them forth, even before the laborers were definitely in view. And on that basis, viewed by good preaching brethren with different reactions, the cooperative Home Mission Fund came into existence. And suffice it to say: Places to use the money to good advantage on the home mission field have never been lacking, and laborers have been raised up!

      Perhaps this thought arises: "The Gospel has already been preached in Jerusalem--the home field has had its opportunity. We need not be reminded [20] to stay in Jerusalem, or to go back there; we need to be asked to out, and go into all of the world. We need to emphasize foreign missions, not home missions." Well, if this principle--"beginning at Jerusalem"-- is properly understood and applied, it contains the solution to the problem of preaching the Gospel to the whole creation. If the principle laid down by our Lord when He said: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem," had been strictly adhered to, the work of Gospel preaching in the whole world would have benefited. It is the firm conviction of your speaker that the statement, "beginning from Jerusalem" contains a principle that even now, after 2,000 years, is applicable. I am confident that it was this principle that the committee had in mind when they assigned this topic to me. Indeed, all of you would be very much surprised if I should make a literal application of the expression, "beginning from Jerusalem," and ask you brethren to drop the work that you are now doing, and move back to Jerusalem! That city needs the gospel, indeed!--but no one thinks of this topic as suggesting the thought that all Gospel preachers everywhere leave their present assignments, and go to Jerusalem. But if we accept the principle contained in the topic of this discourse, and make application thereof, we will thereby contribute toward that very purpose stated by our Lord, namely, "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations." Luke 24:47.

      So to those who make the plea that our emphasis [21] should be on foreign missions, let me suggest that if the home field were properly developed our foreign activities would be increased. The fact of the matter is: We are here in America. We are not in Africa, or Japan, or China. We are here! Maybe a few among us will go to a foreign field, but most of us have not felt led of God to go. And since we are here, in America, we have a responsibility. To insist on more activity on the foreign field is well and good; but to merely preach this while inactive and unconcerned toward the development of our own field of labor is not right. It is not enough to preach more or less professionally, and then, to case our consciences just a bit, preach an occasional sermon on foreign missions. We may even be influential enough to persuade the brethren with whom we labor to send $10 or more per month to a missionary. But if with that we are content that we have done our duty in the matter of mission work, while the home field remains undeveloped, we are sadly mistaken! We have no more taken care of our responsibilities with such a procedure than did Pilate eliminate his guilt by washing his hands! The fact is: We're still here, in our "Jerusalem." Jesus says: "beginning from Jerusalem." The word "beginning" carries with it an implication we need to notice. To say "beginning" from Jerusalem implies a preaching locally, to be sure; but it also implies that there comes a time when we go out into our "Judea and Samaria."

      Let's get down to some facts--some practical illustrations. Something like 8½ years ago I moved to Johnson City, to labor with the Locust St. church of Christ, where E. H. Hoover had done such a great [22] work. Naturally, I have felt, and still do feel, that I have some definite obligations in connection with the Locust Street church. But more than that, I regard Johnson City and the Locust Street church as my "Jerusalem"--as simply a starting point, or a radiating point, for the proclamation of the Gospel to the entire area. A few years ago a friend of mine, and brother in Christ, wrote me a letter, in which he stated that he felt that the work of located ministers was unscriptural. My reply was: "It depends upon the type of' work the located minister does." If the located minister is willing to draw his "salary," and be merely a "hired servant" who can preach only within the four walls of the church that pays the salary, I'm frank in saving that such a ministry at least borders on being unscriptural. But that if the minister uses uses home congregation--the one that "employs" him--as a base from which to preach the Gospel, and from that radiating point, goes forth as a leader to develop the field, then that is an entirely different matter. So with this latter viewpoint in mind, we have constantly prayed and watched for openings. We have entered into "open doors." Some have seemingly amounted to but little so far as definite work is concerned; but, others have been more encouraging.

      The troublesome and discouraging brotherhood issues have been ours to deal with in upper East Tennessee. Soon after going to Johnson City, the issues had to be met and dealt with locally; and the one or two open doors outside of Johnson City were tightly closed. But God has told us that "the field is the world," and therefore we could not let these [23] discouraging developments provoke us to give up. We soon secured a weekly radio program--an important way of doing what God has said do, namely, "preach the Gospel to every creature!" We prayed and watched for other openings, and soon we were privileged to conduct Bible classes in the Carter-Sell addition, where Bro. Hoover had done similar work. In that community were a few members of the Locust Street church; and soon, God blessed us with the favor of the community as a whole, which eventually, by the grace of God, led to the building of a basement church building, and the starting of another congregation. But let us bear in mind that all this was due to a small congregation's unselfish spirit of cooperation in which the loyal preacher had to take the lead! The Locust Street church was only a small congregation, undergoing unmerciful persecution by some opposing forces. Could she afford to spare about 20 people (counting children) as a nucleus to start a new work, especially when it could be argued that the people in the Carter-Sell addition could, if sufficiently interested, drive into Johnson City to worship? Humanly speaking, the answer would likely have been, "no"; and right there is where home mission work has bogged down! Selfishness and faithlessness, characteristics of the natural man, take hold, and usually win the victory. And too many times, the preacher is the leader! The need and opportunity of starting a new work is seen--but we do not want to diminish the original congregation in, order to start a new work! The spirit of sacrifice is lacking, and faith is weak. No doubt, we had some who felt like that; but significantly enough, God seemed [24] to immediately show His hand of favor upon us in the new endeavor: the very first Sunday that we met in the Carter-Sell addition, more people were present for Sunday School at the Locust Street church than usual, and in addition to the 20 we used as a nucleus, we gained another 20!

