Apostles, along with the prophets, are the foundation of the church. The church is:
“built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20)
Also 1 Cor 3:10
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder…..”
God gave to the Church first apostles and then prophets (1 Cor 12:28). Why? Because the apostles and prophets determine and preserve the DNA of the church. Without them the church goes astray and begins to move outside this.
Today I believe that the apostolic ministry still exists but obviously the ministry of the 12 Apostles (13 including Paul) finished with them. But we still need the input of apostles in our churches, just as in the Early Church. Today this doesn’t happen a lot. Without it churches don’t grow as quickly as they should or grow unbalanced, causing all sorts of problems.
See more at APOSTOLIC MINISTRY: 7 CHARACTERISTICS OF APOSTLES
So we need the input of apostles. But apostles should not work alone. They need to work in teams to be the most effective. There are 4 essential keys to building an apostolic team:
1.Realise the necessity
Jesus at the start of his ministry began to recruit and disciple an apostolic team of 12 and then released them to minister with him or separately. But it doesn’t need to be 12. Paul recruited Silas, then Timothy and then lots of others:
Churches can be started by apostles or by evangelists but if the latter the new church will need apostolic input. We see this when Jews from Cyprus and Cyrene evangelise the Greeks in Antioch, starting a church there. Immediately, the Jerusalem Church send an apostle, Barnabas, to the Antioch Church to instruct it in the key foundations (Acts 11:22). Such was the excellent job done here that it became the first Gentile missionary sending church! (Acts 13:1-3)
2. God provides an apostolic team
We see this when he arrived at Corinth for the first time. He quickly encountered Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish Christian couple and he stayed with them as they were tentmakers and he worked alongside them, as well as involved them as part of his apostolic team (Acts 18:2-3).
Afterwards Paul takes them to Ephesus as part of his apostolic team, quickly preaches in the synagogue and moves on quickly to Caesarea, then Antioch, then back through Galatia to strengthen the disciples, but leaves Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus to pioneer the work there! (Acts 18:18-23):
“Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila…..They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila.”
An apostolic team can include women. Paul brought in Priscilla, who late becomes the more prominent between her and her husband in the ministry, shown by Luke putting Priscilla’s name first later.
3. We need to encourage young people onto our apostolic team
It appears that Jesus chose mostly or all young people as his 12 disciples. Why? Because younger people are more willing to learn and more flexible. Jesus needed this. Paul did the same, recruiting John Mark, a teenager (Acts 13:5), who later becamevan outstanding missionary in Egypt and wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Also later Timothy (Acts 16:1-3), a young man probably in his 20s:
Paul “came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
Timothy was ideal for the work, having a strong faith, an evangelist and understanding both the Jewish and Greek cultures.
Today we see the same ficuson youth in football. In the Premier League, a number of top teams are having to rebuild. Their managers are choosing to bring in younger players onto the first team, who are more able to adapt to the style of the manager and work in the way that he wants. At Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has done this with great results, moving Arsenal from eighth position to fourth at the time of writing.
The same with church planting and apostolic input.
4. Train your team
They are not there just to help you. Develop them, their character and gifts. Release them in ministry. Paul left Timothy to oversee several churches. Train up new apostles. In 1 Tim 3 Paul instructs Timothy how to choose church leaders and deacons and in both his letters to Timothy, is clearly training him personally and in how to oversee churches.
Conclusion
Are you an apostle? Then don’t work alone. Raise up an apostolic team. For more on this read
RAISING UP APOSTLES: 4 WAYS TO IDENTIFY AND RELEASE
Are you in senior leadership at a church? Seek apostolic input.
Do you want a heart with apostolic passion? My book GRACE OUTPOURINGS: 21 DAYS REVIVAL DEVOTIONAL is designed especially to help stir us up to have an apostolic heart, with stories that include many apostles. Do read for a great devotional experience.