Born to Reproduce: What will it take?

Tweet

If you do not have a copy of Dawson Trotman's Born to Reproduce, you can read it online by clicking HERE. (You can also download and print it; it's seven pages.)

Please read How to Majoring in Reproducing, pages 25 - 27 in the booklet, or from the middle of page 4 to the beginning of page 5 in the online document.

My message to you today is short; I simply cannot go further than to make this one point, quite possibly because I am so convicted by it myself.

Trotman says this: "How thrilled we are to see the masses fill up the seats! But where is your man? I would rather have one “Isaac” alive than a hundred dead, or sterile, or immature."

And he asks this:  "What will it take to jar us out of our complacency and send us home to pray, “God, give me a girl or man whom I can win to Christ, or let me take one who is already won, an infant in Christ, and try to train that one so that he or she will reproduce!”

"What will it take to jar us out of our complacency and send us home to pray...”

What will it take, men?  What will it take to convince you that people are dying and bound for Hell.  What will it take to convince you that Jesus is their only hope, and that He has determined that He will use you to bring people to Him, and teach them about Him, so that they may go out and do the same?

What will it take?  What will it take for you?  

It's time we talk about it.  Whether your obstacle is fear, embarrassment, busyness, whatever, it's time to get over it.  There is no time to waste.  We spend so much time on the temporary, and our time to impact the eternal is slipping away.

What will it take?

Go.  Please.  Go and pray for your one.

You can make a difference.

Pray for your one.

Call other men into accountability to do the same.

Questions:

Have you prayed, today, for God to bring you another man to disciple?

If so, what is happening?

If not, why not?

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from : 

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to Reproduce: Whose job is it?

Tweet

If you do not have a copy of Dawson Trotman's Born to Reproduce, you can read it online by clicking HERE.  (You can also download and print it; it's seven pages.)

 Please read How to Majoring in Reproducing, pages 25 - 27 in the booklet, or from the middle of page 4 to the beginning of page 5 in the online document.

In the last section, Trotman talks about multiplication. One person disciples one other, then each of them one more. Now there are four. He says "So the four of them in the next six months each get a man. That makes eight at the end of a year and a half. They all go out after another and at the end of two years there are 16 men. At the end of three years there are 64: the 16 have doubled twice. At the end of five years there are 1,048. At the end of fifteen and a half years there are 2,176,000,000. That is the present population of the world of persons over three years of age."


Over two billion reached in under sixteen years, starting with just two?  Fifteen years may seem like a long time, but I did some quick math. If every single day of the year, there was a large stadium-type evangelism event, with 15,000 people in attendance - that's 15 thousand every day of the year, it would take over 397 years to reach the same number! So, one x two, then two x two, and so on, is very effective. Not to mention the depth to which people are being taken to, and the relationships being built.

Men, the world is starving for Christ and they don't even know it. Who is going to go get one guy, just one, and spend serious time with him for six months or so, then send him to get one while you get another. While some churches are, the truth is the church is desperately failing at this. They are failing at the one task Jesus closed out His ministry charging us to do.

You can make a difference.

Pray for your one.

Call other men into accountability to do the same.

Talk to your pastor; hold your church up to this standard and see how they are doing.  You have no less than the Holy Spirit on your side.


Questions:

Trotman asked "who else is majoring in discipleship?".  Not talking about programs or committees who have that title, but are not doing this work, is your church involved in discipleship to this level?

If not, why not?

Will you talk to your pastor and show your desire to disciple?

It starts with one, praying for their one; are you?

Ask for...one.

Tweet

If you do not have a copy of Dawson Trotman's Born to Reproduce, you can read it online by clicking HERE.  (You can also download and print it; it's seven pages.)


Please read How to Produce Reproducers, pages 20 - 25 in the booklet, or from the middle of page 3 to the middle of page 4 in the online document.

I love the story that starts this section. It is that of a a young sailor, who wanted to disciple other men.  He deliberately goes after the guys on his ship, with no success. Trotman relates the story this way:

He came to me after a month of this and said, “Dawson, I can’t get any of these guys on the ship to get down to business.”


