The Power of Multiplication

How long would it take to fill the earth with disciples if we actually did what Jesus instructed us to do? We've been at it now for about two thousand years. Would two or three hundred more suffice? When Jesus first gave that command, the world population was estimated to be about 137 million people. That just happens to be the number of people who are now born into the world every year! There are now over 6.5 billion of us on the planet and conservative estimates say that over 2 billion have never heard the gospel a single time and nearly 4 billion more may have heard something about Christ, but are not His followers.

I know we can't put a precise number on how long it takes to make an authentic reproducing follower of Jesus, but I have a funny feeling that if we were doing it, there would be a few more Jesus-followers around. Why do I say that? Because disciple-making is multiplication and multiplication is one of the most powerful principles in the universe. It was the very first of God's commands to mankind - "Be fruitful and multiply" He said, "and fill the earth." The earth could not be filled by simple addition. It required multiplication. Multiplication is the essence of life whether at the cellular level, or when it comes to populating the planet.

The earth today will only be filled with God's glory by spiritual multiplication - disciples who reproduce the life of Jesus in others who will in turn reproduce the same authentic life in others. Consider what would happen if we did that.

Let's just say that someone, somewhere serving in some part of the world went out this year, and by the grace of God succeeded in making one authentic reproducing follower of Jesus, who in turn would go out and do the same the following year. I'm not talking about the whole world doing it, just one guy, somewhere, anywhere. One makes one this year. Then the two of them each make one the following year. Then the four each make one the year after that. How long would it take to fill the earth with disciples? The answer is astounding. In thirty-three years there would be 8 billion disciples - more than the total population of the world today.

Some may think that's too ambitious - one every year! Okay then how about one every two or three years? And remember, I'm just talking about one person getting the ball rolling. Reproduce Jesus in someone over the next three years, who in turn will join you in reproducing Jesus, and in one single life-time the world will be reached.

I am thoroughly intrigued by the power of doing what Jesus said, though a little troubled that we're not there yet. But there are glimmers of hope. One of our workers in Asia has poured her life into a young woman we'll call "Susan". This woman in turn has returned to her region with a passion to reproduce what she has learned. Listen to what she wrote recently:

"For this one year and 9 months, 102 have given their faith to God and hundreds have heard of His news. A couple of young guys have been chosen to be His strong followers to lead our Families in three apartments without any trouble from the Police. Plus a Family of 20 has been built up by a graduate sister. And taking care of the weak in a nursing home and an orphanage is a regular reaching out by the guys of the Families."

That's the power of multiplication - the power of genuine disciple-making. You change the world by changing a life. You change a life by making a disciple.