Stages of Discipleship
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“Come and see,” “Follow Me,” “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,” and “Go & Bear Fruit” were all challenges Jesus gave to his disciples at different stages of their training!
Most christians today often think of discipleship as learning new information. Success is when someone can make the right answers on a theology quiz. 2 Peter 1:5 clearly says we need to make every effort to add to our faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. Unfortunately for years I missed the stages of growth in making a disciple. The Discipleship Wheel from Jim Putman and the relational discipleship network is extremely helpful in identifying what stage a person is at in their walk with God and how to intentionally help them grow at the stage into the next. They have 5 stages and you can learn more by clicking here. Dan Spader and Son Life emphasize a strategy called 4 Chair Discipling. The see 4 stages in how Jesus ministered to help his disciples to grow.
Chair 1 - To the person who was spiritual seeking, Jesus issued the call, “come and see.”
Chair 2 - To the person who was a new believer that he was the Messiah, he issued the call, “Follow me.”
Chair 3 - To the person who was already following him, he issued the call, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Chair 4 - To the person who had followed him and effectively trained, he issued the challenge to “Go and bear fruit.”
Whether with an unbeliever, new believer, faithful servant or spiritual parent, the process of disciple making is the same: life on life relationships with an intentional process teaching people to obey by our example.
For preaching purposes, the four chair process is real helpful to explain. I have seen light bulbs go off but some older believers as they realize then need to be pouring into the next generation of believers. Also, even a baby believer in a high chair can reach out to the person who is lost and onset stage behind. I highly recommend checking out http://4chairdiscipling.com. I have adjusted the chairs on stage to signify the stages of growth and challenge people to follow Jesus and become fisher of men.
