A few years ago I was the guest speaker at a conference in a Scandinavian city where in my introductory comments I must have referred in passing to ‘apostolic ministry’ or ‘apostolic oversight of churches’, because after I had spoken, the first question was from a pastor who asked what I meant by the word ‘apostolic’. In my reply I outlined the responsibility of apostolic ministry in the planting of new churches and providing ongoing fathering care for those churches and their leaders.

Excessive authority?

My questioner was happy with this reply, but advised me not to use the word ‘apostolic’ in the conference – or indeed in any ministry in that nation – because it would be misunderstood and taken to refer to excessive authority and the takeover of local churches. It is this misunderstanding that means it is so important to teach about the role of the apostle today, to explain the nature of apostolic ministry among the churches and to ensure that it is not misunderstood, either by those exercising such authority, those receiving such ministry, or others looking on.

On my first visit to southern Russia, a region to which I have returned many times since, I was again speaking at a conference on Christian leadership, with particular reference to the ministries referred to in Ephesians 4:11. A Church leader present, who was also overseeing a number of churches represented at the conference, responded very positively. He commented that I had clarified what they were seeking to do, given it a biblical framework and shown them by example how to do what was already on their hearts.

Needing a framework

My relationship with that group of churches has grown very strong since then, and I am sure that God is raising up many in other nations of the world who sense his call to plant and oversee churches and who see the need to be fathers to leaders but need a framework of understanding as to how it is to be done in a relational rather than an organisational way. Helping others like that particular Russian church leader is another reason for seeking to put my thoughts on this subject onto this blog.

This series is going to be about the role of apostolic ministry today, looking specifically at the questions ‘What is an apostle? And how should this biblical role function in the church today?’.

This was originally posted on the Catalyst Network.

Prophets in the early church

As we begin to read the story of the church in the Book of Acts we find prophets among them. The first story involving prophets was at the young church in the city of Antioch. Here the message of Jesus had spread through the Gentile population of that city and a powerful church was started among them. A team of prophets came down from the church in Jerusalem to minister to them. One of these prophets, named Agabus, prophesied about a great famine that was coming. The outcome of this prophetic ministry was a dynamic outpouring of help for the Jewish background believers living in Judea who were suffering great poverty. (Acts 11:27-30)

The next time this church in Antioch is spoken about we find that prophets are now a part of the church’s leadership team. It is in this context that by the Holy Spirit prophetic revelation is given to send out Barnabas and Paul into the apostolic work God was calling them to. This was the launching of an incredible wave of church planting out from that church into other nations of the world. (Acts 13)

As churches multiplied among non-Jewish peoples in many different places, a controversy arose among some of the Christians with a Jewish background. They still were arguing that these non-Jewish believers should be called to submit themselves to Jewish laws and practices as a part of their commitment to Jesus. A council was called in the church at Jerusalem to settle this issue. There it was determined that it was not God’s plan for these new believers to have to take on Jewish religious laws and customs as a part of their commitment to follow Jesus. Some men where chosen to carry this instruction to the churches and make sure all understood clearly this foundational apostolic teaching. Barnabas and Paul, who were apostolic, were sent along with two prophets, Judas and Silas. So this important ministry among the churches was to be carried out by a team of apostles and prophets. (Acts 15:25-33)

Prophetic leaders

It becomes clear that prophets had a vital role among the churches of the Book of Acts. These men were leaders. Paul says in the Ephesian letter that the Ascended Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry. (Eph. 4:11) Every church needs exposure to all these gifts Christ has given to his church in order to be fully equipped to fulfill the mission of Jesus and grow to full maturity as the people of God.

Ever wondered how Titus went from zero to hero?  How he went from an unknown to one of the most respected apostolic figures in the New Testament? I can spot three distinct milestones that he passed that we can imitate.

