Apostles and prophets are individuals whom God trusts to solve problems. They were not only people from the past but still present nowadays. In this three-week series, you will have access to my personal notes from the courses of Apostolic Leadership, Worship Foundations and Psalms. I am sure that you will get great revelations from the Kingdom of God to your life and family through this series.
Reading Time: 7”
Leia em Português (em breve)
Our reality
The church can be much more healthy if we understand and apply the biblical emphasis of an apostolic leadership. What we see today and in the last centuries as well is a pastoral base church, which is not bad but it’s also not strong enough to fulfill God’s purpose on earth. We are in great need of true apostles.
Apostles make a new era. They bring into reality something out of the time to endure long. They change the world with a long last duration because their solutions are from outside of the culture, coming from heaven.
Biblical Context of Apostolic Sending
. 1Co 3:11 – Jesus Christ is the only foundation
. Eph 2:19-21 – Jesus Christ is the cornerstone
. 1Co 4:9 – Apostles are exhibit as the last of all
. Gal 4:19 – Apostles work is to form Christ in the people
. Lk 11:49 – It’s the Wisdom of God to send apostles and prophets
. 1Ts 2:4 – Apostles are approved by God
. Rv 18:20 – God will judge for the saints and apostles and prophets against the world system
. Apostles: Moses, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul, …
From the presence of the Lord
. Apostles are not made by other apostles or any men. They are made by Jesus
. Apostles are sent from the presence of the Lord
. Apostles have an assignment
. Apostles have limits. They are not apostles everywhere. Even Jesus had a limit as the Sent one from the Father. Mt 15:24
. Mk 3:13 “And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. Mark 3:13 ESV
. Mt 10:5 “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5-6 ESV
Calling and Sending Are Very Different Things
Apostles dive in troubles when they finish their assignments and don’t wait on the Lord to the next step.
Difference between called / sent: Stand before the Lord
. 652. Gr. Apostolos: messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle …
. From 649. Gr. Apostelló: I send forth, send (as a messenger, commission), send away, dismiss
. Mt 11:10 “This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’” Matthew 11:10 ESV
. Luke 1:19 “And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” Luke 1:19 ESV
Apostolic Priorities
. We cannot allow the culture to dictate the Bible. It’s stupid to say that someone has an apostolic “gift” because they have great administrative skills.
. Mt 13:41 “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,” Matthew 13:41 ESV
The Lord Himself is primary priority
. Apostles are not seeking to bless people first, but to please the sender
. Hb 3:1 Jesus is the greatest apostle
. Apostles and priests are not the same thing but the two sides of the same coin
. Kingdom of God: bigger than the church. Include the wheat and the weed
. Mt 13:25
. Being Loyal to the King
- Gr. Keryx: the person sent by the king
- Gr. Kerygma: the message from the King
- Gr. Kerusso: the act of declaring it
. 1Th 2:4
. Ac 1 – Apostles:
. Jesus chooses the apostles
. Seen the risen Lord
. Can remain under the Lord
. Immersed in Spirit
Government / Order (team)
. We need apostles that are anointed to step into the areas of influence of our society
. The church in Asia and Africa is far beyond the western church in understanding of the apostolic ministry
Suffering
. Placed as the last of all
. Scars and suffering
. Ac 1:3 / 2Co 1:5-7 / Ph 3:10 / Cl 1:24 / Jm 5:10
Warfare / Angels
. Apostles and angels interact in a regular basis
. There are some truths that the enemy says to us but it is not his business to say truths to us. We shall not consider his words.
The Gospel
. Read the Bible from a Covenantal / Kingdom perspective. Priestly and Apostolic.
. The Gospel Message:
- Prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
- In Jesus life (his words and deeds), death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seated dominion, the kingdom of God has come.
- Therefore, you are commanded to repent of all your sin and believe into Him with all you your heart.
- Jesus will come back bodily and judge the world in his right.
