Worship Igniting Action- Raising a New Generation of Laborers

Carey Purdom, Navigator

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”(Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV).

Jesus was aware of the multitude of needs of the countless amount of people that He encountered. He was also aware that there were few laborers who would take time to minister to these people. This problem still persists in the church today. There are more people who need to hear the gospel, than there are those sharing it. There are more young Christians who need guidance with reading and understanding the Bible, than there are those willing to meet with them. God desires to see His Kingdom expanded. Jesus’ death provided a way for mankind to enter the Kingdom, and His life modeled how to expand it. Jesus spent a large part of his time raising up a new generation of laborers, namely the disciples. He showed them how to grow close to the Father and how to minister to people. At the end of His life, He commanded His disciples to go and do what he had done for them.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very’”
(Matthew 28:19-20)
Everyone who has been called by God’s grace to understand and accept salvation through Jesus Christ must take the next step in learning how to follow Him. If we are to go into all the nations and make disciples, we must be dedicated disciples ourselves. The world should be able look at our lives and see what it looks like to follow Jesus.
Every Christian, who wants to embrace the responsibility of making disciples, should be personally committed to the following: the Word, prayer, witnessing, and fellowship. Each of these areas will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord, and prepare you to reach out to others. I have listed some methods that have worked for me, and that I use in discipleship relationships.

The Word
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV).

1. Set aside time each day to read the Word.
2. Develop a method for reading through the Bible.
-Visit Readhisword.com to set up a personal Bible reading plan.
3. Write down one thing God has taught you from spending time with Him that day

4. Write down a verse a week to memorize on a 3×5 card.

God will use the time you spend in His word to prepare you to labor in the Kingdom. As you find methods that work for you, try meeting with a spiritually younger person to help him or her become consistent in reading the Bible (this is part of making disciples).

Prayer
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2 NIV).

1. Make a prayer card for people you are praying for.
2. Keep track of answered prayers, and praise God for each one of them.
3. Write down promises God gives you in His Word; claim them in your prayers.

Act
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14 NIV)

1. Go out and intentionally share the gospel!
2. Pray before you speak.
3. Memorize verses that communicate the gospel message.
- Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, John 5:24

Fellowship
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV).

1. Spend time with other Christians
2. Think about your Christian friends, and how you can challenge and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Are you asking them what they are learning from their time in the Word? How are praying for them? What are their struggles with sin, and how can you help them fight temptation?
3. Pray together.
4. Read and study the Word together.

As you commit to becoming firmly established in these four areas and help others to do the same, disciples will be made. As disciples are made, more of the world will be reached. As more the world is reached, the kingdom of God is expanded. As Kingdom of God expands, more glory is given to God. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples “ (John 15:8 NIV).

When we are actively involved in God’s work in the world, our worship will consist not only of what He has done in the past, but for what He doing each and every day. We will worship Him for the truths He reveals to us in scripture. We will worship Him for the promises He fulfills and the prayers He answers. We will worship Him for him for the opportunities he gives us to share the gospel. We will worship Him as we pray with men and women to receive Him. We will worship Him as we experience the joy that comes from raising up spiritual children, We will worship Him for the Christian friends he puts in our lives who love us and are not afraid to tell us the truth. For all of this and so much more, we will give him praise. This is the first step in worship igniting action.

Carey Purdom
The Navigators
Cleestans2@aol.com

Carey Purdom is on staff, along with her husband Lt. Matt Purdum, with the Navigator’s ministry at Fort Campbell in Clarksville, TN. She regularly leads bible studies and disciples women one on one. She and her husband will be attending seminary together at Wake Forest in the Spring.