Developing Mature Believers
A new convert is developed into a mature disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ over a period of about three and a half years. Why this time frame? Quite simply because it is the approximate amount of time that Jesus spent in public ministry between his baptism by John and his ascension to the right hand of the Father. Interestingly, this is also the time period that the Apostle Paul spent in Ephesus, after which he told the Ephesian Elders:
“ Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” (Acts 20:25-27 NIV)
Whatever the “whole will of God” is, it can be imparted in three and a half years. Since it’s obviously not everything there is to know about God, it must be the most important truth that can be imparted in that relatively brief amount of time. We believe that Paul spent this time with the Ephesians in order to prepare them for a lifetime of service in God’s kingdom. He was following the example of Jesus who devoted the same amount of time to the preparation of his own disciples.
Characteristics of Mature Believers
We must first understand the desired characteristics and behaviors before we can develop mature believers systematically. We developed a comprehensive set of characteristics by combining our core values with several other aspects of general human experience. Remembering Jesus' words in Matthew 22:37-39 NIV,
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
We then put these characteristics into the following three categories:
- Maturity in Loving God
- Maturity in Loving One Another
- Maturity in Self-Control
Maturity In Loving God
The characteristics related to loving God include God’s Word, prayer, and worship.
God’s Word
Mature believers have read through the Bible at least once and continue to read through the entire Bible each year. They have a basic working knowledge of scripture and have memorized several scriptures. We have some resources to help you in this area.
Prayer
Mature believers faithfully pray for their own needs; the needs of family members; for those within their spheres of influence; and for their disciples and others whom they oversee in ministry. They faithfully pray for the needs of the church, the larger Body of Christ; and for their neighborhood, municipality, region, and nation.
Worship
Mature believers worship whether they feel like it or not and their worship produces the presence of God in their home and their community. They have renounced and therefore do not participate in any occult practices or false religions.
Maturity in Loving One Another
The characteristics related to loving one another include fellowship, discipleship, agreement, serving, speech, family, education, and employment.
Fellowship
Mature believers appropriately distinguish between worldly relationships and genuine Christian fellowship. They faithfully participate in their small group (cell group) and in supporting its members, and in church worship services and other ministry events.
Discipleship
Mature believers systematically and formally produce disciples of Jesus Christ.
Agreement
Mature believers submit to God and experience the access, revelation, and authority that submission produces. They respect and submit to the delegated authority of leaders. They attend major church functions. They seek the counsel of church leaders before leaving the church.
Serving
Mature believers have the attitude of a servant.
Speech
Mature believers refrain from profane language, gossip, slander, and backbiting. They do not knowingly speak falsehood.
Family
Mature believers honor their parents. Those who are married love and respect their spouses and operate in mutual submission. Those who are parents love their children and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Those who have siblings love and respect them.
Education
Mature believers plan their educational careers with the kingdom of God in mind. They consistently make educational choices that enhance both their natural gifts and their opportunities for effective ministry. Mature believers glorify God at school by consistently doing their very best and exhibiting godly behavior. They influence those around them for the Kingdom of God.
Employment
Mature believers plan their occupational careers with the kingdom of God in mind. They consistently make career choices that will utilize their natural gifts and enhance their opportunities for effective ministry. Mature believers glorify God at work by consistently doing their very best and exhibiting godly behavior. They influence those around them for the kingdom of God.
Maturity in Self-Control
The characteristics related to self-control include money, sex, power, and health.
Money
Mature believers are good stewards over their resources; they tithe and live within their means. They have a vision for prosperity.
Sex
Mature believers enjoy sex within a heterosexual marriage. They are free from immoral sexual behavior, such as fornication (sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman), adultery (sex between a man and a woman where one or both are married but not to each other), pornography, and homosexuality. They avoid the appearance of immorality and environments that provide sexual temptation.
Power
Mature believers serve. They honor others above themselves.
Recreation
Mature believers enjoy recreation and honor God in their recreational activities. They avoid forms of recreation that hinder their spiritual lives. They take advantage of opportunities to glorify God and to build God’s kingdom during recreation.
Health
Mature believers maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are disciplined in their exercise, eating, drinking, and rest. They refrain from tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. They do not abuse legal drugs.
Goals of the Mature Believer
Like everyone else, the mature believers interact with various people over the course of a given week or month. Some of these people they will encounter once and then never again. Others they will interact with again and again. This subset of people, the ones that the mature believer interacts with repeatedly, form the believers' sphere of influence – especially if they spend at least one hour a week with them. God wants us to win the people in our spheres of influence. The process of becoming a mature believer equips us to achieve this very goal. Mature believers with their cell groups to win and disciple the people in their sphere of influence. Disciples are not made by accident! Making disciples is a deliberate lifestyle choice.
Action Plan for Developing Mature Believers
We suggest the following for our congregations:
Worship Services
Worship services provide the opportunity for the body to come together to offer God the worship he deserves and to hear from him about what we are to do.
Small Groups
Small groups (cell groups) are believers who come together during the week.
Discipleship Training Classes
Discipleship training classes that provide members with the basic equipping that they need to function as mature believers.
One-on-One Discipleship
Every mature believer should engage in one-on-one discipleship with the believers for whom he or she is responsible.
Bible Study
Congregations should conduct bible study classes for its members.