 I said to him, “Listen, you ask God to give you one. You can’t have two until you have one. Ask God to give you a man after your own heart.”


 He began to pray.

And then it happened -- it happened!

And from one came two, from two four, from four, eight -- and so on -- until 125 men were saved aboard this sailor's ship -- before it was sunk at Pearl Harbor.  And when Born to Reproduce was first written, men from that ship were serving four continents as missionaries.

Men, do we care enough about God's work that we are willing to be disciplers?  Do we trust God enough to provide one other man to whom we can give our time?

Will you ask God for your one?  God is waiting.  Your man is waiting.  What are you doing?

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from : 

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to reproduce: Day 6 - When I became a man

Tweet

Today we continue our study on Dawson Trotman's Born to Reproduce.


Please read pages 13-19 in the booklet, or the section entitled "Spiritual Babes",  which starts at the very end of page 2 in the online document.

Dawson Trotman says:  "One other thing that can keep people from having children is immaturity. God in His wisdom saw to it that little children cannot have babies.  A little boy must first grow to sufficient maturity to be able to earn a living, and a little girl must be old enough to care for a baby."  


Where do you think you are, spiritual maturity-wise?  This is not a question of knowledge - knowledge of theology, doctrine, the Bible or whatever; as Trotman goes on to say, "I know many people who can argue the pre-, the post- and the amillennial position and who know much about dispensations, but who are still immature."

No, this is a matter of growing up, growing close.  It is a matter of submission and application; a matter of right living.  Don't get me wrong, theology is important!  Study is important!  But only if the move you toward Christ.


There was a time when each of us found all the fulfillment we needed in someone feeding us, putting us to bed, holding us, and making the occasional funny face at us.  But we grew.  We developed.  Relationships became important, as did responsibility.  Doing the right things and doing them well.  Raising our families.  When we see that adult who still thinks and lives like a teenager, self-centered and avoiding life's responsibilities we shake our heads, right?


Trotman makes the case, and I could not agree more, that what we disdain in the physical world, we make generous allowances for in the spiritual world.


Salvation is important (the church falls short in that message as well, but that is for another time).  However, salvation is but the first step.  Jesus did not say 'go ye and make church members' or 'go ye and make converts', He said "go ye and make disciples"!   The church has been struggling with this from the beginning.  Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth saying "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly —mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."



Men, he also said in that letter, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."  


"When I became a man."  We should all be able to honestly say that we've become men.


If not, we'd better get after it.


Questions:


How "grown up" do you feel?
What steps do you take to keep growing?
What challenges does your church face in this area?

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from : 

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to Reproduce: DAY 5 – Impairment

Tweet

Today we continue our study on Born to Reproduce.


Dawson states that there are three hindrances that can prevent spiritual reproduction that have direct correlations to similar hindrances to physical reproduction:  in both realms there must be union, there must be a certain level of maturity, and there must not be a preventative disease or impairment.  It is the last of those three which we will discuss today.  


About this, Dawson says:  “Another factor that can hinder reproduction is disease or impairment to some part of the body that is needed for reproductive purposes. In the spiritual realm sin is the disease that can keep one from winning the lost.


Sin is the disease.


If we have determined, as asked in our last discussion, that we want to make disciples, ( in Dawson’s terms – that we want to have spiritual children), and if we have determined to live in union with Christ, then the next step in to live healthy lives.


Sin is the disease.


We must address this carefully, but accurately.  Do you have to be sin-free in order to begin to disciple someone else?  That is a tall order.  The world is a messy place.  God calls us toward holiness and perfection, and that is the direction to which we must be moving.  But we are not to wait until we are perfect before we reach to disciple, to mentor someone else.


Still, sin is the disease.




