We need laborers, not loiterers. By Charles Spurgeon. Matthew 9, 37. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

The minister who does not work hard in his ministry will find it very hard work to answer for his idleness at the day of judgment. A gentleman who wants an easy life should never think of occupying the Christian ministry, for he is out of place there. And when he gets there, the only advice I can give him is to get out of it as soon as possible. And if he will not leave the position voluntarily, I call to mind the language of Jehu concerning Jezebel, fling her down. This same advice applicable to a lazy minister.

A mere idler has no right in the pulpit. He is an instrument of Satan in damning the souls of men. The ministry demands brain labor. The preacher must throw his thought into his teaching and read and study to keep his mind in good trim. He must not weary the people by telling them the truth in a stale, unprofitable manner, with nothing fresh from his own soul to give force to it.

Above all, he must put heart-work into his preaching. He must feel what he preaches. It must never be an easy thing with him to deliver a sermon. There must be soul-work in it. The entire man must be stirred up to effort, and the whole nature that God has endowed him with must be concentrated with all its vigor upon the work in hand. Such are the kind of ministers we need.

To stand and drone out a sermon in a kind of articulate snoring to a people who are somewhere between awake and asleep must be wretched work indeed. I wonder what kind of excuse will be given by some men at last for having habitually done this. to never deal with men's consciences, never to upbraid them for their sins, never to tell them of their danger, never to invite them to the Savior with tears and entreaties. What a foolish work is this! What will become of such preachers? God have mercy upon them.

We need laborers, not loiterers. We need men on fire.

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you. 1 Thessalonians 5.12.