GENESIS 12:2-3 (ESV) 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-7 (ESV) 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Multiply His Blessings Genesis 12:2-3, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

INTRODUCTION Multiply: Only Living things multiply, God has formed the Church, as a living thing, to represent His Son's character and to reproduce His Spirit's fruit in every part of the world. As God announced from the very beginning, the way to fill the earth is to multiply. (from Perspectives)

MAIN IDEA God's desire for us is to multiply His blessing to others to see them establish and grow in their walks with Him

OUTLINE I. Internally Multiply II. Externally Multiply III. Expansively Multiply

I. INTERNALLY MULTIPLY There needs in the church, internal growth of maturity and internal strength: Spiritual or “Qualitative” Growth Biological Growth Structural Growth Conversion Growth

I. INTERNALLY MULTIPLY Spiritual or “Qualitative” Growth – Growth of the church community in faith, hope, and love

I. INTERNALLY MULTIPLY Biological Growth – Children of the church members also become church members

I. INTERNALLY MULTIPLY Structural Growth – Internal structures of the church allows for growth

I. INTERNALLY MULTIPLY Conversion Growth – Conversion of nominal church members to genuine faith

II. EXTERNALLY MULTIPLY Through external growth the church grows numerically in several ways: Transfer Growth Conversion Growth

II. EXTERNALLY MULTIPLY Through external growth the church grows numerically in several ways: Transfer Growth – Members of other churches transfer to a specific church. Transfer growth certainly indicates an attractive church, but the unbelieving community may remain untouched.

II. EXTERNALLY MULTIPLY Through external growth the church grows numerically in several ways: Conversion Growth – A truly healthy church will reach out to the non- believing community to guide people to the Lord and to its membership

III. EXPANSIVELY MULTIPLY Four Men, Three Eras, Two Transitions: Modern Missions by Ralph Winter Three Eras of Modern Missions: First Era ( ) Second Era ( ) Third Era ( ???)

III. EXPANSIVELY MULTIPLY In the First Era, Mission Church Relation: Four Stages of Development Stage 1 – Pioneer Stage 2 – Parent Stage 3 – Partner Stage 4 - Participant

STAGE 1 - PIONEER First contact with a people group MissionChurch STAGE 2 - PARENT Missionaries convert and disciple national leadership

STAGE 3 - PARTNER National leaders work as equals with the missionaries MissionChurch MissionChurch STAGE 4 - PARTICIPANT Missionaries are no longer equal partners and hand off ministry. Involvement is only by invitation

III. EXPANSIVELY MULTIPLY How are we going to engage with expanding God’s Kingdom and multiplying His blessing and work? Missions is transitioning out of the paradigm “from the West to the rest” into a new and not yet fully defined or understood paradigm “from anywhere to everywhere”. (Lausanne Conference 2010)

III. EXPANSIVELY MULTIPLY Are you engaged in supporting/sending (pray/give/equip) those that are “called” to the mission field? Are you hearing God’s call for you to “go” and be used for His Kingdom? Are you working with those that are strategically placed around us to continue the work God is doing globally? Are we seeing how we are to partner with locals/natives to minister to people of their context and what role we play in that?