NLI: Week 5 // Notes

The Great Commission

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20

What is the main verb? 

We are called to go…

This is why we believe in .

• Welcome Week Events
• Short-Term Mission Trips
• Social Events (where it’s easy to invite non-Christians)

…but we’re also called to do this here and now.

As you live life, .  Teach them what you know – we are disciplers.

Discipleship Through

is the primary way discipleship occurs.

Evangelism doesn’t stay in short-term missions or Welcome Week.

Chi Alpha should be a place where people belong, then believe, then behave, then become.

• leads to .

Being Disciplers:  The Prerequisite

What does it take to be a discipler?

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 11:1

Christ us for the work He’s prepared for us.  We are called to follow Christ and then to do the same.

Because we should be constantly growing, there is no benchmark we must reach before we start discipling.

• Otherwise, it becomes about us, our abilities, and our pride.
• Discipleship is just a product of the overflow of what God is doing in us. As we learn and grow, we pass that on to others to learn and grow.
• We are

Being Disciplers:  What Do We Do?

What does discipleship look like?

1. Intentional Spiritual Friendships

“To be loved but not known is comforting, but superficial.  To be known and not loved is our greatest fear.  But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.  It is what we need more than anything.  It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”  – Tim Keller

• We affirm, encourage, and challenge one another.
• We invest in people’s , , and .
  • People don’t need to first “earn the right” or get to the “right place” to deserve this intentionality or sense of belonging.
  • We give people a home in Chi Alpha, and we invest in their lives outside of it. This can look like going to their sports games, attending their fundraisers, knowing things about their families, etc.
• We don’t view people as , but we genuinely care for and about them.

2. Emptying Our Cup vs. Filling Others’ Up

We aren’t called to fill someone else’s cup; we’re just called to empty ours.  – Andy Stanley

• We are called to and .
• Giving the gift of
• We must be filling ourselves up first.
  • Don’t be a “starving baker.”

The starving baker was so busy feeding everyone else that he forgot to eat and was starving himself.

3. Playing For the Alley-Oop

Instead of getting the slam dunk ourselves, we pass the ball off for others to score.

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”  2 Timothy 2:2

• We .
• We .

The Super Evangelist vs. The Faithful Discipler

Discipleship but has the greatest .

We’re called to this whether we’re small group / life group leaders or not, but as leaders, we do it in a more official capacity.  However, discipleship should always happen organically in our community.  Our hope is that this would be our desire and passion, not just a feeling of obligation.

Getting Practical // Stepping Into Leadership

How does this play out specifically in AU Chi Alpha?

We like to view leaders more as — encouraging others, growing with them, and setting the stage for dynamic community.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:24-27

Dynamic Small Groups / Life Groups…

1. … can .

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 

2. … are a way of , not just a way of .

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

3. … are about , and .

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings.

4. … give people a place to .

All believers, everyone, all the people.

5. … will us for everything else.

Every day they continued to meet…

6. … are .

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Forming Dynamic Small Groups / Life Groups

What seems miraculous and organic to everyone else actually takes a lot of work.

2. It should be a place where people want to come.
3. Set the focus on Jesus.
4. Confession and vulnerability
6. The best way to get people to show up
7. People care about what they pray about — praying for each other and for Chi Alpha.
8. Ex. names, GroupMe, theme/SG name, etc.
9. Constantly investing and inviting
10. (Across-the-Table vs. Side-by-Side)

One-on-ones; asking intentional questions; listening; calling people higher and seeing growth