Serving to Lead - How experinace the Leadership gifts in Service - Pt1- Apostleship
The Supernatural Gifts of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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HALLOWENIES VIDEO!
GREET EVERYONE-
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
INVITATIONS
1- NEW MEMBERS CLASSES - Lunch Childcare
2 - BAPTISM CLASSES -
LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND
Open it to EPHESIANS chapter 4 as we will unpack and unwrap verses 11-15 today as we begin a new series dealing with part of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In this Series we will be navigating the Serving to Lead gifts and how we can experience the Leadership gifts in service!
PRAYER OVER SERIES
In this series we are Exposing What God says about these gifts that He give to His church that we would come to realize that these gifts are given so that His Church and all its parts (better known as His Body) are all given to serve Jesus with.
PRAYER OVER MESSAGE
IS that we would all come to a deeper understanding of the use of the term Apostle in the New Testament and how that word is still active in a very particular way that is different than what we might currently understand it.
Here is what I pray - That no matter what we believe when it come to the use of the word Apostle - That all of us would come to the scriptures and allow the scriptures to form our understanding of use of the Word Apostle in the church. Not only the use but - The Role - The Heartbeat - The Title and the Function and how those are to be understood and walked out in the church today - and how it is different today than in the first centruy Church when Peter and John and Thomas and the rest of the original 11 were alive.
ENGAGEMENT
Titles -
Interesting thing Titles.
President -
Chairman
Board member
Mr
Mrs
MSS
MISS
Titles are so long now that they don't even used the Words anymore and they also have so many of them that they just reduce them down to Initials.
We used to call the President of a company - Just the president.
But now we can find that there are presidents who are also the chief executive office or the chief operations office.
And so in a lot of areas and organizations we skip the president and we go straight to the Chief Executive officer or the Chief Operations Officer.
Depending on what they actually do.
And as is the case a lot of the times there are too many Chiefs and the Chief what ever title takes too much room on a business card and so they have come up with a whole lot of acronyms for all of the Chiefs.
CEO
COO
CFO
CHO
CIO
And what is rather strange is what happens to people when they get a title.
and the strangeness becomes interesting in two ways.
One how the person with the title begins to wear the title like an Identity badge.
Lonnie Bryant - Story
Or Two how other people thee people who receive some sort of title.
Title Pastor on me!
What can happen in our own hearts and in he hearts of others Titles can so easily become part of our identity.
And we can so easily slip into it without even thinking about the language we use.
Like if someone was the president of a company and they were Asked the question: What do you do?
The Answer very well may be an answer of Identity “I am the president of so and so or such and such Company”
The reality is President is not WHO they are - President is the Role they have as part of the company.
And in the Secular world the role of president or any other title us usually given to establish their a role and place with in the structure of the organization.
IF you have ever wondered WHY we introduce ourselves the way we do when we say it in a particular way?
My Name is Scott - I am a follower off Jesus - and this is what I do or the role I have in the Body of Christ - I serve Jesus as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
You see the scripture says that Language, and how we use it, is so very important.
TENSION
The problem this created for us when we take this kind of identifying use of titles into our relationship with Jesus is we then begin to miss understand and miss apply the scriptures in relationship to the church.
And what this does is sets up a mindset that can so easily be miss applied and given enough time can become theologically in error and ultimately could lead to some confusion as to what Jesus and the early church were doing with what we consider titles of leadership with in the church.
And when that happens we find ourselves in one of two camps.
We take some of the Words in the new testament that are used to describe roles of service inside the local church and we toss them out.
Or we take those words and make them mean something or use them in ways that are not intended for the church in the first century or this one.
I am not too sure but I believe that one of those words that is so miss used and miss characterized in today's culture is the word APOSTLE.
So much so that we either stay completely away from the word, believing that every aspect of Apostleship Passed away when the Last original Apostle Died, John, in about the year 92.
OR- Some people think that there are modern-day apostles that are Still affirmed by Jesus not only through-out the history of the Church but also to this very day.
Some people call them popes and others just call them Apostles.
SO lets turn to the scriptures to unpack and unwrap what the Scriptures tell us about the serving gift of Apostle.
BACKGROUND
Our passage of text this morning is out of the letter that is counted in our New Testament bibles that was Authored by the Holy Spirit, Pinned through a Bond- servant of Jesus named Paul.
