The Principles Of G12

Biblical Reference “The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good

for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth; he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Luke 12:42-44)

MODULE 2 LESSON 2

Objectives 1. To recognise the origins and characteristics of the Vision. 2. To identify the important elements to successfully apply the Vision. 3. To identify every stage of the Ladder of Success. 4. To recognise the characteristics of an Encounter. 5. To implement the principles of successful leadership.

INTRODUCTION Many people often wonder how to effectively put the G12 Vision into practice. This lesson will provide an in-depth look at the basic guidelines needed to develop it correctly. This chapter also contains historical fragments of how the Vision developed in Colombia, and how it subsequently stretched to all the nations of the world.

1. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘VISION’ MEAN? The Oxford Language Dictionary defines Vision as a mental concept of a distinct or vivid kind, an object of mental contemplation; the action or fact of seeing or contemplating something not actually present to the eye; and something which is apparently seen otherwise than by ordinary sight e.g. having the nature of a revelation, supernaturally presented to the mind either in a sleep or in an abnormal state. (OED) What can we deduce from these three concepts? The consistent theme is the fact that to have a clear vision of what we want to achieve, it is not necessary to see in the physical. In a supernatural way, or in our case, through a firm relationship with God and His Word, we can touch His heart, leading Him to reveal His perfect plans for our lives and ministries. It was in this way that one day the Lord revealed the plans He had for MCI (Misión Carismática Internacional) and for all those who would want to be a part of those plans.

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2. THE BIRTH OF G12 After pastoring small churches for nine years, the Lord called me to start a new church with the cell vision. We started with eight people in our living room. Just half a block away from where we lived were the head offices of a youth ministry aimed at the university students. They had managed to produce excellent materials for growth through cell meetings. I wanted to learn how they did things so that we could apply the same to our ministry, so I asked one of the students for help. However, he replied, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, they have banned us from teaching the materials to others.” I told him that I was happy to attend some sort of training, but slightly dismayed, he answered, “That isn’t possible either, because it’s only available to those who belong to their ministry.” I was so sad, but not discouraged; I just tried to do the best I could.

The only information I found on cells was in Dr. Cho’s books. He is a pastor in Seoul, South Korea where he leads the largest evangelical church in the world. Although we did not achieve the results we were hoping for, his teachings helped us a lot at the beginning. In the year 1990, God gave me the revelation of G12 bringing an explosion to the cell growth in our ministry.

3. BEING IN AGREEMENT, COMMITMENT AND GENEROSITY: KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING THE VISION

Being in agreement A pastor from Portugal shared with me what the Lord had revealed to him in relation to “being in agreement”. One day, this pastor asked the Lord, “Why did the adversary rebel and become Satan, if we assume that he was a cherubim who lived in holiness and who was always in an atmosphere of complete purity?”

He then received divine revelation concerning the way the adversary had conceived evil in his heart. This creature was one of the highest ranking in the angelical sphere, because the Kingdom of God is organised in ascending order: Angels, Archangels, Seraphs and Cherubim. The adversary was the patron cherub, and it was his responsibility to protect the sanctuary (the Most Holy Place of God) with his wings extended. Because he was so close to God, he heard everything He said. There was a moment when God, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis1:26a).

Making man in the image and likeness of God meant that man would have the nature of God, and would be superior to all the angels in the Heavenly Kingdom. Although this cherub was perfect, holy and full of wisdom, he allowed something incorrect in his heart – he was not in agreement with the decision that God was making.

The adversary lost all the privileges he had enjoyed in the Kingdom of Heaven because of his rebellion. As soon as the Lord placed man in the Garden of Eden, he made it his mission to prove that he had been right in saying that man would never be perfect. He tempted the first couple so that he could gain control over all humanity.

We find the opposite in Jesus’ ministry. He did not argue with the Father when He was sent to the world to take man’s place (whose fallen nature now made him lower than the angels), leaving His place of authority and honour. He never said anything that was not in agreement. Perhaps there were thoughts that crossed His mind about not coming to earth, but He rejected them and only accepted the thoughts that came from the Father. He said, “…yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42b). There is never disagreement within the relationship of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit); each knows how to submit to the other. The Father gave Jesus a mission and He accepted it. He lived in a body that God had prepared for Him, just like any other man, maintaining His identity as the Son of God. The spirit of rebellion begins when there is disagreement with authority.

