07. Information Without Reproduction Is Not Maturity
Can You Be a Disciple and Not Multiply Disciples?. Part 07
You can know the books of the Bible. Understand theology. Attend Bible studies. Listen to sermons every week. And still not obey Jesus’ command to make disciples.
We often measure spiritual maturity by how much someone knows. Jesus measured it by fruit.
“In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.”. John 15:8 WEB
Biblical knowledge is important. We must know God’s Word if we are going to obey it and teach it faithfully. But information was never intended to stop with us.
God’s Word should change how we live. It should change how we love. It should change how we serve. It should move us toward people who do not yet know Jesus. And it should reproduce in the lives of others.
The goal of studying Scripture is not merely to complete another lesson. The goal is to become more like Jesus. And if we are becoming more like Jesus, we will increasingly do what Jesus did.
Jesus sought the lost. Jesus made disciples. Jesus developed leaders. Jesus sent ordinary people into the harvest. Jesus multiplied His life through others. Shouldn’t His mature disciples increasingly do the same?
Knowledge Can Create an Illusion of Maturity
It is possible to confuse learning with following. We hear a sermon and feel inspired. We complete a Bible study and feel accomplished. We gain a new theological insight and feel spiritually mature.
But Jesus did not say: “Teach them to know everything I commanded.” He said:
“Teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you.”. Matthew 28:20 WEB
There is an enormous difference between knowing what Jesus commanded and obeying what Jesus commanded.
We can study prayer without praying. Study evangelism without sharing the gospel. Study disciple-making without making disciples. Study multiplication without ever multiplying.
At some point, information must become obedience.
“But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.”. James 1:22 WEB
Mature Disciples Reproduce
A mature apple tree does not merely grow taller, develop stronger branches, and produce more leaves. It bears fruit. And inside that fruit are seeds with the potential to produce more trees.
In the same way, spiritual maturity is not merely personal growth. It is reproductive growth.
A mature disciple follows Jesus. And helps others follow Jesus. A mature disciple obeys Jesus. And teaches others to obey Jesus. A mature disciple receives the gospel. And carries it to others.
Paul described this kind of reproduction to Timothy:
“The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”. 2 Timothy 2:2 WEB
Paul. Timothy. Faithful people. Others also. That is four generations of disciples in one verse. That is biblical maturity. Not simply receiving truth. But faithfully passing it on.
The Question Is Not Only, “What Do You Know?”
The more important questions are: What are you obeying? Who are you helping follow Jesus? Who are you teaching to obey what Jesus commanded? Who is learning to make disciples because you discipled them?
If we have studied the Bible for years but have never helped another person follow Jesus, we should not defend ourselves. We should examine ourselves. We should repent of substituting information for obedience.
Then we should begin. You do not need to know everything before you help someone follow Jesus. Share what you know. Obey what Jesus has shown you. Invite someone to walk with you. Teach them to do the same with someone else.
Biblical maturity is not measured only by how much truth has entered your life. It is also revealed by how much truth is being obeyed, lived, and multiplied through your life.
Information without obedience produces educated hearers. Information with obedience produces fruitful disciples. Information that is obeyed and reproduced can become a movement.
So ask yourself honestly: Is what I know about Jesus reproducing in anyone else?
Want to learn how to make disciples who make disciples? Join a Zúme Training →