An Apostolic Adventure – Part 1

Apostolic adventure

What has been done in our sphere (through others and us, and in us), has been done in part because our apostolic leaders saw something in us, they trusted us, and encouraged us, and risked with us! The second side of the apostolic leadership action coin that has provided an authority in the spiritual realm, is that there have been in some ways many  “Acts 13” moments where the apostolic was recognized… that there came (and will continue to come) moments of actual release… when God releases, He gives apostolic\kingdom minded people the authority to recognize those who are being released… a mantle came upon Paul and Barnabas when they were recognized in their gifts… they did not appoint themselves. As Dudley has built away from himself we have all sought to build away from ourselves… and have given the same instruction and training to others so that we might all enjoy an ever developing apostolic adventure. This is perhaps what our present ‘conversation’ is all about.[1]  Viewed in this light, the Jerusalem gathering was not principally about a re-ratification of Paul and Barnabas, but rather about a vital apostolic conversation that would radically transform their future. [2]

While in the Canadian Rockies recently, I made an attempt to get my car up a mountainside. The only way to the top was to go back and forth as each twist and bend took me nearer to my objective. The apostolic adventure may contain many similar twists and bends portrayed by the different emphases that emerge at each turning point, but wise travelers do two things, first they never lose sight of the direction from which they came, and second, they are not discouraged by the changes they need to make to get to their destination (E.g., working out truths in tension – wine and wineskin, ‘go’ and ‘stay,’ focus and flexibility, rootedness and release, foundation and fluidity, grace and truth, mercy and sacrifice, ‘among us’ and ‘beyond us,’ making decisions and inviting opinions etc..) – they are egged on into deeper maturity, into constant adjustment, until they are “transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory” (let us not lose our hair at the hairpins)

Some introductory points of our journey:
o    Nothing will shepherd our unfolding journey better than a revelation of enduring apostolic and prophetic relationships. Any system (even a very organic one) cannot do that.
o     A revelation of enduring relationship with God and through Him with one another (in the case of this conversation perhaps more specific to the ‘tribe’ than universal) is what has grown to a common set of biblical values, and it is in those values that we each choose to identify and invest. Determining those biblical values is what has developed the close friendships that a long journey will require of us… we will be tested in these!
o    16 key values that we know are essential to our future journeys (some which may be similar (or overlap) have been shown separately for emphasis)

• No hierarchies – an example of non-hierarchical fluidity is evident in the Jerusalem apostolic gathering.[3]  And again at a local gathering of apostles and disciples to choose deacons.[4]  Paul clarified this value also in the third chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians.[5]  We see throughout Scripture, the pattern of circles within and alongside and away from circles in a fluid expression of similar\like hearts operating with the breadth, depth, length and width of God’s Love in diversity.[6]  Non-hierarchical leadership applies in every context including our view of evolving apostolic spheres – in the local and in the trans-local! Which begs the question: Why would we accept many church leaders in relationship through a common set of values, and not accept many apostolic teams in similar functional unity of values in one organic tribe?
• Non-imposed leadership, but invited – Paul, who could have ordered Philemon to do what he ought, chose rather to appeal to him on the basis of love.[7]  This is borne out also in Jesus’ response to John who had questioned the anointing in someone who “was not one of us!”[8] Jesus replied, “Do not stop him… for whoever is not against us, is for us!”  And again when Jesus heard that his disciples were baptizing more people than John the Baptizer’s disciples he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee – He exemplified a model of openhandedness – His hope was in the Father [9] … and he had done everything in his power not to dishonor his relative. Separating from John the Baptizer in that instance did not translate to a breakdown in either His relationship with or His love for him! What we are looking for is a revelation of relationships that does not close the circle down on any sphere, but keeps the doors open, as everyone prefers others, and opens doors, and continues to build away from themselves… [10]
• “Flexible, organic, biblical wineskins that facilitate an ever expanding kingdom” (Dudley Daniel) – “The seed on good soil grew up…”[11]  Flexible wineskins are not claustrophobic – i.e. carnal, comparing, contained, compressed, critical, or ‘concerned.’ They should instead create space! Flexible wineskins are not a toned-down version of the papacy – such as a charismatic papacy! A friend suggested a model that launches planets rather than creating a planet around which moons revolve.  The first church I planted almost 30 years ago was submitted to a centralized apostolic team of relationships built around a central dogma – the trouble was that the moment anyone stopped supporting the dogma the relationships were gone!

