This is My Task
By Aimee Semple McPherson
Evangelist and founder of
the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Preached on March 12, 1939
at Angeles Temple in Los AngelesI would like to call your attention to several scriptures and Astir you up that you may serve and glorify the Lord. Luke 2:49: And Jesus said unto them, How is it that you sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business? Also, John 4:34-36: My meat, is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work. Say not ye: There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest; behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. I sent you to reap whereon you bestowed no labor; other men labored and you have entered into their labor. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me. By no means do I feel my work is finished. I feel it has just begun. Even with ten thousand and one things to do, I feel stronger, clearer of mind, keener of vision, and filled with more inspiration than ever before. Some people think the world is so big, but in reality, it is like a little ball, which one can hold in his hand. And my task is to interest you folks to help me, to help them, to join hands around the whole world not only to help the heathen abroad, but help the heathen in Los Angeles and in America too. It is not so difficult to reach all the peoples of this world with the Gospel. To build short-wave radio stations is one of my present earnest desires, and to send out technicians to man them, and to have villages with receiving sets to amplify the sound. By Gods grace, if we can see our task and join hands, and get together, we can spread the Gospel around the world.You have no business being sick. Every one should get well, earn some money, and help send the Gospel out. Amen? If these dear students, bless their hearts, are called upon to struggle and strive and pinch pennies and make their way through school, and go out and lay their lives down for Christ, then certainly it should not be hard for us to get a good job, and give not just a tenth but give the whole business, except just what we need to keep ourselves alive. That’s what they’ll be doing out there. What’s the difference? Am I right or wrong? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
THIS IS MY TASK.
What is my task? To get the Gospel around the world in the shortest possible time, that every man, woman and child may hear before Jesus comes. You may say we will not make much headway in such and such a place. That is still a closed country. We’ll, I don’t know. By God’s grace, we are going to back a short- wave radio station right up against their boarders and shoot it over. And get some skilled men there to pick it up and amplify it. I never saw anyone in those countries that did not like to listen to a phonograph they play it over and over and over or hear a radio. Well, you may say, Maybe the government won’t let you. Well, how about letting the government broadcast the weather report and the things they want to certain hours and then we have certain hours? I think there is a way that anything can be done.
THIS IS MY TASK!
You have all heard the song: Are there any mountains to be clumb, And any oceans to be swum, You can surely count on me. With God, I can do all things. With God in you, and the people whom you can interest, by the grace of God we are going to cover the world. You may say, Sister, dear, we’re looking for Jesus. I know we are, but how long will this take? It shouldn’t take long. These are days when one can travel around the world in just a few days in an aeroplane, and sound travels around the world at a tremendous rate of speed, just a few seconds. Marvelous are the achievements of radio. As I listened to the radio recently, I was much impressed with the broadcast from Rome, as the new Pope took his office officially. I was not brought up a Roman Catholic, but I could not help but be impressed with the inauguration ceremony, especially, when they set him aside for the service he will perform, anointing his hands with oil, and administering the sacrament to him. These early Catholic traditions have been handed down, for when we ordain our young people for God’s service, the oil is used. However, we do not agree that there is one mediator between God and man and that is the Pope. We do not believe that. The Bible distinctly says Jesus Christ is the Mediator between God and man. And I was impressed as I listened to that ceremony in Rome, for it said that even the nuns took their handkerchiefs and waved and cheered and clapped for the new Pope, and the cardinals went by in great procession. I want to be one of them that when our High Priest, Jesus Christ, comes back again ...oh, if we do our task, even you stiff folks might bend and wave your handkerchiefs that day. As I listened to those nuns cheering, I thought of an experience I had in my early ministry .In one of my meetings, the power was falling and the glory of God was in the place. Next door to the church was a Convent, and the Sisters became so interested they came over to see what it was all about. People were falling under the power; and, do you know, God’s power struck them, and they went down the same way. The Mother Superior came in, and the power of God struck her too. Why, we are all the same. We all have a heart, and we all have tears. We all have sinned, and we all need a Savior. We all need the Blood, and every one of us can work for Jesus. Whether we go across the ocean or whether we stay at home.
THIS IS OUR TASK
Lord, make us soul winners, every one of us. Yea, rise to do the will of Him that sent you. Sleep no longer. Quench not the Spirit, but let the love of God be spread abroad ...that all may hear, for the days are short and the work is so great. Let the Word of God be preached in simplicity and power and Christ be exalted.
