APOSTLES
THEIR ROLE TODAY...FATHERING SERVANTS
Missionary-Evangelist Esther Thornton
In this month of
August, in the USA, summer is at a close and Fall will soon be on its way.
Jer. 8:20 "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and
we are not saved."
As you are reading this article on the apostle, Bob and I have just returned
from a fifty-one day mission’s trip to various nations of Africa.
I am writing on a subject that is dear to my heart, for the Word of God says,
in Mt. 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
This is the time of the apostle, prophetically, and will remain that season
until the return of Christ.
You don't have to go overseas to be an apostle. An apostle is a "Fathering
Servant" who builds the work of God, both at home and abroad.
"Apostles - Their Role Today"
I. Motivation of Ministry:
"Whosoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And
whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many." Mk. 10:43b-45.
Jesus represents the perfect example
of apostolic ministry, and He is our example in the apostolic, as well as in
all ministry. He demonstrated his preeminence when He girded Himself with a
towel and washed the disciples' feet Jn. 13:3-5. Jesus had to leave the
earth but He wanted His apostolic ministry to continue, so He distributed the
ministry that was in Him to others Eph. 4:11-12. And, the five-fold
ministry is what is to be in operation today: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists,
Pastors, and Teachers. We
long to see today Jesus' ministry of an apostle for authentic apostolic
ministry. We want to see fathering servants. We want to see Jesus!
Biblical apostolic ministry is a
fathering ministry given to the church to assist people, leaders, and
individual local churches in coming to a place of maturity. It is also a
serving ministry that stands along side of other ministries to lift and
encourage them in the fulfillment of their Respective destinies.
People sometimes think that the word
"ministry" is a lofty word. But, in actuality it means
"service". Instead of asking what is our ministry, we should be asking,
"What service am I able to render to others that might be a strength and
blessing to them?" We do not want to be looking for a position where we
can sit and be served but rather to look for the towel or the apron of humility
with which to wash the feet of others.
The disciples, before the Holy Spirit touched them, were self-motivated,
jealous of each other and any other would-be leaders, and wanted power and
placement in the kingdom of God. James and John had this problem in Mk.10:35-45.
They wanted to sit on a throne and rule. When the other disciples heard this,
they were unhappy - not because they thought that James and John needed to
change their attitude, but because they got to Jesus first with
this request, instead of them!
James and John should have asked Jesus instead, "What do you want us to
do?" How can we serve and lay our lives down for you as you have been
so willing to do for us?"
So Jesus realized that He would have to deal first of all with His disciples’
motivation of heart.
1. Ministry is Service - If you want to be great in the
kingdom of Heaven, you must be the servant of all. You must humble yourself, as
a little child.
The Pharisees in
Jesus' day loved to be in the higher positions and chief seats. They loved to
impress people.
2. Servants First, Apostles Second
If we find out that
the ministry of an apostle is a position that requires a death to self, a life
of humble service and sacrifice, and a willingness to be discredited for the
sake of the Gospel, we might not be so eager to see it restored.
Peter did not have any delusions of grandeur when it came to apostolic ministry
but he understood that he was a servant first, and an apostle second 2 Pet.
1:1.
3. A New Testament
Apostle
This was not a ruler among the people
but an important ministry with a specific function. If God is indeed restoring
this ministry to the church, we must have a biblical idea of what is being
restored.
II. The Word
"Apostle"
Luke 6:13 "And when it was
day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He
also named apostles."
In the Greek, the word "apostle"
simply means: "one who is sent". But, this is the
broad term for the word. An apostle is accountable even as the term suggests -
"sent one". Paul was sent from the Antioch church with a divine
mission and returned and gave an account of that work. Acts 13:1-3;
14:26-28.
So, someone sends
the apostle forth and he is accountable to them and to God. Apostles are called
by God and sent by man. I Cor.
12:18.
Every believer is to be submitted to God's
delegated authority for them.
Heb. 13:17. Even a senior pastor is under the eldership of that church.
In our ministry, we have a board of directors, officers, and advisors. We are
accountable to walk carefully before the Lord in relationship to them. When we
ordain or send people forth, they are accountable to this ministry - not to be
controlled by us, but to profit from our leadership and the fact that we have
sent them forth under God's direction.
