What is Apostolic Gifting

February 15th 2026

Series: Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Sermon Title: What is Apostolic Gifting

Topic: What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in this part, specifically APEST gifts.

Key Passages: Ephesians 4:11-16, 2:20, & various others

Topic: Holy Spirit, Gifts, Apostle, Apostolic,

Sermon Blurb: In today’s message, we will look at people who are gifted by the Holy Spirit to be Apostolic and how that plays out in their lives.

***1st week ODD months add communion & target message at 15 pages.

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***Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.

Dedication, Baptism, or Ministry Highlight (1st Sunday, every even month):

Sermon:

Hello, Family Church!

        Welcome, whether you are here in person or online.

Family Moment –

Start with something personal from your family life recently to help people get to know you.

Celebrate salvation/rededications/baptisms last week.

Celebrate new disciples and disciple-makers.

PAUSE

If you are new to Family Church, we are SO happy you are here today!

Today, we continue our series on the ways the Holy Spirit gifts us in the New Testament.

Last weekend, we gave you a high-level overview of the APEST gifts and had you all take a test to see how God has gifted you.

If you missed that sermon or that test, you can grab that test at the ADD PLACE AT YOUR CAMPUS after the service.

Please, please, please…if you did not take that test, please do.

It will literally only take you a few minutes.

There are no right or wrong answers.

And it will maybe help you gain a little more insight into how God has wired you, your spouse, your kids, your co-workers and so on.

PAUSE

Gifts can be spiritual.

Gifts can be physical.

Gifts can be relational.

Gifts can come in all different shapes and sizes.

And this part of this series will walk down several different roads.

As we learn about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And we are all NOT gifted the same by God.

        We do NOT have all the same talents.

        Abilities.

        And so on.

And that is a GOOD thing.

PAUSE

Let me give you the trajectory for the next several weeks.

        And this will be on the screens to help you remember.

Holy Spirit APEST Gifts: A-Apostolic P- Prophetic E- Evangelist S- Shepard T- Teacher

Each week we will be going over one gift.

        Over the next five weeks, we are going to dive deep into these gifts.

This week, we will spend the entire message looking at the Apostolic gift.

        And if you are gifted apositically, what does that mean for you in school, at work, and in the church?

Then next week, if you are gifted prophetically, how will that play out in school, at work, and in church?

Then, in week #3, if you are gifted evangelistically, how will that play out in school, at work, and in church?

Then, in week #4, if you are gifted to shepherd, how will that play out in school, at work, and in church?

Then we will wrap this up in week #5, talking about how people are gifted to teach, how that will play out in school, at work, and in church.

PAUSE

Now I am excited for today because today we get to talk about my #1 gift.(Adjust to you)

        Like we said last week, Apostolic people are people who LOVE to start new things.

        Launch new companies.

        Launch new products.

        Go into uncharted territory.

        Bring new sports to a school.

        And so on.

Take me as an example…(adjust for you)

        Since being here at Family Church, we have started four other campuses.

        We have started several other business entities to help missionaries…

        We have planted churches in Kenya and El Salvador.

        We have launched the Family Church Network to help other churches learn how to thrive and grow.

I am very much gifted Apostolically.

PAUSE

And let me say this…

        If you are sitting out there today, and your last gift was this.

        Or if that was not in your top two gifts…

Don’t tune me out!

        You can learn a lot about how other people's minds work in this series.

        And if you know how someone like me thinks, it will help you interact with your boss at work.

        Maybe a teacher.

        Maybe a parent.

        Maybe a partner.

        And so on.

So even if you are NOT gifted this way…

        Stay dialed in and take good notes today because this will help you!

Everyone has aspects of each gift, but most people have one or two dominant areas.

Your gifting can develop over time.

And all roles are equally valuable to the community.

PAUSE

So, jump into the Bible.

If you have your Bible with you —and I hope you do —open it to

Ephesians 4

New Person Bible Connection:

If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

        After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!!

Or you can always download the Family Church app and follow along on your phone as well.

Simply download the app and click "Sermon Notes" on the main page.

Here is something interesting about the APEST gifts…

These are all gifts given by Jesus.

Here is what the Bible says.

Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the

What church?

        Yes Apostles…

        That is the first group we are going to talk about today.

Ephesians 4:11-16 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Let’s pause here for a minute…

        You can leave that verse on the screen.

