The Responsibility of the Laity
There is a disposition to-day in some quarters of the Church to make a wide barrier between the minister and the member of the Church because the hands of ordination have been laid upon the pastor’s head and not upon the laity. It is thought by some that there is not only a special privilege given to the minister but there are special obligations resting upon him for service. This is a heresy for which there is no foundation in the New Testament. More and more in this study of present day evangelism we are learning of the important position occupied by the lay members of the Church. Throughout the entire country there is a quickened interest on the part of church officers and church members in the reaching of the unsaved and the practicing of the principles of the Kingdom of God. One of the most hopeful signs of the times is the great amount of work which is being accomplished by these who have been above 168 mentioned, and the inspiration also which they are imparting to the pastors of the churches.
In the early days not only the apostles but Christians of all classes recognized their responsibility for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom and engaged in the work of proclaiming the gospel. The apostles welcomed all as helpers whether laymen or ministers, men or women. Only three of the apostles are mentioned in the Acts after Pentecost, whereas at least five laymen became prominent in the missionary enterprise. We are told that after the dispersion the disciples, save the apostles, went about preaching the word. The whole Church was filled with enthusiasm for the work. Gibbon places first among the causes for the rapid spread of Christianity the fact that “it became the most sacred duty of a new convert to diffuse among his friends the inestimable blessing which he had received.” Thus the duty of the evangelization of the world was not the burden of the leaders of the Church alone, but every disciple who felt the power of the Spirit of God had as a great desire and controlling object of life the salvation of his fellow-men.
That there is a financial responsibility resting ijo PRESENT-DAY EVANGELISM
upon the laity all will agree. Some ministers are remarkably gifted in a financial way but there are very many who have no gift at all in this direction and to be forced to care for the finances of the Church and at the same time to be disturbed concerning even the payment of their own salary, is to have their influence crippled and greatly injure their ability to preach the Gospel in an evangelistic way, but the financial assistance is really ahnost the least help that can be given.
If the Church is to be evangelistic and the ministers are to preach with power in this direction, then first of all it will be because the laity appreciate their responsibility either in helping along the truth or hindering it. Many really great sermons are rendered practically useless by indiiferent hearing. Some men come into the church and sit with their eyes closed, others with their heads in their hands, others with countenances that never light up even though the message be filled with the very power of God himself. In excuse for this they say that it is simply their manner of listening to a sermon and that they can better appreciate the preacher when they assume this attitude. There is only one rule which ought to be binding in all hearing in the Church, it is this, as an individual I have a right to do only whatever every one else has a right to do. Suppose every one sat with eyes closed, what if every one in the audience should sit with his head in his hands, what if every countenance was stolid and apparently indifferent. Many a minister has gone from his knees to his pulpit with his heart burning and has no sooner faced his congregation than his heart has become like lead, but all this is the exception and not the rule.
If the lay members of the Church are to be used the following must be true.
First: They must be right with God. This is no more binding upon the minister than upon the Church officer or Church member.
Some years ago when a minister had been preaching for weeks in a Western city, with apparently no special interest and scarcely a hand lifted for prayer, he called his church officers together to ask what the difficulty might be and he said, “Am I losing my power to preach or what is it that is hindering us?” Then Mr. William Reynolds of sainted memory told me that he rose and said, “I do not know what the other church officers may say, but I think the difficulty is in part with William Reynolds.” They had a time of quiet waiting before God and with that night there came a blessing to that meeting which continued for days and weeks with a great accession to the Church and a great spiritual up-Uft to all who came in contact with the meeting.
Second: The spirit of prayer must be cultivated. Again and again it has been said on these pages that without the spirit of prayer there can be no spirit of evangelism, and it is certainly true.
“Not long since, in a church in Scotland, a minister suddenly began to preach with unprecedented power. The whole congregation was aroused and sinners marvellously saved. He himself did not understand the new enduement In a dream of the night it was strangely suggested to him that the whole blessing was traceable to the one poor old woman who was stone deaf, but who came regularly to church, and being unable to hear a word, spent all the time in prayer for the preacher and individual hearers.
“In the biography of C. G. Finney similar facts are recorded of * Father Nash,’ Abel Cleary,and others. In Newport, England, is a praying circle of twelve men, who have met for thirty years every Saturday night to pray for definite blessings. Not one death occurred in their number during a whole quarter century. The first impulse leading to this weekly meeting was interest in Mr. Spurgeon’s ministry. They felt that with his great access to men he had need of peculiar power from above, and on the Sabbath following their first meeting, he began to preach with such increased unction as attracted general notice.