Milestone 1: Show up and be willing

Titus first appears in scripture in Galatians 2:1 as the tag-on team member to Jerusalem. Paul introduces Titus saying, "Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me." Titus is not the main guy. He is not even the number two guy. He is the tag-on guy. Not George Michael but, uh, the other one. Titus got involved because Paul asked him to join in, and Titus said yes. Isn't this usually how it all starts, with our attachment being more to the leader than to God? "Sure, I will help you put out the chairs" or "Lead a small group? I'll give it a go but please help me!" Milestone 1 is simply to show up and be willing. Good things begin to happen to people who faithfully show up.

Milestone 2: Serve, serve, serve!

It seems that Titus acquitted himself well on the trip to Jerusalem, so now Paul begins to push his buttons to see if he is willing to serve. The second time that we encounter Titus is when he is mentioned as the one that Paul asked to carry a letter to Corinth (2 Corinthians 7), a letter that scholars refer to as "the severe letter." He was the postman to Corinth carrying unpopular cargo—welcome to step two: willingness to do menial tasks. Not being in the limelight tests whether we will represent our leader faithfully. Would the church in Corinth shoot the messenger? Would Titus distance himself from Paul's letter or represent him faithfully? The second milestone is the Copernican revolution that moves self away from the center of our universe and into service. Good things begin to happen to people who faithfully serve.

In my next post, I will look at two other milestones that moved Titus forward in God's plan for his life.

Definition

The teacher is someone who has a proven, anointed, effective and consistent gift of teaching God’s word. He is also able to develop others in their teaching gift. There is reason to believe that Paul referred to the pastor / teacher as one gift, so whether you agree with that or not, it is hard to imagine a pastor that can’t teach, or a teacher who is not pastoral!

How could I develop into being a teacher?

In an earlier blog in this series we looked at the ‘motivational’ Gift of Teaching from Romans 12. An Ephesians 4 teacher is simply someone with a mature and anointed teaching gift. So, the way to develop into an Ephesians 4 teacher is to focus on developing the Gift of Teaching and see if God promotes you to the office of a teacher. Here is a repeat of the earlier blog on the Gift of Teaching:

A Definition of the Gift of Teaching

The Gift of Teaching (Romans 12) is the special ability that God gives to people to explain and apply the Bible, in a way that helps others learn easily, enjoyably and effectively. It is a per-requisite of being an elder/pastor (1 Tim 3:2&9 and Titus 1:9-16). The ‘person’ gift of the Teacher mentioned in Ephesians 4 would be a person that has a very mature and recognized gift of teaching.

Examples from scripture

• Neh 8:8:

‘They read from the book of the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read’

• Acts 18:24-28:

‘Apollos was a learned man with a thorough knowledge of the scriptures…he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately… he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.’

• Peter in Acts 2 and Paul later in Acts exhibit the gift of teaching from Old Testament scriptures.

• Jesus: referred to as the Great Teacher in Mt 23:10.

• Heb 12:26-28: Teachers are those who (1) Read scripture (2) Explain it (3) Apply it to our lives.

How will I know if I have this gift?

You will enjoy research, study and reading, but you will also be a gifted communicator. You will be concerned for biblical accuracy and context. When you discover a new truth, you will long to pass it on to others. You will get great satisfaction out of someone ‘getting it’. The best teachers are those with both good content and good delivery. People will tell you that they enjoy the way you preach/teach/lead the bible study. People will be pleased when they find out it is you who is preaching/teaching. Please note that some people are excellent researchers and very studious but are no good at delivering the truth to others. These people are better off serving someone who is good at the delivery side of things by researching and writing books and so on. Also remember that there are different capacities and types of this gift, so not everyone will be suited to the same teaching context. Some people thrive on small, interactive groups, and others on preaching to large groups.

How can I grow in this gift?

Pray for more of it. Study diligently. Seek out a mentor to learn from with the same attitude of Elisha in 2 Kings 2:2-9.

This is the 3rd in a series of 7 things apostles do. View the other posts by clicking here.