I can think of three cautions that will help the language of the kingdom to continue to be flexibly expanded and developed, first, that we do not forget Dudley’s teaching of “to some I am…” (If we adhere to it, I sense we will continue to safeguard against ambition). Second, to avoid the excessive facets of the “THE team” and the “MY team” mindsets (overemphasis in these will create mistrust in our relationships, and hinder our fluid partnering), and third, where it concerns our friendships, that we steer clear of the “in or out” and the “us and them” mindsets (they are judgmental, stifle breadth of vision, and will hinder our engagement in new and fantastic co-laboring initiatives under God’s expanding kingdom)). God will favor whom He chooses, and increase what He chooses. If we keep our hearts pure and devoid of ambition we will be fine, if not, we will soon be fragmented! To the disciples ambitious for position Jesus said, “But you are not to be like that…” [12]

• Real, relevant, radical and relational community [13]
• Radically Word-based [14]
• Centrality of Christ as King,[15]  and of the Cross [16] – where Christ gets the preeminence, and not our techniques – where we say “It’s not I that lives, but Christ in me!” Not trying to make things happen anymore at every level.
• God bringing the local church to center stage [17]
• Living in the sustained Presence of God
• Doctrinal purity and practice.[18]  Sound theology does not build a whole theology around one verse
• Family roles and gender distinctives [19]
• Truth before friendship [20]
• Friendship before function [21]
• Covenantal relationships [22] – Honesty and integrity based relationships  – not “if things do not work out, I’ll play my guitar elsewhere…” – not “I want you to speak into my life” and when we do they defend, or attack. A people asking, “what is best for the church,” and not “what is best for me.” A team-minded people in every way.
• Eldership led churches (All bible New Testament churches – Dudley Daniel) submitted to apostolic teams led by apostles. No self appointed ministry (local or trans-local). Walking in the authority that comes when leaders\teams are in submission (not ‘get a ministry and go and do it’)[23]
• Ongoing input of apostolic teams (with proper recognition of the distinctive functioning of each of the five ascension gifts – each 20%, all together 100%) into elders and churches. [24]
• Effective Church strategy that is bible based – not: “if it works do it, but New Testament!
• Preparing all believers for leadership to the 4th generation and beyond [25] – not an exclusive thing – they can all be leaders – all our preaching is to bring them through (“Every believer a leader” Dudley Daniel). Not looking for ministry, but equipping others for ministry.
• Going to the nations – the message of the Kingdom – Acts 1:8 (“Go, unless God has told you to stay” – Chris Wienand) [26]

o    To avoid the “prodigal syndrome” (leave when dissatisfied), or the “older brother syndrome” (endure even if I disagree), we will need to remember our values. These values (wine and wineskin) emanated from our relationship with God and are confirmed by his Word. At a ‘fathers’ time’ with Dudley seven years ago we asked Dudley what he would like to see after he is gone. Dudley replied that he would like us to get these values to such a degree that the next generations get it more and more, and not less and less…
o    In every house are the pioneers and the settlers (and almost everyone else in between). Jesus shows the proper attitude of a father when faced by the worst possible relational consequences (Luke 15) – the father waits for both the prodigal (impatient pioneer), and the older brother (frustrated settler), to come to understand the meaning of a father’s love. That father’s love did not vary despite the fact that neither of his sons understood it – it was their perceptions that changed in the end. The most important lesson of the parable, however, is that the father never imposed his love on either of his sons, and yet he never stopped loving them… what kind of a father is this? It is the kind of leaders this world is waiting to see! We’re learning, it’s painful, it’s precious, but it’s important.
o    If we hold tighter onto what we have built than onto the values that helped us build it, we may find our spheres reducing. E.g., the facilitation and recognition of their needs or talents was less than what both the impetuous pioneer and the frustrated settler of Luke 15 needed – they needed to understand their father’s love (the value is in intimacy, and not allegiance)! In the last verse of the Old Testament, God makes a declaration that He would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children (Hebrew: Bën – son\daughter, descendant, offspring, a term of endearment), and the hearts of children to their fathers, or else he would strike the land with a curse. [27] This astounding statement highlights two things. First, that God intends to place all that He builds into family (the word “their” signifies specific covenantal relationships), and second, that He would hold Himself to account to fulfill the prophecy, since He had said that if He failed He was committed to cursing it – in other words, there was NO chance He would fail. Though the concept of “fathers” is not new,[28]  one should not lessen the view that in a major way the word is used to explain what they were “doing” (verb), and not on being named “father,”[29]  or on their position.
o    God’s dealings over us will help us choose a revelation of relationship over a relationship with our particular revelations. In this process patience is key, since it determines timing. Lot had correctly seen the Promised Land, but failed in that he chose it at the wrong time, and at the expense of his relationship with Abraham. [30] Abraham’s “father” heart, on the other hand, never wavered in the rescue of his nephew. [31] Fathers view those who “leave” very differently, and because of it, they are usually the first able to celebrate a returning son…

