stages and spheres-working

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR DR. WILLIAM ENGLAND IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF DSMN 500 B05 DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES SPHERES AND STAGES OF DISCIPLESHIP BY WILLIAM GREG STUCKEY

March 18, 2024Contents Five stages and Four spheres of Spiritual growth ............................................................................ 1 Five Stages in discipleship ........................................................................................................... 2 Spiritual Dead .......................................................................................................................... 2 Babe in Christ .......................................................................................................................... 2 Child ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Young Man .............................................................................................................................. 2 Father ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Four Spheres ................................................................................................................................ 3 God .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Church ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Home ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Greater World .......................................................................................................................... 3 Current Stage ................................................................................................................................... 3 Improvement .................................................................................................................................... 3 Submission to Christ ........................................................................................................................ 3 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 1

1 Stages and Spheres of Spiritual growth Just as there are marked growth stages in physical Life, such as birth, infancy, adolescence, and adulthood, spiritual Life has similar phases. Growth in the physical realm entails development in many interrelated facets, all individual areas on their own but all affecting each other; thus, the mental, emotional, and physical aspects could be thought to be forming simultaneously. Spiritual growth differs because it deals with developing Christ-like character inside the believer, which initially begins inside the newly regenerated spirit, then ultimately affecting all other facets of the person. One proof text that points to both the positive and negative aspects of spiritual formation is Galatians 4:19. Paul addresses the believers in Galita, many of whom owned their salvation experience to Paul himself, yet no doubt with a sigh, Paul says, “My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.” (CSB). On the surface, Paul was not suggesting that these people become saved again, absolutely not. However, these friends already enjoyed a spiritual relationship with God, but they ceased to progress enough to bring glory to God through their character. Their failure was one of Christ’s likeness, where their present character detracted from God’s glory rather than accentuating it. Their spiritual development was hindered to the point where they were not like Christ in their outward lives and were still like their pre-salvation selves. Paul expected that these spiritually alive people should have progressed to having formed Christ-like character when He wrote, but the negative was regretfully true. The positive takeaway is that there is a progression, a process, a development possible for those spiritually alive, where it is expected of them to grow into the image and likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:29). What a transformation of character indeed, to go from being spiritually dead to being transformed to the point that one would now be said to

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2 have Christ-like character. Notwithstanding, development in Christ-like character is not automatic, nor does it happen in a vacuum, but instead comes about due to a set of purposeful stages, just as in the physical Life. The axiom of ‘anything alive grows’ holds, yet growth must be channeled and supported if meaningful development happens, especially spiritual development. Thus, according to the Scriptures, spiritual development is marked by growth in five steps across four unique spheres of activity. Five Stages in Growth Spiritual Dead The first stage marks the common denominator for every person ever born, which is to be born spiritually dead. The Bible says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1; CSB), contrasting the Life only found in God himself (1 Jon. 5:11-13). This first stage is marked by alienation (Col. 1:21), separation from God (Rom. 6:11), and without any hope in the world (Eph. 2:12). This stage is evidenced by natural understanding, or an understanding grounded solely in the physical world and indifferent to the spiritual world around them (1 Cor. 2:14). Needless to say, people in this state have not accepted Christ as their Savior yet. 1 This condition is common for all born into this world, yet the second birth, being regenerated by the spirit of God, leads into the Life of God (Jon. 3:5-8). Babe in Christ This stage is indictive of being alive unto God through the person of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (Rom. 8:9). Though this stage brims with the Life of God, it is marked by a 1 Jim Putman, Boddy Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013), level 1.

3 sense of being under development though complete in its essence. Paul, speaking to the Corinthians, remarks about this spiritual stage, saying, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:1 KJV) being a babe in Christ, speaks more to the capacity to receive only easily discernable instruction and not which requires meditation and study (Heb. 5:13). There is a strong comparison between being newly saved to being newly physically born (1 Pet. 2:2). This baby stage is not a detrimental state but only a natural way of growth, leading one into what is called being a little child. Child Children in the physical world are often marked by one outstanding indication —“self- centeredness.” 2 Children do what they want, when they want it, no matter the consequences. One is said to be acting “childish” when living in a way unbecoming of their reputation. This term can be easily applied to saved persons who live unbecomingly as Christians should, often unknowingly, hence the need for teaching and training in righteousness. 3 Unfortunately, even genuinely saved people struggle for years after their salvation due to being conditioned to put their needs as their sole priority. Thus learning to shed the self-centered motivation becomes their greatest challenge at this stage, but it is common to all. It takes a great deal of self-honesty and willingness to fight against such innate drives. John writes to warn those believers at this growth stage, saying, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin,” which selfishness easily underscores (1 Jon. 2:1, ESV). 2 Ibid., Level 3. 3 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is . . . How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013), Paul: Disciple Maker.