Apostles lay a good foundation in churches

Paul specifically described his ministry thus: 'by the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder'.

The foundation of truth we lay, according to New Testament practice, is essentially a story and not just an analysis of theology. When people understand the overall story and their part in it, they are on a good foundation. The world-views of many cultures are essentially narratives, and the only way of replacing one worldview is by taking on another narrative...teaching this big narrative of scripture is very important in laying good foundations.

But there are also some core values that Paul taught as part of this essential foundation for local church life.  Some of these include:

• The church as the people of God, understanding who we are in Christ by the grace of God.
• The church as a family, expressing this in loving relationships with one another.
• The church as a people devoted to God, expressing this in corporate worship and corporate prayer.
• The church as a Spirit-filled community, experiencing the presence of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit together.
• The church led by a team of elders/pastors anointed and appointed by the Holy Spirit.
• The church as a missional community, reaching out locally, regionally and internationally.
• The church as the agent of the kingdom of God, expressing this  through individuals and families living in a godly way in the world, and through the church community together serving the wider community around them.
• The church as a suffering community, understanding that opposition and suffering come as a result of following Christ in this world."

Look out for more posts that will expand on these foundational values.

Adapted from David Devenish's book, Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission (p48, 102, 119-120)

Over the past few decades, year after year, Newfrontiers has grown as a movement, so that now we are hundreds of churches in dozens of nations across the world. But what can account for this remarkable expansion?

The scriptures tell us that when Jesus ascended on high he gave gifts to men - apostles, prophets, evangelists etc. These people were gifts to the church, each with a different role and anointing to equip the church for her ministry and mission. We firmly believe that it has been these diverse gifts all working together that has played such a huge part in our growth. But of all these ministries, perhaps the one that's least understood today is that of apostle.

This video was shown at the Celebration events across the country and paints a clear picture of our understanding of the gift of the apostle.

The role of apostles

The apostles Paul and Peter both considered elders/pastors to be the ones that God had appointed to lead local churches (Acts 14:23, Acts 20:28, 1 Tim 5:17, 1 Pet 5:1f ). But that is not the end of the story, because the apostles operated in a role of genuine authority over and into the churches and their elders. Here is a brief overview of what apostles do, although I devote a whole book to this theme in The World Needs More Apostles available on the Godfirst website.

Apostles plant churches:

Apostle’ means ‘sent one’ and so apostles are gifted to open up new territory to the gospel. Jesus, our great apostle, was always eager to move on to unreached regions (Mk 1:35-38), and Paul was also relentless in moving ahead to new towns and cities. Apostles will start churches, either themselves or via an appointed delegate.

Apostles lay the foundations of churches:

Apostles are wise master builders and foundation layers (1 Cor 3:10). This is not just a role they play at the outset of a church (although they will probably need to be more ‘hands-on’ in that season), but it is also an on-going role. Foundations are key elements that keep a church on course in matters of doctrine, leadership and church life.

Apostles appoint elders:

The appointment of an elder through the public laying on of an apostle’s hands demonstrates the primary role an apostle plays in confirming the rightness and readiness of a man to become an elder, and then in setting him in place.

Apostles envision and equip elders in an on-going manner:

Paul and Peter evidently saw an important part of their role as input into the lives of elders. Some of the epistles are addressed to the elders and the church, and in Acts 20 Paul gathers the elders of the region of Ephesus together to deliver some instruction to them. 1 Peter 5 is of course one of the prime apostolic exhortations to elders.

Apostles regard themselves as fathers:

Paul clearly considered himself to be the father of churches and individuals. This speaks of a loving relationship not void of authority (1 Cor 4:14).

Apostles can also speak into the detail of church life:

As well as teaching the broad apostolic doctrines, Paul also gave input into the detail of church life. He was concerned with marriages, matters of discipline, obedience to civil authorities, and everything else that was believed and practiced in the churches. These areas of detail are obviously ‘elder areas’ but Paul and Peter, as fellow elders (1 Peter 5:1) and apostles, wanted to help shape every aspect of life in the church.

