Every Nation in Our Generation
Source: Every Nation in Our Generation: Recovering the Apostolic Mandate by Rice Brooks
Introduction: "The Tipping Point"
The Tipping Point is a moment of critical mass, the threshold or boiling point where a minor trend
suddenly surges to become a significant movement. There are moments when an individual or an
entire culture can be suddenly transformed for the glory of God. Sometimes big changes follow for
small events and sometimes these changes can happen very quickly.
Examples include the early church in Acts 19:20 where the preaching of the early church caused a
tipping point in the Roman Empire (the church went from a small, persecuted minority to see even
the emperor declare that Jesus was Lord. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed a set of theses - articles for
discussion - to the door of a church in Wittenberg, German that led to the Protestant Reformation.
In 1900 John R. Mott published a book, The Evangelization of the World in this generation, and the
student movement was born and over 25,000 young people became missionaries.
A tipping point moment is upon us - the rationalism of the Enlightenment has run out of gas and its
postmodern replacement has come up empty-handed as well. Pain, suffering and uncertainty about
the future has produced unprecedented openness among people to the Gospel.
Reggie McNeal, in Revolution in Leadership: Training Apostles for Tomorrow's Church, points out
several amazing parallels between the early Church and now: (1) Globalism - the dominance of the
Greco-Roman culture created a global village like today where Western culture with English as the
common language has spread across the world. (2) Religious Pluralism - there was and is today a
wide assortment of religious expression. (3) Heightened Spiritual Awareness - both eras are
characterized by a high degree of interest in spirituality.
The real challenge of our age is not the Left behind message of apocalyptic thinking, but whether
people get left out of God's purposes during such a critical time in history.
The Church is supposed to be a light to the nations of the world. For this to become a reality we
must recover and embrace the lost mandate Jesus gave to his disciples. In Matthew 28, Mark 16
and Luke 24 Jesus commissioned his disciples to "Go into all the world…preach the gospel…and
make disciples of all nations." These marching orders have come to be known as the "Great
Commission" and it should be at the heart of everything that we do. But this mandate has often
been lost, distorted or ignored.
The Great Recovery
To reintroduce and redefine this awesome task we have coined the phase "Apostolic Mandate" as a
synonym for the Great Commission. It is "apostolic" in that it focuses on the challenge of reaching
and discipling the world by sending "ambassadors of the Gospel" to plant churches in every nation
of the world. It is a "mandate" because it is a strategic commands from a higher authority 'to His
appointed representatives. As with any true mandate, it carries within it the power and the delegated
authority to ensure the mission's success. Also, it is a "mandate" because it is not optional or
reserved for members of some spiritual elite; these orders must be communicated to every person
who responds to the gospel message. From the very beginning, a convert should know that, by
coming to Christ, they are not only forgiven and placed in God's family through Jesus' death and
resurrection, but they have also been commissioned by Him to take the Gospel to the nations.
Church leaders must obey these orders and not allow them to be pushed down the priority ladder of
the church. Doing this will amount to a revolution in how every Christian lives his or her life, No
longer is the Apostolic Mandate the responsibility of a committed few; it is the mandate of every
believer.
Recovering the Message
In order to recover this mandate, we must also regain the apostolic message the early Church took
to the world: the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord. His substitutionary death and resurrection validated
His claim to being "…the way and the truth and the life" - the only way for man to redeem the
power of sin and come back to God. This conviction compelled the early church to go into the
entire world.
Recovering the Method
We have tried every method imaginable, without producing lasting result. While other religions and
ideologies thoroughly train their adherents, Christianity continues to act as if character and great
leaders will "just happen". Although Jesus spoke to the masses, His primary strategy was to pour his
life into twelve men. He then commanded them to go and do the same. In order to do this, the vital
ministries of Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12 must be recovered as well. It is the responsibility of
these ministries to "prepare God's people for works of service." The result will be the mightiest
force for the Gospel the world has ever seen, as people from every walk of life are trained to reach
their world for Christ.
Part 1: Vision
Every Nation in Our Generation
In 1999 Rice Brooks was challenged by the Lord to articulate the 2000-year-old Apostolic Mandate
in a fresh way to Morning Star International. A simple, memorable phrase came to mind: Every
Nation in Our Generation. He then researched the history of mission and discovered that 100 years
ago John Mott had released The Evangelization of the World in this Generation.
