| Newsletter for 5/17/07- Why do we need Apostles? |
Good Morning,
I hope that you are having a wonderful day! Just a reminder, this Saturday (5/20/07) we will be having our ACTS
Service @ 6 p.m. in the Rainier Assembly of God Fellowship Hall. We invite you to come and worship with us, as we
encourage the local churches in Revival. We pray that every church in the Lower Columbia Region will break out in
Revival and the Kingdom of God is furthered. YOU are officially invited to join us.
A few weeks ago, I began a teaching series on the Five Fold Ministry found in Ephesians 4. I would like to continue
this series.
We have been discussing Apostles. So what is the big deal about Apostles and why do we need them? Why do
we need to recognize who they are? Why can't we just get by with Pastors? Or even Pastors, Teachers and
Evangelists? Enquiring Minds want to know! Good questions. Let's look at scriptures for answers.
In Acts 20:17, Paul is speaking to the Elders at the Church in Ephesus. Elders are described as a mature person of
wisdom and experience. In fact just a few verses later in verse 28, Paul tells the Elders this-
Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
This is really a description of the local leaders of the house churches in that time. Paul uses the terms of shepherding
the flock and overseeing the church. Basically, they are the Pastors of these local flocks. They are the ones that the
people call when there is a problem or they need counseling, etc. But, Paul goes on to prophecy to these early church
leaders.
Acts 20:29-31
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also
from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after
themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night
and day with tears.
Paul knows that he will not be back to minister to them and the Lord has shown him what is going to happen to the
church in his absence. The absence of Apostolic Leadership. We can look at history and see what happens to the
church after Paul and the Apostles that were pouring into that church were removed. The church eventually goes into
the "Dark Ages" and is tremendously effected by the Catholic Church. Eventually there is an uprising called the
Protestant (In Protest) Reformation that takes place and brings the church back into a right relationship with the Lord.
Previously, I shared with you that the Apostles have already been restored, though I do think that this process
continues on. The Protestant Reformation, however, I believe was the beginning of this Restoration and others
believe that it has been more recent. I am not a stickler on this point. The fact that we have them today is the more
valuable point, no matter when their restoration began.
In 1896, John Alexander Dowie, a well known revivalist, preached a sermon "The Ministry of an Apostle- Is it for
Today?" Dowie demonstrated that there were numerous Apostles listed in the New Testament that did not fit into the
original twelve. Some of these were Mathias, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, James, Apollos, Andronicus, Junias (a
female), Titus and Epaphroditus.
It was during the Second and Third Centuries that the church drifted into ceremonialism and tradition. I like to call this
Religion. The church faded into the Dark Ages and was nearly lost. The church gained immense social and political
power but lost the hearts of the people and the move of the Holy Spirit. No longer were they acting because of
personal relationship but because of legalism. Like one Old Testament king, many political leaders mandated that
someone worship a certain god in a certain way. It is impossible to legislate matters of the heart.
The difference between a true Christian walk and religious trappings, is the state of the heart. There is an old story of
a little boy being told to sit down in class. As he sits down, he states that he is still standing on the inside. This is a
great analogy of the difference between religion and relationship. Because of my relationship with the Lord, I respond
to His commands because I love Him and I know that He loves me. Many respond like the little boy, with a spirit of
rebellion. This is religion and though it will conform our actions, it will not conform our hearts.
Why do you do what you do? Do you raise your hands in church because someone else does or because someone
else is looking? Why do you pray? Is it because you want to talk to God or because you said you would? Do you read
the Bible because somebody might ask or because you want to hear from God? Yes, we sometimes go through
seasons where we do what we do because we have to. However, accountability is not meant to rule over you but
instead to lead you to self-government.
Accountability is an extremely important part of leadership. Paul could see prophetically that the church would come to
a time when they would lose accountability and the "wolves would come in to devour the people." Unfortunately, there
are still wolves within the ranks that are devouring the church. In order for there to be true accountability with an
Apostle, there must be relationship and the more relationship, the better.
It is the Apostle, Prophets and Teachers that keep the church on track. The Prophets and the Teachers (along with
the Pastors and Evangelists) must submit to the Apostle. Their jobs are to hear from the Lord (the Prophet) and to
study out scripture (the Teacher). The Apostles job is to judge, evaluate, strategize and execute the plans for the
churches. The Apostle works as a Fathering Servant.
The Apostle does not just decide to one day become an Apostle. They have authority that is given to them from the
following five sources.
They have a spiritual gift (of apostle).
They have a call.
They have extraordinary character.
They have followers.
They have vision.
