Listening to God is not enough; true disciples must also act on what He says, the Guest Speaker at the 22nd National Evangelism and Church Growth Consultation, Rev. Gideon Buernor Puplampu has told participants.
He said church leaders and members to cultivate a lifestyle of listening to and acting upon the voice of God, describing obedience to God’s Word as a defining mark of true discipleship.
Addressing participants at the consultation underway at the Ramseyer Training Centre, Abetifi, the Dangme-Tongu Presbytery Chairperson, said the Church’s effectiveness in raising Christ-centred disciple-makers depended on its willingness to hear God’s voice and respond in faith, even when His instructions appeared contrary to human understanding.
The five-day consultation, under the theme, “Celebrating Our Heritage: Building on the Foundation Already Laid – Nurturing Christ-Centred Disciples” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Matthew 16:24-26), is being held from November 9 to 13, 2026.
It has brought together Presbytery Chairpersons, Presbytery Clerks and Directors of Mission and Evangelism. The Moderator of the General Assembly, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, the Clerk of the General Assembly, Rev. David Aboagye Danquah, and representatives of the Church’s groups and ministries are also participating.
With the Biblical account of the call of Peter, James and John in Luke 5:1-11, Rev. Puplampu noted that Peter’s miracle began when he chose to obey Christ’s instruction despite his extensive fishing experience suggesting otherwise.
“A disciple believes and acts on the word of the Lord,” he emphasised, explaining that discipleship goes beyond merely hearing God’s Word to trusting it enough to act upon it. Reflecting on Peter’s response to Jesus, Rev. Puplampu said the disciple’s life must be shaped by dependence on God’s direction rather than human wisdom and experience.
“Peter acted on what he had heard, maybe not just because he understood it, but because it is the word of God,” he said. “All my understanding tells me what you are asking me to do is not right, but at your word, we will do it.”
According to him, many believers struggle to experience the fullness of God’s blessings because they stop at believing without progressing to obedient action. “Believing the word of God is not beneficial if you do not trust it enough to act upon it appropriately,” he stated.
“Even demons believe, without trusting it and so acting on it. It is acting on it that brings the full benefit.” Rev. Puplampu stressed that the changing realities facing the Church today require leaders and congregations to continually seek God’s guidance rather than rely solely on methods that worked in the past.
Referencing Israel’s victory over Jericho and subsequent defeat at Ai, he noted that God’s people succeeded when they sought His direction but suffered setbacks when they relied on their own judgement. “The disciple, after surrender, must move to the next level, which is believing the Lord, by seeking to know what He says, and acting on it,” he said.
He challenged participants to nurture environments within homes, congregations and church groups where obedience to God becomes a natural culture. “True disciples will listen and act because it is the word of the Lord,” he declared.
“The truth that made us is the word of the Lord. The truth that sustains us is the word of the Lord. The truth that serves us is the word of the Lord. The truth that protects us is the word of the Lord.”
Sharing a personal experience in which he ignored a prompting to share God’s Word with a fellow passenger during a road trip journey, Rev. Puplampu recounted how he later regretted his disobedience after discovering he had been robbed.
“I reminded myself; a true disciple of Christ would listen to God,” he told participants. He encouraged the Church to seek divine direction in its evangelism and discipleship efforts, expressing confidence that God would continue to reveal effective ways of reaching communities if believers surrendered themselves to Him and walked in obedience.
“If we surrender and we come in obedience first, and the Lord says, how do we engage this context, I am sure the Lord will do something about it,” he concluded.
By Jerome Otchere