This phrase is a restating of the Apostolic Mandate given to the church by Jesus Christ before He
ascended into heaven. "Every nation" is the scope of the mandate. God had promised to Abraham
that He would bless all nations through him. "Our generation" is the timing.
This is a grand and glorious goal - but how will we get there? First, it is the church that is the
foundation and the pillar of the truth. Missionaries were to be sent out to function apostolically planting churches in every nation of the world. Second, their purpose was not just to save people
but to disciple the nations, teaching them to obey all the things that Christ has commanded.
Thirdly, the churches that were created were to must be places where people are Service
Evangelism free from the bondage of sin, trained ad then sent to salt their culture and the world.
These churches are to multiply, divide and spread.
The Motivation of the Mandate
Our ultimate motivation in embracing the Apostolic Mandate is love for God and our fellow man. It
was the Father's love for the whole world - not just one nation or people - that the Son was delivered
to the cross (John 3:16). As a people who are to follow in His footsteps, who are to model the
"greater love" that is willing to "lay down his life for his friends," our call to the nations should be
rooted and grounded in love and service (1 Peter 2:21 and John 15:13). But there is another factor
that is just as important as love (and can even be understood as another dimension of eternal love).
The Bible declares that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Often in the Book of Acts
we read that the fear of God fell on everyone present as the church experienced the presence and
power of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote: "knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men" (2
Corinthians 5:11). The Lord will return and there will be a day of judgment.
Part 2: Values
1. The Lordship of Christ
Despite mass decision to receive Christ as Saviour there is still mass defection. Surveys have shown
that 90% of people who respond to altar calls are not serving the Lord a year later. The reason is a
lack of emphasis on the Lordship of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 2:2 and 3:11. We have to restore the
uniqueness, the all-sufficiency, the dominion and pre-eminence of Christ, first in the church and
then in culture.
Jesus is the only Saviour: John 14:4. But he is more than that! Jesus is the Lord: God incarnate, the
Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is the almighty, eternal Son who took on the form of a
servant, humbling Himself to the point of death of the cross. With his resurrection, ascension and
exaltation in heaven, He received a name that is above every other name. Before that name ever
knee will bow and every tongue will confess - both in heaven and hell - that Jesus is Kurios - the
absolute supreme authority (Philippians 2:5-10). Jesus is God the Word made man (John 1:1,14).
A Christian is a follower of Christ - someone with a heart-felt willingness to obey his commands
and to turn away from evil (Luke 6:46). Jesus called his followers to surrender everything and to
follow him (Luke 14:27-30).
The death and resurrection of Christ are the focal point of our faith and the basis of our day-to-day
existence as well. Jesus said that if we want to follow him we have to take up our cross and follow
him. Paul's experience echoes this truth as well: Acts 9:15-16; Galatians 2:20.
Many times Jesus stressed the importance of his followers laying solid foundations (Luke 6:47-49).
Two essentials for a solid foundation are repentance and faith. This from-to pattern is found in the
phrase "repent and believe" and in scriptures like: Hebrews 6:1; Acts 2:36-38 and Acts 26:18. (1)
Repentance - this is turning away from our old life of sin (Luke 24:46-47; Acts 20:20-21; 26:19-20;
2 Peter 3:9). (2) Faith - a solid foundation is laid when we realize that we come before God with
nothing to offer - even if we were to live perfect lives of total dedication from conversion onward it
would not atone for the smallest of our sins.
There are three pillars that must be planted deeply. They are summed up by three Latin phrases used
by the reformers and they answer three questions: (1) Who saved us? Sola Christos - it is by the
merits of "Christ alone." If Christ had not die on the cross, we would be helpless. (2) Why did he do
this? Sola gratia - by "grace alone," and without respect to our own righteousness. If God had not
decided to save us through Christ, there would be no hope. (3) How do we receive this grace? Sola
fide - by "faith alone." Real faith means that we have turned to God and away from everything else
that opposes His Word.
2. Reaching Lost People
In the New Testament we often read of how Jesus was "moved with compassion" and began to
minister to people's needs (Matthew 14:14; 9:36). His love for people moved him to action. Paul
was also highly motivated to win people to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22) so much so that he even
offered to give up his own salvation so see his fellow country men saved (Romans 9:3).