We are all prone to error.  We all slip up.  Let’s just say it – we all sin.  But one thing that will constantly keep us from bringing others into discipleship is ongoing, intentional, unrepentant sin.  That is a disease in our spirits; a disease that brings death.  James wrote about it this way:  but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14-15)


If we had a disease or injury that prevented us from having children, it would, at some point, become evident to our wives.  How much more does God know the sin in our lives preventing us from reproducing.  How it grieves Him is another matter; but all the more so since He has the remedy.


Statistics say that the abuse of alcohol, the use of illegal drugs, the use of pornography, etc., etc., etc., is very different within the church than without.


Is there a mystery to the fact that churches are dying?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
Can a person be saved and continue in a lifestyle of sin?  
What kind of sins might these be?  
Are there any traces of these in your own life?


All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.
Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :
Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to reproduce: DAY 4 – A question: Do you want kids?

Tweet

Today we continue our study on Born to Reproduce.

Dawson says:  “Only a few things will ever keep human beings from multiplying themselves in the physical realm. If a couple is not united, they will not reproduce. This is a truth which Christians need to grasp with reference to spiritual reproduction.  When a person becomes a child of God, he should realize that he is to live in union with Jesus Christ if he is going to win others to the Savior.”

If you are not a Dad, please excuse me for this reading.  But for all you men who are, did you always want to be?  Some guys are like that.  But many others never think along those lines when we are younger.

Then we meet her.

She says yes to a date, then yes to going out, then yes to “will you marry me?”

Then your life changes; whatever distracted you before – cars, sports, whatever -- begin to fall a distant second in your priorities.  You just want to be with her.  Then your thoughts begin to morph and one day you wake up and the idea of being a Dad seems like a great one, a little scary maybe, but good.

So, do you want spiritual offspring?  You should be wild about the idea!

If not, you need to get back to Jesus.

The next step is yours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

DAY 3 “Living in Union”

Tweet

DAY 3  “Living in Union”

Today we continue our study on  Born to Reproduce and continuing in the section  titled “Hindrances”, (book, pages 11-13;  online document, it is the last part of the first column and most of the second on page 1).

Dawson says:  “Only a few things will ever keep human beings from multiplying themselves in the physical realm. If a couple is not united, they will not reproduce. This is a truth which Christians need to grasp with reference to spiritual reproduction.  When a person becomes a child of God, he should realize that he is to live in union with Jesus Christ if he is going to win others to the Savior.”* (emphasis mine)

“To live in union.”

The Merriam – Webster dictionary defines ‘union’ as “an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one”.  It defines ‘live’, among other ways, like this: “to be alive; to be located; to have  life rich in experience; to exhibit vigor, gusto, or enthusiasm in; to experience firsthand; to be thoroughly absorbed by .⁽¹⁾

Men, how closely do any of these definitions reflect your life with Christ?  Are you joined with Him in such a way that it defines your life?  Your location?  Is it in deep connection with Him that you experience life?  Does your connection with Jesus brim with vigor  With gusto?  With enthusiasm?  Do you know Him, not just through church, or a friend, or your wife – do you know Him firsthand?  Are you thoroughly absorbed by Him?

You owe it to your family to live this way.  You owe it to yourself. 

Life lived in any other way is not living at all.

Are you absorbed by your work?  Your hobbies?  Your car?  Your…?

Or are you absorbed by Jesus?

You owe it to your family to live this way.  You owe it to yourself. 

You owe it to Jesus.  He gave His life for you.  You need to give your life to Him.  Without that living in union, there cannot be reproduction; you cannot make another disciple without it.

Questions:

Do any of these express your relationship with Jesus?  Do you wish it did?  What might you do to make it so?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

⁽¹⁾http:// merriam-webster.com

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to Reproduce: Day 2

Tweet

DAY 2

Today we we continue our study on Born to Reproduce, a classic booklet on discipleship, based on a message given by Dawson Trotman in 1955. You can order the booklet from Nav Press  NavPress.  I buy them in bulk HERE , or view it online.  

Please read the section  titled “Hindrances”.  If you have the book, that can be found on pages 11-13, if you are using the online document, it is the last part of the first column and most of the second on page 1 ( here:  Born to Reproduce ).

