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
2. 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

3. 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
4. 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

5. 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

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

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

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

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

6. 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)
7. 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)
8. 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)

9. 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
10. 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
This teaching on the 'Apostolic Call' is taken from the Blow the Trumpet in Zion Manual - Session 12, by Nicholas Jackson