While the seeker sensitive movement has been effective - we do need to question whether the
unconverted are really seeking (Romans 3:12). In many places it is the Christians who are the
seekers, imitating the One who came to "seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus was and is the
ultimate seeker. He sought out those who were lost; he told parables about looking for the lost and
he called lost people to become his disciples.
Other principles of effective evangelism: (1) The gospel is the power of God (Romans 1:16); (2)
The wisdom of God is needed to open hearts; (3) We need the right spirit - compassion and
patience; (4) We must pursue excellence in our presentations and (5) we must depend on the power
of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Heart of the Mandate: Discipleship
To see nations discipled we must start with individuals. Only a disciple who has been transformed
by Christ will have the faith, desire and commitment necessary to go out and attempt to transform
other cultures.
Discipleship is the process whereby men and women follow Christ, are trained in His Word, grow
to maturity and learn to replicate themselves in others. The imitative aspect of discipleship is made
clear in Paul's writings: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7.
An essential part of disciplemaking is discipline (Hebrews 12:5-8). A disciple is willing to be
accountable to someone.
Jesus told his followers that he wanted them to be fishers of men. Later he said that the kingdom of
God is like a net that is cast into the sea to catch both good and bad fish. Elsewhere we are told that
the means God uses to gather fish is the preaching of the Gospel. The fishermen who do the
preaching are the ones who have been sent. The net that the fishers of men use consists of the lives
of His people tied together and then drawn through the sea of humanity.
Key aspects of Disciplemaking: (1) The importance of destiny - Jesus began the process of
training his disciples by letting them in on the grand plans he had for their lives - ie. Fishers of men.
We must look people in the eye and call them to identify their purpose in God. Without this sense of
destiny, few people will have the faith and endurance they need to stand up under the trials that will
come to test and promote their growth (see 1 Timothy 1:18-19). (2) An attitude of victory disciples must believe that they have victory over sin in their lives. Unless they believe that victory
is possible they will not resist temptation. (3) The power of a holy life - Paul challenged believers
to engage I spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4-6) and he described what holiness in the area of
sexuality looked like (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). See also Titus 2:11-15. (4) Spiritual multiplication Jesus discipled twelve men and commissioned them to go unto the entire world, disciple nations and
teach them everything he had taught them. Paul identified young men that he could train to take his
place (2 Timothy 2:2). (5) The goal of discipleship is maturity - Our objective is to see disciples
grounded in the faith, building on solid foundations, living lives of holiness and obedience, and
actively working to reproduce the life of Christ in others. As they mature they need to step out on
their own and begin the cycle of discipleship and multiplication afresh. The goal of discipleship is
not to raise people who are too dependent on us! We are to set them on the road to maturity so that
they can stand on their own and help others get to that same place of strength! As discipling
relationships develop they move into mutual accountability.
Discipleship is the process that God has ordained to create leaders:
(1) Leaders come from disciples - ministries that attempt to add to the church only by big events,
find themselves constantly looking for leaders, advertising for leaders, going out to recruit leaders because rarely do they raise up leaders. Investing your time, money and effort in the Apostolic
Mandate, however, yields compound returns that continue to increase indefinitely.
(2) Leaders are trained in battle - the classroom is an important component of training but what is
being learned must be put into practice in life. Jesus spent a great deal of time training the twelve,
but he also sent them out periodically to exercise what they have learned. Mission trips, teaching
opportunities, apprenticeships, etc. are some examples of battle training that is needed.
(3) Leaders learn by serving other leaders - Joshua served Moses and later led the children of
Israel into the Promised Land. Elisha served Elijah and received a double-portion of his anointing.
Timothy served Paul and became his delegated authority to the churches in Thessalonica, Corinth,
Philippi and Ephesus. Mark was a servant of Peter, got to write down Peter's recollections of Jesus
in the Gospel of Mark and later became the bishop of the church in Alexandria. By serving leaders
in our church we are firstly, given an opportunity to learn, to draw from the deposit of grace and
wisdom that God has placed in that leader's life. Secondly, the place of service is an important one
as far as God working sovereignly and deeply in our lives. And thirdly, we are making a spiritual
investment that will be repaid to us many times over throughout the course of our lives.