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We experienced this at a ministerial level with someone who was part of our team. Every time we launched a project, this person would say: “I don’t agree.” In an effort to be understanding towards our team, we missed many victories on several fronts, and his opposition opened a door to the adversary in his mind who in the end removed him from the purpose of God. Jesus taught us what it is to submit. Even in the hardest moment of His life, when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).

Jesus is the greatest example of submission, and so we should learn from Him. With good reason, He said, “…learn from me , for I am gentle and humble in heart…” (Matthew 11:29b). Humanity has two options: to lean towards disagreement or towards agreement. Pilate said, “Who do you choose: Barabbas or Jesus?” Thank God, we chose Jesus.

Commitment and Generosity If you as a leader do not enter fully into the Vision, your disciples will not enter fully either. Jesus could not delegate redemption; He could not entrust it to somebody else, not even someone He trusted. No! Nobody could replace Him. It is the same with the G12 Vision: we cannot give it to others so that we evade our responsibility; we must immerse ourselves in the Vision – it is a commitment that we must assume. I could have accepted commitment to just my ministry, without allowing anybody else to know the strategy of growth; however, I understood that this is a vision given by God for the Body of Christ. The first thing that the Lord told me was regarding generosity in sharing the Vision with others. He told me to teach it to other pastors and leaders who felt unsuccessful, bringing them hope through the vision.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VISION A. It is innovative. We know that God has raised up people with a powerful anointing for miracles. But now, through the team of twelve, God is helping His servants in the pastoral work. Although Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, He delegated all His authority to twelve men and the work was spread among them. B. It brings strength to the ministry. The Vision brings consistency to the ministry from the very moment that you start to implement it. One of the main principles is the character formation of every member of the team of twelve, so that they will be upright people, with the fear of God, commitment, filled with the Holy Spirit, and without indiscretions or arguments that the enemy could use to attack or accuse them. C. It allows a team to be trained. In the Vision, the twelve are trained so that they can effectively represent their leader. Pastoring through the G12 groups maintains a balance within the leadership, because the leader protects his team, and the twelve protect him.

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D. It enables people to be ministered to. This involves imparting spiritual authority to people, enabling them to receive the victory in their trials and problems. For this reason, you should meet with your group of twelve weekly so that you can share a time of friendship and spiritual growth. E. It bears fruit. In the Parable of the Sower, the Lord Jesus speaks about four kinds of land where the seeds fall. Only the seed sown on good soil gives abundant fruit. This shows that we should support the leaders that bear fruit, and that it is imperative to create a pleasant environment for the development of leadership so that the fruit will be more abundant. F. Every person becomes a winner of souls. Anyone who wants to multiply must have a strong desire to win the lost. Solomon said, “He who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs11:30b). God gives us strategies to be more effective in His work, be it to develop evangelism through personal contacts, through small meetings or through large events. G. It unites homogenous groups. Men win men, women win women and youth win youth. It is not as challenging for men to win women because women are more sensitive, spiritually-minded and open. Men’s great challenge is to win other men, demonstrating his ability as a leader. The women are now setting us a great example by growing in every area where they have responsibilities. We have also seen that the hand of the Lord is upon the lives of the children and the teenagers; He has placed in them a spirit of conquest to reach many of their age for Christ. This is why working in homogenous groups is such a great blessing.

5. THE GOVERNMENT OF TWELVE, G12 To clearly develop the Vision, the Lord needed to establish twelve columns which would be supported by Christ, The Cornerstone. Paul said that we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”(Ephesians 2:20). He also explained that:

“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

No engineer would dare approve the construction of a building knowing that only eleven of the necessary columns were secure, as it would cause serious structural problems. Something similar to this happened when the Lord called His twelve. There were eleven good columns and one imperfect one, which Mathias replaced. The result of the complete twelve was great growth: after Peter’s first speech, three thousand people became Christians, followed by five thousand after his second; and so the Church grew at an overwhelming rate.

