The Resources are in the Harvest

What would a map of those you’ve led to faith in Jesus look like? A believer in Texas shared this hand drawn “map” of those he had shared Christ with and who had passed it along. Those he witnessed to were in red and the second “generation” was in blue and so on. This all happened in a six month period.

We pray the Luke 10:2 prayer pleading for God to send workers. When He does, are we intentional about guiding these new believers so that they make disciples of others that they know?

It’s the responsibility of every church to make disciples. I also believe that the Word tells us that it is the job of every pastor to develop a system that will equip and enable all of the people in the church to be in the relational process for discipleship. – Jim Putman, pastor, Real Life Ministries, Post Falls, Idaho (Real Life Discipleship, 35)

As Jesus said, it is impossible that new wine can go into old wineskins without bursting them apart (Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37). Starting with new believers who can become small group leaders is important. However, if pastors become hungry enough to ask for help, then orality is the way to go as the new standard for disciple-making efforts. Will these pastors ask, “What is it going to take to reach my community, my state, all people everywhere to faith in Christ?”

When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples, He did not say, “Now go find another disciple-maker to follow.” He sent them together, usually in groups of two, working together in accountable relationships. They were mature, not perfect. It is the same for us. (Real Life Discipleship, 148)

The good news is that the DNA of how Jesus taught, made disciples, and empowered them for disciple-making in the first century can be caught today. A growing band of those who are literate have taken on the responsibility for studying and passing this methodology along to oral preference learners. Today, more than 5,000 churches, para-church organizations, and denominational groups gladly align with the International Orality Network (http://www.orality.net). TruthSticks is glad to participate as well.

Do you view each new believer as the next Apostle Paul? In Acts 15 and into 16, Paul and Silas started out on a mission trip and gathered Timothy and Luke along the way. This is what we mean by the phrase coined by Curtis Sergeant, “The resources are in the harvest.” We find the people along the way that need to be disciple-makers.

Those new believers may be children, their parents, or adults who have their friends, family, or co-workers. Each person has a circle of influence. And new believers know best how to interact with each circle. Trust them to become pathfinders back into God’s Harvest Field! And train those who are sharing their faith to view each person as a wealth of resources to be “mined” for the sake of the Gospel.

Free offer — “New Believers Following Jesus” is a five-step study for new believers to focus on Jesus and to obey, study, love, and tell. Just let me know at snowdenministries@gmail.com and I’ll send you the 2-page  PDF file.