About the different facets of our developing adventure
If I may have the liberty to use the three options (in and under, in but alongside, and out but alongside – Chris Wienand), adding a fourth (out and away), and looking at them in a different (not better) way representing what Sharon and I are personally seeking to build in this new season in our sphere (which includes you). At the outset it needs to be said that the use of “in” or “out” terminology to describe the functioning of friends, is problematic, and is thus used here only to describe the sociology of apostolic community making. The apostolic ideal is that accountable friendships and relationships are allowed the freedom to evolve and become in time all that God wants, irrespective of wineskin (our definition of what in truly is, and what out truly is, will change over time – we need to be patient), even if there is disagreement and differences of interpretation (the clearly unbiblical excepted). The overriding criterion of any apostolic conversation has to be to keep a firm eye on what God says and does! God is jealous over those biblical values we hold dear, and will hold us to them! [32]

What are they?
In and under (Like the older brother, or even like Silas or Timothy and others who were happy to serve on Paul’s team as ‘sons’ (1 Corinthians 4), or as “fellow workers” such as Luke etc…)

In and alongside (Like Peter and Paul at Antioch (Galatians 2) and again in Acts 15) (since their respective spheres crossed, their values needed to be elucidated through confrontation, encouragement or other accountable responses)

Out and alongside (Like Paul and Apollos (1 Corinthians 3, Acts 18) (obvious mutual respect while making allowances for differences, and different relational circles etc…)

Out and away (Like the prodigal perhaps, or by those leaving the “tribe” with more legitimate concerns such as Barnabbas did Paul for a season, and also by those called to build differently, in diverse places, and with different values, but that are no less legitimate)
o    To concretize stages or facets and use them to define structural consequence is for me less than helpful, since no one facet contains within itself either the power to derail our adventure or to ensure its continuance. Needless to say, too tight a definition of right and wrong leads to unrighteous or premature judgment (such as, in some instances, the “in or out” thinking). Can anyone say that they are fully right on any subject? Paul reminds us that knowledge puffs up (‘revelation’ without relationship), but love builds up (revelation of relationship). [33]
o    Fluidity of spheres predicate\require a fluidity of ideas – being stuck in our ideas will result in us being stuck in our ways… (i.e. one size fits all is not reality). The value of continual growth in Christ (effective change) will consequently require an ongoing reexamination of the efficacy of the vehicles that support it to prevent them becoming hindrances rather than helps.
o    Not one of the above facets of various unfolding apostolic journeys is right or wrong in itself… i.e. can definitely skew our apostolic adventure… e.g. “in and under” is not necessarily for me indicative of a slant toward denominationalism (though a possibility, if it is “required”), but a wrong relational heart is more likely to do that… (“For out of the heart come…” [34] )
o    Whether each of the above facets results in denomination, fragmentation, or more happily in transformation (I agree that the facet most likely to facilitate ongoing development for us presently on this apostolic journey together is the “in and alongside” – though this, and its vehicles, should not be imposed on anyone), will depend on our revelation of relationship with each other. A revelation of relationship is both the spark and sustainer of following the indispensable characteristics described as: accountability, a culture of referencing (inviting input, multiplicity of counsel), of preferring others, of humility, of respect, of bold leadership, of sacrificial service, of honor of what God is doing through others, of opening doors, and of creating a healthy environment whereby leaders can be equipped and released, of administering to instances of differences in opinion and interpretation of Scripture, of walking with allies, of not stumbling in our mandate to fulfill the Great Commission – none of these characteristics can be legislated to by system, or by rule and regulation.