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How to form a team of twelve As a leader, you should involve your people when forming your twelve. This means that before they assemble their own team and multiply cells, they should help you to complete your twelve. When you have your complete team, they will receive the vision that God has put in your heart. Practically, the key group of twelve is that first group. The forming of this team can often take a year. Who to work with What is true in the natural is also true in the spiritual. If a husband does not involve the wife, there will be no multiplication because multiplication is the result of teamwork. However, someone whose spouse, for whatever reason, does not have the same commitment to the ministry can still be part of a team of twelve. Their main goal should be to win their husband or wife for Christ and to spark the flame of passion in them to win the lost (1 Corinthians 7:16-17). Single people are also suitable to be in a team of twelve, as long as their testimony and love for the ministry is worthy of this place of honour.

6. THE LADDER OF SUCCESS The steps of the Vision (Win, Consolidate, Disciple and Send) are collectively known as the Ladder of Success because each step is like a rung; as you advance, you will enter into a higher level in your ministry.

You must win a person before you can consolidate them. If we do not win, we cannot consolidate. If we do not consolidate, we cannot disciple. If we do not disciple, we will have no one to send. The foundation is winning, and as you can see, we must master all the areas of the Vision, becoming expert soul-winners.

Win

Have you ever wondered why Jesus told Simon and Andrew, “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). We need the expertise of a fisherman to win souls, and a fisherman is not made overnight; their expertise comes from practice. In the same way, parents must first have a child before they can really learn to look after, protect, feed and educate them. It is impossible without first having a child. This Vision has no value if we do not win.

After my personal encounter with Jesus, my life was transformed completely and a great desire was awakened in me to rescue those who were far from Him. Although I did not yet go to church, I always asked everyone I had any contact with about their spiritual condition. When the Lord led me to a small church, it provided a great opportunity to gather all the people with whom I shared my faith. I was continually winning souls and taking people there. I realised, however, that almost none of those I won persevered. At first I did not understand why this was and I thought that this was normal behaviour for Christian churches. Then, I understood that there was no great effort to create a pleasant atmosphere for new Christians in these churches. I was able to see how the pastors prayed that God would save souls, but when they came to the church, they told them off and mistreated them with their words, and so the people did not come back.

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Consolidate

Follow-up, or Consolidation, begins the moment someone is won, and continues until they become fully committed. The goal is that none would be lost as we apply this God-given Vision.

A practical point: it is advisable that the person who evangelised also consolidates because they already establish a friendship and relationship of trust. As a result, it is so important for every member of the cell group to know how to consolidate. If you are a leader, take the time to teach your disciples about the process of consolidation and bear in mind that this process could change according to each person.

To begin with we take the personal details of those who give their lives to Jesus and we telephone them within the first 48 hours, with the goal of meeting them wherever is suitable for them within the first week. We have understood that contact should be immediate; we cannot allow fifteen or twenty days to pass by because the fruit could be lost. Some lose the fruit because they wait too long before collecting it. It is not a question of asking for multitudes, but of being able to manage them. When we contact people, we start to get to know them. Some consolidators from our church once took the follow up cards for an area of the city and went out to make house visits. Whilst there, they discovered that one of the cards had a false address. Nevertheless, they asked for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

One of them thought that perhaps not all of the numbers were wrong and they decided to go to another area to which majority of the numbers corresponded. They went from house to house, asking for the person until they found her. When she opened the door to them, she could not believe it. Today she is a great leader. Consolidation should be immediate, because your intention is to strengthen the step of salvation that they made.

Encounter The Encounter is the first experience of confrontation that the new believer has with God, with His Word, with themselves and their past. The grace of God is there for them to completely root sin out of their lives. They will be able to reflect on their daily life and learn to see by faith, enabling them to conquer the best future.

“If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him” (Job 23:3-4).

Every Encounter has five objectives:

1. Assurance of salvation. Through the Word, people are confronted with their condition as a sinner which leads them to genuine repentance. 2. Inner healing. Many people have experienced emotional hurts throughout their lives which the Lord wants to heal. 3. Deliverance. Every person battles with a weakness in their own carnal nature. Everyone must become aware that they are fighting a battle against the powers of evil that are trying to crush their will. 4. Fullness of the Holy Spirit. A person must be genuinely converted i.e. have received freedom and inner healing, in order to receive the fullness of the Spirit. 5. Knowledge of every step of the Vision. Your disciples should receive the revelation that they were called by God to serve Him and win others for Him.

