Apostles
Ephesians 4:11-13
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors [shepherds] and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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.
Vision of Five Fold Apostle
Apostles have an entrepreneur heart. Every person, church can know their purpose. potential, and walk in it. Every person can become who they were created to be. Apostles are pioneers.
Why the Five Fold Apostle
An Apostle is a foundation layer, pioneer or entrepreneur within the body of Christ.
This office is represented by the thumb, as the thumb can easily touch each of the other fingers on a person’s hand. This office flows in and out of each of the five-fold offices as needed.
By virtue of being a foundation layer, they (out of necessity) must operate in all the other offices at times. When beginning a work or ministry, the other offices or gifts have not been raised up yet so the apostle must function in and out of all five.
Their contribution to the ministry of God is to awaken people to their God designed potential and send them out.
They are instrumental in people discovering who they really are, and walking alongside them to get there so they move outside the four walls.
They have a unique gifting that is essential to the ministry of God.
Heart of Five Fold Apostle
They are opinionated for what people need to do in their own life.
They love to see things happen and get frustrated when they don’t.
They come alive when they are able to help others walk in their giftings and callings.
They make other people’s journey their own.
They take joy in people’s victories and share in their struggles.
They are not afraid to share truth about a situation even if it costs them.
Role of Five Fold Apostle
Apostolic leadership carries a vision to mobilize the saints to invade, occupy, transform their communities and cities.
The Apostolic thinks Kingdom before congregation.
Apostles aim to send disciples out the outside the four walls rather than providing programs to keep them in.
When apostles lead, people are trained as ambassadors of the Kingdom in every sphere of society. Apostolic gatherings are springboards into the future.
Apostles are able to see the potential in others giftings before they do, and thus help individuals to walk in their callings.
Apostles do not mind bending the rules and coloring outside the lines to get Kingdom work done.
Govern the Church.
Why Does the Body of Christ Need Five Fold Apostles?
WITHOUT APOSTLES:
People don’t know what they are capable of.
People don’t have someone to come alongside them and grow them.
People remain unchanged.
Things stay the same.
The Kingdom does not expand beyond the local church.
Appearance of Conflict
Apostolic and pastoral leadership carry very different goals, focus, and flavor. It is very important that we not only understand their differences but also adjust our expectations of our leaders based on the grace they have been given by God. Respecting an apostle to function like a pastor or a pastor to function like an apostle will lead to years of frustration, misunderstanding and division.
Necessity of Five Fold Office/Ministry
"Jesus Christ gave some to be apostles, prophets evangelists, teachers and pastors for the equipping, perfecting, mending, perfectly joining together, putting in order, ethical strengthening, completing, fulfilling, of the Saints, for the work of the ministry."
"All five ministries are absolutely necessary for the health and vitality of the church and its mission. Furthermore, all five functions are critical for the church to self-regenerate, develop, and “perfect” itself! In other words, the five fold ministry is like the self-healing capacity in our bodies. Our bodies have the inbuilt capacities for self-regeneration and the ability to be restored to functionality."
"The historical reduction of taking all five ministries and downsizing them into the two of pastors and teachers has caused a fatal and degenerative disease in the body of Christ. Our God given genetic codes have been corrupted. No wonder why we are frustrated, broken and alienated from one another. We have an autoimmune disease... We are body divided against ourselves. Then that result is a long-term dysfunctionality and self-alienation (autoimmunity) that has led to a systematic breakdown... a deceased body."
Quotes by Jeremiah Johnson
Those who have the calling of being a Five Folf Minister are not self-appointed, they are ordained by one of the Five-Folf offices, normally by an Apostle or Prophet.
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