Key Biblical X Factors / X Equals Multiplication

A look at the Acts of the Apostles from the perspective of the multiplying church . . .

Ten Behaviors of Multipliers

  1. Wait for the Holy Spirit’s Power
  2. Trust God to Provide
  3. Anticipate Victories Emerging from God’s Control
  4. Expect and Discern Divine Appointments
  5. Observe and Join what God is Doing
  6. Stand Strong Even in the Face of Opposition
  7. Praise First – In and Out of Adversity
  8. Build Bridges to the People
  9. Empower and Release Your Best People
  10. Relentlessly Focus on Bringing People to Christ and His Kingdom

Key Biblical X Factors – The Behaviors
The first four behaviors (wait, trust, anticipate, discern) are consistently found in multipliers. These four behaviors are all about becoming aligned for God to do His work. Behaviors five thru seven (observe and join, stand strong, praise first) begin the transition into horizontal activity while maintaining a clear eye on God. The final three behaviors (build bridges, empower and release, and relentlessly focus) are deliberate focused activities resulting in fulfilling God’s purpose and commission to be His multipliers all over the world.

Behavior 1 – Wait for the Holy Spirit’s Power
Acts 1:4 – Initial instruction from Jesus himself to WAIT

  • Significance of His final words on Earth
  • Significance of power to the previously powerless
  • Significance of active waiting (see 1:14, 15, 16-26 & 2:1)
  • Significant lessons from some who tried it without THE power (Acts 19:13-16)

Bottom line . . . God’s power is not token. It is not a power occasionally available. It is not a power to be fooled with. Spiritual warfare, especially in church multiplication is real. Therefore, it is critical to wait to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! Satan will aggressively work to thwart your progress. He knows it will lead to the taking of his territory.

Don’t miss the activity surrounding the word WAIT.
WAIT did not, and does not mean be idle!

Behavior 2 – Trust God to Provide
TRUSTING can be described as the activity of WAITING

Acts 1:8-8:1 – The earliest days of the church

  • Trust God by exercising prayer (see 1:14, 4:24)
  • Trust God by hearing from God while together (see 2:1, 46)
  • Trust God by learning through the Apostles’ teaching (see 2:42)
  • Trust God by allowing Him to reveal Himself (see 5:29)

Acts 16:6 and 19:10 – God’s very specific hand of direction

  • The Holy Spirit keeps Paul and companions from Asia
  • Now the people of Asia hear the good news

Acts 5:1-11 – The antithesis . . . the couple that did not trust God to provide

  • In succession Ananias and Sapphira keep something back for personal security
  • They lied to Peter, perhaps they lied to themselves

Bottom line . . . the early church leaders always had their antennas high. They listened to God and they trusted Him for specific direction.

Today more than ever we need to hear from God and receive His direction.
This concept of trust is not easy. The sooner we acknowledge that whatever is of God cannot be stopped, the sooner we will trust Him to multiply the church.
One more note—holding back is not a good option.

Behavior 3 – Anticipate Victories Emerging from God’s Control
Acts 8:1-8 – God leverages bad intentions for His purpose

  • In fact God allowed the persecution to serve as a catalyst
  • In fact the believers were spread throughout Judea and Samaria (see 1:8)
  • In fact a growing healthy Jerusalem church becomes a multiplying church
  • In fact opposition repeatedly leads to multiplication like gas on a fire (12:1-19)

Bottom line . . . Like a Judo fighter, God flips the outcome using the weight of the opposition to His advantage and to the advantage of building His kingdom. Anticipating victory means we will trust God’s perspective. When difficult times come—look hard for the Lord’s hand. With the exception of Berea, city by city throughout Acts opposition arose after the preaching of Christ. We should not be shocked by its presence today.

As was the case in Acts, adversity often comes in theological packages. In Acts 9:32 through chapter 10 the Lord brings theological clarity regarding the extent of the gospel to include Gentiles. Tension around that issue continues until closure is established in Acts 15. But the bottom line point again, God was victorious in extending the gospel to all nations, yet without compromising of the message. Honoring God’s Word on theological matters can and should result in seeing victories emerging from God.

Multiplication attracts opposition and God leverages all of this for His purposes.
The result is victory . . . anticipate victory.

Behavior 4 – Expect and Discern Divine Appointments
Acts 5:16-39 – Gamaliel keeps a divine appointment

  • The appointee may or may not be aware that God is present
  • Here God uses a person
  • Somewhere God may use a gift
  • Other times God may use a circumstance

Acts 8:26-40 – Philip’s irresistible divine appointment

  • In this case the appointment came about from listening to God
  • In this case the recipient of the appointment was searching for God
  • In this case the appointment was successful because Philip knew the scriptures
  • In this case Philip was on the move for God and his activity put him in great shape to learn about and meet the appointment

Bottom line . . . Divine appointments can come from the most unexpected places. Proper alignment with God enhances the probability for the occurrence. Again, the first four behaviors are about becoming aligned for God to do His work. WAITING, TRUSTING, ANTICIPATING and EXPECTING. Next, God moves us closer to critical strategic active behaviors.

The church multiplier properly aligned with God is now confident to observe and go with what God is doing.

Behaviors five thru seven (observe and go, stand strong and praise) begin the transition into horizontal activity while maintaining a clear eye on God.

Behavior 5 – Observe and Join What God is Doing
Acts 9:1-31 – Saul in the middle of a firestorm of God’s activity

  • God was doing something and chooses Saul
  • God was doing something and Saul gets on board
  • God was doing something and many couldn’t figure the logic of Saul the messenger

Acts 17:16-17 – Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy

  • From here on out Paul was tuned-in to his target people
  • Paul adjusted his approached in a culturally different environment
  • Paul demonstrates a God-given sensitivity

Bottom line . . . Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God is life-change thinking. Henry’s profound and practical thinking is an observation of intentional and effective ministries. These ministries get to know God, observe what He is doing and go with it! Saul saw the light and followed it. Paul who once followed and watched Jesus closely took a strategy out of the Lord’s playbook and connected with people where they were. Church multipliers walk with one eye on God and the other straight ahead.