So, an apostle is a ministry with the Spirit of Christ, who is rightly related
to heavenly and earthly authority. He is called by God and sent forth by man to
function as Jesus functioned. And, he is accountable to those who have sent him
forth, as well as to God.
III. Jesus- the Apostle from Heaven
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider
the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful
to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house”. Heb 3:1-2
1. He was sent by the Father
Jesus was sent by the Father and He accomplished all that He had been called to
do.
Jn. 3:16-17; 5:36;
8:18; 8:42; 17:18; 20:21.
2. Jesus the Apostle represents the Father.
When you saw Jesus, you saw the Father. When you rejected Jesus, you also
rejected the Father. Jesus was faithful to the Father and is representing Him
fully and He was faithful to the plan that the Father had designed.
Lu.:49; Jn. 4:34;
5:19; 5:23; 5:30; 5:43a; 7:16; 7:18; 7:28b-29; 8:29; 8:38a; 9:4a; 10:38b;
14:9b-11; 14:24; 16:28.
"He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And
He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. For I have not spoken on My own authority;
but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I
should speak." Jn. 12:44, 45, 49.
3. Jesus the Apostle as Church Planter
He modeled what was later followed by Paul and many others in the New Testament
Age of church growth and expansion; and should be followed by any of us today
who are planting churches:
A. Evangelism: He preached openly on the streets and hillsides - He came
to them where they were. He ministered to them: repentance; water baptism; and
a changed lifestyle.
He provided them a way to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
B. Discipleship: Jesus soon began to focus on a select group who were
more ready than others to accept the call. He spent special times of training
with potential leaders communicating His values and ministry philosophy to
them.
C. Delegation of Authority: These disciples would do church planting and
reap what Jesus also had sown. Jesus would accomplish His mission through them.
D. Follow-up: Jesus stayed continually in contact with these ones by the
Holy Spirit. He was ever ready to work with them to assist them in problem
solving, counsel, and support.
Jesus was not concerned about numbers but He knew that if He prepared
leadership that when the numbers came, they would be taken care of.
E. Jesus - The Mentor of Leaders:
Because of His apostolic mantle, Jesus was able to develop seasoned leaders
after a few short years.
He was successful in leadership development because He had a five-pronged
approach.
(1) He demonstrated for them what He expected of them. Leaders must be a role
model. This is why Paul was so successful. He was able to say, "Imitate
me, just as I also imitate Christ" I Cor. 11:1. Jesus never asked his
disciples to do something that He was not willing to do and had not
demonstrated.
(2) Jesus spent much time in personal prayer for these followers. The Holy
Spirit guided Him in making His initial selection of them Lu. 6:12-16 and
He also prayed for their specific needs and ways to minister to those needs
Lu. 22:32; Jn. 17.
(3) Jesus had a specific training program for His followers.
(4) Jesus taught them to function independently of Him. If you do not do this,
they will become as children who never grow up.
(5) Jesus opened doors of ministry opportunity for them. He sent them forth.
4. Jesus - the Shaper of Arrows Isa. 49:1-2
Everything that Jesus did with these leaders, He did with a purpose in mind -
He was training future apostles. His goal was that they would reach their full
potential and realize the ministry to which they were called.
Jesus focused His teaching to them on eight primary areas:
a. Obedience: to live and minister in complete obedience to the will of
God, withholding nothing for self, but placing themselves entirely on the altar
b. Prayer: He taught them the life and ministry of prayer in the Spirit (though
they only entered it fully after the day of Pentecost)
c. Evangelism: He taught them how to meet people at their point of need
and to preach to them the message of the kingdom.
d. Scripture: He taught them how to know and use the scripture and to
have a love for the Word of the Lord.
e. Faith: He taught them to have faith in God for all of their material
needs. This accomplished four things:
(1) It detached them
from the world,
(2) It obligated them to walk near to God,
(3) It caused them
to be living witnesses to God's power and faithfulness,
(4) It made them
exercise faith.
f. Ministry By the Spirit: He taught them to minister
in the power of the Spirit and not to rely on ceremonies, programs,
emotionalism, or any other human means to attract or influence.
g. Love: He taught them absolute love for others; the love that serves,
seeking nothing for self, and counts it all joy and all gain to give all.
h. Team Ministry: He taught them to work together and cooperate as a
group directed by the Holy Spirit; and that their goal was not for pre-eminence
but to serve one another.
