THE APOSTOLIC CALL

In Christ we are always moving forward.

Hebrews 6:1 – Let us go on to perfection
Philippians 3:14 – pressing on toward the upward call in Christ Jesus
Psalm 24:3 – ascending to the hill of the LORD

We need to grow in our commitment and understanding of the call.

  1. A call into discipleship
  • preach the gospel to call in disciples
  • Matthew 16:24-25 – let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me, whoever loses his life for My sake will find it

John 8:31-32

  • If you abide in My word you are My disciples indeed (allow the Word of God to shape you)
  • You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free
  • There is a freedom to receive revelation

John 15:7-8

  • If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, you shall ask and receive
  • You begin to hear from the Lord
  1. A call into transformation
  • a lifestyle of change and transformation
  • we need to be willing to change and God will change us

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

  • the veil is taken away when one turns to the Lord
  • we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord
  • the Holy Spirit reveals the LORD to us and we are changed
  • we will become like Him, when we see Him as He is
  • changed into a completely new substance (a whole new creation)

Romans 12:2

  • Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  • That you may prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God

Matthew 17:1-2

  • Jesus was transfigured (transformed) on the mountain
  • Jesus was changed into another substance before His disciples

As the Word of God is unveiled to us, we can see Jesus. Our minds are renewed and we are transformed.
1 Corinthians 15:49 – we shall bear the image of the heavenly Man
Romans 1:17 – a call from faith to faith
Psalm 84:5-7 – a call from strength to strength
2 Corinthians 3:18 – glory to glory
John 1:16 – grace upon grace (grace for grace), grace transforms us
2 Peter 3:18 – we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour

  1. A call to reach nations

Romans 1:5 – through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations
Genesis 22:18 – in you and in your seed all the families of the earth (all nations) shall be blessed
we are part of the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham

Romans 1:1-3

  • Paul, called an apostle (He knew the call of God)
  • Paul was separated to the gospel of God

Romans 2:16 – Paul called the gospel ‘my gospel’
The gospel was promised in the Holy Scriptures (Gal 3:8 – Abraham knew the gospel)
Gospel is concerning His Son Jesus Christ

Romans 15:16

  • a minister of Jesus Christ to the nations
  1. A call to obtain and fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

  • God chose you for salvation from the beginning
  • saved to obtain the glory

1 Samuel 2:8 – God raises up people from the ash heap and sets them among princes to inherit the throne of Glory

Exodus 34:5-7

  • he proclaimed the name of Yahweh
  • a call into the name of Jesus

The glory is mercy, grace, long-suffering, goodness, truth, forgiveness, no compromise, faithfulness
The apostolic call is to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A people who do not compromise on the truth

John 1:14 – glory full of grace and truth, revealed through the Word who became flesh
Habakkuk 2:14 – the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh covering the earth
Isaiah 40:5 – glory shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together
Ephesians 5:26-27 – a call to be part of the glorious church, which is the bride

  1. A call to be a sending community, part of an apostolic company
  • a band of disciples formed around apostles
  • a sending community
  • discipleship and training centres, living for the Great Commission
  • apostolic companies are patterns (a pattern people), every member contributing

How to contribute to the apostolic company

  1. i) By ministering the gift given by grace
    1 Peter 4:10-11 – as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, that God may get the glory
  2. ii) Financially
    Acts 4:32-35 – they had all things in common
  • no one among them lacked
  • we can contribute financially into the apostolic call

iii) In love
Ephesians 4:16 – the body edifying itself in love

  1. iv) Imparting grace through our conversation
    Ephesians 4:29 – speak what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers
    – decide not to let your flesh dictate to you
  2. v) Through prayer
    Philippians 1:19 – through prayer we can supply the Spirit of Jesus Christ
    – we pray for every mission and the Lord will supply the Spirit of Jesus Christ
  3. A call to preach and teach Jesus the Messiah, the only foundation
  • be disciplined to teach and preach Jesus
  • Acts 17:6-7 – they turned the world upside down, saying there is another king – Jesus
  • We are to be faithful to preach that Jesus is the Messiah, the King (Col 1:28, Eph 3:8)
  1. A call to fellowship in the sufferings of Messiah

Philippians 3:10-11

  • that I might know Him, the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His sufferings
  • we are called to suffer for Jesus, share and participate in the sufferings of Messiah
  • no longer trusting in ourselves, but relying on Him (dead to our own will and alive to the will of God)
  • 2 Corinthians 13:4 – a call to lay down our lives for the brethren (our ministry comes out of the power of the resurrection)
  1. A call to rule and reign with the Messiah in His kingdom

Luke 12:32 – it is Your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Ephesians 2:6 – we have been raised up and made to sit together with Christ in the heavenly places
Revelation 5:10 – he has made us to be kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth
Revelation 3:21 – he who overcomes will sit down with Me on My throne (on the throne of God)

  1. A call to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah
  • a call to be ready, prepared
  • a call to be equipped
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – your spirit, soul and body being preserved blameless at the coming
  • 1 Corinthians 11:26 – proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes at the Lord’s Table
  1. A call to be bold and to not fear death
  • Acts 4:29 – they prayed for boldness to speak the Word in the face of persecution
  • They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word with boldness (freedom of speech, with cheerful courage)
  • Ephesians 3:12 – in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him
  • Revelation 12:11 – we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony (the testimony of Jesus), and by not loving our lives to death