Over the past four weeks, Pastor Josh White has been walking us through a powerful model called “The Four Chairs” — a framework for understanding the different stages of spiritual growth and ministry. Each Sunday, a new chair has been brought out, and this week we arrived at the final chair: Chair 4.
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where faith stops being personal and becomes generational.
The Four Chairs: A Quick Review
Before we dive into Chair 4, let’s set the table. The Four Chairs framework maps out the journey of a follower of Jesus:
- Chair 1 — The Chair of Death: Those who do not yet know Christ. The call is “Come and see.”
- Chair 2 — The Chair of Discovery: New believers learning who Jesus is. The call is “Follow me.”
- Chair 3 — The Chair of Devotion: Growing believers serving out of love for Christ. The call is to “Fish for people.”
- Chair 4 — The Chair of Discipleship: Mature believers intentionally investing in others. This is where fruit becomes multiplication.
The temptation for many who grow to Chair 3 is to settle there. “I’ve served for years. I’m tired. Maybe I’ll just step back to Chair 2.” But God’s vision is bigger. He doesn’t want us to go backward — He wants us to take what we’ve learned and bring someone else along.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:5
What Is Chair 4?
Chair 4 is about bearing much fruit — and not just fruit, but much fruit (John 15:8). This is the dimension of ministry that moves beyond personal growth and service into intentional multiplication. It’s the step where a believer says, “My relationship with Jesus is no longer just about me and Him. I’m bringing someone with me.”
Pastor Josh pointed out that the biggest visible difference between Chairs 1–3 and Chair 4 is this: there is room for more people. A Chair 4 disciple isn’t just consuming — they’re reproducing.
Three Commitments of Chair 4
1. Be a Living Example
In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul reminds the believers of how he modeled faith among them. He didn’t just teach truth — he lived it. He worked night and day so he wouldn’t be a burden. He exhorted, encouraged, and charged them to walk in a manner worthy of God (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12).
“For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted you each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”
— 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12
The result? The Thessalonian believers became imitators of Paul and of the Lord — and then they went on to be examples to others in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:6–7). Living example leads to reproduction.
2. Make Intentional Investment
In Titus 2, Paul gives a specific pattern for ministry: older men train younger men. Older women train younger women. This isn’t a suggestion — it’s a structure. Each generation is responsible for investing in the next.
“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
— Titus 2:7–8
Pastor Josh shared how Scott Ral, a youth pastor early in Josh’s ministry, met with him every couple of weeks for intentional coaching. “I learned more about ministry from him than I did at seminary,” Josh said. “Because seminary teaches future pastors to sit in Chair 3 and do the work. But it’s the people who move to Chair 4 that truly change the church.”
You don’t need a title or a program. You just need time and a commitment to bring someone else along in their faith.
3. Have a Vision for Multiplication
2 Timothy 2:1–2 gives us the pattern:
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
— 2 Timothy 2:1–2
Paul trained Timothy. Timothy was to train faithful men. Those faithful men would teach others. This is a multi-generational vision — and it’s the method Jesus used with His disciples.
Pastor Josh challenged the congregation: “The goal of a church should not be to just get as many people to sit in Chair 2 and fill their heads with knowledge so they can answer all the right questions when they play Bible trivia. That is not the goal at all. It must go beyond that.”
Where Does Chair 4 Happen?
Josh acknowledged that the Sunday worship environment isn’t designed for the relational depth that Chair 4 requires. But he highlighted several places at GBC Phoenix where this multiplication is already taking place:
- Life Groups: The best environment for moving people from Chair 2 to Chair 3 and beyond. “If you’re in a life group, the answer to ‘Who do I invest in?’ is the people in your life group.”
- AWANA and Youth Group: Leaders intentionally investing in kids and teenagers, often without even realizing it.
- Camp: One of the most impactful ministries — where kids move from Chair 2 to Chair 3 when they become counselors.
- One-on-One Relationships: The simplest format: one person intentionally walking alongside another.
The Passing of the Baton
The sermon ended with a fitting demonstration. Pastor Josh announced that after 41 years of faithful service — as youth pastor and then worship pastor — Steve McFadden would be stepping down at the end of the year. Brian Clark, who came to GBC Phoenix in Chair 1 and has moved through Chairs 2, 3, and now into a staff-level Chair 4 role, will be stepping into the position.
Steve gave a brief, heartfelt remarks, noting that the beauty of the Four Chairs model is that it doesn’t always move in a straight line — but when it works, you get to look back and see people actually moving from chair to chair to chair. “We’ve had a fun time doing that,” he said. And then he reminded everyone that even when you pass the baton, you’re not going backwards — you’re just moving to another chair and duplicating the process again.
Brian’s response was simple: “I’m privileged and honored and humbled to be taking on this ministry.”
“The coolest part about this is that Brian came to our church in chair one and has moved from chair to chair to chair — and that is a cool thing to witness.”
— Pastor Josh White
So What?
If you’re in Chair 3, consider this your invitation: you have permission to pick somebody in your life and intentionally invest in them. Not because you have all the answers, but because you have enough to bring someone alongside you. You don’t need a program, a title, or a position. You just need time and a commitment.
And if you’re already in Chair 4 — keep going. Keep looking for the next faithful man or woman you can entrust the word to. Keep reproducing what has been reproduced in you. That’s the method. That’s the mission. That’s what Jesus called us to.
Scripture References
- John 15:5 — The Vine and the Branches
- John 15:8 — Bearing Much Fruit
- Luke 10:1–21 — The 72 Sent Out; Jesus Rejoices
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 — Imitating Paul, Imitating the Lord
- 1 Thessalonians 2:6–12 — Paul’s Example Among the Thessalonians
- Titus 2:1–8 — Teaching Sound Doctrine and Training Others
- 2 Timothy 2:1–2 — Entrusting to Faithful Men Who Can Teach Others