Because Jesus was faithful and diligent to transmit and impart all of these
things, His work would go on after He left. Jesus is our model for all ministry
in the body of Christ, regardless of what it is. Jesus was a fathering servant
who lived for others and was a faithful Son to the Father.
IV. The Twelve Apostles
1. Eternally Unique: Title - "Apostles of the Lamb" Rev.
21:14
2. Unique Function: Involved in judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mt.
19:28, which most likely refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ 2
Cor.5:10
3. Unique Placement: In the twelve foundations of the eternal City Rev.
21:14. This is probably because their ministry was foundational to the
establishing of not just the first local church, but the universal church,
which is called the city of the living God Heb. 12:22.
4. A New Order: When John the Baptist came, he stood at the end of the age of
the law and the beginning of the age of grace. He separated the age of the
prophets from the age of the apostles. At this point, Jesus came on the scene
and announced a new age. Mt. 16:18 - to build the church and the
foundation would be a new ministry carried out by apostles. In doing so, He
opened the door to the apostolic church age.
Prophets wrote nearly all of the O.T. books and the N.T. writers, were
primarily apostles. These prophets and apostles form the foundation of God's
purpose in the earth - the church Eph.
2:19-22.
5. The Apostolic Commission: Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-20; Lu. 24:27;
Jn. 21:15; and Acts 1:8.
His
commission included:
a. Being a witnesses: In word and deed
b. Preaching the gospel or evangelizing
c. Healing the sick: included signs, wonders, and mighty deeds
d. Making disciples: Acts 2:38-40
e. Pastoring the disciples: shepherd and tend to the people of God to
see that they come to a place of health and maturity.
f. Teaching the disciples: to observe all things commanded by the Lord.
This would bring strength, establishment, and longevity to the churches that
they would raise up.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus gave the twelve a missionary strategy, which they
carried out. (Jerusalem; Judea; Samaria; and uttermost parts of the earth).
After Christ's resurrection, He would inaugurate another order of apostolic
ministry: Paul, Barnabas, Apollos and many others. They would build on what had
been started by the Twelve and then continue to function until the return of
the Lord when the church is complete.
V. The Apostle Paul and the Twelve
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come
to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect
man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Because of the Apostle Paul's huge place in the N.T., including the biography
of his life and work in the book of Acts, and his authorship of most of the
N.T. epistles, he is sometimes considered to be the greatest of the apostles.
1. Categories of Apostolic Ministry
a. Christ, the apostle from Heaven (Heb. 3:1): Jesus was and is the Chief
Apostle and the ultimate pattern against which all apostolic ministries must be
measured.
b. The twelve apostles of the Lamb Lu. 6:12-13: They laid the initial
foundation of the eternal church.
c. The apostles after Jesus' ascension Eph. 4. These work together in
the five-fold ministry of the church.
d. Those involved in apostolic-type ministry: The seventy in the Bible who
Christ sent out to do as the twelve did. Some are apostolic in nature and yet
do not have the call of the apostle.
2. Apostolic Ministries Continue Today: "till we all come to the
unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" Eph. 4:13.
This has not happened and will not happen unless the leadership ministries are
functioning as Christ intended.
In Paul, we see a true example of how the ministry of the apostle should
function in our day. He was a true fathering servant to the church.
VI. Paul's Pattern:
"However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus
Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to
believe on Him for everlasting life."
I Tim. 1:16
Paul serves as a pattern for apostolic ministry in our day. But, he was both an
unlikely and a likely choice.
1. Paul an Unlikely Choice: Before conversion, he opposed the followers of
Christ. He was actively involved in the death of the first martyr, Stephen Acts 7:58; 8:1. He wreaked havoc
on the church Acts 8:3, and was continually breathing threats and murder
against the disciples Acts 9:1. He was exceedingly enraged against them Acts
26:11.
He was zealous to
see Christianity destroyed.
