COSSEY: How so? COSSEY: If you could sit in the living room Matthew 9:38, that He will “send forth
of each member of the Church of God, what laborers into his harvest.” To each of you
CULPEPPER: Let me give you an exam- would you wish to say to them about this who reads this, I say, “Join us as a laborer
ple: If a Christian nurse in America goes emphasis? in the harvest because the harvest is plen-
to work at a hospital every day, and tiful, but the laborers are few.” And, I
someone asks, “What do you do?” she CULPEPPER: I would say that the Lord would say, “Please join us in one of these
would likely say, “I am a nurse at a hospi- Jesus is depending on us. He has provided Great Commission forums.”
tal.” If that same nurse gets on a plane every resource we need through the gift-
and flies to another continent and works ing and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The COSSEY: Thank you, Brother Culpepper. Our
in a hospital, she would say, “I am a med- harvest is ripe. It is ready. It is waiting. prayers are with you and the International
ical missionary.” Why do we differentiate My prayer is the prayer of Jesus from Executive Committee in this emphasis.
between the two? I would say that the
same person is a medical missionary in
both environments. A Bible-believing
nurse serving hurting people in an Ameri-
can hospital is just as much a missionary
as one serving and living in a bamboo hut
somewhere. She is still a servant of Christ,
serving in a world of lost and hurting peo-
ple. I would like to see everybody in the
Church of God thinking of themselves as
men and women on a mission. You see, it
was mission that gripped the hearts of our
forefathers and foremothers. Mission must
again grip our hearts.
We the people of the Church of God, united as a visionary community of believ-
ers, are committed to obeying the charge to the Church to go everywhere and to
COSSEY: What do you feel God is saying to
share with everyone the good news of God’s plan of redemption and abundant life
the Church of God through this emphasis?
in Jesus Christ.
THEREFORE, WE WILL:
CULPEPPER: The Lord is saying that the
1. Embrace Prayer—The Heartbeat of the Church: pray for workers to be sent
end is near, and that He will not allow
into the harvest, for workers already in the harvest, and for the Holy Spirit to
the death and resurrection of His only
empower workers to reap the harvest.
begotten Son to be in vain. He has sent
The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord
His Spirit to cover this earth and to pre-
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37-38, NKJV).
pare for one last great ingathering of
souls before Jesus comes!
2. Respond to the challenge of the Great Commission—The Solution: Take the
Gospel to all nations and peoples, testify of God’s unconditional love, teach how to
COSSEY: If we could fast-forward to the
live biblical truths, and train for service that will expand the kingdom of God.
summer of 2010 and look back, what would
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
you hope to see had been accomplished by
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
this emphasis?
all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV).
CULPEPPER: More than statistics; more
3. Cultivate an authentic atmosphere of Trust—The Strength of the Church:
than numbers. I would like to see a cul-
display the characteristics of uncompromising convictions in Christian witness,
ture that would have developed in the
model sterling integrity in forming relationships with the unchurched, and stand
Church of God where Christ’s missional
accountable for fulfilling responsibilities in spreading the good news.
mandate is our priority. I don’t mean just Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all
in headquarters, but in local churches—an your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV).
ethos, an environment of mission, where
Forward Together in Changing Times
we don’t operate just to keep the saints
Church of God Pastors and Members
happy. We don’t need to repaint the barn;
we need to be people of the harvest!
EVANGEL • SEP 2009 17
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