Sometimes in the Scripture, self referred to, and by the tradition of the church for the last 2000 years called “the Apostle Paul”
In 9 of the 13 letters that Paul writes He self describes His ministry as a ministry of an Apostle.
And in the very same way - 9 times in His letters he self describes himself as a Bond Slave of Jesus -
bond slave in the language of the New Testament was the lowest form of slavery back then - when he uses this word he means - A slave that has been purchased on the auction block like a piece of merchandise or property - with no individual rights or autonomy -
This is what “Bond servant of Jesus means”
WE need to remember the cultural context that Paul is writing into.
Ephesus was a crazy spiritually dark place.
Paul seemingly was not the person who began the disciple making efforts there in Ephesus, and there for planting the Church -
A guy named Apollos was there at the beginning of the spiritual work in that city and so was a couple names Priscilla and Aquila.
Paul gets there on His third missionary journey and spends about three and a half years there making more disciples, growing the ones that the team makes, instructing Jews and gentiles in the faith.
Ephesus is a city that is steeped in Demonic activity - Witchcraft going on -
it is a really crazy spiritually dark and divided place.
At the beginning of Chapter 4 He encourages the people who are Jesus followers and assembled together to walk in unity with one another and bound in love for one another.
He uses words like ONE Body - One Spirit - ONE Hope - One Lord - one Faith - ONE Baptism - One God and Father of all -
He then just ever so slightly touches on the Spiritual gifts that are given according to the Measure of Jesus Gift -
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
The HE that Paul is referring to is Jesus
Jesus is the one who ascended on High
It is Jesus who led the Host of Captives.
IT is Jesus who sent the Holy Spirit and it is ultimately Jesus who gives the Gifts. According to His grace being given to each one of us.
What is important to grasp is that Jesus has established His church, it is His body and in the scriptures He tells us how it is to be structured.
And in Ephesians Chapter 4 - He then Lists 5 Spiritual gifts and gives the specific reason those gifts are given.
UNPACKING
Here is what the English Standard version reads
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Some of the modern translations will use the word “As” stating “He gave some AS Apostles”
The literal wording of the the original language of the text Simply says “ HE gave some the Apostles - Some the Prophets - Some the evangelist and Some the Pastors also teachers.
Lets start with a definition -
In the language of the new testament the word Apostle means:
In very General Terms - One who is sent to carry a message!
and in the Old and New Testaments we can see there are people who are sent with a message - one who are sent by God.
Old Testament - Abraham - Sent by God with a message - the Gospel - TO leave the Land of His forefathers and go to a land that God would show Him.
So in the very same sense - Abraham was an sent one with a specific message By God - An Apostle.
In the reading this morning where Isaiah is seeing the throne room of God - high and lifted up. With His lips touched with a burning coal to be cleaned of His uncleanness -
God says; WHO WILL GO and Isaiah volunteers, being compelled by the love of God to have Him near His Holiness and perfection by Cleansing Him - Isaiah says : Here I am Send me and God’s response was “Go and say this:”
Isaiah Called a Prophet - A sent one with a specific message By God”
Hebrews Chapter three Compares Jesus as an Apostle with the sense of Moses being One Sent by God with a Message.
Moses - A sent one by God with a Message - Apostle
SO lets look at the People in the New Testament that are called or carry the title Apostle.
First and foremost there are the original 12 disciples that Jesus himself would call Apostles. He would call them “ones who are sent with a message”
Jesus would directly call these guys - Apostles - and one of the interesting characteristics of these guys is when they came to town - One of the things they brought with them were Signs and Wonders -
Demons casting out - Miraculous Healing -
Along with an accurate and complete declaration of the Gospel.
But there is also a general apostle - A more general sending of people with a message and an aspect of spiritual authority!
Additionally - In Luke Chapter 10 and in the very same sense as the original 12 - Jesus Sends out 72 - Sent ones by God with a specific Message - Jesus said to them “Say this:The Kingdom of God is near to you” and Jesus had given these 72 Authority to “tread on serpents and scorpions and over the power of the enemy”
The 72 Return - and they report to Jesus - “Even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
Jesus said: and i’m paraphrasing “Don’t be impressed with that but be impressed that your names are written in heaven!”
So Here we see a general sending out of a group of people with a specific message and with a some aspect of Spiritual Authority - Sent by God and Authority Given by God.
