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Today we all are moving in apostolic dimensions and enjoying the apostolic movement or at least the benefits from it. But if we are truly honest, we also see we are not accomplishing things as quickly or as intensely as we would have hoped. The emerging generation is wondering why things are not progressing as fast as they should. Many of us are wondering why we are struggling so much. Perhaps we are not as apostolic as we think we are.

Greek Philosophy

Much of how we interpret New Testament words deals entirely with Greek definitions as we study. The Greek philosophy is so indoctrinated in our thinking yet, we somehow do not recognize it. We build four part sermons, point upon point, using Greek concepts of reasoning and wonder why there is not life. We sit in Greek style amphitheater seating and prepare ourselves to receive from a single person as they give their interpretation of a topic. We ship our kids off to public schools and also to special kids' classes while in Christian gatherings. Plato said the state could train children better than parents and passed a law taking kids away from parents and into state ran programs. We look at scriptures through Greek definitions instead of Apostolic language and interpretation based on revelation. When we are done with a sermon, it is like we are Greek Philosophers as we discuss what was said, each holding to their own opinion and belief system. After all, WE certainly know the true meaning of what was said. We look for fact upon fact before we believe instead of trusting into a leap of faith to grasp the revelation shared. For the most part, we are New Testament Greek philosophizers instead of Kingdom Ecclessia and disciples. We must step out of this current paradox if we really want to ignite hearts instead of minds.

Apostolic - Enjoying Life as a Believer in the Family of God

I think for the most part we all understand what we believe to be apostolic. But we also realize we are functioning and seeing it in the minimum amount allowed and even then some are very cloudy on correct meaning. Even current apostolic movements do not want to define themselves and try to remain organic. But yet it seems the earlier apostles did define standards of apostolic living and life, and expression that were required to be followed. The letter to the Gentiles after the Acts 15 council met, the letters of Paul correcting so many churches, and even Jesus had standards for the 12 disciples that had to be met, before they could be apostles. All were in the aspect of apostolic life coming from an apostolic function.

Right now we are seeing apostolic grace in many places apostles have never set foot. It is because this is what God is doing in the earth. What is apostolic? Apostolic means to enjoy the life of freedom and expression that comes because of an apostle releasing revelation and holding spiritual positions and ground because of their authority. In other words, the words apostles speak in a small gathering of believers is not limited to the physical surroundings or number but is spoken into the spiritual atmosphere they have authority in. That atmosphere can be over a city, region or state. It is what is put in the spiritual realm that releases apostolic, not the amount of people sitting in a room receiving or even moving apostolically. We are spiritual people and hence our territory of influence is spiritual. How can we think we will change regions or cities and remain in a physical mindset only? We must see the spiritual region we are affecting.  We are either going to be Greek in thinking or Kingdom!

Apostolic has creative prophetic worship. It has revelation. It has freedom. It has new thinking and concepts of approach. Many today are enjoying aspects of apostolic and do not even know anything about Apostles, etc. You can be enjoying the apostolic and not even believe in apostles or be in relationship with them. It is what a believer does; enjoy the apostolic grace that has been released over a region. It is a corporate anointing that has been released for the Body of Christ.  Apostolic is a by-product of an apostle within a region, recognized or not, accepted or not!

Apostle - Being a Disciple in the Body of Christ

Once again, we touch the word apostles 'a sent one'. But it is much more than all the cliché definitions we have heard. It is functional authority that has been positioned to mobilize and equip the ministry gifts. It is spiritual fathering. All apostles are spiritual fathers and have sons and daughters as the fruit. But not all spiritual fathers are apostles. This and two other things define apostles in simplest form. All apostles have the ability to put something in place that reproduces with them no longer around it. The third thing is there must be something you are apostling. In other words there is a viable functioning ministry that has apostolic and kingdom DNA running through it. A person might be able to recognize an apostle but the key is, is there a covenantal relationship based on revelation? This means this is more personal than corporate. The benefits of this recognition are enormous. It allows the apostolic (corporate dynamic) to further increase. It allows for greater authority to be released in a person's life as they are positioned in relationship. It also means a person has moved from being a believer and enjoying apostolic to now becoming a true disciple, spiritual son or daughter and leading a disciplined life. Unlike apostolic being something you experience corporately, relationship with an apostle is personal. It requires a commitment to relationship and entering a process of growth. Apostolic is more expression, while relationship with an apostle is more equipping.

Apostleship - Moving as the Ecclesia in the Kingdom of God

Now we come to the thing we see almost no action on and that is apostleship. For the most part, there is no teaching on this, yet it is mentioned four times in the New Testament. This is part of the reason why we are not seeing things happening so quickly. The Greek mentality we have hidden in our approach makes all things optional and at our discretion whether we want to participate or complete an assignment or task. Apostleship actually means the act of sending a gift (ministry gift) with a set message or task that brings a moral reformation or cultural shift! It is commissioning which means authoritive order or direction.  Authority granted for an action or function.  It is the act of an apostle issuing orders and others obeying them. We must admit we have very little to no orders being given and even less obedience in what has been given. We have a lot of insubordination, which to me is based in Greek philosophy instead of Kingdom apostolic. I recently was showed this understanding of apostleship, and have done one commissioning in this manner. It was sobering for me and those listening and also highly convicting. It also contained great grace and authority to be held onto. At the same time, the Greek philosophy was working to diminish and bring things back into an option mindset.

The act of Apostleship was Paul's seal! In other words, he was saying it was not because he birthed you or first taught you but because you followed the direction and commands he issued you! Even when Mathias replaced Judas, it was a heavy issue of who had the ability to send out gifts with the correct message and task. The discussion came down to, at that point, who amongst them had been there from the beginning and was an eye witness of the resurrection? These were not qualifiers for being an Apostle but for something greater- Apostleship! You see apostleship is being Christ like. It means we are functioning like the Ecclesia. We are doing what Jesus did in SENDING the 12 and the 70 with a set message and task and them seeing the results. You see, Apostleship is the act of forming a mature corporate man. It requires great roles of responsibility on all parts and greater sacrifice. But the outcome is overcoming faith and change.  Apostleship has alliances with it. It has the pattern of heaven. It has connections that are divinely orchestrated. It also has a cause associated with it. To me, as I meditate on this, I see it is the missing element in what we are doing and carries with it the highest anointing and outcome. As apostles, we must hear God clearly and precisely. We then must present the cause in a powerful way with conviction. This allows the Holy Spirit a place to work in people's lives.

We then must give the commissioning or orders. We all move without breaking rank. I now understand what was once prophesied over my life "There will come a day that you will give orders and will literally send men into spiritual conflicts that will cost them their lives. They will go knowing it, but also knowing the orders given are God's intentions that must be fulfilled." It time to grow up from being a believer enjoying apostolic life, or even being in relationship with an apostle as a disciple to becoming the ecclesia of the kingdom who have been truly come into apostleship!

Greg Crawford

apg@jiministrybase.com

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