Termination/Multiplication

Termination Tragedy

“When something of substance is given to you and then ends with you.”

One of our team members discovered this principle when everyone in his household wanted a fresh coat of paint in their bedrooms. The problem was that no one in the house had ever been taught to paint but him! So, he found myself being solely responsible for painting all four rooms. He thought to himself, “It’s easier this way. The time it would take to train the kids to paint would be too costly.”


Here’s the foolishness in this: if he doesn’t take the time to train them now, in the future they will either have to learn the hard way, hire it done, or not do it at all.


The CHURCH as we know it practices this principle every time a believer chooses to never invest in another. Make no mistake, if we do not wake up, we will arrive at the destination we have been walking towards. Sterility is the beginning of the end.

The Answer:

Quit being sterile.

Jesus gave us a better way. He did not speak in coliseums. He ran from the crowds. He invested in twelve men. He was betrayed by one. He was let down by the others. He loved them well. He ate with them. He invested in them. He taught them the Kingdom of God. He protected them. He died for them…and THEY turned the world upside down. Last time I checked, He is our model.


“ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME; THEREFORE GO AND MAKE” -Jesus


Just to be clear, the word “authority” means “the transferable power Jesus has and gives to His saints to…” . My friends, that means you and me.

Multiplication Theory

In Mike Breen's book, "Building a Discipling Culture", he presents this picture and refers to it as the 8-6-4 principle. From his experience, when he invests in 8, those 8 will invest in 6, those 6 will then invest in 4, those 4 will invest in 2. Mathematically this yields a product of 242 people by the time this generation stops, at which point Mike may have, and probably has done this with 8 more people a couple of times.


How does this happen?


We simply return to doing what Jesus did (He started a movement, you know). Alan Hirsch labeled the recipe for a movement by studying a few Christian movements in history. None of them happened in the United States, by the way!


He discovered that the movement happened when the people's habits were the following, in order of importance:


1. Jesus is LORD

2. A commitment to making disciples who can make more disciples

3. Working out of their APEST gifting

4. Communities on mission

Our Experience So Far

On one side of the coin,


  • We have seen some we have walked with never invite anyone into their lives.
  • We have watched others abandon their group.
  • We have had good friends turn on us and then blame us for their problems through this process.
  • We have lain awake many nights needing the Lord to speak words of encouragement to us.


But on the other side of the coin,


  • We have had strangers thank us for investing in the people who are investing in them. We have seen people healed from physical ailments.
  • We have watched men and women do difficult things for the Lord that yielded His Glory.
  • We have seen many men and women who have given up on the western church thrive again and find their place in it.
  • We have seen reliable men and women wake up.
  • We have begun to see what true spiritual family means.
  • We have seen the beginnings of a movement.
  • We have seen the power and authority of Jesus running as the mighty undercurrent of our efforts.
  • We have fallen in love with the Lord over and over again as He proves Himself TRUE.

Conclusion

This process has been the most painstaking, yet fruit-filled process we have ever known. It has allowed us to read Scripture in a fresh, new way and forced us to learn how to really listen to the Lord. No matter how others choose to spend their time, we have to continue learning about discipleship because our Savior has asked it of us. In the end, this is the road that leads to abundant life. There is nothing that yields this much fruit. NOTHING!


“What is that to you? You Follow Me.” - Jesus