NEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH DYNAMICS, BENEFITS & ALIGNMENT
How to Activate the Apostolic in You (Part
Two)
by Jonas Clark
Aligning Yourself To The Apostolic
So what are the benefits of aligning ourselves to the apostolic
and how do we do it? To align oneself means to come alongside of
or to work together with. We are not talking about a blind
submission to some controlling individual that printed "Apostle
So and So" on a business card. It should be clear by now that
the proof of apostolic ministry is found in function and not in
title. We are talking about working together with the grace from
one of the five-fold ministry gifts that Jesus set in the
Church. Again, the apostolic grace is only one of five gifts
given to the Body of Christ. All the five-fold ministry gifts
are equally important. Here are seven ways to align ourselves.
1. Model the way by having legitimate apostles minister in
your church. I am not talking about network circuit
preachers with flashy web sites, but real apostles who have
built real churches. I realize this statement sounds
unsympathetic to some and I don't want to lose any friends over
this assertion. However, just as a shepherd has sheep, teachers
teach, evangelists save souls, and prophets prophesy, apostles
have actually built something more than an itinerating ministry.
Every believer has a responsibility to "know them that labor
among you" (1 Thessalonians 5:12).
2. Teach on all the five-fold ascension gifts, their different
graces and what they impart to the believer and the local
church. Apostles, for example, build, establish and send.
Prophets see, hear and say. Evangelists flow in signs and
wonders that open the doors to reach the lost. Pastors love,
nurture and protect the sheep. Teachers are educators who impart
a love for God's Word. Of course there are many other things you
can say about each gift, the point is to teach the people.
3. Start building ministry teams and releasing people into
those teams with particular assignments. Building teams is
important. Focus on getting them out of the church and into your
local territory. Do something the world can see. Sending out
teams is the entrance into the apostolic dimension. After they
complete their assignments review their effectiveness and launch
them out again.
4. Get missions- and outreached-minded. Don't follow the
current trend of missions retreat. Sending teams into the
nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest
honors for every church and is a fundamental expression of true
apostolic ministry. Scripture declares that God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
How will they know unless someone is sent? Adopt a city or a
nation. Hook up with somebody already on the missions field or
pioneer something yourself.
Learn more about Apostolic Alignment in the...
Apostolic Equipping Kit
5. Study the Bible for yourself. Read books and listen to audio
tapes by apostolic leaders. Apostolic authors did not write most
teaching materials in Christian bookstores so you will have to do
some hunting for the right resources. (Check
out TheVoiceBooks.com.) When you locate a real apostle, study
his materials and listen to his teachings. You are responsible for
your own education. Stay on the cutting edge of what the Holy Spirit
is saying and doing today. Be careful that church success or the
deception of Hollywood Christianity doesn't cause you to lose focus.
You are unique, important, and valuable, and God made no duplicates
on purpose.
6. Pray for an apostolic father in your life. I'm not talking about a
fishing buddy, rather someone who you can spiritually draw from and
will impart a seasoned wisdom into your life. Apostles are loving
spiritual fathers in every sense of the word. They are vital to your
spiritual development. I often wonder what my life would have been
like if I would have had the wisdom of a spiritual father in my
life. Like many, I had to glean from books, tapes and seminars. I
remember watching those I admired being hurried away after the
meetings. There was no time to speak with them. Today, however, the
genuine apostolic is challenging this pattern of ministry and our
leaders are becoming more touchable. A true apostolic father wants
the very best for you.
7. Establish a
leadership culture in your life and ministry. Start
training up leaders. Again, you have probably heard it said that
everything rises and falls on leadership. If that's so, then
creating a leadership culture in our ministries is vital.
The Apostle Paul said "but by the grace of God I am what I am: and
his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored
more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul was an apostolic
revolutionary and the apostolic grace on his life opened the Gospel
to the Gentile world. What will that apostolic grace do when it is
activated in you?
God bless you. Your partner,
© by Jonas Clark
For dynamic teaching materials go to the
apostolic and
prophetic resources.
p.s.
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