YOUR DUTIES IN THE LORD’S VINEYARD     

 

Memory Verse: ”And unto one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his several ability, and straightway took his journey.” Matthew 25:15.

 

Bible Passage: Matthew 25: 14 - 30

 

INTRODUCTION

One reason for the failure of some of today’s churches is that they become a one-man affair. The church-attendee leaves the work of evangelism, preaching, teaching and visiting to just the Pastor. This is not God’s order.

At Pentecost there were 120 praying but only 11 of them, i.e. the eleven disciples, could be termed “Pastors”. There were women also. And when persecution came, the “Pastors” stayed in Jerusalem while the “laymen” were the ones who went out preaching, Acts 8:4. It is therefore the duty of every church member, each Christian, to be actively engaged in serving the Lord.

 

HOW TO BE PREPARED TO BE ACTIVE IN SERVING THE LORD

The Lord expects every one of us to use the talents He has given each of us in serving Him, Matt. 25:15.

 

But what happens when we fail to  use the talents He has given us?

 

He will take away the talents from us, Matt. 25:28.Once this point has dawned on you, there should be a greater willingness on your part to employ the talents the Lord has given you in His service. Your preparations should follow this order:

a). You need to pray more, John 15:5.

We need to spend time in prayer to God so the Holy Spirit will begin to guide us into areas where we can be useful to the Lord, Acts 13: 2-3. The Holy Spirit Himself can arrange seemingly “accidental” or “chance” meetings for us, Acts 8:26-31; 16: 9-10.

b). Personal Bible Study is called for, II Timothy 2:15.

Very soon the challenge will come to answer perplexing questions authoritatively from the Bible.

c). Also we need to start watching more mature Christians.

The more mature Christians, like the Prophets, do not stay forever. They will pass on or move elsewhere before long, and you will inherit their responsibilities, I Kings 19:19-21.

d). Start with straightforward and uncomplicated tasks.

It is usually easy for us to say, “I can’t of course replace the Pastor, Deacon or Sunday School Teacher.” But who says you can’t pray for the Preacher of the day, before the message, etc? As you become proficient in small things, the Lord will help you to expand your activities, Matt. 25: 22-23.

 

EFFECTIVE WAYS FOR LAYMEN TO WORK FOR JESUS

What are some of the ways we could work for Jesus?

Some of the practical examples include:

i). Providing transportation to church for people, e.g. using your car, paying bus/tram fare, or even walking along with someone to church.

Andrew is a good example in this area –

Ø       He brought his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus, John 1: 40-42;

Ø       He brought the boy with the five loaves and two fishes to Jesus, and the feeding of the 5,000 followed that, John 6: 7-9; and

Ø       He introduced certain Greeks to Jesus also, John 12: 20-22.

ii). Giving your money, if not your time as well, for missions at home and abroad, Luke 10:33-35.

iii). By encouraging those who minister in the Church.

You need to help them keep actively fighting the battle. Even our Lord needed to be encouraged at a critical point in His life on earth, Luke 22: 41-44.

So, how can you encourage your Minister?

Even a smile or a handshake may go along way in this matter.

iv). By organising a Bible Class in your home for people in your neighbourhood. That could be for adults, young people, children, or a mix, especially when families wish to attend together. Similarly for  Prayer Meetings. It may thereafter be easier to bring such people to Church with you.

v). By giving out tracts.

vi). By giving food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, Matt. 25: 34-36.

vii). By caring for the fatherless and widows, James 1:27.

 

CONCLUSION

Your duty as a layman is to do what you can, as best you can and all the time. But you sure do need to pray to God for help if you are to effectively serve Him.