Taking it to the next level

Matthew 21:18-22:
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
This was not a thoughtless, angry act but an acted-out parable. Jesus was showing his anger at religion without substance.
Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination.
If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. James 2:20 says faith without works is useless.
Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom.
The figs normally grow as the leaves fill out, but this tree, though full of leaves, had no figs. The tree looked promising but offered no fruit.
It is possible to have results without having fruits.
John 15:16 says “: I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.”
There are basically three levels of participation in every church: attenders, members, and multipliers.
Attenders are those who sporadically make a certain church their headquarters. They make no commitment in finances, attendance, or outreach involvement, but they consider a particular church “their church”, especially at Christmas and Easter.
Members go to a second, higher level of involvement, with commitment to weekly attendance, tithing, and outreach participation.
Members are progressing towards discipleship but may not necessarily walk in purity, carry a burden for the lost, or know how to disciple someone else. Believers come alive when someone removes the dead branches of sin, bondage, and fear from their lives.
When they are intentionally discipled, they are empowered to break through the member ceiling and move up to the level of a multiplier.
This responsibility of discipling is a task reserved for not only the pastor but also for everyone who calls him/herself a follower of Christ.
Growing mature believers is what guarantees multiplication.
2 Timothy 2:2:
2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
The early church had no buildings, props, or sound systems. What they did have was one- on- one discipleship, and that system released a power that filled the entire known world.
I believe that this church is going to grow by us growing the members.
Colossians 1:28:
28 So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[a] in their relationship to Christ.
1. Winning souls: it all starts here when we proclaim the gospel and a sinner responds. This, however is addition: every step after this is what brings multiplication.

2. Sanctifying the body, mind, and spirit: this includes the intentional breaking of habits, bondages, and strongholds in the lives of believers. The focus is on getting them free from the negative influences that destroy.

3. Imparting wisdom and order through the scriptures: this refers to doctrinal and biblical studies to build faith, purpose, vision, and serious discipleship.

4. Multiplication: a truly disciple believer is God’s greatest evangelistic tool.

Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Camus Crusade for Christ gave the example of one of his disciples who went back to Thailand and disciple 700 believers and one of those 700 preached personally to over 200,00 thousand people in his lifetime and saw more than 20,000 receive Christ.
That is multiplication- not an event or fruitless effort at entertainment, but a chain reaction of changed lives that grows and explodes.
Here at New Harvest I want to get the focus off the word quantity and put the focus on quality.
The spirit wants to move in each one of our lives in a mighty way are you up to the challenge?