The Problem of Wastage
THE PROBLEM OF WASTAGE
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather. up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost, Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained. over and above unto them that had eaten,” John 6.12,13).
I want you to notice something about the “fragments” mentioned here, Why did the Lord give that command to the disciples to gather the fragments? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself went into the mountain, while the disciples got into the boat. But what happened to the fragments? It is quite possible that they were taken by the people of that multitude, to prove to their friends and loved ones at home, that they had been with the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they had received a blessing.
But my point this evening is, that our Lord does not like wastage, and that is why He commanded that nothing be lost. If He was so particular about those fragments left behind, how much more is He particular about our time, money and energy! When we look at our lives, we have to admit that much of our time is being wasted, much of our. money is being mis-spent, and much of our energy is dissipated. Let us examine ourselves,
When I began my ministry in India in 1933,I thought I ' would please God by spending all the time I possibly could in giving the Gospel everywhere J went. I would begin early - in the morning by filling my pockets with Gospels and tracts, and with books in my arms, I would po from shop to shop, street to street, person to person, and give them out freely. I would hold open-air meetings twice a day, and cottage meetings every evening. I worked very hard. This went on for six months. But I saw no results. I consoled myself in thinking I had done my duty and in doing so had often missed my lunch and tea, but I was at a standstill, I was not growing spiritually. So when I prayed, “Lord, what is wrong with me?” the Lord showed me that I was serving Him in my own strength and wisdom, and that J was wasting time. He showed me how J had cut short my quiet time both morning and evening in order to be out serving. I repented of my negligence and determined that I, would wait for the Lord’s plan first before going out. I wanted to see fruit.
I had been praying for three hours, when the Lord told; me that I was to go to “Soldiers’ Bazaar”. I called my friends and told them that God had given us the plan for the day, and that we were to go to Soldiers’ Bazaar that day. They argued, “Do you know how far it is? It is four miles away.. Now it is ten o’clock.. It is the midday sun.. Let us go tomorrow.” I said, “No, God said I must go now—in Soldiers’ Bazaar there is somebody waiting for the Lord”.
There were no buses, so we walked. After an hour and a half we reached the place, and in an open space we began to sing and to preach. A man came out of his shop and said “Look here, I am a Mohammadan-—this is my shop—and I will nét allow you Christians to preach here”. I told him that there was no compulsion and that he was accountable to God on the Judgement day, if he rejected Him. We moved on to another place, and began to sing and preach. Then came a policeman. He too refused us permission to, stand there and preach.
Then I prayed, ‘Lord, you sent us to Soldiers’ Bazaar, but nobody wants us’. And again the Lord said, ‘You go further’, We went further and had finished the message ‘ when a young Hindu came to me, who was a college graduate from the Punjab. I discovered that he had been going about searching for peace for the past four years. He had gone on many pilgrimages to various parts of India, but was disappointed. He said “I was saying only yesterday, I wish I could meet some good Christian, who could help me. I know God has sent you here today.”
The Lord gave us souls every day—not only one, but many, among the Sikhs and Hindus, as well as the Mohammadans. That is how God began to give me fruit. He expects us to see fruit.
The same principle applies in our use of money also. Do. we misuse our money?
In the olden days, I would carry many coins in my pockets, because I was in the habit of giving to anyone who ‘ would ask me for money. But one day, when I gave, God spoke to me, and said, “It is not your money, it is Mine. Who are you to spend My money.” From that day, I decided never to spend even one paisa without asking God’s permission.
Your time and your money both belong to God. I never regard money as my own, I never buy anything until J am sure God has a purpose in my spending the money.
I remember in America I needed a haircut. I had the money, but the Lord never gave me any freedom to get it cut. I kept praying for three weeks, while my hair was getting very long.
I came to Minneapolis, and the Lord told me to.go downstairs to the barbershop where I would get a good hair-cut. And while the barber was cutting ny hairs, I asked him,. “Mr. Bruce, can you tell me whether you are born again?” He said, “No, but I want to be”. So after he finished, I took my Bible and explained the way to him. He knelt down and accepted the Lord, He refused to give me the bill; so the, Lord gave me a hair-cut and also the privilege to lead the barber to Himself,
I believe from God's Word that we will have t give account for our time and money.
