Five stages of discipleship … but there is more!

In an interview with a long-time friend, U2’s Bono, responded to the sometimes-stained reputation of the church throughout history:  “Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship”.  (Michka Assayas, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas)

Our enemy is performance. Performance will never lead to true discipleship.  The church has rules. Christians have rules. Things we have learnt over the years that if we do them prove we are good. This is not discipleship. We step into performance the moment we behave as if Christianity brings man to God. This is not discipleship either. Even that sentence may cause some of us to have to read it again as it appears correct! But central to Christianity is the truth that it is the story of God coming to man, every other religion has it the other way round. Sadly the church sometimes follows suit. For we all like a good performance.

Yet if we don’t speak and behave differently then who will find ‘God our Saviour attractive’, v10? So we must ‘teach’, we must disciple, but it is not in order to be acceptable to God but for mission.

“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ⁶ Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. ⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.” (Titus 2 v 1-10)

Can you see what is happening here?

Paul

He is commanding Titus to teach, v1. This is the first stage of discipleship.

Titus

He was to ‘teach, v2; ‘teach’ v3; ‘encourage’ v6; ‘set them an example’ v7; ‘show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech’ v 7-8; ‘teach’ v9. Who? The older generation, the younger generation and the slaves. This is the second stage of discipleship.

The older generation

The older men were to demonstrate temperance, respect, self-control, faith, love and endurance, v2; and the older women were to be reverent in the way they live, v3.  This is the 3^rd stage of discipleship.

The younger generation

They were to respect the older generation, v2; the younger men were particular called to be self-controlled and the younger married women especially were to correctly love their husbands and children, v4-5. This is the 4^th stage of discipleship.

The slaves

They were to be loyal, v9; and to be fully trusted in everything, v10. This is the final stage of discipleship that Paul creates.

Paul clearly shows us five stages of discipleship but it never ends and that is the whole point.

Think of who the younger generation impact? What changes did this bring to the husbands of the young wives and their own children and more importantly who did they pass this on to, who did they impact? The answer is that many nameless people are blessed by this chain of discipleship and it never ends. What about the masters of the slaves who were disciples? How did this impact on how they treated their other slaves?

So basically:-

1. Discipleship is for every generation
2. Discipleship is always passed on.
3. Discipleship produces good results, which are:-

We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behaviour, v5 (Message)

Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around, v8. (Message)

Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding lustre to the teaching of our Saviour God, v10.