We believe God is calling us to action

Multiplication and the Word of God

Multiplication is the natural result of making disciples that make disciples. We don’t really stress multiplication – it happens when we love Jesus and follow His teachings. This comes from the Lord Himself…

It’s the first words and the first commandment that God speaks to mankind:

27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:27–28 (NLT)

God re-emphasized it to Noah’s family after the flood:

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Genesis 9:1 (NASB95)
“As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” Genesis 9:7 (NASB95)

Then God promised multiplication as a blessing to Abraham:

5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”Genesis 15:5 (NASB95)
16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. Genesis 22:16–17 (NLT)

Jesus expands the idea in the New Testament:

And like in the case of Abraham, the blessing of multiplication comes to those with a “noble and good heart” (Lk 8:15)

We stress multiplication because the Scriptures point to it as the natural result of Kingdom ministry. It’s the natural result of hearing the Word and accepting and producing a crop. The challenge to us is “what kind of soil am I?” Am I multiplying 30, 60 or 100 fold? It may be a result of methodology more than a person’s heart status.

Multiplication is important because our Father is glorified when we bear “much” fruit:

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8 (NASB95)

We know we’re really Jesus’ disciples when we’re bearing “much fruit.” In this way the Father is glorified. Without doubt, some of the fruit will be internal as in the fruit of the Spirit. But it will also be manifest in the impact we have on the people around us. That will also glorify the Father.

It is how the Lord Jesus ministered:

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. Mark 3:13–15 (NIV)

Jesus began almost immediately a 12-fold multiplication that would result 3 years later in thousands of people coming into the Kingdom.

It is how the Apostle Paul taught us to minister:

2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)

Both Paul and Jesus give us our ministry model – teaching others who will impact others for time and eternity. Paul said things in the presence of many witnesses. They could understand them, they could do what he said and they could teach others to do so as well! By embracing the methods of Jesus and Paul we have the chance to see multiplication as they did.