The Apostolic Call

What is the Apostolic?

God is the true King, the role of an apostle is a kingdom responsibility

In a Greco-Roman context, an apostle was a delegate/ambassador sent out with a specific mission “dispatched with authority to represent another in a far-off place”

Matthew 28:18–19 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The Chosen Ones

Luke 6:12–13 ESV

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

This verse shows us that Jesus had called many disciples (re-affirmed in Luke 10:1) but he only chose 12

In the parable of the wedding feast when Jesus teaches about those who are invited to deeper fellowship with God He shows that everyone is called, yet only few are truly chosen

Matthew 22:9–10 ESV

Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Matthew 22:14 ESV

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

1 Pet 2:9 and makes it clear that God has already counted us among the chosen, yet for some reason we are not

Brief Testimony

How did I and the apostles find ourselves counted among the worthy when we should have never been chosen?

During my sophomore year I fell into depression

I felt like my life didn’t matter

I felt constantly rejected and somewhat like an outcast

social media began to deteriorate my self image

Junior year I subconsciously began to cover up through lustful relationships, money, attention-seeking, music, etc..

I didn’t actively think I was running away but deep down I knew I was, and I encourage you to do the same self evaluation

The Secret to Being Chosen

When I did this evaluation on myself, I surrendered to the realization of my brokenness and cried out to my last resort, God

Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Psalm 50:14–15 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.””

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Matthew 19:27–29 “Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

What happens to the Chosen

Luke 3:16 “John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

We love to talk about the fire of God but we must remember that the fire always comes for a purpose (light, purify, refine, etc...)

Judges 15:4 “So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.”

As we are ignited with fire, we are being sent out into the enemies field to regain the dominion of Christ