What is my task? First of all, my task must be pleasing to Christ to be emptied of self and filled with Himself. To be filled with the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit. Students, will you help me with this song?
When He calls me,
I will answer,
When He calls me,
I will answer,
I’ll be somewhere working for my Lord.
To be filled with the Spirit means to be filled with a burning desire to see other men and women saved, and to carry the Gospel around the world. Oh, there are so many people who could, but they won’t. I heard a story recently of a man who wanted a gardener. He advertised, and a friend of his sent a beautiful recommendation concerning a certain man who was a wonderful gardener. It read thus: He is capable of planting a kitchen garden; he is capable of nursing bulbs and bringing them up to fruition. He has infinite patience as a gardener. He is capable of putting in a formal garden or an old-fashioned garden ... My, that is just the man I want, exclaimed the one who wished to hire a good gardener. Casually, he turned the page, and read these three words. Those words were: "But he won’t." The man could do it but he won’t. My, how many people there are who could pray in the Prayer Tower, but they won’t. They could fill the last row in the choir, but they won’t. They could be in the illustrated sermons, but they won’t. They could be an usher, but they won’t. They could play in the orchestra, but they won’t. They could pay the way of a student, thirty-five dollars for one semester, but they won’t. They could draw money from the bank, if they wanted to do it oh, a great many people could and use that money for the advancement of His Kingdom, and help put up short-wave radio stations. Many could, but they won’t. He’s a wonderful gardener. He can plant a kitchen garden. He can plant a formal garden. He can plant an old-fashioned garden but he won’t. I wonder if it will be said of anyone of us: He could but he won’t. Just as that gardener who had such wonderful qualifications, but those three words "But he won’t" spoiled it all.
Let us be a different kind and say, I will. Maybe we can’t do it as grand as that man, but we will. Maybe I am not as oratorical as some, but I will. Maybe I am not as strong of body as some are to go to foreign lands, but I will. I do not have much to give, but I will.
You all remember the story of the little girl who flagged the fast train, do you not? She had discovered a broken rail, and she ran to the telephone and called the superintendent of the railroad, and he said, "Little girl, the train has already passed this station. Stop it in some way." She never thought to argue. She said, "I am little, but I will do my best," and she ran so fast and waved her handkerchief so hard, the engineer saw her and the train stopped and every life was saved.
THIS IS MY TASK.
It is not the great knowledge you have or how important you are, but it is your willingness to let God fill your life. In the olden days, a stagecoach was going over the Blue Ridge Mountains. A weary traveler was very amused when the cab driver asked, Do you wish to ride first, second, or third class? I will ride third class, he said, and paid the money. He looked around and saw that those who were riding first class and second class were sitting in the same compartment as he, for there was only one compartment, and he wondered about the difference of a few pennies paid by first and second class passengers. When they came to the stiff climb, the cabby applied the brakes and in stentorian tones called out, "All first class passengers keep your seats! Second class passengers get out and walk! Third class passengers get out and push!"
Friends, we may not all be first class bankers or lawyers or millionaires but we certainly can get out and push.
THIS IS MY TASK.
Let us be workers, not shirkers. I must finish my task. My brother, sister, we sing: "lf you live right, Heaven belongs to you," but living entails working for Jesus Christ, either going yourself to work for Him, or paying the way for some one else to go. Either preaching, or making it possible for someone else to preach. We are not to muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. Jesus is coming so soon.
There is work to be done, and the whole success of the last few days before He comes depends upon you and me. May God help us from shirking. Adam had a task to dress the Garden of Eden and keep it. I am sorry he failed, and the whole world has always heard of a man who failed. It doesn’t matter how rich one dies or how poor. What matters is what you give while you’re here. Did you do your task? Noah had a task a gigantic task. His task was to build an ark, an ark that would float upon the water. It had never rained upon the earth, but he built it without questioning, and men praise him to this day.
Moses had a task. God sent him to lead forth the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. A great leader he became under God. (Ex.3:9,lO)
Nehemiah had a task oh, a wonderful task. (Nehemiah 2:5) He was sent by God to rebuild the walls. He was just a little man who had a little donkey to ride on and no one believed him at first but he was so earnest and kept shouting, ‘This is my task’ so much that everyone began to believe him. When his enemies desired to consult with him, he stayed on the wall, building for God, and said, "I am doing a great work and I can’t come down." So much in earnest was Nehemiah, that soon many people rallied to help him and in no time the walls of the city were rebuilt.
