Multiplication

Introduction

(Slide 18) Today, we wrap up our 3-week sermon series, “Follow Me: A Disciples Path”. You’ll recall that the first week we looked at the requirement of “Renewing the Mind” discussing how the mind is a battlefield, and the process of self-transformation must occur before effectually leading others to Christ. Last week, we talked about the importance of “Walking Like Jesus”, as it is the essential next step of the process. Now that we understand transformation and walking like Jesus, today we will talk about the process of multiplication. Our ultimate goal is to grow the Kingdom for God through testimony and involvement. But first, let’s take a quick look at the historical context of today’s guiding verse, Matthew 28:18-20.

Historical Context

(Slide 19) If you look to the screens behind me, you will see an oil on canvas painting entitled “Erstlingsbild” which is German for “First Fruits”. It was painted in 1747 by Johann Valentin Haidt, a German-born Moravian minister and artist.

In studying the painting, you see representatives from all over the world surrounding Jesus, indicating that the gospel of Christ has created followers of His Lordship on a global scale. He is on a floating throne surrounded by angelic beings, and the people are firmly on solid ground.

So you see this really interesting justaposition of the Kingdom of Heaven and the earth, supporting the lordship of God and his heavenly rule over the kingdom of earth which really is what Matthew 28 is all about. Christ has conquered sin and death ushering in hope for all, they just needed to hear about it and respond which is The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. The painter captures this idea that much success in growing the kingdom has occurred since the given commission. Continuing that process is now left to you and me, so let’s dive into today’s teaching.

Multiplication Begins with God’s Authority

(Slide 20) The first thing that we see in today’s verses is that “all authority has been given to Christ Jesus”, so we need to understand that kingdom growth is under His authority.

Satan can disrupt our efforts, but he cannot ‘veto’ or ‘revoke’ the given command. Christ has ALL authority. Similarly, we may feel unworthy, incapable or ill-equipped, but the fact that Jesus has given us the command verifies our responsibility. His command qualifies us, His Holy Spirit empowers us, and His Holy Word equips us. Scripture verifies this truth in places like 2 Corinthians 3:5–6 which reads “It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” Similarly, Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a “royal priesthood”; not some, but all who have been born again.

Jesus has absolute authority, and has qualified us to be His representatives in growing the Kingdom. But listen friends, before we move on, you cannot neglect the daily disciplines of tending to your faith. People who tend to their faith in ordinary seasons won’t come undone in extraordinary ones. Life will try our faith, so we must be diligent to guard it. These disciplines should be considered a response to his Lordship. Enough said about that. Let’s move on.

Discipleship Requires Intentional Movement

(Slide 21) So, how do we grow the kingdom then? Well, the next part of Christ’s command after His authority is established is to “go”. We go out. For some that may mean ministry as a vocation, calling for relocation. For others, it may simply mean to intentionally carry the gospel into our daily lives, affecting those that we interact with on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit will place the burden of your individual calling on your heart until you are aligned with God’s will for your life.

Regardless of what “going” looks like for us as individuals, it definitely means that we:

Leave our comforts and pursue others: Witnessing to people can be uncomfortable. We do not know how they will respond. We do not know if it will threaten our relationship. We just do not know, so it can be very uncomfortable. Nonetheless, Christ is calling us to it.

It also means that we intentionally engage for spreading the gospel. What exactly does that mean? Well, as witnesses, we must always be prepared. 1 Peter 3:15 gives understanding to this as it reads “you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” He is not satisfied with just being Lord of your Sundays; He is Lord of your life. This truth changes who we are, and people will notice that. In there curiosity, they will ask what has changed us, and we must be prepared to speak to it intelligently. Every Christian should be prepared to offer a systematic understanding of how Jesus saves, and what that means literally.And when people try to get us to stumble, we just do like the blind man did in John 9:25 when religious leaders were challenging Jesus’s authority. He simply said “ Look, I don’t know the things you are asking. What I do know is that I was blind, and now I can see!””

So we have to move intentionally with the gospel. Remember, stagnant water breeds death, but flowing water brings life.

The Goal is Disciples, Not Decisions

(Slide 22) The next thing I recognize from today’s scripture is that He didn’t simply say “make converts”.

This is more than a determined decision. We likely all agree that everyone should have access to nutritious food. If we only make that decision but apply no action to affect food insecurity, then what good is the decision that we’ve made?

It is the same with discipleship. What good is deciding that Jesus is our Lord and Savior if we do not actively engage with it. So we move beyond attendance, beyond emotional moments, and beyond shallow Christianity. That is why I place much more value on the content of teaching than I place on eliciting an emotional response. Good teaching builds a foundation, and Jesus teaches about the importance of that in Matthew 7 and Luke 6. An emotional decision is like a foundation of sand, but a decision based on reason and truth is like a foundation of stone. So, as we attempt to build the Kingdom, let’s not be satisfied with a superficial approach to discipleship.

Requires Teaching and Showing

(Slide 23) That is why Jesus said in today’s scripture “teach them to observe everything I have commanded you”. Discipleship is more than information - it is imitation.

As we work with others that we have brought to Christ, we cannot just abandon them. They are spiritual infants who need a spiritual adult to help them grow. So we stick with them, forming relationships with them, teaching them on a regular basis. We model what is godly, what is holy. We live it out so that they can see what a transformed life looks like. And if we make them an important part of our lives, investing our time in them, we will become someone that they trust and revere, and they’ll begin to walk like we are. They’ll adopt and practice our Christian walk. When they apply action by practicing it, it will, over time, become routine habit, which will eventually give birth to virtuous character. And if you are modeling Christ for them, then they will not be emulating you, you both will be emulating Christ Jesus. That is how discipleship multiplies and grows the Kingdom.

Jesus Will Be With You

(Slide24) And lastly, Jesus says “I am with you always”

Friends, we are not alone in the great commission. He empowers it. He sustains it. And He walks with us through it. Jesus acknowledges in John 15:5 that we cannot do this on our own, so if we remain in Him, He will remain in us, helping us not just produce fruit, but much fruit. He is the key to all of this. So we have to keep ourselves built up in the spirit if we are to disciple others.

And listen, don’t be discouraged when you aren’t involved in every aspect of someone else’s Christian growth. Remember 1 Corinthians 3:6–8 where Paul said to the church in Corinth that “he planted the seed in their hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.”

So discipleship is a shared ministry of which God may call multiple followers to work in. But the ultimate goal is Kingdom growth and the salvation of souls.

Closing Thoughts

(Slide 25) Friends, this has been a fun, short, series to journey with you on. Commit your actions to Christ, and let’s win Sacramento for His glory. Let’s grow this church. Let’s grow His kingdom.