“Examples might be multiplied indefinitely. But the one thing we would make prominent is this; that above all else, God is calling his people to new prayer. He wills that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting; ’ that, first of all, supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. And if this be done, first of all, every other most blessed result will follow. God waits to be asked. He has the fountains of blessing which he puts at the disposal of his praying saints. They are sealed fountains to the ungodly and the unbelieving. But there is one key that unlocks even heaven’s gates; one secret that puts connecting channels between those eternal fountains and ourselves, that key, that secret, is prevailing prayer.” *
Third: There must be the bond of sympathy between pastor and people if the spirit of evangelism is to be developed. If Jesus could do no mighty works because of their unbelief is it strange that, some of the ministers of Jesus so utterly fail? It is true there may be no open opposition to his evangelistic preaching, but if there is lack of sympathy and he is at all sensitive it will crush him. My foot either helps me when I walk or hinders me, if it refuses to obey the dictates of my will, then I cannot walk as I should, and every member of the church is either a help or a hindrance, either a barrier or a channel for the manifestation of the power of God. I one time received a letter from one of the members of my church in which he said,
“Dear Pastor:
“I shall not be in Jie service this evening. Necessity compels me to stay away, but I estimate that you will begin to preach at eight o’clock and close at 8:30, and I want you to know that this half hour I shall be on my knees.”
Forward Movements of the Last Half Century.”
I am sure I never preached with greater liberty than that night. I one time said I want all of the people of the church who will help me in the special meetings, to come and tell me what they will do, and one old Scotch woman came to me to say that she would spend every day of the special meetings from twelve o’clock until one in the little room at the head of the stairs in her house praying for me, and I shall never forget my experience that month. Whenever the clock struck twelve I felt as if I stood in heavenly places indeed. I had the joy of seeing hundreds of people come to Christ in those few days.
There is also the obligation of personal help. Why could not the men of the church be banded together to work for other men? I know of one church in an eastern city where the pastor was not attracting great companies of people. One day his men met and they said we will begin now to work for other men in our church. We will talk about our minister’s preaching and encourage him in his work, and the result of it has been the development of one of the strongest churches in America. From that day till this it has been a church overflowing with enthusiasm.
Why could not the men of a church agree to support the pastor in his prayer-meetings, being ready with a brief word of cheer or an earnest prayer for blessing upon the pastor and his people. Why could not just a few men wait after the evening sermon if for nothing else than to sit in the after-service and encoune by their presence or possibly to take the hand of the minister not to say nice things about his sermon, for a true minister dislikes this, but to let him know by a warm hand clasp that he has been a help to them in his spirit Why could not the men of the church plan for open air street services in the city or town? Why not encourage the minister to preach from the steps of his church in the summer time, promising him not only the assistance of the choir but such encouragement as would come from their own presence? Who can estimate the power for good if such a spirit as this should be abroad to-day? This in the truest sense is present-day evangelism.
One of our New York ministers during a recent summer season determined to preach in the park. He went to one of his prominent men, a banker, and asked him for assistance.
He supposing that financisd aid was required readily promised it but was amazed to find out that his minister wished him to stand at the entrance of the park and give out a card of invitation. He was well known in the city, exceedingly well dressed and of striking appearance and it became quite an embarrassment after a little because so many stopped to look at him. Finally when he gave one young man a card he turned back to him and said, “Who are you, anjrway?” The man responded, “I do not know that I need to tell you that, but I am here to help my minister who is preaching a little ways from here in the park and if you will go and hear him I will walk with you.” They went on together. That day the yoimg man was converted. He has since joined the church and has become one of the most efficient workers in the church. Who can estimate the power for good that would come to the Church of Christ if the lay members of the church to-day should simply awake to some appreciation of the measure of their responsibility.
It is impossible to measure what might be done by a few men who, catching a vision of the world evangelized, yield themselves wholly to
God to be used by him to realize the vision. Was it not one man, Peter the Hermit, who stirred all Christendom to unexampled sacrifice of property and Ufe to rescue the Holy City from the Moslems? Did not God use Carey alone to awaken a sleeping church and usher in the marvellous modern missionary era? Was it not Clarkson who was instrumental in quickening the conscience of a whole nation to abolish the slave trade? Was it not Howard, who, also single-handed and alone, laid bare before the eyes of the world the sad state and suffering of the prisoners of different lands and brought about reforms for the amelioration of their condition? So to-day, let not one, or a few, but many of those in all lands and among all races who acknowledge Christ as King arise and resolve, at whatever cost, to devote their lives to leading forward the hosts of God to fill the whole world with a knowledge of Christ in this generation.^ i.«<The Evangelization of the World.’*