In Breaking Disciple-Making

Dude. First of all, what in the world does that title mean?

I almost titled it Breaking in Disciple-Making but liked the sound of this one better. But why? What in the world is "in breaking"? Breaking in makes sense. You break in shoes, you break into a house (okay, you really shouldn't do that one, it's illegal), and you get things comfy. But that's not what disciple making is all about. 

"In breaking" refers to the in breaking of the kingdom of God.

Okay.

But what does that mean? 

There's something about being focused on the things of the world around us. We can get so focused on money, on toys, on the new iPhone, the newest gadget, or just plain old stuff we keep in plastic totes and have moved three times but never really opened. We focus on this stuff. But what if we focused on something different? What if we focused on something bigger than ourselves? What if we focused on something greater than ourselves? 

That's where the kingdom of God breaks in. In Jesus, the kingdom of God has broken into this world. It's here. Now. And it is shown through the church. It's reflected in what the church is supposed to do. And I emphasize suppose. God's kingdom broke in when Jesus died upon the cross. It came in when He ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit came ten days later. As NT Wright once said at a lecture, We now have something of earth in heaven and something of heaven on earth. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is moved to reflect the kingdom of God. 

Okay, cool stuff. But what of it? 

When we truly live the in breaking of the kingdom of God, we begin disciple-making. Jesus says in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples. He says to teach them. He says to baptize them. 

Who are "them?"

Them be disciples. And disciples are to be made. To be crafted. To be formed.

Think of it like an apprenticeship. An apprentice isn't fully a journeyman nor master at their craft yet. They are learning. They are learning what it means to be like the master. They learn through watching and doing and being corrected. They learn by trying things out and failing in a safe environment. Sometimes they are even allowed to try things themselves. Sometimes the master says "I do, you watch" other times it's "I do, you help" then it's "You do, I help" and then "You do, I watch." After time, the apprentice becomes a journeyman, one who can practice the craft, and then becomes a master themselves. 

Discipleship is like that. Disciple-making is apprenticeship. You are apprenticing others into the kingdom of God which has broken into this world. You are walking with someone else as they learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus. You are being walked along side with by the great Master Himself, Jesus. And He teaches you what it means to be a follower. And in turn, we apprentice others into what it means to be a follower of Jesus. 

The thing is, is that when done right, in breaking disciple-making is hard, messy, and uncomfortable. If it were breaking in disciple-making, it'd make things more comfortable. It'd make things easy after a while. Disciple-making isn't easy. Disciple-making isn't comfortable. 

And that's a good thing. When it isn't comfortable, it breaks us. When it isn't easy, it makes us rely more and more on the strength of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. And when you do in breaking disciple-making, you begin to teach others how to do the same. And the whole time along, Jesus walks along side us all. 

How can you be involved in doing in breaking disciple-making today?