Day 19 – Multiplication

Day 19 – Multiplication

Writer: Josh

Devotional: Healthy Reproduction

Prayer: Pray for multiplication

Scripture: Acts 13:1–3

“Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon

called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the

tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. ( Acts 13:1–3, NIV )

Reflection

Church growth can feel like something that happens to us rather than something God

does through us.

We expect little babies to appear unexpectedly at our church doorstep.

However, what we see in Acts 13 tells us church growth is something God does through us when we are prepared.

Look what happened. - - - -

A breadth of blessing in leadership

A community committed to worship and fasting

Shared spiritual discernment

A willingness to release their best

This is healthy reproduction, a community thinking primarily in terms of movement, not in terms of building a stable monument. It was sending, empowering, not hoarding, storing and protecting itself primarily

Apostolic call: The “Why” Behind Multiplication. The “Sentness of God’s people”

The church at Antioch wasn’t multiplying themselves because they were filled with

dysfunctional people they couldn’t keep unified. They multiplied because they

understood, with clarity, there were others who had not heard, fields to be reached, and the gospel needed to be on the move.

The Apostolic call, the ‘sentness’ of the people of God, understands that this family we

have assembled at church is not the destination. We are just arrows on a journey to reach the target. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are gathered to be sent. We are filled to be poured out.

When we believe anything less than this, we cling to what we have built and stop

multiplying. The ultimate sign of health is not comfort, that is often the step toward death but rather reproduction. When we remember every healthy family reproduces, every healthy plant produces seeds, every healthy movement sends, we will begin to touch God’s heart for the nations once again.

Prayer:

Father, help us to have ears that hear Your call to send. Give us the hearts of fathers who even in the struggle willingly send people we love into the battle. Keep us from growing complacent in maintenance mode. Convict us of the sin of only caring for our own. Bring senders and goers. Multiply our churches not for our reputation, but for the sake of reaching others in Your name. Help us to celebrate sending more than gathering. Help us to rejoice at reproduction and trust You to provide for the gaps we leave behind.

In Jesus’

name, Amen.

Reflection questions

1. Am I willing to be part of a community that listens for the Holy Spirit’s sending? Am I

personally open to the Spirit’s leading in this?

2. Who are our “Barnabas and Saul”? Who is God currently preparing (right now) for a

new work?

3. What would it look like to sacrificially send our best resources NOT because we have plenty but because we trust the Father who multiplies? !

Consider this even more deeply

Fast this week and create space. In that space, simply ask God, “Who are you preparing to send from our community? Is it me? And what do we need to do to prepare ourselves to release them with blessing?”