The Layman’s Place in the Church
The Layman’s Place in the Church
INTRODUCTION One reason for the failure of modern churches is that they become a one-man affair. The pew-sitter leaves the work of evangelism, preaching, teaching, visiting, to the preacher. This has never been God’s order. God’s order has always been that every Christian should be a witness. Acts 1:8 "...and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
John Wesley: "We are all at it (Evangelism) and at it always." This was the secret of the Moravian and Wesleyan revivals.
Layman: A person not of the clergy, one of the laity. Ordinary member of the church. The word does not appear in the Scriptures. It is a term that has arisen with the elevation of the clergy. The answer to the problem of getting the ordinary church member to do personal evangelism is revival. The reason that we find personal evangelism so hard is that we are spiritually cold. At Pentecost there were 120 praying but only a few of these were members of the clergy (the eleven disciples). There were women present also. At Pentecost they preached in over 20 languages, so more than the disciples preached.
Acts 8:4, "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word." It seems that the clergy stayed in Jerusalem and the laity were the ones out preaching. Therefore it behooves each church member, each Christian, to be active for Christ.
HOW LAYMEN CAN PREPARE THEMSELVES TO BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES
By doing what she could. This is the story of Mary of Bethany in Mark 14:3-9.
The Lord asks you to use the talents that He has given you. Matthew 25:15, "And unto one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man (me too) according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." The Lord does not ask us to be another Billy Graham. I must be Alban Douglas. As we use our talents they and others will develop. Man with five talents gained five more.
By prayer. Story of quiet praying of the two retired spinsters aged 82 and 84 who faithfully prayed and received the revival in the Hebrides in October, 1951.
By Bible study. Perhaps the opportunity will come to answer a perplexing question authoritatively from the Bible. You need not be a lawyer-just a witness.
By seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He knows the hearts of others, their needs and problems and can arrange "accidental" meetings for us.
By a quiet, consistent Christian testimony. Eventually our unsaved friends will come to us in time of need. Perhaps to visit a dying person at midnight, Luke 11:5.
By living out the preacher’s sermon. Sinners listen to the preacher and then look to you, an ordinary layman, for the practical outworking in the daily life.
By watching senior Christians. They will soon pass on and you will inherit their responsibilities. What a tremendous responsibility rests on us senior Christians.
By attempting small tasks first. Later as you become proficient (or semi-proficient) in these, you can expand your activities (testimony, Y.P. message, preaching, campaigns).
By reading biographies and autobiographies of others. Goforth of China was spurred on by reading the revival stories of Finney. Many by Hudson Taylor books.
By practice. You will never learn by listening to lectures or reading books only.
EFFECTIVE WAYS FOR LAYMEN TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL
By bringing people to church in our car, paying jeep fares or accompanying them in a kalesa to church, or by being willing to walk with a classmate.
Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus, John 1:40-42.
Andrew brought the boy with the five loaves and two fishes to Jesus, John 6:8-9.
Andrew brought certain Greeks to Jesus, John 12:20-22.
By joining the Philippines Bible Society and helping them in their great work.
By joining the Gideons to distribute Bibles in hotels and schools in the Philippines.
By joining the Christian Business Men’s organization, the Women’s Missionary Society or other Christian organizations to assist the cause of Missions or Christian work.
By giving your money for missions at home and abroad. Story of R. G. Le-Tourneau.
By encouraging your pastor. Help him to keep actively fighting the battle. He, too, may become discouraged. Encourage him occasionally with a compliment, smile, handshake.
By organizing a Sunday School or Bible class in your home for the children on your street. Perhaps the Youth Gospel Centre could supply a teacher.
If time and talents permit, teach a Sunday School class. Tell your Superintendent that you are available as a substitute teacher at first, perhaps.
In campaigns be a good "inviter" of others. Don’t be discouraged if they say, "yes, yes," but don’t come. Be cheerful and keep inviting them again and again.
By organizing and leading a prayer meeting in your home to pray for revival, etc.
By a quiet invitation to the one next to you to receive Christ in a campaign.
The evangelist gives the invitation publicly. You give it personally. This is the secret of the personal touch which is quite irresistible.
By being willing to walk up the aisles with the penitents and stand with them at the front.
By being a counsellor or helper. Be willing to share your testimony and point the sinner to Jesus Christ. Do not be afraid. You will learn by watching and doing.
By the use of good tracts. They are cheap but attractive and very effective and are readily accepted in the Philippines.
By conversing about the Bible, turning a conversation in the beauty parlor or barber shop to the things of the Lord and the Truth as found in the Bible. Evan Roberts was a coal miner but an ardent student of the Scriptures and led Wales in the 1905 revival.
By sharing your testimony. Tell about answers to prayer that you have just received.
Psalms 50:15 , "And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." We can best glorify HIM by quietly telling the story .
By a comforting ministry to the bereaved. This can be very effective if tact is used.
Choose appropriate tracts, flowers, Christian literature, run errands for the sick.
By giving food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, visiting jails.
Matthew 25:34-36, "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me."
By caring for the fatherless (orphans) and widows. James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. "
By radiating happiness. Story of shoemaker measuring a lady’s foot. He was very happy. She was a rich society woman, a friend of royalty, but very sad.
"Why are you so happy?" "Jesus has forgiven all my sins and put a song in my heart." The woman was convicted and later converted. Witnessed to many of noble birth including the Emperor of Russia.
By preaching when the pastor is sick or on leave. John Wesley listened four nights to a carpenter in Herrnhut in Germany during the Moravian revival.
By singing. Mr. Sankey controlled and quieted crowds that the great D. L. Moody could not handle. Sing in the choir or sing solos if God has given you that talent.
By painting a picture. The story of Stensburg’s painting that led to Zinzendorfs consecration and the Moravian revival in 1727.
By doing what we can, as best as we can, all the time.
CONCLUSION
Then some day we will hear the words of Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23, "His Lord said unto him, WELL DONE , GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT; THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS: ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD." In Matthew 25:21 it was said to the man that was faithful with five talents. In verse 23 it was said to the man that was faithful with two talents.
1 Corinthians 4:2, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Show from Scripture the division between clergy and laity.
How can we prevent a Church from becoming a "one man affair"?
What lesson for a layman can be learned from Mark 14:3-9?
List ten ways laymen can prepare themselves for Christian service.
Of the ten ways mentioned in question 704, which do you consider to be the most important? Why?
Mention a dozen things that an ordinary Christian can do to help spread the Gospel.
List three different ones that Andrew brought to Jesus.
Of the 24 things mentioned in point II of the lesson, how many have you personally tried?
Tell a personal experience of witnessing with a story of answered prayer. Psalms 50:15.
Will Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23 be spoken to clergy or laity? Explain.