Reproducing: Make Disciples Who Make Disciples

The gestation period (the time that elapses between conception and birth) of human beings is 9 months. The gestation period for a lion is 3 1/2 months; a bear, 6-8 months; a horse, 11 months; a whale, 12-18 months; an elephant, 17-24 months. The gestation period for a dog or cat? 2 months. A rabbit? One month. A chicken? 22 days. A rat? 21 days.

Each creature has their own special reproductive timetable, and it is most often different from every other animal. The reproduction time may differ from species to species, but all species reproduce. Reproduction is a normal and necessary facet of the life and continued existence of a species.

Read Genesis 1:21-22, 28, and 8:15-17.

God didn't want every species to just exist. He wanted them to multiply, and to do that they must reproduce. Reproduction is normal and necessary.

Reproduction is also normal and necessary for disciples of Jesus. This is not just for our continued existence on the earth, but to help populate Heaven! It was never Jesus' intention for His disciples to just exist. He wants us to reproduce and multiply, to make other disciples.

Read Matthew 28:18.

Jesus essentially told his disciples that He is the boss of all things, and everything on heaven and earth (stars, constellations, universes, trees, mountains, storms, wild and domestic animals, etc...) has to obey Him. He has all authority over all things. And now from that position of authority, He was giving them instructions.

Read Matthew 28:19.

Many people believe the command from Jesus here in Matthew 28 was to "go," but that's not the case. The command was and is to "make disciples" ("going" is part of making disciples). Jesus not only told his disciples to make disciples, he showed them how to make disciples. He showed them how to "reproduce" disciples. Our call is not just to be a disciple like Jesus, but also to make disciples like Jesus, following the example of Jesus.

To be a Chair 4 Disciple-Maker, we must not only remain in Jesus and model Jesus, we must also reproduce disciples who remain in Jesus and model Jesus.

Read Acts 9:1-30.

After Saul moved from Chair 1 to Chair 2 (believer), what helped him become a disciple? (see verses 18-19, 27-28)

Disciples in Damascus helped "disciple" Saul, and then the very apostles whom Jesus told to "make disciples" in Matthew 28:19 began to disciple Saul. Saul would later be renamed Paul (Acts 13:9), and he began to reproduce disciples. He led a young man named Timothy to faith in Christ.

Read 1 Timothy 1:2.

Read 2 Timothy 1:5-8a.

Read 2 Timothy 2:1-2.

Paul instructed Timothy to reproduce, making disciples of Jesus who could make disciples of Jesus. He didn’t specify a gestation period (every 21 days, 4 months, 9 months, or 2 years). Reproduce disciple-makers, wherever you are with whomever God has brought into your life.