2. Paul, a Likely Choice: Paul was perhaps one of the most educated people of
his day in both Jewish law, and natural affairs, having studied under the
tutelage of Gamaliel, one of the most respected educators of the day Acts
22:3. Also, God would us his
tent-making skill to help fund his missionary work and the work of the others.
3. Paul's Call: Paul knew that he was called by God
Rom. 1:5; 12:3; Gal
2:8-9; and he knew that his function involved
ministry to the Gentiles Rom. 11:13.
4. Paul's Preparation: Paul spent from 10-13 years
secluded and was tested by the Lord Psa. 105:19. It sounds as though he
had a problem with boasting and pride at one time in his life but he ultimately
gives God glory for the work of grace in his life 2 Cor. 11:16-33; Philip.
3:5-7. Perhaps God was dealing with this stronghold in Paul's life during
these hidden years. All we know is when God was through with Paul, he was a fit
vessel for the Master's use. His motives were refined. Acts 20;33-35; I
Thes. 2:3-7.
Preparing to be an effective ministry for the Lord involves more than an
education. It also involves being emptied of pride and other ambitions that
would get in the way of effective ministry for God.
5. Paul's Work: Paul's slow start, would not limit his ability to be extremely
productive and effective. Many ministries try to launch out before they are
ready. You can either grow up and then go out; or go out and grow up later. It
is better to be proven and trained before you go out.
Paul did not waste any time after going out. In about 20 years, he traveled to
over 100 cities, preached in at least 30 cities and established at least 20
strong, reproducing churches.
He had a basic, twelve-step method that he nearly always followed: a. He
ministered in teams: His main gift, other than apostleship, seemed to be
teaching. He was always training others to do what he did.
b. He focused on Chief Cities:
(1) He used his natural reasoning: places where there was a need
(2) Focused on
places where the Holy Spirit seemed to be moving
(3) He followed the direct leading of the Holy Spirit
(4) He focused on chief cities I Thes. 1:6-8a.
c. He preached
openly to all: He took open doors. He believed God for divine appointments;
supernatural encounters with prepared people.
d. He gathered a nucleus: Those who had responded to his preaching; he formed a
core.
e. He taught intensely: discipleship and teaching. He focused first on
repentance and turning to the Lord; water baptism; the baptism of the Holy
Spirit; and a separated lifestyle. And, then followed teaching. Acts 19:9;
Mt. 28:20
f. He trained leaders: Because he was so diligent about training, equipping,
and releasing leaders, churches sprang up wherever he went.
g. He set in a provisional leadership team for when he had to leave
h. He left them for
a season: An opportunity for these leaders to learn on the job that which they
couldn't learn in the classroom.
i. He returned to bring adjustment and encouragement
Acts 14:22.
j. He set in elders after they had fasted and prayed
Acts 14:23
k. He left again: His authority now has changed since he had set up eldership
and turned it over to them. And, like parents with children, the relationship
changes to counsel rather than command.
l. He followed up on them: He did this himself; with his companions; and with
letters.
6. Paul's Fruit: No one would ever question whether or not Paul was an apostle,
because of the apostolic fruit from his life and ministry – strong churches
that lasted for centuries to follow; strong church leaders who continued to
prosper after Paul's death; a legacy of practical, pastoral doctrine that is
still guiding enriching the church of the twenty-first
century. He had strong believers, strong leaders, and strong churches. To Paul,
the word "apostle" was a function, not a title. He knew what he was
to do and had developed a strategy to do it. He never introduced himself as
"The apostle Paul". He let the work speak for itself. It was his
relationship with those he served that gave him authority in their lives.
VII. Apostolic Work
"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you
believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God
gave the increase. .For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you
are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a
wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it."
I Cor. 3:5-6; 9-10
Being an apostle is not a title, but it is work. I Cor. 15:10.
1. Spiritual Fathers: Having the heart of the Father. Also, Paul compared
himself to a nursing mother who is gentle with her newborn child - having a
heart that puts others ahead of self; is willing to become poor that others can
become rich; and is willing to get involved with both the successes and
failures of those under its charge.
a. A heart of love I Cor. 13
b. A heart of self-sacrifice Jn. 3:16
c. A heart of patience 2 Cor. 12:12: training spiritual children who are
immature, who have found themselves in trouble and need adjustment or correction.
d. A heart of faithfulness: (Heb. 13:5) Loyalty - Many ministries are not able
to remain constant when relationships are tested, which results in a life of
broken and unfulfilled relationships.