Here are 2 biblical views of Apostleship -
1- Some he gave as Apostles in the specific sense of the 12. Which turned out to be 11 and then 12 again.
Matthias chosen to replace Judas
These guys are specifically marked with three general characteristics.
1- they were with Jesus from the Beginning Called directly by Him to “follow Him”
2 - They were direct witnesses to His arrest, crucifixion and then saw him in the upper room resurrected.
3- When they came into a place to make disciples they also came with sings and wonders.
And SOME he gave as apostles in the general sense here in the historical narrative of the 72.
Which then brings into question: Do we see more evidence of this General Apostleship idea of God Sending People out with a specific message or Others that are called or labeled APOSTLES that fell outside of these specific three characteristics inside the narratives of Scripture.
The Answer is YES -
Paul - Who may have known of Jesus from a distance - Not called by Jesus as the original 12 - Was not present at any of the post resurrection appearances of Jesus - Sees Jesus only in the midst of Suffering and te darkness being blind.
And commissioned by Jesus to go to a people who were not his people. A people that Paul before Jesus got a hold of him would have hated.
BARNABAS
Paul was called in Acts 14 an Apostle - A sent one with a specific message and so was a guy named Barnabas -
These guys had been sent to the people in the city of Lystra -
With a specific message, the Gospel, and Paul did does some healing while he was there!
Andronicus and Junia
There is Textual Evidence in the original language of Romans 16 that two people who were at one time Imprisoned along with Paul in one of his many imprisonments -
In the language of the New Testament there is very strongly indication that possibly a Married Couple Andronicus and his Wife Junia, who were in Rome, Greeted by Paul, they are described as Apostles -
Outstanding among the Apostles,
note worthy among the Apostles
prominent among the Apostles.
SO in the Scriptures there are TWO APOSTLES -
ONE Specific to the 12 Original Disciples that were with Jesus from the Beginning
and then A general APOSTLE - A sent one with a specific message - what we might call Apostleship -
Both given to the church for a very Specific Reason.
Back to Ephesians 4
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
The People who are Apostolic both in a specific way of the original 12 whose teaching and influence was crucial to the early church and to us today.
and in a general way are both given to the church for the training AKA equipping of the saints -
Training/equipping for WHAT?
For the work of the ministry - In the Language - The work of Service - Serving WHO? Serving Jesus.
Why do we need to be trained to serve Jesus?
Several reasons we need it becasue it does not come naturally to us, it is new and for most people out of their comfort zones, and the result is that we need to know how to build up the body of Christ - AKA the Church.
and one of the ways that this equipping/training works out is by bringing unity to the Church -
Unity - Growth - Fullness of Christ -
Watch what he says in VS 13
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
What does that look Like?
It looks like people growing in their priesthood in serving Jesus more and more and more and the church being added to, built up, Where people who once did not know their gifting and are walking in the Good works that God has saved them to walk in.
into their priesthood.
But we also need protection - This is another reason the Apostolic gifts are given to the church
Watch what the Holy Spirit says in Verse 14-15
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
You see Jesus gives these gifts - Some with the Apostolic - To equip the saints for serving in their priesthood - For the Specific purpose of Building up the Church - and protection from bad theology - Doctrine - that comes from Human Cunning - Craftiness by deceitful Schemes.
So one of the BIG questions that we must ask is: In modern times, in today's Church are there Apostles - Should we be labeling people as “Apostles”
The Answer is no -
WHY IS THAT?
What is interesting is that up an until the last 75 years or so - For the last nearly 2000 years - No one has affirmed that the Apostle in the Specific from has continued and No Leader of any church movement or revival or denomination has Taken the name title Apostle.
And loved ones Don’t miss understand what the Scripture is telling us today - The Gifting of Apostleship in the general sense - Being a sent one with a specific message is still very much in operation today.
In fact in the General sense, one of the things that we see Paul doing is making disciples and planting churches and training church leaders i.e. Elders and other people with Apostolic hearts.
We do that today and there are people who are specifically gifted and able to do that.
in fact we are are all sent out by God with a specific message, the Gospel
Today this might be those with an Apostolic heartbeat and calling - The desire To see the kingdom advanced into culture - To see more people saved and more people gathered and more churches planted.
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
and At the same time he is doing this, to delineate for us the diversity of the Body, Paul Asks some interesting Rhetorical Questions at the End of this text - Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all Teachers?
