Jesus plan and strategy was to reproduce His ministry in each disciple. Just consider His departing promise: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do”(John 14:12). Reproduction was the ultimate goal and purpose of Evangelism.
Evangelism is spiritual reproduction. Evangelism is not about getting numbers to join, but about conversion where the newly born people will grow themselves to reproduce. You’ve heard this truism “Healthy sheep will beget more sheep.” We have a strange corruption in the church today where sheep expect the shepherds to reproduce sheep.
Every parable of Jesus pointed to the reproduction: seed planted in the ground, dying, and coming up in multiplied form, being born again in reference to human reproduction, investing talents and gaining an interest, - all points our to the purpose for which Christ came and worked among us – to reproduce the Kingdom of God among people.
How is your work of reproduction? Are you reproducing yourself spiritually? Are you investing in people’s development to reproduce? So far we considered these steps of Jesus’ mentorship: selection à association à consecration à impartation à demonstration à delegation à supervision. Reproduction is the final step. It is the ultimate goal of training for Evangelism, and evangelism itself.
Does Jesus have a “Plan B”? Do you recognize how important is this spiritual reproduction to Jesus Plan of Salvation? Jesus intended for His disciples to produce His likeness in and through the church so that His ministry in the Spirit would be duplicated many fold by His ministry in the lives of His disciples. His Ministry continuing to expand until the multitudes might know in some similar way the opportunity which original disciples had known the Master.
We talked about the Kingdom of God that started small like a grain of mustard seed, but it would grow in size and strength until it became a tree greater than all the herbs” (Matthew 13:32; Mark 4:32; Luke 13:18,19). Jesus strategy of Reproduction makes Evangelism only a matter of time and our faithfulness to His plan.
Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators, once wrote a classic booklet entitled, “Born to Reproduce”. In it he explains that every living creature, both plant and animal, has the God-given ability within itself to reproduce other creatures after its own kind. What keeps the creature from reproducing is, among other possible problems: immature development, premature death, disease, suppressed desire, lack of union, miscarriage. Apply this illustration to your life. Every Christian has the ability within himself/herself to reproduce spiritually. Today 90% of church attending Christians admit that they have not lead someone to Christ, they had not reproduced spiritually. Looking at the above named barriers let me pose this question: “What keeps us from reproducing spiritually?” What keep you from Evangelism?
Considering reluctance for Evangelism some may wonder if the Church will ever be successful. Here’s what I have from Jesus: No matter how great the trials through which His people would pass, and how many temporal skirmishes were lost in the struggle, the ultimate victory is certain. Christ’s church would win in the end. Nothing could permanently prevail against it or be strong to its detriment, or hold out against it (Matthew 16:18) Will you join in the Victory? Will you reproduce?
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