Sadly, there are a lot churches that are really good at addition, subtraction and division, but not multiplication.
It’s easy to settle for addition, because at least it is positive growth. Addition is safe. Addition is comfortable. But addition is often the result of a lack of vision and mission. Church leaders get bogged down in caring for the urgent and the existing members are happy because the attention is all on them. Sometimes people move into the area and just naturally look for a church. Put out a sign and we can probably grow through addition.
However, addition is just a step away from subtraction. People start to withdraw from the church when the church has no purpose. I bet more people leave the church out of boredom than from being called to fulfill the Great Commission.
Let’s not even talk about division…
Multiplication requires vision and leadership. Multiplication requires sacrifice and commitment. Multiplication is what disciples of Jesus are doing. Multiplication takes much prayer and a lot of hard work. Multiplication requires evangelism and a passion for making disciples. Bill Hull says,
If the church fails to make disciples, it fails to multiply. If the church fails to multiply, it fails.
We all know that division is failure, but so is subtraction and addition. Multiplication brings glory to God. It is what we are commissioned to do. If it’s division, subtraction, or addition, it may or may not be from God, but if it’s multiplication and it brings Him glory, there’s no doubt it’s of Him!
My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. (John 15:8 HCSB)
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There is a huge caveat to this: nothing we do saves souls. No amount of planning, labour, vision, outreach, etc. will save a single soul. God alone saves souls. There is a sense in which we can measure how our church is doing by how we multiply, but in another real sense we cannot. The fruit of our labour may not be a better ASA or a sister church plant. The fruit of our labour might be a seed of the gospel that is planted in a persons life that the Lord of the Harvest doesn't bring to fruition until much later.
We, as Christians, should definitely be serious about spreading the gospel. That is the Great Commission. That is our purpose. We should every day be striving to make God's Love, Truth and Word known. But we can't necessarily use people-in-the-pew count as a measure of how well we are doing (that can even become a source of pride).
Thanks for the reminder John. I'm in total agreement that God is the one who saves, but I'm writing from the perspective that God is also the one who told us to go and make disciples. In other words, there is a certain amount of activity and initiative on our parts that fulfills the Great Commission. It's an interesting paradox that God is sovereign but still uses us to accomplish His Will. He prompts us to speak. He stirs in people's hearts. He gives us the words to say. He opens their hearts to understand. He draws them to Himself. Yet, we can be disobedient and refuse to speak, not listen for the word's to say, and not care that people are dying apart from God. That's where a post like this comes in. We need to be reminded to join in the mission of God and recognize that disciples multiply. Hope that makes sense.
Psalm 34.9:
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.