The year 1936 was the beginning of a mighty move of the Spirit which took place in seven places in the Punjab. The first of these began in Pathankot: Even in the wake of such an ingathering of souls, God had more to teach me about waste.
In Pathankot, it was arranged that I should take five meetings. I agreed to do so, though I did not feel well. In fact, I had fever, headache and cough. When f came to my room that night, I was feeling very tired, and still quite sick; and so without much prayer I went to sleep, At midnight ‘ there was a very clear knock at the door. This knock I heard three different times, but no one answered my call. Then it occurred to me to pray, ‘Lard tell me, what is it?’ And the > Lord answered me clearly, ‘Get up and pray.. Get up and pray’. I was so tired, but I got down and prayed. This went on for five nights. After the Sunday evening meeting, when the people were going home, I called them back and said, “I believe there is someone here who wants to give a testimony, and please feel free: to give a word if God has spoken to you.” A small girl of about 10 years stood and-said very clearly and simply that the Lord Jesus Christ had met her and changed her, and forgiven her sins. Then the second and third, until about ten girls of the same age testified of how God had uncovered their sins, and how they were assured of His forgiveness. They all came from a Girls’ School nearby.
A teacher of this Girls’ School said to me. “Brother, this is too good to be true. Will you kindly pray that the blessing may continue!”” As we began to pray, it seemed as though people were being beaten with a leather whip—they. were ’ crying out with tears for mercy, Others were hiding under chairs and benches—trembling! People were under conviction of sin..
This went on for some time. Then I asked, “How many here have never been born again?” About thirty to forty hands went up. “We are not going 10 go home until you are ali born again’; f said. We went on praying and singing till 3 o'clock in the morning—the meeting had begun at 4 o'clock that afternoon. By that time others began to testify with shining faces what God had done for them.
This was the beginning of revival, and God continued to work in power in Patamalu, Sialkot, Montgomery and Sargodha. Then I had six.days of meetings in Yangstabad, in the Punjab.
While there, a man from Martinpur, a place nearby, came and prevailed upon me to spend at least a day with them. It was a Christian village, and he wanted me to have some meetings there. I excused myself, and told him I was not free to go.
You see, I had heard of the bad reputation of this place, and the sinful state of the local church. There were about one hundred and ten families standing in opposition to the pastor; and about ninety-five families who were with him, and the remaining fifty-five were neutral—so there were three parties. One party would be having their service inside, while the other would be having a service outside the church building. And there would be someone appointed with a long stick to direct people into the right meeting! I understand that when certain members of the presbytery were sent to decide that dispute, they fell violently ill, and were suspected to have eaten poison. So they cleared out! I was terrified to go, and told him that it was not my job, and that he had better call someone who had some experience in those things. But in the end I went.
We had meetings in the open field for seven days, and; people came, but mostly to ridicule. I saw their sin: making and selling liquor, kidnapping and selling girls—it was the worst kind of sin. I had seven sleepless nights, crying to God: ‘O God, is there any hope for people like these?’ I admit I was discouraged, and i told them that night standing in the field, “This is my last meeting-I am going away tomorrow.”
We were having the last prayer, and as I was praying, somebody suddenly fell on his face before me, as though he had been bitten by a scorpion. Then one after another, people were seen falling to the ground crying out for mercy. I saw with my own eyes, people throwing dust into their faces, beating their chests, and pulling on their hair. After three hours of this, the elders came beseeching me to stop it. I said, “I didn’t start it.. ask God to stop it”.
This was the nature of the revival which spread from Punjab to Poona, Kedgaon, Indore, Mhow, Jhansi and in, Agra, We saw hundreds come under conviction by the Spirit, confess their sins and be saved. We would stay for three to five weeks in each place having cottage meetings, Bible studies, and going out in processions selling gospels. But. when I would return to those places after a few months, I would find to my great disappointment that a very small number were really going on with the Lord—the majority of them had gone back.
, On seeing this, my first thought was: Whose fault is this? After all I am only an evangelist. I have given them the Gospel. I have done my duty. I have instructed them how to follow the Word. If the local people fail in their responsibility, they will have to give account to God! For some time I left others to carry on the work, even though people were sadly backsliding.