2. The apostle as a Father: Paul's fruit as a father fell into four
categories:
a. Fathering believers
b. Fathering ministries: raise up and release others into ministry
c. Fathering churches: Some have planted only one church but they
focused on training leaders that would be sent forth to plant other churches.
The new local churches that have resulted were just as much their offspring as
any they would have started themselves.
d. Fathering other apostolic ministries: One of the marks of a true
apostolic ministry is the ability to reproduce other apostolic ministries -
reproduce their same ministry in others.
3. The Work of the apostle:
a. To establish and preserve apostolic doctrine
b. Founding and establishing local churches on a proper foundation
c. Feeding, training, and releasing of other ministries
d. following up on those for which they are responsible with care,
encouragement, and correction, as needed.
e. They will be a resource to other local churches and their leaders as the
need arises Col. 1:7; 4:2
4. Ministry after
ones heart: Every ministry that a person has will be a reflection of what he
feels in his heart. If you have a burden for leaders, that will be reflected in
your ministry and etc. Christ wants fathering ministries or servants who
reflect His heart of love for the people and purposes of God. The need is
great, not for people with more titles, but for people who will lay their lives
down for others.
VIII. Apostolic
Preparation
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He
counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." I Tim. 1:12
1. Being a Christian who is submitted fully to the Lordship of Christ in all
areas.
2. Becoming Faithful
a. Learning to be faithful in that which is least. Luke 16:10
b. Learning to be faithful with money Luke 16:11. Paul was faithful with
natural riches and so could be entrusted with spiritual riches.
c. Learning to be faithful with that which belongs to another man Luke 16:12.
Be faithful to the vision of the leader where you have been planted and then
God will give you your own.
3. Becoming a Servant: Paul wanted to start right away Acts
9:20 but he didn't get the response he wanted; he was not ready. He had a lot of dying to do to himself;
his own plans; his former concepts of ministry; and his future aspirations.
4. Qualifying as an Elder I Tim. 3, Titus 1
a. Character development: temperance,
self-control, holiness, and patience.
b. People skills: An apostle cannot be hard, harsh, angry, violent, or unapproachable.
He must have the heart of a pastor who genuinely cares about people. He must
have the ability to function with gentleness. A quick temper
contributes to the problem and not to the solution.
c. Family relationships: the place where one's true ministry becomes
evident and is the proving ground. No one should serve as a leader in the
church unless they have done well in their home.
d. Financial stability: Paul avoided reproach in this area. God wants us
to be willing to work; to live within our means, and to know how to be
responsible for ourselves and others. Having our finances is order is an
important foundation for ministry.
e. Doctrinal purity: Study the Word that you might not be ashamed
f. Life testimony: I Tim. 3:7 Don't wait to become an apostle;
start right where you are; in your family; on your job - reach out to people
now; disciple new converts; teach and train people; and become a father to the
fatherless.
5. Proving Yourself
at Home
6. Mentoring:
Produce others in
the apostolic, if you are an apostle
a. spend time with
them
b. pray for them
c. instruct them on a regular basis
d. provide training experiences: Jesus gave opportunities while He was present
to that they could function in His absence.
e. Accountability
f. Shepherding care: putting the lives of others ahead of your own
g. encouragement and exhortation: mentors are needed who are open and honest.
People need mentors who believe in them and are like good coaches to spur them
on.
7. Not Many Fathers
I Cor. 4:15 you might have "ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet
you do not have many fathers"
It is not easy to put your own agenda aside and live for others. Nor to put on
the apron of humility; grab a towel, and wash the feet of the saints. But, that
is a big part of apostolic ministry.
Having children is easy; but being a real father is not. Apostolic ministry is
about fathering and serving.
IX. The Apostolic Church
1. The church at Antioch: Started out as a small church with little or
no influence
But, because the foundation was strong and the people behaved as true
Christians, it grew in influence. At its height it had over 100,000 members
with over 3,000 people on paid staff. It became the first church to really
model true N.T. Christianity. It serves today as a pattern for an apostolic
church.