4 Young Man Young men or adults are said to have overcome the evil one and traffic in God’s word; thus, this stage is for those making a shift in their motivation from self-centeredness — Godward (1 Jon. 2:14). 4 This stage has its struggles as well but is also marked with spiritual victories because of the individual’s bold faith in the word of God. These begin to see God work in and through their lives, still encouraging themselves and others to go forward. A grand Bible example would be the young shepherd boy David (1 Sam. 17), who stood against and slew the giant Goliath solely in the name of the Lord. King Saul’s reply to David bears repeating after a God-inspired victory, Whose son art thou, thou young man ? marking a noticeable shift in responsibility from childhood to young adulthood. (1 Sam. 17:58, KJV) [emphasis added] Father The last five stages of a Christian’s growth are known as the father level or simply a “spiritual parent.” 5 Paul, rebuking the Corinthians for their lack of spiritual maturity, underscored this level when he said, “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel.” (1Cor. 4:15, KJV) Though people are this level ate not sinless in their lives; they exercise great discipline and control, channeling their lives into kingdom-oriented activities and investing in the lives of others. The stages of spiritual growth are not hard set timelines, yet they represent marked shifts in the growth of a person’s relationship with God. These stages are man’s best ideas in spiritual growth; thus, any growth depends on the individual’s response to God in their lives. 4 Putman et al., DiscipleShift, level 4. 5 Ibid., Level 5.

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5 Four Spheres of Discipleship The growth experienced in the five stages does not happen in a vacuum but with other people in a “relational environment” or sphere. 6 Thus the extended definition of discipleship means allowing God to work through the disciple’s influence to affect the individuals surrounding them for the glory of God. So, as a disciple follows the commands of God, they are transformed even more than before, while their sphere of influence is extended throughout themselves to the people around them. However, not every disciple has the same spheres of influence throughout, yet these four spheres present overlapping areas where if the command of God is obeyed, it can result in the disciples’ further transformation and present opportunities for evangelism. The first sphere is the believer’s relationship with God, entailing the disciple’s interaction with private prayer, Bible study, meditation, and surrender to the Lordship of Christ. This is the forging of a one-on-one relationship with God, totally unseen by the rest of the world. The second sphere is the believer’s relationship to God’s Church. The Church presents an outlet for the disciple to “pull-in” to the program of God on a local level, becoming a part of a small group and the wider congregation. The third sphere is the believer’s home life, where the disciple’s domestic role as either husband, father, wife, or mother; can be used to glorify God. Finally, there is the sphere of the outer world and how the believer relates to it as an agent for God. This would involve how the believer relates to the public, lost co-workers, and civil government, where the disciple presents the testimony of Christianity to the greater world’s view. 6 Putman et al., DiscipleShift, Chapter 4.

6 Current Stage I would consider myself gravitating in and out of the spiritual parent level. I have been saved for twenty-five years, married with two children, and have served in ministry-related positions for the last fifteen years. The rationale for the “in and out” remark would be the constant gaining and losing ground due to the forces of evil (i.e., world, flesh, and the devil). In the last few years, I have experienced great changes, finishing my undergraduate degree while unemployed (2018-2021), then the covid pandemic brought two bouts of sickness to my wife, plus the restrictions on locking down church services. Recently, I have been working out of town in a struggling office for my job, requiring flights back and forth every two weeks, adding new stress of not seeing my wife and family, which has presented the idea of relocating to this new area, which presents a host of unanswered questions. I have visited several church services but have not found a group to belong too during this period. These competing areas of responsibility for my attention have strained my interaction with my local church ministries and my family and have limited my time in personal bible study. Improvement Also, identify what spheres you need to submit to the centrality of Christ by referring to Bonhoeffer’s steps in following Jesus. Submission to Christ Conclude with at least 1 page discussing what it means to be in submission to Christ, using Scripture and other scholarly sources.

1 Bibliography Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship. Edited by. Translated by Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss. Vol. 4. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Edited by Kuske Martin, Ilse Todt, Geffrey B. Kelley, & John D. Godsey. Translated by Barbara Green & Reinhard Krauss. Vol. 4. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003. Cox, William F., and Robert A. Peck. “Christian Education as Discipleship Formation.” Christian Education Journal 15, no. 2 (2018): 243-261. Earley, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is . . . How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013. Jun, Guichun. “Missional Discipleship in the Public Sphere: With Special Reference to Lordship, Followership, and Christlikeness in the Concept of Public Discipleship.” Transformation 39, no. 2 (2022): 111-121. Mwangi, Mary Wanjiru. “Perspective Transformation through Small Group Discipleship among Undergraduate University Students in Nairobi, Kenya.” Christian Education Journal 15, no. 3 (2018): 340-360. Porter, Steven L. “Will/Heart/Spirit: Discipleship that Forms the Christian Character.” Christian Education Journal 16, no. 1 (2019): 79-94. Putman, Jim, Boddy Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman. DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.

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