But God began to show me that as evangelists, we are not only responsible for their conversion, but also for their growth. Are they not our children, and if so, must we not be prepared to shepherd them? For all the teaching we had given, working hard in prayer and Bible study, we did not see much growth. There was wastage.
I had to acknowledge that J had failed them and that I was to blame. These people were truly born-again, and naturally they would look to us for guidance. We were responsible to lead them on and bring them into maturity and into the plan of God. I saw this truth very clearly from Ephesians 411-14.
“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ... That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
l saw that many of the new converts were either deceived by wrong doctrine or by worldly attractions: or they were deceived by their relatives into marriages which Jed them ‘ away from God. ‘But according to this passage of Scripture, it is the duty of apostles, prophets and evangelists and teachers to see that new converts are properly cared for and brought into maturity.
Until the year 1940 I was under the impression that our duty was just to preach the Gospel, and leave the results to others, as God might see fit to lead them. But this is not God’s order and there is much waste if we ignore God's order.
Let us look again at Ephesians 4.8-12, because here we are made to understand clearly that God's burden is the Church in its full expression. The five-fold gifts are given by our Lord to the Church, and not just lo a certain group. And it is our privilege to ask for these gifts. Just as we ask God to move in revival, so we must ask Him for blessings such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, which, when they function together, establish the believers on a strong foundation.
So I began to see that it was our fault that we were not seeing these gifts manifested among those who were being, born again. We had not asked God for these gifts.
Apostles are given authority to establish churches, appointing those called of God for the work of the ministry.
Prophets are those who find the mind of God and declare it to the Church.
Evangelists have the main responsibility of preaching the Gospel, and bringing unbelievers to repentance and salvation.
Teachers reach people of all classes, and with patience, sympathy and kindness instruct them in the Ward,
Pastors are like fathers and mothers, nurses and shepherds. They hive the care and oversight of the flock of God.
All these pitts can only function effectively when they we Together ane al by themselves,
At first I was going about as an independent evangelist. There were about twelve im our party, and at that time we, were stay i Coonoor, We had made plans lo visit the tea estates with the Gospel. Everything was arranged, and we were wBOLE Tago out when the Lord spoke to me again from. I Corinthians 3.10,
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, uS it Wise Master-builder TP have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”
“Are you building on a strong foundation?” This is what God kept saying to me. So we had no campaign for over two months, We had been haphazardly praying: ‘Lord, shew us Thy plan’. Now ft can thank God how He has taught us, and how we are sen people coming into maturity and exercising their wits,
Tn Acts 1.19226, we can see God's order fur the Church slowly being revealed. It begun at Antioch. Up till then the Gospel was preached to the Jews only. Strangers of Cyrene and Cyprus had come to Antioch and began ta preach to the Grecians. The result was that a great number believed; and turned to the Lord. because the Hand of the Lord was upon them,
The church in Jerusalem then sent Barnabas, who was ‘ reckoned one among the prophets and teachers, to go there. When he got there, he witnessed the grace of God working mightily. But we find Barnabas straightaway feeling the: need for someone else to help him: so he went and brought Saul, an apostle, to labour with him in Antioch. However mightily the work first began, if could not be established by itself. Te needed the full function of the apostles, prophets and teachers: and we see from verse 27, that the prophets and the apostles were being brought together for the work of the Body of Christ.;
There followed not only the famine, but also great persecution in Jerusalem. When Barnabas and Saul were sent by the church to bring relief to them. they discovered that James had been killed and Peter was in prison. The church was in continuous prayer for Peter that he might be delivered,
I can imagine both Saul and Barnabas joining in that prayer meeting—a wonderful prayer meeting! They must have been given a new revelation of the Church at prayer, Going back to Antioch, they were able to impart to the believers there this same burden for prayer.
From here there comes a change as we see in Acts 13.23. That is, the responsibility for guidance no longer belonged to Paul and Barnabas, nor were they left to govern themselves. Now the mind of God for Barnabas and Paul became the burden of the Church, and by the Holy Spirit was being revealed to the Church. #t became the duty of the Church to pray, lay hands on them, and send them away for a ministry elsewhere.
