The Apostolic Covering

Acts 4:32-33  All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.  With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 

Embedded in these verses is the pattern of our ministry of the kingdom of God. 

Notice:

1.       The Apostles, with great power, testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus

2.       Great grace was upon them all

Now turn to Ephesians 4.

Eph. 4:7-16       But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.  This is why it says:  “When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.”

(What does He ascended mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions?  He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)  It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.

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 men in their deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  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.

Acts 2:33          Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

1.                   Christ Jesus took fallen angels and demon territorial spirits captive and the devil’s spoil and, through his resurrection and ascension, released grace into his body, the church, his army, his bride through the Holy Spirit.

2.                   This grace takes the form of the five-fold ministry, the hand of God: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.  Jesus gives the people having these ministry gifts to the church.

3.                   Every believer has received in their salvation package gifts and graces to be used to build up his body, his church. 

4.                   Through the apostle and then through the other ministry gifts,  graces and anointings are activated in the saints of God and released, by the laying on of hands, to prepare the saints for works of service and to enable the body to be mature and fully function.

5.                   Each believer “shares in the grace” of his/her apostolic covering.

Phil. 1:7                        It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.

6.                   The Apostolic pattern for the church is that it should not be lacking in any gift: 

I Cor. 1:3-7        Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in Him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge – because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.  Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

5.         The church takes part in extending his rule and reign throughout the earth.

charisma - spiritual gift, concrete manifestation of power

Grace defined then is God’s enabling power, his gifts and anointings through whch the Church brings to pass the “greater things shall you do”  - those things that Jesus promised his disciples.  It is by this supernatural enabling that the body of Christ functions.

Spiritual gifts are actually “spiritual graces”.  They are:

·         the expressions of grace in the forms of gifts

·         the instantaneous enablement of the Holy Spirit in the life of any believer to exercise a gift for the edification of others.

I Cor. 12:4-11    There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each of the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.

The “speaking gifts” of the Spirit: tongues + interpretation, prophecy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, preaching/teaching

There are also concrete expressions of grace, such as good qualities or good works, which God imparts to and works in us:

Romans 12:6-8  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the meaure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts according to the grace given us.  If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Expressions of grace: prophesying, serving, teaching, contributing to meet needs, leadership, showing mercy

I Peter 4:10-11   Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Submit your gift and use it to serve others

Grace Received

I Peter 5:5-6      All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.

*** Read “Characteristics of the Proud and of the Humble”

Grace Released

“Spiritual graces” are given through the laying on of hands (cf. 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6)

2 Tim. 1:6-7       For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I Timothy 4:14   Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you..

2 Cor. 8:9          For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for yoursakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

        The pattern of ministry– “full of grace and power”

Acts 6:8                        Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 

·         Pleireis charitos kai dunameos

2 Cor. 1:12        Now this is our boast:  Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God.  We have done so not according to worldly wisdom, but according to God’s grace.

I Tim. 1:12-14    I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service.  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.  The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

I Cor. 3:10         By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.

Grace Replenished

John 1:16-17     From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

ü        “In His fullness we have all shared even grace after (instead of) grace.”  Fresh grace replaces grace received, inexhaustible grace. 

ü        Grace needs to be replenished at times.  Note Isaiah 40:31, “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  (They will “exchange strength for strength.”)  Also, Psalm 84:7, “They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.”

·         We have come to impart grace unto you, by our example in living as servants, by our speaking unto you, and by apostolic ministry.  We have been “sent” unto you to strengthen the brethren, to leave with you a deposit that will empower you with grace and enable you to fulfill the ministry God has given to you to bless His Church.  We have come to release grace over you.