Jesus calls His Church to make disciples who follow Him, are being changed by Him, and are committed to His mission to seek and save the lost. This week we will learn about the Phases of a Disciple. Jim Putman helpfully summarizes the Four Stages of Discipleship in his book Real Life Discipleship: Spiritual Infants, Spiritual Children, Spiritual Young Adults, and Spiritual Parents.
The Spiritually Dead
Spiritually Dead People are Rebels.
We begin before the first stage of discipleship with the Spiritually Dead. Ephesians 2:1 says that before a person becomes a Christian, they “were dead in trespasses and sins.” Paul says that the spiritually dead live “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2). What does that mean, Paul goes on to describe this sinful lifestyle: “we all one conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph 2:3). They are sinners in danger of eternal damnation.
Spiritually Dead People Need Jesus
Sinners need a Savior. Those who are not saved remain in their sin. The good news is that Christ Jesus “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Spiritually Dead need to be presented with the Gospel. They must repent or else they will be damned. They need people to love them, pray for them, and share the gospel with them. They need Christians who will tell them and show them how they can be saved. The Church needs evangelism to reach them. Who do you know that is Spiritually Dead?
The Spiritual Infant
Spiritual Infants are Ignorant
The first stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Infant. When someone first becomes a Christian, they are experiencing their new life with Christ for the first time. Just as a newborn is physically dependent and needs help to successfully navigate their new life, those who are recently born again are spiritually dependent and need help to successfully navigate their new life. The church of Rome (Romans) is an example of this group. Calling them ignorant is not meant as a put down, but as a description that there are many things concerning Christ they do not know yet. They need help.
Spiritual Infants need Jesus
Infants need milk. Paul spent many chapters teaching the church at Rome foundational truths of the Christian life. Peter wrote to Christians, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Spiritual Infant needs to grow in their knowledge of God and immerse himself/herself in the Bible and prayer. They need a church family and mature Christians that will help them. They need mature Christians in their life to help them grow in spiritual maturity.
The Spiritual Child
Spiritual Children are Selfish
The second stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Child. Just as one of the defining characteristics of young children is selfishness, spiritual children are immature Christians. They are Christians, but they are more concerned with themselves than with the needs of others. They struggle to fight against their selfish desires and often give into them, resulting in bad choices and bad consequences. The Church of Corinth is an example of those who are Spiritual children.
Spiritual Children need Jesus
Children need to be connected to their greater purpose in this life. They need Jesus. They need to be taught that they are not the main character in their story. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Christ died for us so that we would live for Him (2 Cor 5:15). God’s primary plan to bring immature Christians into maturity is to have them serve Him and serve one another. Like the spiritual infants, they need mature Christians in their life, and they also need appropriate expectations concerning other believers.
The Spiritual Young Adult
Spiritual Young Adults are Awake
The third stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Young Adult. The Spiritual Young Adult is the Christian that understands that they are saved by grace, that they are gifted by God for service, and they live for the glory of God. They know that they have selfish desires and regularly ask God to help them resist these temptations. Ken Sande mentions making wise-way choices instead of my-way choices. Timothy is an example of a Spiritual young adult. He had a desire to serve and he attached himself to Paul to grow and learn.
Spiritual Young Adults need Ministry
Young adults need opportunities to serve and be empowered to lead. Jim Putman says, “They are God-centered and others-focused but are not actively making disciples. They need to be trained to use their gifts and abilities to minister to others, provided with opportunities to serve others, and released to do ministry.”
The Spiritual Parent
Spiritual Parents need Jesus
This is the spiritual stage that every Christian should strive to be in. This is not a stage of perfection, but a stage of commitment. What separates this phase from the Young Adult phase is that they are intentionally making disciples. Paul is an example of a spiritual parent. Jim Putman wrote in his book Real Life Discipleship: “When everyone in the church understands Christ’s command and has a clear definition of a disciple, they can work together as God’s team to go and make disciples. When we understand how a disciple grows, we begin to see how we can be intentional to make disciples.” Let us grow more and more to know and love Jesus.
First Baptist Scott City, MO 
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