Jesus was driven to multiply a movement
At the end of his 3.5-year ministry, Jesus had thousands of fans, 120 disciples, 72 ministry workers, 11 apostolic leaders and 3 in his inner circle.
Yet with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, that small core rapidly multiplied into an unstoppable movement. This was not coincidental- Jesus planned it this way.
The multiplication phase of Jesus’ ministry
During His final phase of ministry training, which we call the “multiplication phase,” Jesus trained His men to invest their lives in others. We see Jesus’ ministry team expanding from twelve to seventy-two, with those men going out to make disciples as well.
That means that by this point, Jesus’ ministry was moving into the fourth generation of disciples: Jesus, to the twelve, to the seventy-two, to the others also. Missiologists have told me when you reach fourth generation growth, a movement is unstoppable.
Paul followed Jesus’ model of multiplication
We see this same focus in the Apostle Paul’s ministry. In 2 Timothy 2:2, we read, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Here again we see fourth generation multiplication from Paul, to Timothy, to faithful men, to others also. This was the kind of multiplication that we saw happening in the book of Acts.
- Within two years, the church had “filled Jerusalem” with the gospel (Acts 5:28).
- In four and a half years, there were multiplying churches (Acts 9:31).
- In nineteen years, they had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).
- In twenty-eight years, the gospel was “bearing fruit and growing all over the world” (Colossians 1:5-6).
Jesus prioritized multiplication for three key reasons
As I study Jesus’ life, I see that he prioritized multiplication for three reasons.
- Jesus expected every follower to multiply. On the night before he was betrayed, he commanded his disciples to bear spiritual fruit. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain…” (John 15:16).The idea of fruitfulness and multiplication are clearly linked (Genesis 1:28). Here, to bear fruit or to multiply is synonymous with making disciples. In fact, Jesus said, “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
The greatest proof that you are a disciple is that you make disciples. This is how you best glorify God. You see, the Great Commission’s charge to make disciples and multiply was not just given to an elite few-it was given to each and every one of us. We are all called to multiply. It is his mandate.
- Jesus warned of the consequences of failing to multiply. Jesus told a story of a barren fig tree. The owner declared, “Cut it down. Why should it even waste the soil?” (Luke 13:7). Do these words sound harsh to you? This is how Jesus views a church or ministry that fails to multiply (see also these verses related to lack of fruit: Matthew 7:17-19; Mark 11:12-14; John 15:2,6).You may ask, “Why is multiplication so important to Jesus?” The answer is simple: without multiplication there is no movement. Without multiplication, kingdom advancement grinds to a halt. Without multiplication, God’s people turn inward, and God’s vision is abandoned. That’s why the consequences are so severe. God’s redemptive plan to reach the nations requires his people to multiply.
- Jesus promised great rewards for those who multiply. Jesus told a parable about men who had been entrusted with the king’s resources. Those who multiplied what was given them heard these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy” (Matthew 25:21).John said there is no greater joy than multiplying spiritual children (3 John 1:4) and we saw Jesus “filled with joy” when he witnessed the seventy-two disciples returning with stories of spiritual multiplication (Luke 10:17). Jesus promised joy to those who would multiply.
What does multiplication look like in the church today?
When we look at Jesus’ life, we see four types of multiplication.
- Personal multiplication. This is when one person shares the gospel or disciples another person. This is how Jesus started his ministry, with many one-on-one conversations and encounters. This kind of personal investment provides spiritual depth to your ministry.
- Group Multiplication. This is when a disciple leads a group of believers to know and follow Jesus, then these believers start their own groups. One group has now multiplied into three or four. This kind of group multiplication provides breadth to your ministry. This is how the ministry grows numerically, as new groups reach new people.
- Church Multiplication. If people are multiplying personally within a church, and groups are multiplying consistently within a church, the church will grow numerically. The church is now prepared to multiply by planting another church. We will discuss more on church planting in the next chapter, but planting new churches is an effective way to multiply the movement.
- Network Multiplication. This is when more than one church cooperates to plant multiple churches, and the synergy of churches working together produces exponential growth.
Jesus measures ministry by its multiplication
Just as a vineyardist evaluates a vine by its fruitfulness, Jesus evaluates a ministry based on its multiplication. Multiplication is the measure of effective ministry. Healthy things multiply, and healthy ministries do the same. Certainly, there is a place for faithfulness in a place of hard soil. Certainly, Jesus looks at your character and attitude as you have done his work. But Jesus is also looking for fruit that remains.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our books, His Way Still Works.