(4) Leaders are coached - There are many people in the world who have been blessed with great
ability, but who will never see their full potential realized because they are either uncoached or
uncoachable. The job of a coach involves a lot more than passing on information and patting their
players on the back. The best coaches are those who can see what needs to be improved and then
provide the necessary correction. A good coach won't let you neglect or gloss over the
fundamentals. Because human nature tends to want to take the path of least resistance we need
people to hold us accountable. Also a good coach is never satisfied with anything less than your
very best. They continue to challenge you to reach a higher level and will refuse to allow you to
accept anything less. Some people don't take coaching well because they can't handle correction and
confrontation. Whether it is because of rebellion or insecurity, they are easily wounded or offended.
Effective leadership training, like coaching, is a combination of two things: potential leaders who
have a teachable spirit and teachers who know how to confront and correct in a way that lifts people
to a higher level.
(5) Leaders are found in clusters - for reasons known only to God, leaders are often found in
clusters around a particular event or person.
(6) Leaders can be women - this may be obvious to some, but it remains an area of uncertainty for
many. All that has been said about making disciples and training applies to women and to men.
(7) Leaders are instructed in the classroom - In listing the qualifications for a leader, the apostle
Paul primarily emphasized character, but also noted the vital importance of knowledge and biblical
understanding (Service Evangelism Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17). While classroom training
is no substitute for hands-on, real-life training, it is an indispensable supplement to the discipleship
process.
(8) Leaders recognise the gift of leadership - leadership is one of the gifts that God has given to
the church (Romans 12:6-8). Too often, we have confused the ability to preach and teach with
spiritual and organisational leadership. One of the keys to leadership training is recognising them
when we see them. Speaking of potential leaders, Jim Collins, co-author of Good to Great states:
"They exist all around us if we just know what to look for. And what is that? Look for situations
where extraordinary results exist but where no individual steps forward to take claim for the excess
credit. You will likely find a potential (great) leader at work." That is why we try to organise as
many short-term ministry opportunities as possible - leaders tend to be revealed when the heat is on.
Finding and training leaders is a process. We must resist the temptation to take shortcuts or to
ordain leaders too quickly. As much as we want to reach the world for Christ, we must not yield to
the pressure of putting people in leadership before they are ready.
4. The Greatest Harvest Field: Youth
Chapter 6 focuses on the importance of reaching youth. Youth are open and flexible, they are
impressionable, they are idealistic, they have capacity for faith and they are the treasure. In order to
change the world we must change the campus. Why should we reach the campuses? (1) The campus
is where the future leaders of society are located. (2) The campus is where movements have started.
(3) The values of the campus will become the values of society. (4) The campus is where the most
available, trainable masses are located. (5) The majority of those who become Christians do so
during their student years. (6) The campus is where thousands of international students from
unreached nations are studying and are very open to being reached for Christ. (7) God has promised
to pour out His Spirit in the last days upon sons and daughters.
5. Discovering Spiritual Family
Family speaks of identity, loyalty, boundaries and purpose. The Bible paints the picture of family as
the primary backdrop for all the teaching, commands and missions the church has been charged
with. Jesus encouraged his disciples to refer to Jehovah as "father". Paul referred to Timothy as his
"true child" in the faith. (1 Timothy 1:2) John wrote: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4)In discussing relationships, Paul wrote: "Treat older
women as mothers and younger women as sisters." (1 Timothy 5:1-2)
God builds people through family - in family, we find the necessary structures or "wineskins" to
preserve the work of God in the lives of His people.
The power of a family is seen in the following principles: (1) Exponential impact - when churches
work together in the context of spiritual family, they can accomplish amazing things as they pool
their resources. (2) The vision is kept alive - every time we come together in a conference or a
church service we celebrate our relationships and inspire one another in the calling of God on our
lives. (3) Team learning - we take advantage of the size of our family by communicating and
listening to one another. (4) Family is a model for building great organisation - God builds
through families. (5) Long-term view - we must view the work of the kingdom with the long-term
way we view our family relationships. (6) Promoting personal vision - in every family, each person
has their own individual needs and gifts - the challenge and joy of the local leadership s developing
those gifts and seeing them marshalled together to creatively accomplish the goal of reaching the
world.
