MULTIPLY
Our overarching goal is to multiply.
We want to see every Disciple, Leader & Church Multiplying.
This is the mountain that we want to climb.
Why is multiply the goal?
Focusing our energy on multiplication is the only way to reach the world with the gospel! Disciples must multiply disciples, leaders must multiply leaders and churches must multiply churches. But we can’t just start by multiplying churches, it must be built on the right foundation.
In every area where we are seeing gospel movements, church planting movements or discipleship movements, there is another kind of movement that happens first. A prayer movement. Our foundation is Prayer.
The 4 areas we want to see multiply:
-Prayer
-Disciples
-Leaders
-Churches
Why this vision if God controls the results?
In some places God allows a movement to happen like a tidal wave. In others, the movement is more like a rising tide. God is the one that determines the speed of the movement. However, there are things that we can do that help or hinder multiplication.
Our goal in this vision is to do 2 things:
Below each area we want to multiply are the activities that lead to multiplication. These are the essential activities. Adding too many activities, programs or materials takes the focus away from the essential activities and can hinder multiplication. Not having these activities may result in a 1st generation church but rarely a 4th generation church. Let’s aim at reaching the 4th generation! Let's aim to multiply!
We want to see every Disciple, Leader & Church Multiplying.
This is the mountain that we want to climb.
Why is multiply the goal?
- Because multiplication is imbedded in the Jesus’ command to make disciples. We are to be “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”. Each disciple should be equipped to make more disciples. They should be able to multiply and reproduce!
- Because there are millions of people without the gospel. Simply adding new converts to existing churches will never reach the millions who have no gospel witness.
Focusing our energy on multiplication is the only way to reach the world with the gospel! Disciples must multiply disciples, leaders must multiply leaders and churches must multiply churches. But we can’t just start by multiplying churches, it must be built on the right foundation.
In every area where we are seeing gospel movements, church planting movements or discipleship movements, there is another kind of movement that happens first. A prayer movement. Our foundation is Prayer.
The 4 areas we want to see multiply:
-Prayer
-Disciples
-Leaders
-Churches
Why this vision if God controls the results?
In some places God allows a movement to happen like a tidal wave. In others, the movement is more like a rising tide. God is the one that determines the speed of the movement. However, there are things that we can do that help or hinder multiplication.
Our goal in this vision is to do 2 things:
- Remove any hinderances to allow God’s power to flow as freely as possible.
- Focus our efforts on the essential activities. (The God ordained means to bring about His plan.)
Below each area we want to multiply are the activities that lead to multiplication. These are the essential activities. Adding too many activities, programs or materials takes the focus away from the essential activities and can hinder multiplication. Not having these activities may result in a 1st generation church but rarely a 4th generation church. Let’s aim at reaching the 4th generation! Let's aim to multiply!
PRAYER
ABIDE:
For Christ to flow out of us, we must be abiding in Him daily. Abiding in Christ must be the focus for each believer. There is a connection between abiding and fruitfulness: answer to prayer is contingent on abiding.
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7
God loves to bless the work of those whose heart is fully his. Who we are is more important than what we do, because what we do flows out of who we are. God seeks to support those that abide in Him.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7
God loves to bless the work of those whose heart is fully his. Who we are is more important than what we do, because what we do flows out of who we are. God seeks to support those that abide in Him.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9
DEVOTED:
“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Acts. 6:4
If an outsider watched us for one month, how would they describe us? Would one of the ways they describe us be that we are “devoted to prayer”? If not, what needs to change in our priorities and our schedule to become devoted to prayer?
It is easy to make plans and strategy and ask God to bless them. But prayer should BE our #1 strategy. In other words, there needs to be a GAP between where our strategy & plans will take us and where we hope to go. There is a GAP that says: “We are utterly dependent on God to do the impossible and work this out. We don’t have to have all the answers or resources, we are depending on God!” This GAP is filled with prayer.
Strategy isn’t wrong, but we should be devoted to prayer, not devoted to strategy. When this happens, GOD gets the glory. Not us. Not our strategy.
One way to do this is by praying daily for more harvesters.
A friend shared a helpful idea that I now use: Set your phone to alarm daily at 9:38 am. (Mine reminder says “Pray for harvesters”) It is a simple way to fulfill Jesus’ command in Matt. 9:38: “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Each day I pray 3 things:
Gospel movements start with prayer movements.
Acts. 6:4
If an outsider watched us for one month, how would they describe us? Would one of the ways they describe us be that we are “devoted to prayer”? If not, what needs to change in our priorities and our schedule to become devoted to prayer?
It is easy to make plans and strategy and ask God to bless them. But prayer should BE our #1 strategy. In other words, there needs to be a GAP between where our strategy & plans will take us and where we hope to go. There is a GAP that says: “We are utterly dependent on God to do the impossible and work this out. We don’t have to have all the answers or resources, we are depending on God!” This GAP is filled with prayer.
Strategy isn’t wrong, but we should be devoted to prayer, not devoted to strategy. When this happens, GOD gets the glory. Not us. Not our strategy.
One way to do this is by praying daily for more harvesters.
A friend shared a helpful idea that I now use: Set your phone to alarm daily at 9:38 am. (Mine reminder says “Pray for harvesters”) It is a simple way to fulfill Jesus’ command in Matt. 9:38: “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Each day I pray 3 things:
- That God would make me, my family and other Christians to be better harvesters
- That God would raise up local harvesters in the countries we serve
- That God would send more harvesters to serve on the mission field
Gospel movements start with prayer movements.