 So, these APEST gifts have a clearly defined purpose by Jesus.

        Look at that verse in your Bible.

These gifts are “to equip” the church…

        And to equip the people of the church to do “works of service.”

And we are not just serving people for fun.

        We are not serving people to feel good.

        We are not serving people because we feel like it.

We are doing it…

        Look in your Bibles…

        “So that the “body of Christ,” aka the church, “will be built up,” aka grow!

So the PRIMARY reason we are gifted with these gifts by God is to build God’s church….

        Do not miss that in fact…

        Why don’t you write that down…

The primary purpose of the APEST gifts is to build up God’s church.

        (Repeat)

And you might think that just means church growth in terms of number of people…

        Which, yes, that is part…

        But that is not all it means.

Because if you look at your Bible, build up is not the end of the sentence.

        It continues with:

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

So here we can learn something else…

        Being “built up” does not just mean numerical church growth.

These gifts also are designed to bring us into unity.

        Do you see that in the Bible?

These gifts will also help us know Jesus better.

Do you see that in the Bible?

These gifts will also help us become mature like Jesus.

Do you see that in the Bible?

As we live out our giftings…

        We will help others and ourselves become more like Jesus.

PAUSE

And it goes on to say….

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

You can stop reading there…

        Note those ending words.

“Each part does its work.”

Again…

        We are all gifted differently by God, and that is GOOD!

PAUSE

So….

        Let’s talk about this first gift.

The Apostle is a visionary, a pioneer who establishes new spiritual and organizational foundations.

They have a unique ability to see potential where others see obstacles, creating innovative pathways.

Look at the role description in your notes….

People who are gifted as an Apostle: • Pioneers new initiatives • Creates systems and structures • Sees opportunities in challenges • Builds foundations for others

So, let’s talk about how this will play out in life.

If you are gifted this way in school.

You’re the type of person who would launch a new club, team, or sport.

        Maybe you launch a robotics team, chess team, swim team, or, if you're really awesome, a hobby horse team!

And if you have never heard of hobby horsing, you need to look it up!

        It is hilarious!

PAUSE

If you are gifted this way in the working world.

You’re the type of person who would leave the company and start a new one.

        Or you would go out on a limb to start a new venture in the company.

Launch a new product line.

Forge new partnerships.

        You're going to charge ahead…even if you're alone.

PAUSE

If you are gifted this way in the church world.

You’re the type of person who would leave his career and go into ministry…like I did.

        You would be the type to plant a church.

You would be the type of person who, when we launch a new campus, would leave here to go help the new campus because you would rather be at the NEW church than the established church.

You would not be afraid to go on missions to other countries.

See church….

Even if you are NEVER in ministry…

These gifts God has given you will be used.

PAUSE

So, let’s learn more about it from the Bible so you can better understand who God created you to be and what He created you to do.

Let’s start with what does “Apostle” mean Biblically?

        You will see the definition in your notes.

        The Greek word apostolos means: one who is sent, a delegate, ambassador, or a commissioned representative.

It carries the idea of authority, mission, and pioneering work.

Throughout Scripture, the apostolic gift shows up in two senses:

First….The Foundational Apostles.

Or Jesus' 12 best friends + Paul later.

In the early church, the Apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and had unique authority for:

· Establishing Christian doctrine

· Writing Scripture

· Laying the foundation of the church

Paul describes their role this way:

Ephesians 2:20, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

        Do you see it…

        They are the builders.

        The foundation layers.

People gifted apostolically are gifted people who:

· pioneer new work

· expand the work

· establish new communities

· guard and advance the mission

· break ground in unreached places

And to be clear, there are a LOT of people who think certain gifts ended with the original Apostles…

That is not true…

The Bible even lists other people as Apostles…

Besides Paul, there are people like:

· Barnabas (Acts 14:14)

· James, Jesus’s brother (Galatians 1:19)

· Silas & Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6)

· Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6–9)

· Junia (Romans 16:7)….and for you deep Bible folks, Junia is a fun one to study!!!

Because Junia, MANY scholars believe, was a woman…

So that will mess with some theologies in here if true!!!

Those folks show that the apostolic gift continues beyond the original apostles.

PAUSE

Let me give you 5 marks we see in the Bible for the Apostolic Gift.

