Modeling The Way Into Breakthrough
Apostolic ministries are multiethnic. To transition into the new apostolic ministry revolution leaders are responsible to model the way by breaking down the walls of racism. The leadership in the Antioch church was multiethnic and a pattern for apostolic ministries to follow today. To reach every culture in our cities we have to do something different, we must staff with a multiplicity of cultural leaders.
Once I met a professional that displayed on her lobby walls many newspaper articles showcasing various efforts to reconcile the races. She had received many awards and invited to speak at many events. I remember sitting in her office as she explained to me that various city officials wanted to meet with her. She asked me to comment on her work. I looked around the lobby and saw all the awards and accolades yet one thing stood out to me, all her staff was white. It is not enough to talk about breaking down prejudices. There must be something practical and visible. If she wanted to live up to her dream to bring various races together she was going to have to employee folks from other ethnic and cultural groups. I told her when people from another race come into her office they are not going to be impressed by the nicely framed awards. They are going to see if she has anybody from their race or culture working at the place.
Segregation is common in churches worldwide. In 1958, Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King wrote “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Those who transition into the new apostolic ministry revolution must put action to words by attaching the walls of racial and ethnic segregation. I spent much time traveling throughout Europe and ministering in many different churches. I noticed there were many churches of one culture that did not worship with those of another culture. I have seen African churches, for example, separated, not because of skin color, but because of tribal differences. Nigerians seldom worship with those from Ghana. French speaking Christians of Belgium seldom worshipped with the Flemish speaking people in the same country. In South Florida the Spanish speaking Cubans seldom worship with the Spanish speaking people from Colombia. The list of comparisons could continue, but just as it was in Antioch all of this can change with the restoration of the new apostolic church revolution. The walls that separate us can be torn down by the grace of God that is flowing through apostolic believers like you. For those of you that want to reach other cultures in your city, staff the ministry accordingly. If you want to reach the Hispanic community then raise up Hispanic leaders in the ministry. If you want to reach the black community then raise up black leaders in the ministry. The chief step into apostolic ministry requires racial and ethnic barriers to come down.
APOSTOLIC OVERSIGHT GOOD NEWS TRAVELS FAST
Even with such a great accomplishment as breaking down the racial and ethnic barriers in Antioch through preaching the Gospel to those of another culture, the Holy Spirit had much more in His plan. He wanted to take the Antioch Christians from a believers-only assembly to an apostolic governing ministry that gathered, equipped and sent disciples into the world to take dominion. It wasn’t long before the good news of breakthrough in Antioch found its way to the apostles and the church in Jerusalem. Until that time there was only one New Testament church and it was in Jerusalem with the Apostle James as its set-man. After hearing about the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentile believers in Antioch they sent Barnabas to them for further investigation and support. “Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch” (Acts 11:22).
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he saw the visible grace of God moving mightily on the believer’s lives. The Word says that, “When he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:23-24).
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What did Barnabas see when he arrived at the church? He saw joy, fervency, spiritual hunger, a group of believers that were not behind in any spiritual gift and a people willing to share their faith with others outside the four walls of a building. From this we learn that apostolic grace is visible. Barnabas, after arriving in Antioch began to encourage the believers. The word exhort means to...
- Comfort
- Console
- Encourage
- Build up
- And to teach.
To exhort suggests an impartation of grace that encourages, builds and imparts spiritual strength in believers. The Greek word exhorted, parakaleo, gives us an indication of the spiritual capacity that Barnabas operated in at the time. In the light of this scri pture and the reputation of Barnabas as a son of encouragement, his dominate grace was a sent-one teacher. All sent ones enter the apostolic dimension. It is also likely that Barnabas was a gifted prophetic teacher. Barnabas’ real name was Joses but he was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles in Jerusalem which means the son of consolation (Acts 4:36). The Greek word for consolation is paraklesis and it is the same word exhortation used to describe one of the three main elements in a prophetic utterance edification, exhortation and comfort. “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation (paraklesis), and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). With the arrival of the apostolic sent-one Barnabas, the Antioch assembly was about to enter another level of ministry, an apostolic level.
RECEIVING APOSTOLIC LEADERSHIP
Barnabas was surely a tenderhearted and kind man. Those assembled in Antioch received him with great joy. How we respond to apostolic leadership is important to our spiritual advancement and transition into the new apostolic ministry revolution. The Antioch believers recognized Barnabas as an apostolic sent one, honored him as a man of God and prophetic teacher, and valued his encouraging leadership. Apostolic ministries recognize the anointing and calling of others. These Antioch believers received Barnabas into their midst as a fivefold ascension gift. They treasured him, put a demand on his anointing and allowed him to take them to another level.
In many ministries today there are those that don’t recognize the apostolic grace on their leaders. This keeps them from being able to receive the anointing the Holy Spirit wants to impart to them. The hunger of believers is an important dynamic in the free flow of revelation that comes from Christ’s’ ministers. Where there is no hunger, there is no revelation because only the hungry can be satisfied. Wherever you find hungry people, however, you will find much spiritual insight, revelation and spiritual maturity.
ACTION EXERCISE
The apostolic grace attacks the spirit of racism. To make the transition into the new apostolic ministry revolution examine your heart and root out any prejudices you may have. Don’t let racism divide you from the sons and daughters of God. As a born-again believer you are part of the great family of God. Be real about this. Jesus himself broke down the wall of partition that separated us, follow His lead and model the way for others.
Barnabas was an apostolic sent-one. Because the believers in Antioch received him as an apostle to their lives they were able to receive grace from him and transition to another level. Do you value the leadership in your church? Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well? “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that said to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). When you value the gift of God in your leadership then you can draw on that gift. Make it a practice to thank God for the leadership in your church and pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in their lives daily.
Check out my new book Kingdom Living where you will discover many different ways to activate your spiritual authority and take dominion. In the book we also discuss various ways to combat the attacks against the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, "I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.
God bless you.
Your partner
Jonas Clark
P. S.: Check out the Apostolic Equipping Kit.