How do we build family? (1) We need commitment with a purpose - we must talk about fulfilling
God's purposes through our local church and not just our own desires. Great things can be
accomplished when people are united and committed to a common purpose. (2) We must be
persistent - all relationships require that we push through the difficult rimes. It should not be easy
to pack up and leave the spiritual family. (3) We must guard our relationships - Satan is referred
to as the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10) - he is constantly attacking relationships in the
body of Christ. Our primary defence against him is speaking the truth in love to one another
according to the principles of Matthew 18. (4) We must pass down our growth and success rather than being full of pride about our achievements we must help others to achieve the
atmosphere of spiritual family. (5) We must avoid competitiveness - good parents always rejoice
when their sons and daughters exceed their own accomplishments. (6) We must avoid exclusivity God can move people around the family as He chooses. (7) We must emphasise prayer - one of
the main benefits from spiritual family is the power of answered prayer (1 Peter 3:7; Matthew
18:19-20).
Part 3: Mission
1. Recovering Apostolic Ministry
Charles Spurgeon, in answer to the question: "Why isn't the church accomplishing more in the area
of world missions?" said: "Because we have not apostolic men, they do not go about their work in
an apostolic style, they do not have apostolic churches backing them up, and they do not have the
apostolic influence of the Holy Ghost!" The concept of apostolic ministry has been rediscovered in
the twenty-first century. Dr Peter Wagner speaks of the New Apostolic Reformation and says that
the new apostolic churches are the fastest growing. Ministers and theologians from diverse church
backgrounds are rediscovering apostolic ministry.
Reggie McNeal, a pastor and leader within the Southern Baptist Convention, says: "Apostolic
leadership seeks to partner with God in His redemptive mission in the world. Leaders of this ilk
commit themselves to an agenda bent on transforming the world. This revolution begins with a
different way of thinking and doing church."
Paul, in Ephesians 4:11-13 said that God appoints leadership ministries in the church to equip the
saints for the work of the ministry. We are to be under these "coaches" until we all grow up and
reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
A. The Apostolic Mandate
Jesus gave a mandate to the eleven men that he had chosen and trained to be his disciples in
Matthew 28:18-20. The key points of the mandate are: (1) The disciples were empowered to preach
the Gospel, not only in word, but according to Christ's authority and by the power of the Holy
Spirit. (2) They were to go to every nation or people-group throughout the entire world. (3) They
were to make disciples of the nations, teaching them to observe all that Jesus had commanded them
- the new churches that were founded in the missionary journeys were to be centers for practical
instruction and discipleship, training people from every nation to both know God and make Him
known. (4) Jesus promised to stay with them at all times - until the job is done and the curtain
comes down on the end of the world's stage. (5) The promise extended beyond the eleven apostles now of them would be alive when the end of the ages comes. So this sending, empowering and
protecting extends to the Church throughout History.
God is a sending God (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10) - it is a primary demonstration of His love. Any vital
relationship with His is going to reflect this same focus. All sending is rooted in the very character
of God.
B. The Original Twelve Apostles
The ministry and mission of an apostle is exemplified by the original twelve who were called by
Christ, sent to new territories to preach the gospel with power and authority and to birth new
churches. These churches became bases from which the kingdom of God grew to impact the entire
culture. This mindset caused the early churches to grow from a small band of beleaguered believers
to the most influential force in the Roman Empire. The words apostle and apostolic come from the
Greek word apostolos, meaning "messenger" or "one who is sent'. The Latin equivalent is missio
and from this word comes the English words mission and missionary. So at a basic level, to be
apostolic means to function as a missionary in planting churches. This is precisely what the first
apostles did. Soon the churches that had been founded by the apostles became apostolic themselves,
reproducing and starting new congregations throughout their respective regions.
C. The Uniqueness of the Twelve
While there are many similarities with the first apostles and modern-day apostles, there are a few
differences. Jesus had a special relationship with a select few people among the many that followed
him (Mark 3:13-14). They validated their message by stressing that they had been eyewitnesses of
the foundational events surrounding the Christian faith (Luke 24:48, Acts 2:32, 3:15, 5:32, 10:39,
13:31, 26:16). This is also seen in the guidelines needed for a person to replace Judas (Acts
1:21-22). The unique authority of the original apostles resulted in their words being accepted as
Holy Scripture. We often speak of the original twelve apostles, but was this group limited to
twelve? In fact, as many as 21 people were called apostles in the New Testament (including
Matthias, Paul, Barnabas, James and Silas). Those who had been sent and graced with the call to
birth new churches held the office as well.
