27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 13 01-03 THE COMMISSIONING OF BARNABAS AND PAUL 15 Acts 13 03 Raising Multipliers
📖 Acts 13:01-03
15 – Sat, 01 Mar 2025 – *Raising Multipliers* - _Acts 13:01-03_ – THE COMMISSIONING OF BARNABAS AND PAUL – _II Timothy 02:01-02_
_Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away._
The church was growing in numbers. _Acts 11:20-21 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. (21) And the hand of the Lord was with them, and *a great number believed and turned to the Lord*._ The church was now entering the phase of multiplication.
Multiplication is different from the growth of people added to the church. Growth in the numbers of people added to the church corresponds with fruit bearing. In fruit bearing, we are a blessing to others, and others are added into the fellowship of the body of Christ.
Fruit bearing is mandatory for us as disciples of Christ. Fruit bearing is the first primary result that must be evident in us when we surrender our lives to the lordship of Christ. _II Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, *that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh*._ The life of Jesus is a life of love, which will be evident in our concern for others.
The life of Jesus causes us to be genuinely concerned for others. In doing so, the Holy Spirit works in their lives bringing conviction of sin and the need for repentance. _John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:_ The Holy Spirit causes us to be witnesses to Christ. _Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."_
This is the natural process of fruit bearing.
Fruit bearing is wonderful, but we cannot stop with fruit bearing. We must graduate to multiply. The church was multiplying by blessing, ordaining, commissioning, and giving authority to Barnabas and Saul to go out as their missionaries.
Generally, we are satisfied with fruit bearing. The Lord has blessed us to go forward from fruit bearing to multiplication, which is a part of the creation mandate. _Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "*Be fruitful and multiply*; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."_
It is in multiplication that exponential growth takes place for the Gospel. This is what the Great Commission is all about. _Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) *Go therefore and make disciples* of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen._
Disciples are those who will share the Gospel with others. _Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature._ and our task as the church is to raise up disciples, which is multiplication.
Paul is building up Timothy to be a multiplier. _II Timothy 2:1-2 You therefore, my son, *be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus*. (2) And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also._
*The key to be a multiplier is to be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus*. We must learn the secret of ‘Divine Enablement’. The devil’s strategy is to make us operate in our strength. We carry on for a while and soon we hit a crisis. This is where many of God’s people fold up and their life plummets. They wonder why they are in this state of dryness. The reason is that they have not plugged into the secret of ‘Divine Enablement’
Dear friends, I stress this requirement for us, to be multipliers. _II Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore *most gladly* I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For *when I am weak, then I am strong*.
I share with you a beautiful rendition of grace from Andrew Murray
_“He brought me here. It’s by His will I am in this difficult place. In that fact I will rest
He will keep me here in His love and *give me grace* to behave as His child
Then He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn
In His good time He will bring me out again – how and when He knows
*So let me say, “I am here by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.”*_ Andrew Murray
As we become multipliers by Divine Enablement, we will see that we are co-workers with many others, who are also operating out of Divine Enablement. _III John 1:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth._