Apostles

The Gifts of Jesus Week 1

Apostles

Robert Morris

We’re beginning a new series called “The Gifts of Jesus”

Many times, people mistakenly call these gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe in the gifts, Person, and work of the Holy Spirit

But we are told specifically in Ephesians 4 that

These 5 gifts were given by Jesus when He ascended!

Today, we’re going to talk about Apostles

So let me tell you how this series came about

A friend of mine sent an email with a good question and a good spirit

Do I need a pastor? I see deacons, elders and overseers in Scripture

So, I called him and asked if I could joke with him a little

I said your question is really for Jesus because He gave pastors as gifts

You need to ask Him why He did it

And you might want to tell Him that you want to return one of His gifts!

We laughed and then I explained to him about the 5 gifts

And why Jesus gave them and that’s when it occurred to me

How many people don’t know why Jesus gave these 5 gifts?

How many don’t know what they do or how they are supposed to help us?

So, I’m going to tell you over the next few weeks!

Ephesians 4:8

Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”

Ephesians 4:11

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Ephesians 4:12

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry

Why did Jesus give apostles?

To equip the saints for the work of the ministry!

My job as a saint is to do the work of the ministry

I witness to people, pray with them, encourage them, help and serve them

But I do that as a saint

As a pastor, I equip you to do the work of the ministry

I asked my friend, “Have you ever listened to any of my messages?”

“Yes!” “Have they helped? “Yes!” “That’s because I’m an equipper!”

“Please don’t tell Jesus you want to return me!”

Sometimes we’ve had bad experiences with pastors or church leaders

Sometimes pastors are unhealthy, and they want to lord over you

And that’s not why we need pastors. We already have a Lord!

We need pastors to equip us, and we need apostles also

How does an apostle equip us? The word apostle is a noun

But it comes from the verb which means send (Apostello)

The noun is “A person who has been sent with a message” (Apostolos)

I want to show you how apostles equip us to carry the message

I know the Bible refers to 12 apostles

Luke 9:1

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

Luke 9:2

He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Luke 9:10

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.

Luke 10:1

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

So, I have a question for you! Are you a sent one also?

Not are you an apostle who is an equipper

But are you one who has been sent with a message? YES!

To educators, medical professionals, construction workers, engineers…

I took some business leaders to Israel a few years ago

I told them that they were apostles to the business world!

Is there a process? Does it take some time?

But Pastor Robert, I have a call on my life! We all do, but is it time?

I don’t doubt that you’ve been called but have you been sent?

The call is what, where, or whom, but the send is when!

The send is the authority to function in the call!

53 times in John, Jesus speaks of being sent, not called.

Abraham – called at 75 to be the father of many nations- sent at 100

The temptation between the calling and the sending is

To produce the call in the flesh!

Moses – called at birth to deliver Israel from bondage - sent at 80

When he was 40 he thought he could do it one Egyptian at a time

When he was 80, after talking to sheep for 40 years, he said, “I can’t talk!”

I want to show you an apostle who was not one of the disciples

And the process he went through to be sent

Romans 1:1

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle

Acts 9:15

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel”

God speaks Paul’s call to Ananias

To bear His name to Gentiles, Kings, and the children of Israel

This was his calling, but what was his process to get to the sending?

Relationship

Acts 9:26

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

Acts 9:27

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Acts 9:28

So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.

Barnabas took him to the ones who equip people to be sent!

How long for the greatest apostle did the process take?

How long between his calling and his sending?

How long between Acts 9 (34AD) and Acts 13 (48AD)? 14 years!

Barnabas reached out to Paul and Paul responded and built relationships

It didn’t say Paul left and did his own thing!

Think about how sometimes we hire people

Position/Authority Responsibility Trust Relationship

Think about how other times we hire people

Relationship Trust Responsibility Position/Authority

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Countenance means face but refers to personality (personhood) and character

Your character is more than if you are just morally upright

It’s what has happened to you that makes up your personality

You become a BULLY because you were BULLIED and not HEALED

Your character can stop you from being sent or fulfilling your call

Steve and I have been friends for over 30 years (Tom Lane and Kevin Grove)

Thomas and Todd - 20 years (Pastor Olen – 40, James R. 42)

We have sharpened each other, and sometimes, corrected in love

Stewardship

Acts 11:27

And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

Acts 11:28

Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Acts 11:29

Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

Acts 11:30

This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

This is the verb apostello! They were entrusted to carry a bank bag to another city

They didn’t ask them to preach a city-wide crusade

If we can’t be trusted in the little things, in money matters…

But I’m not just talking about money!

How do you steward your time and energy?

I want to show you something about money, time, and energy!

Money – More Time – Same Energy – Less

The more responsibility you have, the less time it seems like you have

You have the same amount but you must steward it better

You do however, have less energy as you get older

Is there an area of your life that you’re not stewarding well right now?

I’ve been given great resources to steward

But I’ve failed many times at stewarding my time and energy

I’ve also not stewarded my exercise and eating well many times

I really like Bluebell! (52 coupons!)

I like to be active and be outside, but I do a lot of writing now

(Weather) We used to ride bikes. We now have electric bikes

They are great! You can adjust the assistance

I ran out with about 2 miles to go. That won’t happen again!

Leadership

Acts 12:25

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry

They didn’t return to the “Body of Christ” at large, but to a local church.

Are you TRULY committed to the local church?

Are you tithing and serving not just attending?

Whatever your call is, even business, it involves the church!

Your commitment to a local church will determine how far you go

And how much responsibility (success) you’re able to handle!

Acts 13:2

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:3

Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 13:4

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Sent by local church - Sent by the Holy Spirit!

How committed to healthy church leadership are you?

God wants to send you to:

Somewhere He wants you to go. Something He wants you to do. Someone He wants you to help.

He wants you to be a “Sent One”

And He gave us Apostles as gifts

To equip us for the work of the ministry

All of us have a lifetime calling and 1,000’s of calls to minister

God put the owner of a large hunting company on my heart

I started praying for him and then years later, we connected

He texted me one day that they had lost an adult son to cancer

I connected them with a couple in our church that lost an adult son

I’m doing my best in relationship, stewardship, and under leadership

I was ready to be sent, and this couple was ready to be sent

Are you ready to be sent to fulfill God’s call on your life?

This is what apostles do: equip us to be sent with a message!

New King James Version (NKJV) © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.