Multiplication Is In Our DNA: The Jesus Model of Discipleship

by | Nov 25, 2024 | Church Health, Discipleship | 12 comments

I’ve been diving deep into the Gospels lately, and something hit me like a ton of bricks – Jesus was the ultimate multiplier. Not the math kind (though He probably crushed that too), but the people kind. Today, we are going to look at Jesus’ model for discipleship.

Here’s the reality: Jesus didn’t wait until His disciples had their degrees in theology before unleashing them into ministry. He didn’t make them sit through years of training or make them pass some spiritual fitness test. Nope. He got them in the game EARLY.

Think about it—these guys were still rough around the edges when Jesus first sent them out. Peter was still putting his foot in his mouth regularly, and Thomas probably had doubts. But Jesus looked at them and basically said, “You’re ready. Go make it happen.”

First, He sends out the twelve disciples. These weren’t polished preachers – they were everyday people like you and me. Fishermen, tax collectors, and regular Joes. But Jesus gave them authority and power to:

  • Drive out demons (intense, right?)
  • Heal the sick (no medical degree required)
  • Proclaim the Kingdom (no seminary training needed)

But wait, it gets better! Right after that, Jesus looks at 72 MORE people and says, “Your turn!” He sends them out in pairs, telling them the harvest is HUGE, but the workers are few. Talk about scaling up fast!

 

Here’s Why This Matters For Us Today

 

  1. Multiplication isn’t just a good idea – it’s part of our spiritual DNA. Jesus built it into the system from day one.
  2. You don’t need to have it all figured out to start making disciples. If you’re waiting until you feel “ready,” you’ll never start.
  3. Jesus’s model was hands-on from the beginning. No classroom-only disciples here!

Listen, church – we’ve got to stop thinking discipleship is just for the professionals. Every single one of us is called to this. Whether you gave your life to Jesus 20 years or 20 minutes ago, you have something to offer.

 

The Million Dollar Question

 

Here’s what keeps me up at night: What would happen if every person in our church took this seriously? What if every believer understood that making disciples isn’t just for pastors and small group leaders?

I’m convinced we’re sitting on a powder keg of potential. The harvest isn’t just plentiful – it’s massive. But we’ve got to get in the game.

 

Your Next Step

 

Start today. Seriously. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Find one person you can invest in. One person you can pray with. One person you can share your journey with. That’s how movements start – one person at a time.

Remember: Jesus didn’t call us to make converts; He called us to make disciples who make disciples. That’s the game-changer. That’s what sets Christianity apart from every other religion on the planet.

Let’s stop playing church and start being the church. The world needs what we have. And Jesus has already given us everything we need to get it done.

Time to multiply. Who’s with me?

#ChurchLife #Discipleship

Read more blog posts by Jeff Hoglen

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