- Those who believe in His will live with Him into the ages. Those who do not believe will be cast into the lake of fire
. 3 Greek Terms for “word” in the Bible:
- Gr. Logos: The substance of the interior reality of the speaker is actually in the words expressed. Do not confuse with graphs (written scripture)
- Gr. Rhema: a spoken word to a specific person in a specific situation
- Gr Graphe: the written word, the ‘Scripture’
. Do not preach a message you think will be good to their brains. Preach the message God likes and is good to their hearts.
. Ps 110 is the most important passage in the OT because when the Holy Spirit was composing the NT he quoted it much more than any other scripture
Prayer
. Apostles pray all the time without needing a ceremony
. Praying and meal is the right way to hire people and get hired. Not an interview!
. Gr. Dunamis: dínamo (generates power), not dynamite (destruction)
Ekklesia Authority
. City governmental council for decisions at the gate
. The Lord is not in control. He is in charge
. 12 disciples: Mt 10 / Mk 6 / Lk 9
- Peter (1st always)*
- Andrew
- James
- John
- Phillip (5th always)*
- Bartholomew
- Thomas
- Matthew
- James of Alpheus (9th always)*
- Lebbaeus (Thaddeus)
- Simon the Canaanite
- Judas (Matthias)
* Probably leaders inside of the 12
. Gn 19 / Gn 45:5-8 / Ex 3:9-13 / Nm 13 / Rv 2:2
. Lc 11:49 . Mt 10 / 11:10 / 13:41 / 15:24 / 23:34-37 . Mk 3:13-14 / 6:7 / 9:37 . Lk 1:19 . 1Ts 2:4 . Deliverance: believe Jesus victory, don’t be afraid and love people
. Testing the apostles: How can we test apostles, people sent by God, as the church in Ephesus according to Rev 2:4?
- Check what gospel they preach
- Supernatural identification in the spirit
. We all have the right to ask to anybody: Who sent you?
. Test everything!
. Jesus: Lord of mine instead of My Lord
Love
. Dean G on leadership:
- Jesus
- The Bible
- Go slow, go low, and love the one in front of you
. Jr 1:7 / 7:23-25
. Ml 2:1-2 / Ml 3:1
Apostolic Results
. Apostolic Ministry: Foundation > Father > Friend
. Why did God sent people, one person, to solve a problem? To create relationship between Him and a people through this person
. 2Co 2:11…
. The importance of Coworkers
. Jo 13:20 / 14:26 / 15:26 / 17:8,21
. God didn’t forgive me just because He loved me (this would be make his forgiveness cheap), but because the price was completely and expensively paid in Christ.
. There is a real passion about the love of God in the life of the apostles. We are invited into the fellowship between the Father and the Son.
. Jesus preached and adults came
. We cannot keep a kids message to keep people immature
. Gl 1 / 1Co 11
. The church in Antioch released freely Paul and Barnabas to fulfill the work to which the Holy Spirit had called them.
. Apostles are always sent by Jesus. The church pray, bless and release them freely to go and obey Jesus. Ac 13
. Jo 6 / Ef 4:11-13 / Ps 68:18 / Ac 9:15-16 / 1Co 3:3 / 1Co 9:24-27 / 2Co 4:1-12 / 2Co 6:4-10 / 11:23-28 / 2Tm 3:1-12 / 1Pe 2:18-24 / 3:1-18
The Great Comission and the 2 Commandments
The Great Commission has only 2 imperatives / commandments:
- Make disciples. Then he says how to do it…
- Behold (Observe, Remember, Consider that) I am with you always to the end of the ages
. Certain strategies work in certain places and for certain times.
. Rv 18:20 / Hb 11:3
. Faith understands that the ages are put back in their proper places by a word from God into them, not out of them – so that the things you have seen by faith do not come into being by existing phenomena.
. Apostles make a new era. They bring into reality something out of the time to endure long. They change the world with a long last duration because their solutions are from outside of the culture, coming from heaven.
. Difference between the Jew and the gentiles
. Jo 17:2 – The why of Jesus
. Maturity and evangelism
. The problem with wicked people is that they interpret the patience of God as approval.
