INTRODUCTION

The Bible records the creation of the world and the first man and woman (Genesis 1).  The first command given by God to these newly created people was to multiply:

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…(Genesis 1:27-28)

This process was not only to be physical multiplication, it was also to be spiritual.  As Adam and

Eve multiplied physically they would fill the earth with others like themselves; people who knew God and walked in fellowship with Him.  They would be reproducing spiritually as well as physically.

The fall of man into sin interfered with this process (Genesis 3).  Sin resulted in physical death which hindered physical multiplication (Genesis 2:17).  It also  caused  spiritual death which is the spiritual separation of sinful man from a righteous God.  This hindered spiritual multiplication.

Because God loved man so much, He made a special plan to save people from this terrible spiritual death.  God sent Jesus Christ to die for the sins of all mankind.  Jesus paid the penalty of death in our place, then He overcame death by rising again from the dead (John 20).

Each individual must choose to accept God’s plan of salvation by asking forgiveness for sin and accepting Jesus as Savior.*  As a believer in Jesus with sins forgiven, you are saved from spiritual death. 

Although the physical body will someday die, you  will continue to live spiritually and will receive a new body  which will live forever:

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…We shall all be  changed…In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed…Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  (I Corinthians 15:51, 52, 54)

When you accept Jesus as Savior, it is like being created by God all over again.  The Bible calls it being “born again”:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)  

Being “born again” does not refer to physical birth.  It refers to spiritual birth.  You are recreated spiritually as a new creature in Christ.  You are “new” because you no longer live in sin and practice the old sinful lifestyle:

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)  

In the beginning of the world, God’s first command to His newly created people was to multiply.  His first command to recreated, “born-again” believers is the same.  We are to multiply spiritually and fill the earth with others like ourselves; people who love God and walk in fellowship with Him.

When Jesus first called men to follow Him, it was a call to spiritual multiplication (Luke 5:10).  His last command  to believers was to multiply spiritually (Acts 1:8).  To meet the challenge of thousands of people who are dying in sin without the Gospel, each believer must become reproductive and learn the principles of spiritual multiplication.

This course shares Biblical methods of spiritual reproduction which will enable you to multiply in obedience to God’s command.  You will learn how to multiply spiritually as an individual and corporately within the context of the local church.  If you apply the Biblical principles taught in this course, you can be responsible for the multiplication of thousands of trained and motivated believers. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

Reproduce  spiritually through application of Biblical multiplication methods.

Summarize multiplication principles taught in New Testament parables. 

Explain how a believer can multiply spiritually to raise up hundreds of new believers. 

Make your home a center for spiritual multiplication. 

Summarize principles for internal multiplication within the Church.

Summarize principles for expansion multiplication of the Church.

Summarize principles for extension multiplication of the Church.

Summarize  principles for bridging multiplication of the Church.  

Move converts beyond decision to discipleship.  

Identify factors that hinder spiritual multiplication.