D. Characteristics of Modern-Day Apostolic Ministries
Ephesians 4:11 tells us that the five-fold ministry gifts Jesus gave to the church will continue until
we reach the unity of the faith. As the office of pastor, teacher or evangelist remains vital for the
healthy growth of the church, so the apostle and prophet are indispensable to the fulfilment of the
Apostolic Mandate. Yet, today's apostles have no authority whatsoever to speak or write ex
cathedra (infallibly). They are under the authority of Scripture just like any other believer. Every
word they preach and everything they do must echo the cry of the Bereans (Acts 17:11-14) and the
leaders of the reformation: Sola Scriptura - that is, "Scripture alone." As the apostolic gift helps
build local churches, the Scriptures ensure that the walls are straight (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). There
is also some confusion as to whether signs, wonders and miracles is a primary test of apostolic
ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 Paul indicates that not all who practise such acts are necessarily
apostles. Also, while the apostolic gifts should be accompanied by the miraculous, as was the case
with Peter and Paul, signs and wonders are secondary to the primary focus of winning souls and
planting healthy churches. What does apostolic ministry produce? (1) New Disciples - the primary
manifestation of apostolic ministry is the grace to win souls and to further them in the Lord - see 1
Corinthians 4:15, 9:2. (2) New Leaders - the apostolic gift also produces new leaders who in turn
produce new life. Jim Laffoon has said that those who do not birth sons will try to buy them. Jesus
poured his life into a few men who in turn were sent out as apostles. (3) New Churches - Birds fly,
dogs bark and apostles plant churches. Churches that make disciples and grow leaders will
inevitably end up planting new churches. (4) New Territories Pioneered - Paul said to the church
in Rome that he was hindered from visiting them because his highest priority had been to take the
Gospel into unreached territories (Romans 15:20-22). In our age, this includes places like the 10/40
window; previously evangelised places like Europe and the United States; areas defined by
ideology and culture (like Hollywood); and university campuses. (5) New Unity in the Body of
Christ - Apostolic ministry can unite both Christians and local churches around the Apostolic
Mandate - Anyone with a genuine passion to reach the entire world will view other believers and
congregations as allies. (6) New Strategies - The wisdom and understanding necessary to build
momentum, trigger exponential growth and impact, and produce a church that is able to transfer this
success across generations is available if we will just seek the face of God. (7) New Power, New
Miracles - We need a fresh outpouring of God's power if we are to overcome the forces of darkness
entrenched in many of the worlds nations and cities. In almost every nation where we start a new
work, something miraculous happens to open doors, establish churches and bear witness to Paul's
testimony: "For the gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy
Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Meeting needs and ministering in the power of the Spirit was an
integral part of Jesus' ministry. Jesus exercised the authority His Father gave him, and later granted
the same power to his disciples - telling them that they would do the things he did - and even greater
things. Peter Wagner wrote in The New Apostolic Churches: "I noticed that the churches worldwide
that seemed to grow the most rapidly were, for the most part, those that outwardly featured the
immediate present-day supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit."
The apostolic team must take their lead from the New Testament where we note that the apostles
worked in partnership to plant churches and establish them, with a godly government that would
ensure their protection and enhance their chance for success. Whether it' setting in elders (Acts
14:23; Titus 1:5), overseeing the planting of new churches (Acts 8), establishing them in the faith
(Romans 1:11), giving mandates for the Church to follow (Acts 16:4-5), protecting them from false
doctrine (Galatians 6:12-13) or mediating conflicts (Acts 15), the apostolic team should have an
ongoing relationship with local churches. The motive behind the majority of Paul's epistles was to
speak to the churches, encourage them, correct them and help them build an immune system against
the perils of this age and the viruses that would attack the body.
The apostolic heart is ultimately a father's heart for churches and their leaders. This is one of the
defining marks of those who possess this calling. Paul appealed to his role as a father repeatedly. He
didn't just demand this respect, but earned it through his actions. From birthing them into the
kingdom through his preaching, at times coming and ministering at his own expense, he proved he
was a true father with a pure motivation to help them succeed. Like a good father, he was concerned
for their well-being - almost to the point of being overprotective when it came to guarding the
people of God from those who would take advantage of them.
2. The Most Effective Form of Evangelism
Wherever there's a spiritual harvest, it can only be maintained through the planting of new churches.
Dr. Peter Wagner said: "The most effective form of evangelism is planting a church." Church
planting is at the heart of the Apostolic Mandate. Cities, too, are central to God's redemptive
strategy - the Great Commission begins with a city, Jerusalem - and culminates with another city the New Jerusalem - and in order to fulfil the Great Commission we must reach every city on earth
with the Gospel. If individuals can be transformed within cities, then family, neighbourhoods,
whole cities and nations can be transformed.