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Disciple

Everyone who receives the blessing of salvation and are consolidated will subsequently require training. This is provided through discipleship or the School of Leaders “Training For Your Destiny”.

The goal is that they reach the fullness of measure of Christ.

I have been able to understand that the best way to form effective leaders is by helping them to learn the language of faith, through dreams and vision. The heroes of faith are simple people who have attained a great trust in an extraordinary God. Leaders of this calibre will always have the strength to conquer and will be able to raise up a great ministry. One day I sat down on the floor of a small room and started to dream. I dreamt that the building was so full that people had to wait outside, wanting to come in. This vision was so clear that I felt as if it was already happening. I later shared this dream with our church of around thirty people who committed themselves to dream the same dream. We then wrote the number two hundred everywhere to prophesy our growth. We became really pregnant with that vision. After three months, the miracle happened, just as we had dreamed it. This first experience gave shape to our ministry. We were able to understand that the things of God always go from little to much. The whole church learned how to use the language of faith through dreams and visions. As a result, I am convinced that nothing will be impossible for them. A church that moves in this kind of faith will always be an advancing, conquering church. Imagine yourself not just as any kind of person, but as a leader of multitudes. Look at the stars and think, “Lord, my disciples will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.” Stop to look at the sand on the seashore and confess: “Lord, thank you because the souls I win and the disciples I consolidate will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” Visualise the multitudes surrendered to the work of God because you received the divine strategy to win through G12.

Send (Cellular Ministry) This takes place when a person who has been trained and equipped gets ready to guide others to Jesus’ feet.

David had the responsibility of looking after each one of his father’s sheep. He faced wild animals, storms and many other adversities, but he never allowed even one of the sheep to be lost. God first tests us by entrusting us with one cell; if we are faithful with it, he can trust us with more responsibility.

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Characteristics of a cell leader:

! A person of momentum.

! Someone who knows how to look after each lamb.

! Someone who discerns what spirits are operating around them and knows how to defend their sheep.

! Someone who needs the support of the angels to make their work more effective.

! You can not allow your cell to decrease in size; you should constantly be advancing, conquering souls week after week.

! Multiplication: Breaking your personal record.

Just as some athletes live their lives training to break their own record in the next competition, as a Christian leader with a great passion to win the lost, you should maintain a spirit of prayer so that God will give you the grace to influence a greater number of people every day.

CONCLUSION It is our responsibility to commit ourselves to God, making the decision to be the best multipliers, faithfully reproducing ourselves in others. God has called us to multiply. I was able to understand this when the Lord gave us the revelation of G12: from each one of our disciples should come twelve. This can be achieved in one year as previously mentioned.

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Destiny Training - Module 2 Lesson 2 The Principles of G12 Name: ___________________________________________________ Pastor: _______________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Please hand in at your next training session

ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Describe the birth of G12:

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2. What are the key requirements of the Vision?

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3. Write down five objectives of an Encounter:

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4. Pray the following prayer: “Lord, thank you because the souls I will win and the

disciples I will consolidate will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” After

you have made this declaration for a few days and have begun evangelising,

describe your experience, in your own words:

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5. Draw a line between the words in the left-hand column and the definitions in the right-hand column.

WIN A process of follow up that should happen quickly, because its purpose is to strengthen the step of salvation that the person made.

BE IN AGREEMENT The grace to each day influence a greater number of people.

MULTIPLICATION Takes place when a person who has been formed and equipped prepares to guide others to Jesus’ feet.

CONSOLIDATE Training that each believer requires in order to reach the fullness of the measure of Jesus Christ, provided through discipleship or the School of Leaders.

SEND To motivate a person to agree to come to where Jesus is and receive Him in their heart as their only Lord and Saviour.

VISION To not argue against the Father’s decisions, nor any authority put in place by Him. To fulfil God’s command with obedience, submission and love.

DISCIPLE Comes through visualising multitudes full of faith and prayer.

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