Here, Trotman makes a comparison between physical and spiritual reproduction.  For a couple to have a child, there must be union, there must be a certain level of health, and there must be a certain level of maturity.  Bereft of any of these and there can be no reproduction.  Likewise in the spiritual realm, in order to make a new disciple, in order to spiritually reproduce, there must be union, health, and maturity.

Today we will look at the union.  Dawson says:  “Only a few things will ever keep human beings from multiplying themselves in the physical realm. If a couple is not united, they will not reproduce. This is a truth which Christians need to grasp with reference to spiritual reproduction.  When a person becomes a child of God, he should realize that he is to live in union with Jesus Christ if he is going to win others to the Savior.” *

God designed the physical to teach us about the spiritual.  We completely understand that a man and woman must join together in order to reproduce, to bring another human being into the world which is part of both of them. 

Men, being a father, being a daddy, is more than a moment of union producing a pregnancy.  Being a father, a daddy, being a man, means that the union continues.  It is not simply the sex act; it is forging the unity – the ongoing – unity with your mate.  This ongoing union does not just produce a child, but, as Scripture says, raises that child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6).  It is love that stays; it is love that perseveres.

We ought to as easily understand Dawson’s point here; that there must be a joining with Christ first, then we (Jesus and each of us), together, can bring into being a new creature.  

So what does that union look like?  It is not just being saved, it is an ongoing, increasing unity with Him. To start:

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

This is love for God: to obey his commands. 1 John 5:3

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

There’s more…but these four verses, in a nutshell, say “To be united with Jesus, follow Him, die and rise spiritually with Him, love and obey Him, live like Him.”

Questions:

God designed you to reproduce “spiritual children”; do you want them? 

Do you feel as if you are one with Christ? 

Have you taken any steps in order to be?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.

Born to Reproduce; day 1

Tweet

Today we begin a study on Born to Reproduce, a classic booklet on discipleship, based on a message given by Dawson Trotman in 1955.

It is timeless. 

You can order the booklet from Nav Press, and view it online here: Born to Reproduce.

Please read the opening section, stopping just short of the one titled Hindrances. If you have the book, that can be found on pages 9 – 11 (the foreword is optional), if you are using the online document, it is the first column and ¾ on page 1 ( here:  Born to Reproduce ).

Trotman relates, beautifully I think, that the “first order given to man was to ‘be fruitful and multiply”’”* meant more than just having children.  

God commanded, with His first command to mankind, that they create more like that which He had created.  He commanded that those created in the image of God would bring about more living beings in His image.

Adam and Eve sinned and their offspring were born into sin.  It is a popular image that Eve sinned by taking the fruit, and that was the first sin.  Well, men, that might have been the first sin of commission, but I would argue that the first human sin was one of omission.  Go ahead guys, read it, in Genesis 3, Adam was there for the entire exchange between Eve and the serpent – and did nothing.

He left his wife unprotected.

He stood and watched as she was defiled.

Are you protecting that woman who God placed under your charge?  Are you protecting her from sin by leading a holy life?  Are you protecting her from sin by keeping filth out of your house?  Are you protecting her from fear by offering the security you proclaimed in your vows before God?  Are you protecting her dignity by partnering with her as a parent?

Men.  MEN!  If we ever hope to disciple others, then we must make it possible that anyone who copies us, would be copying one who is copying Jesus, loving our wives as He loved the church, willing to lay down our lives for her.  This is not just being willing to die, but to give up a life of selfishness for one of selflessness.

God has provided a way for us to spiritually reproduce in a manner similar to the way Adam and Eve were intended to physically reproduce.  He has given us a Savior and provided us with His Holy Spirit to allow us create others in His image.

Grab the Dawson book…read on.

Questions:

Imagine how the world would be if all children ever born were not born in the grip of sin; what would the world look like?

How might we spiritually reproduce others in the image of God?

What prevents us from doing so?

What specific responsibility do you, as a man, have in this area?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless otherwise noted.

Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :

Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.