There are different types of church plants: (1) Transplanted congregations - here believers and
leaders are grown within a church and then are transplanted into a new community to start a church.
(2) Scattered seeds taking root - The Holy Spirit blesses seed that is scattered and a new church
grows. (3) The "come and help us" scenario - In Acts 16:9 we read of how the Macedonian call
came to Paul - today leaders are often invited to move to a city and begin a new church. (4) Small
group expansion - Some church plants grow out of transplanted small groups. (5) Apostolic
sending churches - Some churches are specifically burdened for, and effective at, birthing new
churches as they send teams to new areas. (6) Corporate church plants - Some church plants
involve a church looking for other churches to partner with as they start a church in a new area.
There are other strategies for church plants to consider: campus outreach; athletic outreach;
inner-city ministries and medical missions.
No matter what strategy is used for church planting, it is the responsibility of the apostolic team to
oversee the process. This involved creating clear lines of authority, deciding on who will be brought
in when there are areas of conflict, clarifying authority between emerging local leaders and leaders
from the sending team, and a clear plan to transfer responsibility for all aspects of the church to
pastors and elders that are appointed within the church plant.
3. A Light to the Nations
Throughout the Bible we read that nations belong to the Lord (Psalm 22:27-28) and that they have
been given to God's people as an inheritance (Psalm 2:8). In sending us to preach the Gospel, Jesus
commissioned us to claim what rightly belongs to the Lord and has been given, in turn, to us.
We need a vision for the nations and must pray for God to redeem them. The Church should be the
on-ramp to God's love and purposes for the people groups of the world. Whenever you enter a local
church, you should feel like you have stepped into another dimension of ethnic diversity and
international vision. The Church should reflect the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. It
should be a place where the heart of God who "so loved the world" is revealed and where "every
tribe and tongue and people and nation" are assembled.
The face of the church globally has changed: (1) Changing demographics - In 1982, for the first
time since the second century, the majority of Christians in the world are neither Caucasian not
Western. By the year 2000, 56 percent of the church was located in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
By 2025, David Barrett projects that this group will comprise 65% of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is declining in North America, all but dead in Europe and booming in Africa, Asia and
Latin America. (2) Changing churches - In 1900, charismatics/Pentecostals accounted for a half a
percent of all professing Christians, yet today, one in four church members is a member of a
Pentecostal or Charismatic church. The number of Pentecostal believers should surpass the one
billion mark before 2050.
How do we recover a global impact? (1) See the big picture of God's kingdom and purpose God has a heart for the world and seeking God's kingdom involves getting involved with the plans
and purposes that flow from His heart. (2) View the church as a mission base - The mission of the
universal Church, as well as the local church is ever expanding - the mandate Jesus game His
disciples was to go to Jerusalem (the city), then Judea (the state), Samaria (bordering nations) and to
"the remotest part of the earth." Every church, at every stage of growth and maturity, has to be
connected with God's heart and vision for the whole world. Only as the local church sees its reason
for existence as missions can it really be a truly biblical church. (3) Build a global team - not only
should churches work within their community, but they should seek to build connections across the
globe to help with their mission. (4) Develop strategic partnerships - local churches need to be a
part of a co-ordinated mission efforts. Churches must learn what secular corporations figured out
years ago - that if you don't compete well globally, then you are destined to lose both globally and
at home. (5) Submit to the authority of those who do the sending - In Romans 10:14-15 Paul
made it clear that people need to be sent. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard multitudes in
Samaria were becoming believers "they sent them Peter and John." (Acts 8:14). (6) Use strategic
resources - Sending an American family into a foreign culture where they have to learn a new
language is expensive, sometimes dangerous and usually a slow process. Western missionaries have
sometimes gone into the field carrying with them some unnecessary "baggage" - a conscious or a
subconscious attitude of superiority and a tendency to view the Gospel through the lens of a western
worldview. The most effective way of reaching, establishing and multiplying the church in
non-Christian nations is by winning and training indigenous missionaries; that is, by raising up
leaders from among their own people. One strategic area to focus on is reaching international
students at Universities, discipling them and sending them back to their nations to take up positions
of strategic spiritual and cultural importance.