The Church is Apostolic  Ps 33 Zech 4:1-13; Rev 21:1-14; Matt 16:13-20

Introduction https://youtu.be/Do5sSTsqc38

In our exposition of the Church as “One”, “Holy”, and “Catholic” we have noticed that popular perceptions are deeply inadequate to convey the full meaning of these words. The Church as we know it today[1] does not act or appear as a unified Body, is often “common” rather than holy, and mostly shows very little interest in discipling the nations in the name of Jesus. Given these observations, what might an “apostolic” church look like? Our English word “apostle” comes from the Greek apostello meaning “to send”, being an apostolic Church involves being taken up into the mission of Christ in being sent into the world for its salvation. An apostolic church transmits the message of the kingdom of God by any and every possible means[2] wherever the Lord has placed us in life. Put most simply, we are called to be a Body that looks and acts like Jesus (1 Cor 12:12) just as the apostles, with all their limitations[3], looked and acted like Jesus.

Imitation

The great passion of the apostles is that men and women might be formed in the image and likeness of God[4]. Unlike the prophets of the old covenant, the apostles, as their successors[5], had the enormous advantage of being able to recognise this image perfectly revealed in Jesus[6]. This highest of revelations moved them to communicate Christ in all they did and said. In reaching out for profoundest way of communicating this passion Paul says to the wayward Galatians, “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal 4:19). I have never experienced the anguish of childbirth, but understand that from the beginning of creation to the coming in of the new eternal world order, childbirth is as an image of giving all your labours for something worth suffering for[7]. Paul repeatedly expresses his apostolic authority with the exhortation, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1 cf. 1 Cor 4:1; Phil 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thess 1:6; 4:1; 2 Thess 3:9). His expectation is that Jesus will be formed in the Church as he had first been formed in apostolic ministries. This is why the apostles have been laid down with Christ as an everlasting foundation (Eph 2:20; Rev 21:14 cf. 1 Cor 3:11) of the one holy and catholic Church.

Since Jesus is “the cornerstone” of this holy temple (Eph 2:20), we believe that in all matters of faith and conduct expressed in Holy Scripture, the testimony of the apostles was in complete alignment with the mind of the Lord (1 Cor 2:16). This is the reason why a genuine apostolic Church cannot intentionally depart from the authority of these eyewitnesses of Christ (Acts 1:21ff; 2 Pet 1:16f; 1 John 1:1-3), for to do so is to reject Jesus’ own authority (1 Cor 4:1; 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Thess 4:8) [mediated from heaven through his chosen and delegated ministers on earth (1 Cor 4:1; 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Thess 4:8)][8]. The question of the nature of the passing down of apostolic authority, called apostolic succession[9], is found in the ministry of the Word and the Spirit of God[10].

Church of the Word and Spirit

In scripture, the work of Jesus and his Spirit can be distinguished but never separated. As Jesus was God’s Advocate/Counsellor/Helper in being present with the disciples (1 John 2:1)[11] so the Holy Spirit is likewise sent to us in answer to Jesus’ prayers to God our Father (John 14:16). All that Jesus did when physically on earth the Spirit will now do. As the glorified Jesus has taken our common humanity into complete union with God, so that he is indwelt fully by the Spirit to the glory of the Father (John 17:1-5), the life of an apostle is also a life taken into this movement of limitless other-centred love. Paul says without exaggeration “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21). As the Son is sent by the Father[12] and the Spirit sent by the glorified Son in heaven[13], so apostles are called and sent into the world by Jesus and by the empowering of his Spirit (Matt 10:5; Mark 3:14; Luke 9:2). The risen Lord testified to his first apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21-22; cf. John 17:17-18; Acts 1-2). The power and presence of the Spirit communicated by Jesus would form his likeness in them with the same power and presence as the Spirit justified, sanctified, and glorified him as their Lord [in the love of God the Father][14] These great eternal truths [objectively real/in the Spirit/ from God’s heavenly vantage-point] must now be outworked in our lives.

Tracking Jesus

Jesus said of his own pattern of life, ““Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.[ For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.”][15] When Jesus called and commissioned Saul/Paul he decreed, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? [It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ]15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16).

Before his blinding vision on the road to Damascus it was Jesus whom he had seen in the dying Stephen praying for his own forgiveness (Acts 7:59-60 cf. Luke 23:34) and it was Jesus whom he had seen again and again in the prayers and blessing of the believers whom he was persecuting[16]. From this point on the newly commissioned apostle was led by the “Spirit of Jesus” in all his ways, words and works (Acts 16:7)[17]. The apostles had authority because they followed up/ “tracked” the Lord where he was already at work in the world[18][19] by helping those who have not yet registered his presence in their sin and blindness. The victory outworked through the progress of the apostolic gospel[20] flowed from faith in the universal Lordship of Christ (Acts 10:36). They knew in advance*[21] that their Spirit led mission was an extension of the Lordship of Christ[22] and so would meet with success just as by faith Jesus always believed his mission would be blessed[23] [24] This does not imply that everything apostolic is beer and skittles”. The deepest and surest sign of an apostolic Church is suffering in/for/with Jesus.

Apostolic Sacrifice

The resurrected Jesus explained to his disciples what they should already have known from the old covenant[25], ““O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”” (Luke 24:25-26). Anyone deserving of the title “apostle”*[26] must expect a life of identifying with the suffering of their Lord and Saviour (2 Cor 4:7-12; 11:23-12:10; Phil 3:10; Col 1:24; etc.)[27]. “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Tim 3:12). Any church worthy of the title “apostolic” must be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ and his gospel (Rev 2:9-11). This reminds me of an experience I had during a week of prayer in 1994. I was approached by an older man recognised as a prophet, he grasped my right hand, then my left and clamped them together, saying “this is the Word of God and this is the Spirit of God and the Lord is going to bring them together in your life”. All good I thought, [remembering the prophecies of a global revival of the Word and Spirit[28]]. Then he went on and on and on about how the Lord would strongly discipline my life, even saying that “God is going to “sit on you”. I believe this was an accurate prophetic word and I consider the recent events  involving our regional bishop and archbishop as part of their ongoing fulfilment.

Conclusion: A Complete Jesus Ministry

I want to conclude with something that came to my attention in 1974 (a long time ago, even before I was married to Donna). The pastor of the Church to which I belonged put out a paper, on which he preached, and which has held my attention ever since, it outlined the total participation of all church members in ministry,  [most of which this group went on to achieve] reaching men, women, young marrieds, youth, children, putting the homeless in lodges, helping troubled people via a counselling service, starting a discipleship school etc. What made this vision so compelling and authoritative to me was that it was titled A Complete Jesus Ministry. The apostolic character of the Church of God consists of the fact that it is done for Jesus, in unity with Jesus and in the power of the Spirit of Jesus. Nothing has ever changed in these foundations since Jesus started the Church so long ago. [Back in the 1700’s, the pioneer of the modern ecumenical movement and Protestant global missions, Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), expressed what was at the centre of his life and call, and I pray of mine too, ““I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone.”]  The passion of God the Father [communicated in the Spirit] that Jesus’ fame and glory reach to the ends of the earth by every possible means has never diminished, and it never will, until he comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end!