| Apostolic People | ||
| World Harvest Church > About Us > Vision |
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| A church with an apostolic dimension produces apostolic people. • Apostolic people live for the vision of winning the world for Christ by mentoring disciples in all places. 1. Live for the Great Commission Since the Great Commission is apostolic in nature and the Church is apostolic in its existence, every Christian can live with an apostolic vision. Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT). • 'Go and make disciples of all the nations ' is a command given with the highest authorization, in heaven and on earth. It has also the widest coverage—'all the nations'. • 'Make disciples' is the method for accomplishing the Great Commission. Christ takes the world by training twelve disciples to launch the process of multiplying disciples, starting from Jerusalem until it covers all the nations of the world (see Matthew 9:35-10:4, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). • 'Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you ' means the process of making disciples is by teaching them what you are taught. • Accomplishing this commission will have the authentication of Christ's presence with us, until the end of human history. As t he apostles went everywhere and preached the gospel, Christ was there 'working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs' (see Mark 16:20). 2. Multiply disciples to win all people Apostolic people multiply disciples to win all people at all places over the world. Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying … Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1a, 7a NKJV). • Disciples multiplied quickly all over Jerusalem in the first three years. It spread to Antioch which is five hundred kilometers in the north in the next three years. In just twenty-two years, it impacted the Roman Empire. a. Continuity of multiplication The commitment to multiply disciples determines the continuity of multiplication. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV). • Paul, Timothy, and the 'faithful men who are able to teach others' are three generations of able disciples committed to multiply disciples. • 'The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob' expression shows a spiritual legacy must last three generations to continue further (see Exodus 3:15). • All three generations of disciples must commit to the vision of making disciples to repeat the process continually. b. Speed of multiplication The number of disciples each generation makes will decide the speed of the multiplication. • Christ ministered to the multitudes but called only twelve persons to be His disciples to start a movement of making disciples for capturing the spiritual harvest that was too great for one person to reap (see Matthew 9:35-10:2a). • 'Twelve' in Jewish usage signifies 'government'. The twelve patriarchs headed the tribes of Israel (see Genesis 35:22-26; Exodus 28:21). Solomon appointed twelve governors over Israel (see 1 Kings 4:7). Christ appointed twelve founding apostles for the Church (see Luke 6:12-16). • Having twelve disciples committed to make twelve disciples each, you will have a spiritual network to win the world. It is possible to evangelize the world fully in our time! If you imitate Christ to train twelve disciples, and they each also make twelve disciples, you will have: • 12 disciples in the next-generation, • 144 disciples in the third-generation, • 1,728 disciples in the fourth generation, and • 20,736 disciples in the fifth generation. • 12 9 is 5,159,780,352 and 12 10 is 61,917,364,224. The tenth generation is far larger than the world population. c. Volume of the multiplication Quality of the disciples determines the volume of the multiplication. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5b NKJV). • 'He who abides in Me, and I in him' speaks of unreserved dedication to Christ. 'Bears much fruit' is a promise of good success for committed disciples. • Total loyalty to Christ opens up a channel of overflowing blessings to your life. Your impact will go beyond the effort you put in. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you (John 15:16 NKJV). • Christ handpicked dedicated disciples for continuous overflowing success. 3. Pouring your life on disciples Making disciples is spiritual parenting, pouring your lives on theirs until their lives can reflect Christ (see Colossians 1:28-29). I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:14-17 NKJV). • 'Instructors' or teachers do not have a lifetime responsibility for their students. • A spiritual father 'begets' or 'parents' spiritual children. He pours his life on them lovingly to bring them up since their spiritual birth. This loving connectivity will sustain spiritual multiplication to go beyond the third generation. • A spiritual father is a role model having the right to 'warn' his spiritual children, speaking solemnly and lovingly into their hearts. • As a spiritual son who 'imitates' or patterns after his spiritual father to inherit his spiritual heritage, Timothy was able to remind the Corinthians the same things that Paul taught. But oh, my dear children! I feel as if I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives (Galatians 4:19 NLT). • The goal of spiritual parenting is to see the lives of the disciples fully reflecting Christ. a. Love them like a caring mother At the initial stage, you love the new believers tenderly like a caring mother. As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were as gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children. We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too. Don't you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that our expenses would not be a burden to anyone there as we preached God's Good News among you. You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were pure and honest and faultless toward all of you believers (1 Thessalonians 2:7-10 NLT). • A mother accepts and cherishes her baby dearly. Treasure your new believers and determine to bring them towards higher commitments progressively. • Being a good example to the disciples is imparting your life to them. Your good testimony forms a strong foundation for their spiritual growth. • Bringing up disciples is sacrificial; it takes much precious time and energy. b. Train them like a visionary father As the disciples are growing stronger, inspire them to live for the Great Commission. You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. We encouraged you, we urged you, and we insisted that you live good lives for God, who calls you to his glorious kingdom. Also, we always thank God because when you heard his message from us, you accepted it as the word of God, not the words of humans. And it really is God's message which works in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13 NCV). • A visionary father believes his children will do better than he did. He strives towards that vision all his life to make sure they will reach there. • Training strong disciples requires you to 'encourage', 'urge', and 'insist' on the vision. If your advice works in their lives, they will regard it as from God. • How they live with God's Word without your help and reminder shows that they have matured (see 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8; 2:17-20). c. Challenge them as a supportive brother Challenge them to be your fellow soldiers, taking the world for Christ together. Brothers and sisters, your experiences have been like those of God's churches in Christ that are in Judea. You suffered from the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and forced us to leave that country. They do not please God and are against all people. They try to stop us from teaching those who are not Jews so they may be saved. By doing this, they are increasing their sins to the limit. The anger of God has come to them at last (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 NCV). • 'Brethren', which means brothers and sisters, is used fifteen times in this letter but 'mother' and 'father' was used one time each. • They become your brothers or sisters when they can stand up for Christ against all testings, temptations, and sufferings. Treat them as comrades and release them to testify for Christ and face greater challenges. Expect them to do to others what you have done to their lives. • Your relationship with them is now vision oriented and apostolic in nature. Both fulfill the Great Commission. |
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