Churches and ministries often emphasize one aspect of disciplemaking, but blessing is minimized because they don’t follow God’s blueprint completely. Some examples of imbalance in disciplemaking include:
1. Personal glory and pride instead of releasing control and humility
2. Pastor or teacher gift apart from the offices of apostle, prophet and evangelist
3. Teaching without mentoring
4. Mentoring without teaching
5. Hoarding resources on infrastructure in church programs apart from discipling people
6. One-on-one disciplemaking apart from exercise of all the spiritual gifts in the body of Christ
7. Trusting self instead of God
Jehu wrote a letter for the rulers and guardians of Ahab’s 70 sons to meet him in Jezreel where they were killed, which fulfilled God’s word through Elijah. Jehu also killed the relatives of Ahaziah king of Ahaziah according to the word of the Lord. Jehu cunningly called for a solemn assembly and all the worshipers of Baal were killed. The guard and royal officers burned the sacred pillars of Baal and dismantled the house of Baal. Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel, but was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord with all his heart. He left the golden calves at Bethel and Dan that made Israel sin (2 Kings 10:1-36). Fight idolatry by rejecting personal glory, pride and partial obedience.
When Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, saw her son dead, she destroyed the royal offspring, except Joash who was hid from her. Six years later Joash was crowned king, given God’s word and officers killed Athaliah. Jehoiada the priest made a covenant between the Lord, king and people that they should be the Lord’s people. The people tore down the house of Baal and his altars. They broke his images in pieces thoroughly. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal and appointed offices over the house of the Lord (2 Kings 11:1-21). The offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher equip people to embrace a biblical worldview in a covenant relationship with God as a guard against worldliness.
Joash (Jehoash) did right in God’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places were not taken away and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places (2 Kings 12:1-3). Teaching and mentoring equip people to follow God so they are not carried by every wind of doctrine through trickery and deceitful scheming.
Priests were supposed to use money donated to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord. When King Jehoash discovered the unrepaired breeches, the priests agreed not to take any more money (2 Kings 12:4-8). Hoarding resources on infrastructure stifles disciplemaking ministry.
Jehoiada the priest collected money to pay carpenters, builders, masons, stonecutters and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the breeches to the house of the Lord. They did not require an accounting but dealt faithfully in the work (2 Kings 12:9-16). The body of Christ works properly as each individual part speaks the truth in love.
Jehoash took his own and Jehoshaphat’s sacred things he dedicated along with gold from the house of God and the king’s house to be sent to Hazael king of Aram so he would leave Jerusalem. Jehoash’s servants conspired and killed him (2 Kings 12:17-21). Trusting self instead of God leads to ruin.
Consider the following questions:
1. Are seeking numbers or recognition from a ministry or denomination instead of releasing control through humility so God gets the glory?
2. Do you have apostles, prophets and evangelists operating alongside pastors and teachers to establish a proper foundation for the faith?
3. Do you have teaching without mentoring, which lessens the application of God’s word?
4. Do you have mentoring without teaching, which lessens the adoption of biblical worldview?
5. Do you hoard resources on infrastructure in church programs instead of discipling people, which leads to ineffectiveness as a witness to the world?
6. Do you have one-on-one discipleship apart from releasing all the spiritual gifts in the body of Christ, which leads to imbalance?
7. Are you trusting self instead of God, which leads to ruin?
