Multiplying gospel growth

In chapter 9, "Multiplying gospel growth through training co-workers", we read on pages 122-3, “Everyone who by God’s grace becomes a disciple of Christ is not only part of the vine, but also a vine-worker, a disciple-maker, a partner in the gospel. Although some Christians have particular gifts and responsibilities for teaching and oversight, all Christians have a role in prayerfully speaking the word of truth to each other and to those outside.”

“Training (understood in this way) is the engine of gospel growth. People move from being outsiders and unconverted through to being followed up as new Christians and then growing into mature, stable Christians who are then in turn trained and mobilized to lead others through the ‘gospel growth’ process.”

“ …You can’t personally minister to and train 130 people. But you can start with ten, and those ten can work beside you – not only to minister personally to others, but to train others as well, who in turn will minister to others. The ‘co-workers’, in other words, are not a different category – they are just a bunch of gifted potential ‘vine-workers’ who work beside you to get things moving. It’s ministry multiplication through personal training, and it is one of the great needs of the contemporary church.”

Wow! If you do the maths on this, it is impressive. Even one person training two others for a year will result in three vine-workers. If each were to train two others in the second year we would have nine vine-workers at the end of the second year. If this were to continue, we would expect 27 at the end of the third year, and 81 at the end of the fourth. Of course we do need to allow for some not to continue, or to have been encouraged (see chapter 10) to move on to further studies to possibly become “full-time” pastors/evangelists/missionaries, or to have moved to other areas within Australia or overseas taking their vine-working skills with them.

As we work through this, it seems we are returning to the times of the early church. Of course there were problems then, and the Christians had to work through those too. I think we have too much ‘easy believeism’ today – as someone has said, “Pray the prayer, sit in the chair”. When people become Christians there are minimal requirements expected of them. Jesus had some strong things to say about people who would follow Him, but that is another book.

Lord, please help us to follow You, and obey You. Train us to be vine-workers.