MST #2/2010

The Apostolic Call of the Church

In Matthew 10, Jesus called His 12 disciples and gave them power over the enemy: unclean spirits, demons and sicknesses. (v1) After He had given them the power, He sent them out to do ministry. This is powerful. The very intention of Christ is to send His Church out. That is the apostolic ministry of the church. In many church situations, people are contented and complacent. There are too many fellowships happening. Oftentimes these fellowships are for their own consumption and they do not cause the church to impact or to reach the lost. When we consider this ‘sending purpose’ of Christ, we see the apostolic ministry of the church. An apostle is a ‘sent one’. So the church in its perspective must always see herself as being sent. In Matthew 10, it describes the elements found in the apostolic purpose.

1. Kingdom Motive: The disciples were called to reach the ‘lost’. In this case, they were to go to the ‘lost sheep’ of Israel (v6) If the church considers herself as apostolic, reaching the lost is not an option. It is the very heartbeat of God. When God sent His Son, He sent His Son to the lost. Jesus, the great apostle leads the way as the greatest soul winner...in reaching the lost.

2. Kingdom Message: The message was... ‘the kingdom of God is at hand’ (v7) . The very ministry of the early church was to usher in the kingdom. The kingdom of God was the primary message of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. Everywhere He preached, He brought this message to His audience. The disciples continued preaching this message in the Early Church. We need to be the people of the kingdom where King Jesus rules and reigns.

3. Kingdom Mandate: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, drive out demons. (v8) The church must return to its origin where signs and wonders are the norm. There should always be people healed and delivered when the message is preached. When we go out to minister, we must believe that ‘these signs shall follow us who believe...’ The apostolic church must experience signs and wonders regularly.

4. Kingdom Method: The messengers of this message must be simple and humble. (v9)The order of the day is being real and transparent. There should not be the motive of getting rich when we are involved in ministry. Paul did not depend on the church for his sustenance when he went about preaching. He survived by making tents. His focus was clear and his mind was fixed: he wanted to preach the gospel at any cost. He did not allow the attractions of the world to pull him away. Live simple- that was Paul’s message!

5. Kingdom Means: God will provide the means for His apostolic messengers. (v11) When God opens the door for ministry opportunity, He will always provide: the place, the people....If we remain true to the apostolic, we will begin to see the faithfulness of God in providing all our needs. The door that opens to miracles is the door of obedience. When God calls us to serve Him, He will provide all that we need. We simply obey.

There will always be opportunities for the church to reach the lost and to be an apostolic voice to the community. We must always see the church as being sent by God to reach the lost. When we lose this perspective, we become a bless-me club.