How beautifully we see God's order carried out as we move on iv see what happened in Acts 14.21-28. The apostles moved about from place to place, and men of every class were being raised up: and the apostles ordained elders in every church.
They did not return to Jerusalem, but to Antioch, be-: cause that was where God’s order was first revealed, and that was where they were first “recommended tu the grace pf God for the work which they had fulfilled.” And when they were come, they gathered the church, and rehearsed all that God had done. '
So, in spite of persecution, trials and hardships, the churches were established. They were not depending upon human qualifications or directions, but upon the Holy Spirit.
Whenever we want to come into God’s plan, the devil will fight fiercely. We find evidence of this in Exodus 32.1-8, when God in the Mount was giving Moses the pattern of the Tabernacle, The people fell into sin and rebelled by making themselves other gods.;
When God performed miracles, the devil was quiet, but when God was showing His heavenly pattern, the devil was furious.
Now the devil seeks to prevent us and attack us when we come into the heavenly plan. He will nat mind if we go on doing what we think is best. [t is only when we want to work God's perfect order, that the devil will create difficulties which are hard to overcome.
I have seen so many new converts go astray because they have never come into church-life. They have been fathered by a few persons only. None of us can bear this burden alone. God has given this burden to the Church.
Now IF would like you to see the example given in Revelation 1.10-16. As you know, the book of Revelation is a message given by the Lord Jesus Christ to John the apostle. About A.D. 95, John, now an aged man of God, was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos for the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
As an apostle he was downcast as he saw the persecuted people of God scattered, and remembered: the many who were killed. He was puzzled and questioned: ‘Lord what next? Jéso many of Thy chosen apostles are in prison, what is going to happen to Thy Church?’
Then, on the Lord’s Day, as John was praying in the Spirit, he heard a Voice from behind; and he turned round to see who was speaking.
Why did not the Lord stead of from behind him? This is my question: Was it not because John was looking in the wrong direction? That is no doubt why he became discouraged. And the Lord Jesus was saying to John: ‘John. you are looking in the wrong direction: turn round. and get a new perspective’.
The first thing John saw was the seven golden candlesticks. You might think that he should see the Lord Jesus Christ first. But no! In verses 12 and 13 we are told that he saw the seven golden candlesticks first, and the Lord Jesus. Christ, in a high-priestly garment, walking in the midst of the candlesticks, {I is as af the Lord were saying: ‘John, if you want to see Me walking and working, you can only see, it in My Church. You will not see Me through signs and miracles: but you will see Me in My Church’.
The Lord is not building denominations. He is not building societies, He iy not building a group, or a fellowship. He is building His Church.
Believers must be warned again and again about denominational practices, rites, customs and traditions. They bring blindness. They do not make us aware of the purpose of God in saving us, and making us one family. and one Church. He wants uy to be one Church, and not just a few scattered believers.
On the Lord’s Day. we gather at the Lord’s table, and our attention is fixed upon the Lord. We worship Him. We uphold Him And yet, among the denominations, this very same table is the means of contention, and quarrels and strife!
We must ourselves know what the Church is, before we can he on Church-ground. There are very few Christians in England and America who pray for their missionaries; a few. individuals may. but the church has no burden to pray for those who are sent out from them. They will give any amount of money, and they will send parcels at Christmas time; but they cannot find time to pray for them, and that is why you find so many missionaries on the foreign field being attacked by the devil. Some may. pray generally: “Lord, watch over them, protect them. and give them good health, and supply their needs.” But they cannot realize how many tricks the devil uses to attack them. The devil comes very subtly, because he knows they are exposed.
We have to come on Church-around to be protected from the Enemy's attack. Spiritual power and fulness is in the Church (Eph.1.22.23). It is the Church which shows God's manifold wisdom to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph.3.10). The power to bind Satan is given to the ‘ Church (Matt.18.19), Asa Church we can rebuke and bind Satan: and that is why we need a praying Church behind us!
We see from Scripture that in the end days, the devil wall ‘ be more furious against God's servants. and I feel very strongly that we must endeavour to remain on Church ground, otherwise we are bound to be divided and our labour wasted.