THIS IS MY TASK.
I know, as God is my Judge, I don’t amount to anything in myself just a girl from a farm but I do know God has called me, and has put it into my soul to get this Foursquare Gospel around the world. By that, I do not especially mean the Foursquare denomination, but I mean a Full Gospel of Jesus the Savior, Jesus the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, Jesus the Healer, and Jesus the Coming King. The preaching of the whole word of the living God.
You may say you are la free lance Christian, that you do not believe in organization; but, may I say, when you have 188 foreign mission stations as we have, you have to have some organization or someone is going to go hungry , and the best thing to do is to have the best organization possible and let the Spirit of God have His way.
THIS IS MY TASK.
I know God has called me to do this task, just as He called others long ago, and is calling others today. I am asking you all to join with me in that work that all might hear the Word. You may not be able to go. I am asking you to send. The man who built the Brooklyn Bridge was a great architect, but it is said he was a paralytic. Day by day he would lie in his bed, propped up by his window, watching the progress of that mighty structure.
There is no excuse for us. We can all do our best, no matter how little it may be. This is my task and it is your task. I am your Sister and you are my Sister and Brother in Christ. In God’s Name, let us get together. Let’s not be blown aside by every wind of doctrine. The story is told of a man down in Arkansas whose throat became so afflicted he could not call his hogs very well, so he developed a system of having them come for their feed. He pounded on wood and they would come running to get the food. It happened that some woodpeckers came to make their homes in the trees of the orchard, and they were always around the hogs. The pigs had become accustomed to his tapping and they were always ready to eat, but he became greatly worried. Although he tapped upon the tree three times a day and fed those pigs regularly and well, they were so thin. Do what he would, when market time came, he could not expect to get much for such skinny, scrawny pigs. They never gained an ounce. As he had tried everything he could in the way of feeding them, he decided to watch the pigs. He soon discovered the reason a woodpecker would tap on a tree of the orchard, and over the pigs would run. Again, another woodpecker would tap on another tree in another part of the orchard, and over there they would run. The woodpeckers kept tapping and the pigs kept running. He then knew the reason why they were so emaciated and skinny and not worth much to others. They wore themselves out running around trying to get something different. How like some Christians they run to this place and they run to that place and will not stay put long enough to digest their food. They go here and they go there. Get some place and light. If you are going to be a Methodist, be the best Methodist you can be. If you are going to be Foursquare, be the best Foursquare member there is and don’t listen to the woodpecker. Get into the trough and get your heart filled and then let other people know.
Nehemiah finished his task and went all the way around that wall. Why can’t I go all the way around the world with your help and the Foursquare Gospel?
Jonah had a task almost a supernatural one. Surely a tremendous one. No automobile, or sky riding, or throwing out leaflets from aerplanes to help him he had to go on foot, and by God’s grace he won not only the city to God but also the king.
Paul said, "This is my task," and I hear the Macedonian call.
Mr. Booth Tucker said, when a loved one died: "I am mourning, but I must go out and go on with my task." This thing is bigger than I am. It’s bigger than my family is. It’s bigger than you are. It is the world. I don’t belong to anybody. I belong to Him, and, because I belong to Him, I belong to everybody, and you belong to me because you belong to Him. And if we Christians would ever get organized and join hands and quit punching each other and stop criticizing others, stop saying, I don’t like the way so-and-so does her hair, or I don’t like the way she wears her clothes, but begin to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and get out and do the work, we could win the world for the Lord Jesus. Martin Luther and Guttenberg had a task to print the Bible. Hide it away in bales of tea and cotton and smuggle it into England. They did it. A few people were burned at the stake for it, but that was their task.
Fox’s Book of Martyrs is well worth reading, even though I shiver every time I read it. Men were burned at the stake, but this was their task. That is why we have the King James: Version.
Mark 16:15: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Let’s all shine where we are. This is our task. And, by His grace, we will get the Gospel around the world.
Sister, it seems you are picking out a pretty big task there!
You ask, You and who else is going to do it? GOD, YOU, and I.
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