5 Marks of the Apostolic gift: 1) Pioneering Spirit

Apostles go where there is no gospel, no structure, no church:

Romans 15:20 “I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ has not been named.”

Paul’s heart was to go “first, farther, and forward.”

        As did all the other apostles in the Bible.

2) Building and Establishing New Works

They started new works:

1 Corinthians 3:10 “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation.”

Apostolic people:

· build systems

· create ministries

· start movements

· grow things from nothing

3) Spiritual Authority and Fathering

Apostles' father, spiritual sons and daughters:

2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

This was the Apostle Paul reminding Timothy, who was not his son, that he was his spiritual son.

And that he should have spiritual children as well.

Apostles will lift others, develop leaders, and multiply disciples.

4) Guarding Mission

Apostles keep everyone centered on the mission:

        They fight drift.

        They keep everyone focused.

This can be on a team,

        At school,

        In business,

        Or at church.

Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

5) Endurance and Sacrifice

Apostolic ministry is costly:

        Being the leader is lonely.

        Leading people to new places does not come without cost.

Paul said in

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 “I have worked harder… been beaten, imprisoned, stoned…”

When I was in the business world and still as a Pastor…

People say terrible things about leaders.

People try to tear down leaders.

Everyone thinks they want to be a leader…

        But not everyone is willing to endure what leaders do.

        Not everyone is willing to sacrifice what it takes to become a leader.

PAUSE

If you have the Apostolic gift, it will show in life.

Students… in school, you will start things that others don’t.

You see opportunities others overlook.

You start clubs, teams, Bible studies, or initiatives.

You will naturally gather people.

You will inspire people.

That will also mean….

You will resist the status quo…

You aren’t content with “how things are.”

You will ask “How can we do more? How can this grow? What hasn’t been done?”

And that will cause conflict with teachers, coaches, and parents…

        So you will have to learn how to temper how you're wired while under the leadership of others…

PAUSE

Adults in the workplace…

If you have this gift you will think like entrepreneur.

Apostolic adults:

· start businesses

· create new ideas

· solve broken systems

· take risks

You develop people.

You naturally mentor, lift others, and reproduce leaders.

You improve systems.

Apostolic workers look at broken processes and say: “Let’s rebuild this.”

“This could be done better.”

“What if we tried something new?”

This mirrors Paul organizing churches with elders, systems, mission strategy in Titus 1:5.

If you have a Godly perspective you will see the work as a place of kingdom expansion.

In the Church…

Apostolic gifts push the church outward:

· new campuses

· new small groups

· new mission fields

· new church plants

Churches with Apostolic leaders will reflects Acts, where apostles constantly multiplied.

These kinds of churches will equip others.

Train leaders.

Teach disciple-making.

Raise up new workers.

Paul continually “appointed elders” and “strengthened the disciples.”

Apostolic leaders keep the church aligned with Scripture and mission.

PAUSE

So to wrap this all up…

What It Means to Be Apostolic

If you carry the apostolic gift, you likely:

· Love reaching new people

· Think in terms of multiplication

· Build new ministries or companies or systems

· Mentor and develop others

· Feel restless in stagnation

· Dream bigger than your current context

PAUSE

Church, the apostolic gift is Jesus’ way of expanding His kingdom.

The church stands on the foundation of the apostles, but it grows today through apostolic people…

Men and women who carry heaven’s mission.

If God has placed this gift in you, you are not called to comfort, but to movement.

You are not called merely to maintenance, but to multiplication.

You are not just attending church, you are being sent from it.

As Jesus said:

John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

PAUSE

But before we pray, let me give you a life application today.

        If you are new or newer to Family Church, we LOVE to end our messages with something for you to talk about with someone else.

        Something to help you apply the message to your life.

So here is this week’s Life Application…

Life Application: If you have the Apostolic gift, pray about how you could use that to build God’s Kingdom more. If you do not, pray about how you could support someone who does in expanding God’s Kingdom. As a result of today’s message, I will….

Prayer:

        Make sure to do a salvation call!

Offering:

Thank you all for being here today!

        If you would like to continue your worship through giving, there are offering boxes by the doors as you exit, or behind me on the screens. You can also see other ways to give here at Family Church.

        You can also place any connection cards you filled out in there.

***Each week we want to highlight a different way to give.