Apostles are known by the members of the church, and not just by the elders:

Just like Jesus divided his ministry between his core of leaders and the crowd, so also did Paul. He lived amongst the people and was known by them (1 Thess 1:5), and he addressed most of his epistles to the church. It is not always possible for an apostle to spend all the time that he would like getting to know the people of the church, but it is essential for the people to feel that they know him. A mutual ‘knowing’ is especially important in a case where the apostle has to bring correction or rebuke to an elder or the church as a whole.

Apostles often interfaced with churches and elders through delegates:

Paul released Titus and Timothy and others to represent him in the churches, and he asked the churches to receive these brothers as they would receive him.

How then can we conclude?

We conclude that apostolic men are a gift to elders and their churches, given to equip and mature the church. Elders should acknowledge and welcome genuine apostolic authority, and should soften themselves to receive the imprint of God through these men. Elders should understand their autonomy within the context of their apostolic covering. They and their churches are caught up with other churches on apostolic mission! Hallelujah!

Attitudes of mutual respect and acknowledgement of gifting and calling, under-girded by genuine affection and friendship, will pave the way for a beautiful and effective partnership between elders and apostles.

Have you ever had your identity stolen? It’s estimated that close to 15 million people are victims of identity theft each year – approximately 7% of the population – to the tune of 50 billion dollars! A family member of mine had their identity stolen recently and spent several months clearing up all of the losses and confusion. When I heard about it, I went straight out to purchase my first line of defense…the shredder!

Do you realize how important your identity is? It must be a tremendous hassle to have your legal and financial identity stolen. But what if your true identity was stolen, yourself?

Who do you think you are?!

As people, we live and act in accordance with who we think we are. Now I’m not talking about self-esteem or the power of positive thinking. But I am suggesting that how you view yourself through the eye of faith and the revealed truth of Scripture changes how you live. Knowing that you are created by God, valuable, righteous, loved, forgiven, adopted, empowered and commissioned, just to name a few, should deeply affect how you view yourself, and as a result, how you walk out the door in the morning to face the world.

In the kingdom of darkness, however, Satan is constantly attempting to rob us of our true identities, not to benefit from what we have (like a common thief) but to prevent us from being all that we are, who God has created and redeemed us to be in Christ. Read any of Paul’s letters and you will quickly see his emphatic declarations of who we are ‘in Christ’. Not only that, but Paul always began with who we are as believers before he ever discussed what we do as followers of Christ.

Tragically, what Paul surely intended in Romans 7 as an explanation of the role of the Law to clear up any objections for Jewish believers has been used by the enemy to rob Christians of their liberty in Christ and bring them back into bondage to rule-based living. This has resulted for many believers in a self-image that more closely resembles a ‘wretched sinful man’ than a ‘righteous child of God’.

What’s your view of yourself? Not the right answer, but really? What have you taught your church? Are you sinners saved by grace or accepted, righteous saints?

Next week we’ll dive head first into Romans 7, but first, spend some time with these verses for a few days and see if you don’t stand up a little taller. This is who you really
are…

• John 1:12 I am God's child.
• John 15:15 I am Jesus’ friend.
• Romans 5:1 I am justified by His grace.
• 1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body.
• Ephesians 1:4 I am chosen by God.
• Ephesians 1:5 I am adopted as His son.
• Ephesians 1:18 I am God’s glorious inheritance.
• Ephesians 1:13 I am sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit.
• Colossians 1:13 I am redeemed and forgiven.
• Colossians 2:9 I am complete in Christ.
• Romans 8:1 I am free from condemnation.
• Romans 8:28 I am assured that God is for me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:21 I am anointed and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
• Colossians 3:1 I am hidden with Christ in God.
• Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.
• 1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
• John 15:16 I am chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple and His Spirit dwells in me.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation.
• Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.
• Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.
• Ephesians 1:3 I am blessed with every spiritual blessing.
• Romans 1:7 I am loved by God and called a saint.
• 1 Corinthians 1:2 I am a saint.
• Philippians 1:1 I am a saint.
• Ephesians 1:1 I am a saint.