I hope that you will begin to pray with us for the restoration of the Church and it's influence. Not for the sake of being
influential nor to save people from Hell. But so people can come into right relationship with their God, Creator and
Savior. So that they don't just get a bus ticket to Heaven but they get a realization of who they are in Christ and begin
to live as a part of the Bride. A Bride that is without spot or wrinkle that will be presentable to the Groomsmen on that
day!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and The Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team
I hope that you are having a wonderful day! Just a reminder, this Saturday (5/20/07) we will be having our ACTS
Service @ 6 p.m. in the Rainier Assembly of God Fellowship Hall. We invite you to come and worship with us, as we
encourage the local churches in Revival. We pray that every church in the Lower Columbia Region will break out in
Revival and the Kingdom of God is furthered. YOU are officially invited to join us.
A few weeks ago, I began a teaching series on the Five Fold Ministry found in Ephesians 4. I would like to continue
this series.
We have been discussing Apostles. So what is the big deal about Apostles and why do we need them? Why do
we need to recognize who they are? Why can't we just get by with Pastors? Or even Pastors, Teachers and
Evangelists? Enquiring Minds want to know! Good questions. Let's look at scriptures for answers.
In Acts 20:17, Paul is speaking to the Elders at the Church in Ephesus. Elders are described as a mature person of
wisdom and experience. In fact just a few verses later in verse 28, Paul tells the Elders this-
Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
This is really a description of the local leaders of the house churches in that time. Paul uses the terms of shepherding
the flock and overseeing the church. Basically, they are the Pastors of these local flocks. They are the ones that the
people call when there is a problem or they need counseling, etc. But, Paul goes on to prophecy to these early church
leaders.
Acts 20:29-31
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also
from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after
themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night
and day with tears.
Paul knows that he will not be back to minister to them and the Lord has shown him what is going to happen to the
church in his absence. The absence of Apostolic Leadership. We can look at history and see what happens to the
church after Paul and the Apostles that were pouring into that church were removed. The church eventually goes into
the "Dark Ages" and is tremendously effected by the Catholic Church. Eventually there is an uprising called the
Protestant (In Protest) Reformation that takes place and brings the church back into a right relationship with the Lord.
Previously, I shared with you that the Apostles have already been restored, though I do think that this process
continues on. The Protestant Reformation, however, I believe was the beginning of this Restoration and others
believe that it has been more recent. I am not a stickler on this point. The fact that we have them today is the more
valuable point, no matter when their restoration began.
In 1896, John Alexander Dowie, a well known revivalist, preached a sermon "The Ministry of an Apostle- Is it for
Today?" Dowie demonstrated that there were numerous Apostles listed in the New Testament that did not fit into the
original twelve. Some of these were Mathias, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, James, Apollos, Andronicus, Junias (a
female), Titus and Epaphroditus.
It was during the Second and Third Centuries that the church drifted into ceremonialism and tradition. I like to call this
Religion. The church faded into the Dark Ages and was nearly lost. The church gained immense social and political
power but lost the hearts of the people and the move of the Holy Spirit. No longer were they acting because of
personal relationship but because of legalism. Like one Old Testament king, many political leaders mandated that
someone worship a certain god in a certain way. It is impossible to legislate matters of the heart.
The difference between a true Christian walk and religious trappings, is the state of the heart. There is an old story of
a little boy being told to sit down in class. As he sits down, he states that he is still standing on the inside. This is a
great analogy of the difference between religion and relationship. Because of my relationship with the Lord, I respond
to His commands because I love Him and I know that He loves me. Many respond like the little boy, with a spirit of
rebellion. This is religion and though it will conform our actions, it will not conform our hearts.
Why do you do what you do? Do you raise your hands in church because someone else does or because someone
else is looking? Why do you pray? Is it because you want to talk to God or because you said you would? Do you read
the Bible because somebody might ask or because you want to hear from God? Yes, we sometimes go through
seasons where we do what we do because we have to. However, accountability is not meant to rule over you but
instead to lead you to self-government.
Accountability is an extremely important part of leadership. Paul could see prophetically that the church would come to
a time when they would lose accountability and the "wolves would come in to devour the people." Unfortunately, there
are still wolves within the ranks that are devouring the church. In order for there to be true accountability with an
Apostle, there must be relationship and the more relationship, the better.
It is the Apostle, Prophets and Teachers that keep the church on track. The Prophets and the Teachers (along with
the Pastors and Evangelists) must submit to the Apostle. Their jobs are to hear from the Lord (the Prophet) and to
study out scripture (the Teacher). The Apostles job is to judge, evaluate, strategize and execute the plans for the
churches. The Apostle works as a Fathering Servant.
The Apostle does not just decide to one day become an Apostle. They have authority that is given to them from the
following five sources.
They have a spiritual gift (of apostle).
They have a call.
They have extraordinary character.
They have followers.
They have vision.
I hope that you will begin to pray with us for the restoration of the Church and it's influence. Not for the sake of being
influential nor to save people from Hell. But so people can come into right relationship with their God, Creator and
Savior. So that they don't just get a bus ticket to Heaven but they get a realization of who they are in Christ and begin
to live as a part of the Bride. A Bride that is without spot or wrinkle that will be presentable to the Groomsmen on that
day!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and The Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team