Acts of the Apostles
. Apostles are guided by the Holy Spirit in time and seasons
. Apostles and angels interact in a regular basis
. They are faithful to Jesus only
. Waiting is a key attitude in their ministry. There are only a few times in the Bible when we can see God running like in the parable of the prodigal son. Time has been an idol to many leaders.
. Continuing steadfastly prayer
. Fulfill scriptures
. Praying to position people (Mathias)
. Pentecost (reverses Babel)
. Ac 3: That man was there at the temple door for years. So Jesus probably walked by him before.
. Repent – gr. metanoia – It’s the revelation that caused us to change direction. It’s not the change of direction. It’s the God given revelation.
. It’s not necessarily about sin… It’s broader than that
. Given by God. Reveal things as God sees it.
. Apostles are always glorifying the sender
. Mt 16:16
. Petros (Peter), Petra (Jesus the Christ), Caesarea Philippi (huge rock mountain where they and many false gods were adored)
. Jo 1:6,33 / Jo 3:17,28,34 / Jo 4:34 / Jo 5:24
Vision
. Vision: a picture of what the leader sees the group been and doing at some point in the future
. Success by Dr Robert Shuller:
- A decision needs to be made
- A plan must be laid
- A price must be paid
. A supernatural expression of the Gospel in the nations: Gordon Lindsay’s base was a supreme loyalty to Jesus through…
- Word
- Worship
- Prayer
- Spiritual Warfare
- Unity
- Missions
- Israel
- Holy Spirit
Distinction between Soul and Spirit
. The lack of understanding of the difference between sprit/soul has caused devastating results in many ways
. It’s the soul that Jesus told us to deny
. Mt 6:25 / Mt 16:25 / Lk 14:26 / Jo 12:25 / 1Co 6:17 / 1Ts 5:23
. Apostles in their function
. Ac 11:19-30 / Ac 12:25 / Ac 13:1-4
. Apostle Paul and John Mark had the same call… that’s why the harmonization between them at this moment
. At the beginning of the ministry of the Apostle Paul, the Bible speaks of Barnabas and Saul. Then Paul and Barnabe
. After Saul’s name was changed to Paul and he became more prominent in ministry, the Bible speaks of Paul and Barnabas. Probably because of this, Luke and John who were Barnabe’s nephews move away from them.
Supernatural
. Been in front of the Lord is the prerequisite to appoint a true and also to identify a false apostle
. Administrative, organizational and speaking skills are not the point for a person to be an apostle
. An apostle is given a supernatural capacity to release and bless people
. Supernatural evidence is what validates an apostolic ministry
. 2Co 12:12
. Apostle Paul humility path:
- Gl 2:6 – added nothing
- 2Co 11:5, 12:1 – not inferior
- 1Co 15:9 – least of the apostles
- Ep 3:8 – least of the brothers
- 1Tm 1:15 – chief of sinners
. Lk 4
. Mk 6 presentes a sequence of highs and lows that shows us how an apostolic ministry is challenge
. Lk 9-10 / 2Chr 16:9 / Hb 3:1-7 / Ac 2:40-47
. Doctrine is teaching in behavior. It is not what I say but how I live
. You have rarely been blessed by:
- Inconsistent person
- Prayerless person
- Selfish person
- Angry person
- Fearful person
. Eph 2:19-22. Ps 90 / 91
. First God is our dwelling place, our refuge. Then, over the foundation of the apostles, we (the church) are built to become God’s dwelling place
Literature
. While every book about this topic is focused in the function and deeds of the apostles, these books used in this course are an “appeal to go back to the foundation of true apostolic roots” (Massa).
. 📖 How God solves problems, Michael Massa
. 📖 Apostolic Foundation, Art Katz
Conclusion
The main point is the loyalty of the apostle to the sender. Apostles are not made by other apostles or any men. They are made by Jesus and sent from his presence with authority to represent him and bring the solutions we need.
Prayer: Father, you are good and everything you do is good. Thank you for sending your apostles, for their teaching and the price they have paid to represent you here on earth. Please send your apostles and prophets to my life and help me to be connected to those who love you more than I do, in Jesus name. Amen!
What did you think of this post?
