Using the Three-Thirds Process

TRAINING TRAINERS

Multiplying Generations of Disciples

USING THE THREE-THIRDS PROCESS

AS A BASIS FOR MEETING TOGETHER

NOTE: Don’t teach/learn a new lesson until you/they are competent in doing what was learned in the previous lesson

KINGDOM GROWTH

(MULTIPLICATION)

Use the three-thirds outline to discover and implement what God is saying through the following parable told by Jesus about the way the kingdom of God works.

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. Whether he sleeps or rises, night and day, the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once, he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Read, read –

 Tell/check, tell/check

Three Questions

WHAT has God told us about?

WHATIF this happened in my life?

What to I need TO DO?

Practice, Plan and Pray

FOUR FIELDS

Use the lessons learned about kingdom growth from the parable of the seed to understand the fields described in this diagram: entering new fields, preaching the gospel, making disciples, forming groups into churches and training leaders

It’s all about

•Multiplying the fields being entered,

•Multiplying the people hearing the gospel,

•Multiplying generations of disciples (trainers) and

•Multiplying generations of churches.

•Multiplying the training of leaders

END VISION

When Jesus met with his disciples after the resurrection he called them to embrace the full expression of God’s plan. Here are two of the five expressions of what we have come to know as the “Great Commission.”

“Then Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And be assured that I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18-20

“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

Mark 16

FIVE SPHERES

REGIONAL FIELD (e.g. Canberra, Aust.)What Will It Take?

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS

FOUNDED IN PRAYER Praying relentlessly for identified lost people

BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD

People discovering revelation for themselves

ABUNDANT SHARING OF THE GOSPEL

More people sharing with more people

DISCIPLES MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES

Training disciples who can make disciples

CHURCHES STARTING IN HOMES

Groups of believers becoming churches

CHURCHES MULTIPLYING CHURCHES

Churches multiplying through the discipling work of members

LAY LEADERSHIP

Leaders trained in the context of their own field (MAWL)

SEEING SIGNS AND WONDERS

Followers of Jesus exercising faith for miracles

EXPECTING SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION

Understanding the kingdom of God battle

LISTENING TO THEIR STORY

THREE STORIES THAT INTERSECT

The work of proclaiming the gospel will mostly involve the intersection of three stories:

His story:the story of indiscriminant redemptive love represented by Jesus and what he has done/wants to do

Our story:our own testimony to what God has done that has brought change in our own lives, and

Their story:the story represented by the person with whom we want to share the gospel.

Learning to share the gospel effectively will be a matter of depending on the Holy Spirit to show you how these three stories intersect. This was modeled by Jesus on almost every ministry occasion recorded in the gospels and is echoed in the stories of the Acts of the Apostles.

When you are with people and you are seeking to share the gospel with them, it is important to watch and listen to their stories to see where there may be a connecting point, either with your story or His story.

When you share either or both of those stories, you need to look, listen or ask to see what the Holy Spirit is doing that they may be aware of.

If they are responsive to the sharing of the gospel you can then go ahead and tell them the Way of Salvation and enable them to make a commitment to Christ and become his disciple.

Consider the story from Acts 8 and see if you can see how Jesus used these three stories in order to preach the gospel to the Samaritan woman
Acts 8

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth."

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Read, read –

 Tell/check, tell/check

Three Questions

WHAT has God told us about?

WHATIF this happened in my life?

What to I need TO DO?

Practice, Plan and Pray

telling your story

STORY OUTLINE

1. Tell about your life before the change

•Tell it is a way that people can identify with.

•Focus on the areas of your life that were later changed by God

•Just include the key important issues.

2. Tell how the change happened

•Tell what you did and what God did.

•Don’t use religious language

3. Tell what was different after the change

•Talk about real and down to earth things

•Emphasize what God did.

YOUR STORY WILL BE EFFECTIVEWHEN....

•It takes three minutes or less.

•A listener can easily relate to what you are saying.

•It provides a genuine, down-to-earth account of what God did free of religious language.

•It clearly contrasts before and after the moment when you decided to trust Jesus and his promises.

•It provides encouragement for the listener to trust Jesus for themselves.

•It glorifies God and points people to Jesus.

•It is credible and real.

•It is told in a confident, coherent and natural way.

‘GOOD STORY’ CHECK LIST

I have met with a trainer and understand what is needed for my story to be effective.

I have jotted down the main points of my story and made amendments

I have written out my story using my normal speaking language

I have read through the story a few times to make sure it reflects the pointers and tips.

I have practiced reading it aloud two or three times and made any amendments needed.

I have rehearsed it enough so that I can tell the story without notes.

I have timed my story so that it takes three minutes or less.

I have shared my story with a friend or family member for their comment.

I have shared my story with my trainer and have incorporated his/her comments.

I have shared it in front of a group of believers.

I feel confident that I can tell this story to someone who is not following Jesus.

I have shared this story with people in my spheres that are not following Jesus.

TELLING HIS STORY

•It will be the gospel when it tells about Jesus – what he said and did.

•It will be the gospel when it brings people into contact with the presence of Jesus.

•It will be the gospel when it calls for a response.

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

1 Corinthians 15

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve……so we preach and so you believed.”

Luke 10

5 As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” 6 If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7 Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. 8 If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9 Heal their sick and say, “God's kingdom will soon be here!”

EXPLAINING THE WAY OF SALVATION

THE ROMAN ROAD

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8

But God commends his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9,10

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

FOUR WORKS OF GOD IN SALVATION

Acts 2

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repent

Commitment to Christ

Baptism in Water

Filled with the Spirit

FINDING THE MAN OF PEACE

Luke 10:1-11

1 Later the Lord chose 72 other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2 He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3 Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4 Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road. 5 As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” 6 If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7 Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. 8 If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9 Heal their sick and say, “God's kingdom will soon be here!” 10 But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, 11 “We are shaking the dust from our feet as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here 12 I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!

Read, read –

 Tell/check, tell/check

Three Questions

WHAT has God told us about?

WHATIF this happened in my life?

What to I need TO DO?

Practice, Plan and Pray

MAKING A LIST

PEOPLE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH

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PEOPLE TO TRAIN

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MULTIPLYING LEADERS

John 165“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

John 2019 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Model

Show how it is done with opportunity for comment, questions and discussion.

Assist

Help trainees practice doing it so that all essentials are reproduced.

Watch

Watch trainees training others and make comments afterwards when you are able to have one on one time with them.

Leave

Leave the leaders you have trained with full responsibility for the work in their sphere or area. Support them without compromising their responsilbity.

FORMING CHURCHES

WHEN A GROUP BECOMES A CHURCH

When you start meeting together with other believers in your sphere or field, it is important to learn to operate as a church. Jesus said that the church would be his “body” in a particular place. Use the following Biblical reference to see how many of the features of “church” are part of your group’s experience.

ACTS 2:36-47

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.