Imparting Trinitarian Leadership

Jesus connects leadership to the model of the Trinity. He built his team of 12 disciples within the context of community and having mission as its chief characteristic. Jesus clearly reveals this missional aspect when he said, "As the Father has sent me so send I you" (John 20:21).

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for his team of disciples was one in which Jesus prayed that the model of Trinity, the relationship between Father and Son, would be manifested in the team.

• John 17:11,22 "...that they may be one, just as (even as) We are one."
• John 17:21 "…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You."

Jesus prayed that the culture of the community of the Godhead, one of harmony, love, mission, serving, equality, giving (community), would manifest within them. There is no hierarchy in this prayer for the team.

He also prayed that the purpose (mission) " that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21) might be the life and focus of this team. Something of the way they were together as a leadership team would have huge ramifications to those they served.

Jesus connects the model he manifested (John 17:13-18, 22-26) of His relationship within the Trinity to what He desired this team to become and to also manifest.

From the disciples

John (one of the 12) states in 1 John 1:1-3 that this is exactly what they did. "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life-and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and manifested to us-what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (John 1:1-3)

John states the life of the Godhead that had been manifested to the disciples and that they had, in turn, proclaimed and demonstrated (or borne witness) of that same fellowship of the Godhead. John is saying that the life and fellowship of the Godhead had become the model of their service to the church. John then states that he expects the same fellowship and connectedness will exist between the church and the leadership team.

In John 17, Jesus’ prayer establishes a priority, character, mission, and a model to follow (which is seen in the Trinity). Jesus’ prayer is directed toward this work that he had given himself to…that of team building (John 17:6-26). This prayer clearly states that teamwork and team building was the principal part of His earthly ministry (see John 13-17).

In giving himself to team, Jesus secured His continuing and growing influence on the world. He did not invest the future of His Kingdom on the superficial impressions of the minds of the crowds. He invested the future on the convictions of twelve team members (John 17: 14-19). Jesus continues to invest the future in us, his followers, in today’s world.

Is Your Church Under the Influence?

Whether you realize it or not, the teaching of Romans chapter 7 is shaping your church at this very moment. Your church’s understanding of these 25 verses is either undermining or strengthening their relationship with God. If you want secure, steady and sold-out soldiers in your camp, they must know how to wield this chapter and not be pierced by their own sword.

Why is this chapter such a crucial passage of Scripture?

From this one chapter many Christians, Churches and even whole movements have answered these questions:

• What is the role of the Law in the life of a believer?
• Are believers free from sin or do they struggle with indwelling sin?
• How should believers view their own identity?
• Are Christians sinners saved by grace or saints set apart by God?
• How does change happen in the life of a Christian?
• What has Christ accomplished for us in purchasing our salvation?
• How far does our freedom really go?

Some of these of these questions should be answered by this chapter, while others are mistakenly addressed. You, as a leader, and the people who follow you all have answers to these questions (whether they know it or not) that are shaping your church culture at this very moment. Do you know how they would answer these questions? How would you answer them? Take a second and write down the first thing that comes to mind for each question above.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be unpacking Romans 7 together. If you’re not familiar with this chapter, now’s the time…but don’t read it on its own. Read Paul’s whole letter to the Romans in one sitting. Otherwise, we’re just practicing helicopter-hermeneutics – flying in and out, missing the context and most likely the meaning as well. And do your best to ignore the headings. They already reflect a particular theological perspective that may or may not be helpful. As leaders, we have to learn to ‘correctly handle the word of truth’ (2 Tim 2:15).