      But let me get down to the main point I have in mind, namely, that proper development of the home field intensifies world-wide missions, rather than hinders. Notice that I said, "PROPER development of the home field." Again, I use the local field of labor that God has given me as an example, because I know about this field better than others; and because I have seen this truth demonstrated in our midst. About 8½ years ago when I moved to Johnson City, so far as I know, not a dime was going to "foreign" mission work, or to mission work in any outside area. Today, about $50.00 or $60.00 goes monthly. The Locust Street church has been giving to home mission work (La. and Fla.) for several years, and recently adopted the policy of giving 10% of total offerings to mission work, which includes a monthly gift to Africa (Vernon Lawyer). But more than that, the new congregation, with an unfinished church building, also gives 10% or total offerings to mission work, the whole amount going to Vernon Lawyer in Africa. So my point is: If we will begin, each of us, in our own Jerusalem, and preach the gospel right there, and then on out to outlying areas, if the churches are properly taught from the beginning, we are increasing the very thing that we have in mind: the work throughout the whole world! Recently I read of a church that was about to [25] completely die. Some one suggested that this congregation take an interest in the Lord's work outside of its own four-walls. The brethren accepted the suggestion, agreed to spend 10% of total offerings on such work, and soon this dying church came to life, and was, in the process of personal revival, spreading the gospel to other points!

      Frankly, I'm afraid we preachers are guilty, perhaps unconsciously, of too much professionalism. We are satisfied to preach within the four-walls of the building in which worships the congregation that employs us, and not properly concerned with our Judea, and Samaria. If we can be awakened to an interest in our own Judea and Samaria, then we will be well on the road to "the uttermost parts of the earth." But not only do I fear that we lack proper interest in developing the areas in which we labor, I also fear that when we do establish new congregations we are guilty of molding the characters, and dispositions and attitudes of said congregations much like many modern parents raise their children. We spoil and pamper them along, taking the position that the work is new, few in number, and weak financially. Then having taken that position, we agree with them that they need all they can raise, and more too, right at home. So these new congregations begin with the spirit of selfishness, and then never get over it! When they have grown and developed, we then proceed to preach strong sermons on the importance of sending forth workers, and find that our efforts seem in vain. We discover the truth of the old saying, "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks." The writer of Proverbs said: "Train up a child in the way he should go, [26] and even when he is old he will not depart from it." The same thing applies to churches: "Train up a church in the way it should go, and even when it is old it will not depart from it!"

      One complaint I've heard, and worthy of consideration, is that in too many instances we've regarded mission points on the home field as mere experimental stations--as points to develop the inexperienced preachers. Just a moment of thought shows the fallacy of such a procedure. To be sure, inexperienced workers can be used, as helpers and assistants; but mission points most certainly ought to be under the direction of experienced, Spirit-filled servants of the Lord. Such points usually consist, in the main, of folk who are weak (although a very faithful few may form the nucleus), and the field is usually most difficult. If more of our experienced preachers would give attention to the mission points, and personally take the lead, instead of regarding such points as mere training points for inexperienced workers, our mission points might develop more rapidly. The older, more fully developed congregations would surely suffer less with the inexperienced workers than would the mission points.

      So, in conclusion, let me say again: "The field is the world." To emphasize foreign fields is good and proper. But when such becomes nothing but a screen behind which to hide, our position is dangerous. And we can make some sad mistakes. Here is a case in point: Recently a congregation discontinued a monthly sum that was going to a home mission worker in favor of another man on a foreign field. Certainly, your speaker does not object to [27] supporting the worker on the foreign field. The fact of the matter is, your speaker has been used of God to raise between $30.00 and $40.00 per month for this very same foreign mission worker! But the point is: We did not cut out a local mission worker's support, and divert said support to a foreign worker! To "rob Peter to pay Paul" is not a very workable plan. We simply decided to give additional support to the foreign worker. In the case that I am referring to, a married man, working on a difficult mission field, living on about $100.00 per month (and living in a trailer in order to make that possible), suffered the loss of a monthly sum in order that another man, already receiving more than the local worker, (and sometimes doubling and tripling it) might have said sum. The decision, so far as your speaker could determine, was unwise. Yes, we must support mission workers on foreign fields--and to that end let us all work. But if we do not develop Judea and Samaria, we are just as unscriptural as those who do that only; and if we fail to properly develop Judea and Samaria, we are improperly interested in the souls of men, and we have neglected our most effective method of enlarging our ability to send forth the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. Let those of us who remain on the home field feel our responsibility more keenly toward developing it. [28]

[LM 18-28]