Final comments:
Paul honored the past, and built into the future. He did not preserve the past at the expense of fighting for the future. The Scriptures teach that honor begets honor.  Jabez’s success was less due to the details of his prayers, than that “he was more honorable than his brothers” and that he prayed with faith…. [35] Paul showed the value of honor through his efforts in Acts 15 to work together, but not under those leaders whose testimony he respected but did not necessarily agree with.[36]  He made every effort, however, in as much as it was in his power to do so, to take the past with him into the future.[37]   It may be that this is what Jesus meant for us today when He stated that heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old. [38] The challenge for us will be to find greater liberty in our steps without losing the loving relationships that safeguard that liberty. We have to see what is “freeing” among us and encourage everyone. Why would any of us want to take what is freeing and confine it into what is bound… we all need to get on with what God has called us to do… What some “do” or “do not do,” therefore, may still be part of our continuing apostolic adventure, and we each ought to continue to carry the responsibility of serving our relationships as God leads us, both with Him, and with all those God has called us to be with in various kinds of relationships.

There is no way to systemize relationships – Dudley taught us not to do what is best for us, but to do what is best for the sheep\church… I hazard a guess that the days ahead will reveal that what we disagree on will do more to test our revelation of relationship than what we agree on, but we should never forget the reason why God has brought us together! I am reminded of the wise words spoken by Oswald Smith (People’s Church in Toronto). He said that any church (or any flow or sphere – italics added by me) that is not seriously involved in fulfilling the Great Commission has forfeited its right to exist!

God is saying: “I am opening up doors for you… but you have to do it well!” let us do it well, both in the areas “among us” and in the areas “beyond us!” [39] It is perhaps stating the obvious, but of the three signs of an apostle evident in 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians 12, the third trumps the first two – ‘children born,’ and ‘signs and wonders’ both depend, in my opinion, on our ‘perseverance.’

Love you all. Loys
10th October 2008

Notes
[1] 4 keys to building an apostolic architecture: First, consecrate – beginning with God, and prayer. Second, consider – finding our identity, clarity, prophecy, information, settling issues in the heart, examination, reflection, and considering our way carefully. Third, converse – engaging the right people, at the right time, seeking truth, speaking truth in love. Fourth, construct – deciding on distinctives and specifics, proper application, partnership, works, building the pattern set out in Scripture, equipping, releasing, and going.
[2]Acts 15
[3] “The apostles and elders, with the whole church decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas” Acts 15:24
[4] “Choose seven men from among you…” Acts 6:2-3
[5] “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” 1 Corinthians 3:3-7
[6]  Roman 10:12, Acts 8:18-19, John 14:4-16, John 8:14-18, John 5:36, Luke 19:12-27, Luke 12:13-15. Numerous other examples of hierarchical thinking exist particularly in the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy and 1 and 2 Chronicles
[7]  Philemon 8, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
[8]  Mark 9:38-40
[9]  John 4:1-3
[10]  1 Corinthians 3
[11]  Mark 4:8-28, and also: Luke 5:37-38, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Ephesians 2:21, Acts 12:24
[12]  Luke 22:26
[13]   1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Galatians 2
[14]  Micah 2:7, Matthew 22:29
[15]  Ephesians 3:11, Luke 4:41, Acts 9:22, Acts 18:28, Mark 1:24
[16]  Matthew 10:38
[17]  Ephesians 3:9-10, 2 Corinthians 10, Hebrew 10
[18]  John 1:1, 14, Revelations 22:18-19, Matthew 5:17
[19]  Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Timothy 3, Matthew 18-19
[20]  2 John 7-11
[21]  Philemon 8
[22]  1 Corinthians 4, 12-14, Roman 12, John 17
[23]  1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5, Hebrews 13, Acts 19-21
[24]  Ephesian 2:19-22, Acts 13-14
[25] Timothy 2:2, John 17
[26]  Matthew 28 balanced with Luke 24
[27]  Malachi 4

[28]  1 Corinthians 4, Malachi 4

[29]  Matthew 23:9

[30]  Genesis 13

[31]  Genesis 14

[32]  “So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything but only God, who makes things grow” 1 Corinthians 3:7, also Matthew 25
[33] 1 Corinthians 8
[34]  Matthew 15:19
[35]  1 Chronicles 4:9-10
[36]  Compare, for example, the words of acts 15:20 with the following Scriptures: Roman 14:14-18, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
[37]  Romans 14:19
[38]  Matthew 13:52
[39]  2 Corinthians 10