Barriers to the movement has more to do with motivation than the math.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21-

4 hindrances-

  1. the lack of a kingdom view v. 16- we do not know anyone from a purely human way.

The new life that flows into the new view of the world around us. Most Christians do not get that since they are new creations they have a new view. There was a death involved in this process.

You cannot have long-term multiplication if the values the world holds are adopted shapes the way we think and view. If you have a new look because you have a new life-

You have to live as if you are strangers (xenos). We do not know anyone in a purely human way. Seeing everyone through the new eyes we have been given

  1. we recruit rather than we reconcile

v. 18&19-

When we have a focus on recruitment it does not lead to multiplication but transfer

We are not ultimately here to recruit Christians into groups but to reconcile non-Christians to God. Gospel multiplication is always tied to gospel reconciliation. 2x2x2x2

We focus so much on recruiting we miss the ministry of reconciliation.

Psalm 47:2- for God is the king over all the earth. God has always been king over the whole universe.

Col. 1:13 God has transferred us from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of the Sons. The world is in rebellion to God and as Christians our identity has changed and we are the rebellion against the rebellion.

When we get that it changes our function and focus as believer.

We don’t live as the rebellion against the rebellion.

And he has committed the ministry of reconciliation to us

  1. We are not on the kingdom mission- therefore we are ambassadors of reconciliation.

In the bible times ambassadors were not send from Rome but to Rome. The powerful did not send ambassadors to the week.  But, we are all ambassadors of Christ.  Weary of radical bursts of short-term radical enthusiasm, more concerned with longevity of faithfulness as an ambassador. Long-term intentional engagement with the world.

Your home is an embassy in the neighborhood.

  1. We fail to appreciate the cross- imputation- something is imputed-deposited into us. Adam’s sin is imputed to us through original sin. God made Jesus to be sin for us. So our sin was imputed to Christ in atonement. He died for our sin by becoming our sin.

v.14- When you get what Jesus did on the cross you can have the motivation for multiplication.