What is interesting is we automatically think that these questions are automatic yeas or no questions.
Are all apostles? Do all carry the title? Have all walked with Christ, given His spiritual Authority, Seen him in the risen glory of his Resurrection state? NO
Are all sent by God with a message in the general apostolic sense? YES
SO in a specific sense NO but in a general sense YES - Apostleship still is active.
When He says ;
1 Corinthians 12:28–29 (ESV)
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
WARNING
Today, in the modern western expressions of what some are calling the church there is this belief that the Apostles - with the Authority of Christ and the power of the Spirit with Sings and Wonders still exists today.
There is a dangerous heretical, damming theology that has formed out of the word of faith AKA the prosperity Gospel teaching that is called the Apostolic Reformation Movement.
This movement believes that the Full Gifting, appointment and Authority of Apostles like the original 12 still exists today.
This is a falsehood.
The Holy Spirit Warns us of this in His letters to the churches. He warns us of False Teachers +False Apostles
In his letter to the church in Philippi Paul says
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
False Teacher Also known as False Apostles - Does not equip the saints for the work of service for the Building up of the Church.
What they want to have happen is for people to come and listen to them.
Paul Says They actually walk as Enemies of the Cross of Christ -
They will say things against the Gospel -
They will develop strategies against the Advancement of the Gospel -
In a lot of cases They will preach another Gospel -
One that is Bloodless -
One that does not call for true, actual total repentance and surrender.
One that is not based in the character, nature and glory of God but the Glory of Man.
The Glory will be with them and not with God who is to be glorified.
People's attention will be to what they say not to the word of God.
This is what Paul is speaking of when He says “their god is their belly - what they worship is their own appetites and they preach to the appetites of men. With their minds on earthly things.
How do we know How can we tell?
Something obvious is they take the title Apostle -
Or in the hierarchy of the church or denomination or movement there are those who take the title Apostle.
And here is how we know a false Apostle.
12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
And what are their Deeds?
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Loved ones know this:
In our elder team we have one with an apostolic heartbeat -
We have one who’s heart is the heart of an evangelist -
There is one who has the encouragement of a NT prophet
and one with the heart of a pastor
With still another of the heart of a teacher.
Loved ones - There is not one of us who would ever accept or take on or affirm that another take the Title Apostle.
THE GOSPEL CONNECTION
This is where Jesus changes Everything.
In our sin we desire titles - In our brokenness we long for recognition.
In being dead in our trespasses and sin we long for glory form men.
Jesus changes all that!
The Gospel - The Good news is that God - the one who created all things. The one who is all loving, all powerful, the One who is Holy and Just and Right and true - The One who will judge the living and the dead and have the demands of His justice against sinful man satisfied for all eternity.
Love The World SO much that He brought forth His eternal Son to take on flesh and dwell among humanity.
His Son Jesus, who He brought forth into this world by way of a virgin, conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Lived as a human with the fullness of the God head dwelling in Him.
Tempted in Every way as we were yet this Jesus has no sin accounted to Him.
Yet as a completely innocent person he was sentenced to death on a roman cross for crimes he did not commit. And As He joyfully endured the cross Scoring its shame, His blood flowed form His body, being poured out for the sins of many.
AS His blood was being poured out the Guilt of all who would trust in His work as the Only way the Justice of God could be satisfied. The Guilt of those who would believe was placed on Jesus and the demands of God’s justice was satisfied and the wrath of God that His justice called for was Satisfied.
The Price had been paid It was finished.
And on the third day - To validate that God was satisfying His own wrath because of His great love - Jesus, God in the Flesh, Rose from the dead. And for those who believe - Sin and death were defeated in a single shot.
The Wrath of God is standing against all mankind who have not turned their lives to God to be saved from His wrath.
What must one do to be saved?
Hear the Gospel, experience the love of God, Trust in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary as all sufficient to satisfy the demands of God’s Justice! Trust the historical fact that The Father raised him bodily from the dead, trust God by turning your life over to Him as master and Lord in an ongoing life the Bible calls repentance - and Be saved - Adopted as His child - Made new, regenerated by the Power of the Holy Spirit - Brought from death to life - transfers from the kingdom of darkness into his marvelous light.
Let us Stand and worship the one who is worth of all our praise.
PRAYER TEAM
NEW MEMBERS -
Greg and Nancy Medcalf