2. Twelve Characteristics of the Antioch Church:
a. an evangelistic
church Acts 11:19-20
b. a teaching church Acts 11:26; 13:1
c. a multi-racial church Acts 11:20; 13:1
d. a team ministry church Acts 13:1: Believed in the five-fold ministry
and team ministry
e. a Spirit-anointed church Acts 13:2: Believed in gifts; they had
perfect balance of fruits of Spirit and gifts; there was healing, deliverance,
and prophetic gifts in operation
f. a prophetic church Acts 11:27-30; 13:2; 2 Chr. 20:20
g. a generous church Acts 11:30; 13:3
h. a worshipping church Acts 13:2
i. A praying church Acts 13:3: they fasted and prayed
j. an equipping church: Eph. 4:11-11: Laying on of hands for
commissioning; prophetic gatherings for the confirmation of calling.
k. A world church: Acts 1:8
l. a respected church: a place where church disputes were settled; several
church councils were held in Antioch and it was considered one of the top five
churches in the world for many centuries to follow.
X. The Apostle's
Role Today
"Then Moses said to him, 'Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the
Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon
them!'" Num. 11:29
We are living in an exciting time when God is restoring His church to the
original pattern given in the book of Acts. In the last fifty years, we have
seen a renewed understanding of many important biblical truths that were
apparently lost to the experience of the church in general. These include
principles of Davidic Worship, Eldership Government, the gifts of the Spirit,
and the five-fold ministry of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and
Teachers.
God is trying to build the leadership of the church so that the church can
truly become all that it is to become before the return of Christ. It seems
that the early focus of the 60's and 70's was on the teaching ministry. In the
80's and early 90's there was a strong emphasis on the prophetic ministry. Now
it appears that we are seeing a divinely inspired emphasis on the apostolic
ministry.
When God restores an area of understanding to the church, He often begins as
Jesus did when He came to the earth. He begins in a way consistent with the
calling of Jeremiah, where H comes "to root out and to pull down, to
destroy
and to throw down." Jer. 1:10.
1. The spirit of Jeremiah: Jesus came in the spirit of Jeremiah and
called the nation to repent and challenged their traditions and those things
which were making the word of God ineffective among them. He did this so He
could build and plant. He had a vision for a victorious church that would
overcome all of the forces of darkness and establish the authority of the
kingdom of God in the earth. Jesus came as the Apostle from Heaven to lay the
foundation for that church to establish God's purpose.
2. God's method of restoration: to get back to the truth for that is
where the power is (not man's ways); challenges us to re-evaluate based on
a fresh illumination of God's Word. Cause the five-fold ministry to function
once again; true-prophetic ministry must come forth with power and Anointing;
Evangelists come forth for end-time harvest; and all other ministries
functioning.
3. The need today: to understand the apostolic calling so we can see a
greater release of this ministry. We need more apostolic fathers in the body of
Christ who will take responsibility for mentoring future generations of
leaders. We need more apostolic church planters who will start churches in
every corner of the world. We need more apostolic resources to help pastors and
churches to fulfill vision and accomplish purpose.
Not all apostolic ministries will have the same sphere of ministry. What
matters most is that those who feel a call to this ministry wait on God, open
their hearts to His voice and leading and become a person who is willing to lay
his or her life down for others.
3. It starts with the heart: It is a heart that is grateful for His
abundant mercy; a heart broken for the lose; one that is gripped with the
purpose of God; one that aches for the weak condition of the church; one that
yearns to see all men saved and fulfill their eternal destiny; and one that is
enlarged and thus has room for others.
References: "Apostles" - The Fathering Servant
By Bill Scheidler & Dick Verson
4. It grows over time: Many eventual apostolic ministries will grow up through
one of the other ministries. God uses their involvement to expand them, give
them wisdom that comes from experience, and to position them for further
release and influence.
It is our prayer that many would be challenged to become apostolic in heart and
function. Not seeking after a title, but desiring a "good work." Not
seeking to be served but to serve. Not wanting to be a lord, but to be a
fathering servant. The need is great. The church is waiting. God is for you!
Be blessed in Jesus' Name!
Esther Thornton,
Global
Evangelism Fellowship, Inc.
