Equipping Series – Part V: Apostles

 

“Ephesians 4” Call To Equip The Saints For The Work Of Service As A Apostles:

I believe the five fold passions and points of view are in every believer in Jesus Christ since the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ indwells them.  So how do we allow the artesian well of the Holy Spirit to surface the apostolic spirit that is in all believers?  That is the calling of the five fold ministry of the Church.

If there was ever a time in Church history for one to be called to “see over” what the Holy Spirit is doing in the body of Christ, to release the various giftings in the Body of Christ, to bring maturity to individual Christians into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ, to bring unity to the Bride of Christ to usher in his return, it is now!  So, how can we, the 21st century Church allow the creative apostolic spirit to arise in believers, aiding, caring, developing, and then releasing him to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God?

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but encourage you to ask the creative Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ to give you “revelation” of who He is and how to show that to others.  I only offer a few suggestions:

The Price Is Heavy:  Read in the gospels what it cost Saul when he became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles: ridicule, rejections, being stoned near death several times, constant conflict, opposition, and travel.  He had to “die to self” in order to “live in Jesus Christ.”  I personally believe the only way five different passions and points of view can be effectively used in unity is by those involved practicing I John 3:16, “laying down your life for your brethren.”  To be an apostle you major in death to bring life, a heavy price.  You have to lay down your life for your brethren to give them life; lay down your giftings to allow your brethren’s giftings to arise and be released; laying down doing it yourself to let others develop, grow, and mature into the image of Jesus Christ, and lay down your personal life to see the Body of Christ corporately have life in unity.  It is an awesome price!

“Seeing Over”, Not “Oversight”, An Issue Of Control:  A Christian with a true apostolic calling enjoys “seeing over” what the Holy Spirit is doing, and constantly releasing the Holy Spirit to do so.  They lose all control to the Holy Spirit, instead listening to the still small voice prophetically to the Holy Spirit, being grounded in the Logos Word, while teaching how the Rhema Word is the living Logos Word, exemplified through his own life, while caring for, nurturing and developing the saints towards maturity in Jesus Christ, while allowing birthing, newness, and renewal to always be present in the Body of Christ.  They give up all control to the Holy Spirit, only to be obedient to Him!  If the Holy Spirit is to be in control, the apostles must forfeit all control.

The Power Of Releasing Others, Not Doing It Yourself:  Want it done right?  Then it is easier to do it yourself, at least until you become overwhelmed with too much to do!  The apostle oversees the nurturing and developing of the corporate body of Christ by overseeing the nurturing and developing of individuals in the body of Christ towards their “maturity” in the likeness of Christ.  The most powerful tool an apostle has is that of “releasing”: releasing the Holy Spirit to teach and minister, releasing individual members in the body of Christ to use their passions and points of view for “service”, and releasing the Body of Christ as a whole in its efforts to become the Bride of Christ.  Apostles can birth, can nurture, can teach, can give revelation of Jesus Christ to individuals and the body, but chose not to do so in order to release others to do it!  This way the Church grows.

A Wider Visions:  An apostle can not help himself, because it is not at all about him personally, only his vision, his passion, how he pictures the Body of Christ as a whole.  If Jesus is exemplifying and revealing who He is on the earth right now through His Church, then the apostle must see the Body of Christ as a Revelation of Jesus Christ!  An apostle is allowed to see this wide vision, because that is who he is in Jesus.

Release The Apostle:  The worst thing to do after training or equipping someone is then to stifle their vision, their enthusiasm, their drive, their passion, and just let them sit back. RELEASE THEM TO SERVE!  You have equipped the apostolic for the “works of service”, so let them serve!  Let them do what drives them: Release the five different passions and points of view for the maturity of believers in Jesus Christ to be like Jesus Christ and the Church to be unified to be the unified Body of Christ!  As he released the other four, they will effectively serve the body and mature in Jesus. Release them. Will we ever think one is “ready” to be an apostle? Probably not, for apostles have awesome responsibilities and insights. Will they make mistakes? We hope not, but the answer, of course is yes, we all do. Peter majored in mistakes when leading the infant, newly born, developing, but listening Church in the 1st century.  Submission and service is a two way street, and the apostle will serve and be served by the other four bringing unity and accountability to the Church.  Church, lets equip, nurture, care, then release, while continuing serve the apostle bringing accountability and unity, and we see a “new day” in a “new way” that the Church does church!