The best multipliers don’t get so lost in activity that they miss the circumstance. They have good timing. They are moving.

Behavior 6 – Stand Strong Even in the Face of Opposition
Acts 5:40-6:1 – Many examples of standing strong with a great result

  • Beaten with a whip and told to shut up they rejoiced and then proceeded to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ
  • The number of disciples was increasing

Acts 7:59-60 – Stephen’s word and strength launch world missions

  • In full recognition of the consequence Stephen proclaimed Jesus is the Christ
  • Stephen offered forgiveness for he did not hold his life as important as theirs

Bottom line . . . Pain was not a deterrent. Doctors tell sufferers to try and focus on something other than the pain. Stoning is a most painful way to die. Stephen’s last thought was his focus . . . “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” Redemption for all, this is what he lived and died for. For the beaten and killed, their diligence and persistence resulted in the rapid multiplication of the church.

Consider this . . . Few believers are seeing persecution like the Chinese believers. Few places are seeing the multiplication of believers like China.

Church multipliers are more influenced by the eternal than preoccupied by the temporal.

Behavior 7 – Praise First—In and Out of Adversity
Acts 3:6-10 – The crippled beggar can’t hold back

  • Peter and John gave the great gift of healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The man couldn’t help but praise God
  • Sometimes praise results from a blessing

Acts 16:22-30 – Strip me, beat me and throw me into prison

  • No matter, we will keep praising God
  • Sometimes praise results from adversity
  • God gave applause to this praise and loosened the chains
  • Net result, lives are changed and people are encouraged

Bottom line . . . Always start with Praise . . . Praise First! The Jerusalem church was added to and power increased daily on the strength of worship. A healed crippled man can’t help but worship and the door is opened for thousands to come to Christ. Two physically beaten, yet spiritually alive prisoners sing praises and walls fall down.

Church multipliers recognize that praise is potent. God receives it and deserves it. He lives in this praise! He multiplies in the environment of praise.

The final three behaviors are deliberate, focused activities resulting in fulfilling God’s purpose to be His multipliers all over the world. They require a boldness that grows out of all of the behaviors already considered.

Behavior 8 – Build Bridges to the People
Acts 10:1-29 – Peter sees a new paradigm

  • An uncommon Roman soldier sought God
  • An uncommon message comes to Peter
  • An uncommon ministry request confronts Peter
  • An uncommon change of lives comes from the Holy Spirit

Acts 11:18 – Wonderment in Jerusalem

  • Church leaders praise God in amazement
  • Even the Gentiles are granted repentance unto life
  • We are now way outside the box

Bottom line . . . Following traditions can be valuable. But GOD is always creative! Here’s another key to multiplication . . . listen even if you think you know better!

Being immovably certain of how we should minister will blind us to incredible opportunities. A bold step outside of Peter’s ministry box was like a bold step outside the boat. In this case the church was and is multiplied like never before.

Behavior 9 – Empower and Release Your Best People
Acts 6:5-7:60 – Stephen, once among the unknown

  • He was once a second-stringer
  • Now he is given a new leadership role in the Jerusalem church
  • He is a man full of grace and power released to speak in the synagogue about Jesus
  • Until now only the Apostles were speaking for the church

Acts 13:1-3 – Saul and Barnabas, the best and brightest

  • The Holy Spirit gives the command
  • The Holy Spirit sends people out to do His work
  • The Holy Spirit is immediately obeyed by the Antioch church
  • The Holy Spirit initiates the ultimate . . . churches multiplying churches by empowering and sending their best

Acts 13:5 – John Mark is empowered to help Saul and Barnabas. The great reproducible model of empowering others while being empowered yourself

Bottom line . . . our churches are filled with people who given the opportunity, equipping and blessing will impact the world and multiply the church. The Holy Spirit is not shy to ask for the best. The church at Antioch continued to thrive.

Multiplying churches are the residual of multiplying leaders.
Who says so? The Holy Spirit says so!

Behavior 10 – Relentlessly Focus on Bringing People to Christ and His Kingdom
All of Acts – Every chapter gives witness to preaching Christ and His Kingdom. It all begins with the final command of Jesus, “You will be my witnesses . . .”

  • Peter gets it started in the first five chapters
  • Stephen carries chapters 6 and 7
  • Philip steps up in chapter 8
  • Saul gets started in chapter 9
  • Peter again in chapter 10
  • Barnabas in 11
  • Herod can’t stop it in 12
  • Barnabas and Saul in 13
  • Paul and Barnabas in 14 and 15
  • Silas joins Paul in 16
  • Paul continues from 17 to the end of the book

Acts 20:24 – Paul’s words . . . “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

  • Relentless
  • Focused

Bottom line . . . the players were many. The message was one. In almost every city the preaching of Christ was followed by persecution. Yet Christ was relentlessly preached. Opposition slowed nothing. In fact it was like gasoline on the fire. Relentlessly remember the main thing . . . bringing people to Christ. This is the X factor that gives purpose to all the rest that we do or think.

This is why we multiply leaders. This is why we multiply churches.

And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Jesus

Share

Get Involved...

Pray.

We cannot “Live the Call Together” unless prayer is central to all we do.
Pray with us »

Serve.

Is God calling you to service? We’re here to help you connect your passion with God’s purpose.
Serve with The Alliance »

Give.

Help build Christ’s Church by supporting the ministry and workers of The Alliance.
Give today »