LEAD THE WAY
The Core
5. MISSION (Part 3)

CONNECT

• Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous leadership assignments.

DISCOVER

MISSION - Our Relationship with Others

Join Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle

PRAYER — Pray for others to encounter Jesus

CARE — Care for others’ needs

SHARE —Share each others’ stories and Jesus’ Story

DARE — Dare others to be disciples of Jesus

• Watch the 5 Parts / 4 Fields video again.

MISSION (Part 3)

Once again, we’re dividing our consideration of the church’s Mission into three parts.

1. MISSION (Part 1) looked at ENTRY

2. MISSION (Part 2) looked at GOSPEL

3. MISSION (Part 3) looks at DISCIPLESHIP

DARE - Dare others to be disciples of Jesus

THE WHY

Jesus Says So

Jesus’ first words to His disciples:

Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “COME, FOLLOW ME,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him (emphasis added).

Jesus’ last words to His disciples:

Matthew 28:18-20 (ISV)

18 Then Jesus approached [his disciples] and told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, as you GO, DISCIPLE PEOPLE in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age” (emphasis added).

• What’s the strategic connection between come, follow me and go, disciple people?

THE GOAL: Everyone Discipled / Everyone Discipling

Paul Practiced It

Discipleship Takes Priority over Church Planting

Acts 14:21–24

21 They shared the Good News in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

It's easy to think that we need to plant churches to make disciples. But what if we have it backward? What if we're called to make disciples who form churches?

This is the pattern we see in the ministry of the Apostle Paul as he helped establish churches throughout the ancient world. He:

1. Won disciples by sharing the Good News.

2. Matured disciples by encouraging them to remain true to the faith.

3. Established leadership by appointing elders in each church.

4. Moved on to win more disciples in other places.

Paul's motto could have been: Don't just plant churches. Make disciples who form and multiply churches.

• Why must making disciples be our priority, rather than simply planting churches?

• How should church planting grow out of making disciples?

• What happens when we plant churches without intentionally forming disciples?

• What makes MicroChurches particularly well suited to forming and multiplying disciples?

THE WHAT

What’s a Disciple?

Let’s define our term. The word “disciple” means “learner” or “student.” But don’t think of a pupil in a classroom. Think of an apprentice on a job site. 

• What’s the purpose and the process of an apprenticeship?

What’s a Disciple of Jesus?

Here are five marks of a Christ-follower (from DISCIPLE: The Noun and The Verb):

1. Be with Jesus (and other Disciples) - CONNECTION

2. Believe in Jesus - FAITH

3. Become like Jesus - CHARACTER

4. Live for Jesus - OBEDIENCE

5. Disciple Others toward Jesus - MISSION

• Why is the order of these five marks important? How does each mark build on the one before it?

Though these marks are in a logical and sequential order, life isn’t always logical or sequential. For example, some people come to faith in Jesus and immediately disciple others toward Him before they even have time to grow in character or obedience. Nice problem! Unfortunately, however, too many disciples never mature into the mark of discipling others toward Jesus. Regardless of the order, all marks are important and so is maturing in each one. Hence the need for disciplined growth in each mark.

• Do we ever graduate from a mark?

• Which mark is the Spirit highlighting for you to focus on right now?

THE HOW

How Do You Disciple Others toward Jesus?

The Difference between Fellowship and Discipleship

Having a coffee and catching up on life, including encouraging one another in the faith and prayer, would be fellowship. That’s important. But discipleship is is different.

Luke 6:40 (NLT)

Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

Colossians 1:28 (NIV)

[Christ] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

1 John 2:6 (CSB)

The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

• What’s the difference between fellowship and discipleship?

• Why do we need discipleship to become fully trained like Jesus?

• How were you discipled? Were you fully trained to be like Jesus?

Discipleship

A definition:

Discipleship is a relational, biblical, interactive, and intentional process of helping someone toward Jesus—becoming a disciple of Jesus, maturing as a disciple of Jesus, and discipling others toward Jesus.

• Why is discipling RELATIONAL?

• Why is discipling BIBLICAL?

• Why is discipling INTERACTIVE?

• Why is discipling INTENTIONAL?

• Why is discipling a PROCESS?

• Why are there three aspects to this PROCESS:

1. Becoming a disciple of Jesus,

2. Maturing as a disciple of Jesus, and

3. Discipling others toward Jesus?

• Why is movement toward Jesus the goal of discipleship everyone, including unbelievers or believers? Including YOU?

3/3s Format

This 3/3s Format can help you lead a relational, biblical, interactive, and intentional discipleship process with someone.

• Do you think this 3/3s Format will facilitate a relational, biblical, interactive, and intentional discipleship process with someone?

1. Initial Discipleship

FOLLOW THE WAY is a discovery discipleship curriculum for groups of 3 or 4. It’s based on a relational, biblical and intentional discipleship process of helping someone become a disciple of Jesus, mature as a disciple of Jesus and disciple others toward Jesus.

FOLLOW THE WAY uses the 3/3s Format and guides you through selected passages in the Bible.

Here’s the journey:

1. Follow - 1-week introduction to following Jesus and FOLLOW THE WAY

2. Faith - 11-week guided tour of the main events, characters and storyline of the Bible

3. Fruit - 9-weeks on how to join Jesus in mission by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle

4. Filling - 8-weeks on how to be filled with the Spirit and live an everyday supernatural life

5. Foundations - 8-weeks on the basic building blocks of your identity and maturity in Christ

6. Freedom - 12-weeks on how to personally and practically embrace your freedom in Christ

Other Discipleship Resources

2. Ongoing Discipleship

Ongoing discipleship can take place in your MicroChurch family. As your spiritual family gathers for Worship, Discovery, Community and Mission, people will continue to grow as followers of Jesus. That’s because these Priorities don’t just apply to us as a spiritual family, they also apply to us as individual followers of Jesus. Here they are written for individual application:

1. WORSHIP - My Relationship with Jesus

I will bow before and follow Jesus

2. DISCOVERY - My Relationship with the Bible

I will hear and obey God’s Word

3. COMMUNITY - My Relationship with Each Other

I will love a family of brothers and sisters in Christ

4. MISSION - My Relationship with Others

I will join Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle

So every time you gather and work through the Gathering Guide, you’ll be discipling each other.

In addition, as you pursue The Way’s Pathways, ongoing discipleship will happen. Here they are:

1. Daily Connects and Missional Living

2. Discovery Discipleship Groups - This time as a guide to others

3. MicroChurch Families

4. Compassionate Outreaches

5. Network Gatherings

6. Leadership Formation

So invite newcomers to your MicroChurch where they’ll experience discipleship through your gathering’s Priorities and Pathways AND get them involved in a FOLLOW THE WAY Discovery Discipleship Group to give them personal discipleship attention.

Relationship of Discovery Discipleship Groups to MicroChurch Families

• A Discovery Discipleship Group could be the foundation of a new MicroChurch family. As a group of 3 or 4 matures in their faith and commitment to Jesus, they may decide to continue to meet as a MicroChurch and invite others to join them.

• Or a MicroChurch may direct their members and newcomers to be discipled in Discovery Discipleship Groups. The advantage of having the Discipleship Discovery Groups do the “heavy lifting” of crucial and initial discipleship (through FOLLOW THE WAY) is that the whole MicroChurch doesn’t have to go back to square one in terms of discipleship every time a newcomer joins them. New Discovery Discipleship Groups would be formed as people join needing discipleship. This takes a great deal of pressure off the MicroChurch gatherings and leaders.