How do you know if someone is a mature disciple of Jesus?

5 Stages Of Spiritual Development:

#1) SPIRITUAL DEATH (Ephesians 2:1-5)

#2) SPIRITUAL BABY (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

#3) SPIRITUAL CHILD (1 Corinthians 13:11)

#4) SPIRITUAL ADULT (Hebrews 5:11-14)

#5) SPIRITUAL INFLUENCER (Matthew 28:18-19)

Matthew 28:18-19 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

• These people passionately love God and His church.
• They are peacemakers and seek not only to share their faith but also to lead others to grow in their relationship with Christ.
• The influencer motivates people to get involved and follow the processes of the local church, meanwhile seeking to be part of the process.
• At this stage, an influencer is an example to others, and people recognize their leadership and passion.

Characteristics of a spiritually influential person:

#1) LOVE & UNITY FOR THE CHURCH

• They love the church & always seek to maintain the unity of the church.

Ephesians 5:25–27 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Acts 20:28 ESV

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

 

The church’s growth depends on believers actively loving one another toward maturity.

Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

• Because the church was obtained by the sacrificial act of our Lord Jesus, we are called to maintain unity.

1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Philippians 2:1–2 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Romans 15:5–6 ESV

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 133:1 ESV

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

#2) MAKING DISCIPLES IS LIFE

• Making disciples is their way of life. They are mentors of mentors.

2 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

Hebrews 5:12 NLT

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

Luke 6:40 ESV

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

• Spiritual influencers love to see people grow.

#3) SEEK DAILY BREAD

• They seek to learn from preachings and teachings, but they prepare and grow from their daily and personal discipline of the Word.

Psalm 1:2–3 ESV

but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

• The pattern of daily discipline produces tangible spiritual fruit.
• As a spiritual influencer, the source to everything in life is the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Acts 17:11 ESV

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

• The most noble posture involves receiving God’s Word with all eagerness while simultaneously testing it—examining the Scriptures systematically to verify their truthfulness.

John 8:31–32 ESV

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

#4) UNWAVERING FAITH

• Their relationship with GOD is not based on circumstances.
• Faith is a confident trust in what what cannot be verified through ordinary perception.
• Unwavering faith isn’t just wishful thinking, blind hope, ignoring challenges, or absence of difficulties. It’s about having a strong belief that God is reliable— trustworthy, even when we can’t see it happening. It’s the kind of conviction that transforms both the believer’s inner stability and their capacity to see God work through prayer.

2 Timothy 1:12 NLT

That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 112:7 ESV

He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

Faith is required to please God.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith is required to draw near Him.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Faith is required to obtain perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3–4 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Faith is required to extinguish the flaming darts of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:16 ESV

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

CONCLUSION

Negative attitudes that characterize an influential person:

A) They can easily become disconnected from the vision of the church.

B) They can come to believe they are self-sufficient.

C) They can become focused only on the church and forget that they must connect with others who don’t know about JESUS.

An Influential Person Needs:

A) To feel like they have people who care about them.

B) To care about their emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

C) To Have someone to talk to and share their situations with but without being judged.

D) When an influential person opens their heart, they want to be understood as an ordinary person.

E) Influential people usually lose most- if not all- of their friends; and they need at least one friend.

F) Free time, time to be ministered to by others.

• Where are you in your spiritual development?
  • Do you love and protect the unity of the church?
  • Are you making disiciples?
  • Do you depend on prayer and the bread of life?
  • How firm/steadfast is your faith?