Apostolic Maturity
Satan has strategies to thwart “harvest season” from occurring. We must examine God’s plan in more detail and expose the devices of the enemy that are used to cause God’s people to stumble and faint.
Eph 4:11,12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The role of ministry is to serve and not to lord over. A minister is not to dominate, be prideful, or boastful.
We as ministers are to LOVE and SERVE, We are to manifest Him, Who is the Shepherd of His sheep, and yet we are to always remain sheep ourselves. A minister not willing to wash the feet of the people should go into the desert of the Lord until he is ready to really lead God's people out of Egypt and through the wilderness and into the promise land. God gave us ministers to perfect us, and that word will not return to Him without accomplishing that task or mission as Isaiah declares. No matter how many foxes may have spoiled the vine, God says His vine will produce fruit and He intends on using His true shepherds to do it.
At times we feel like God's gifts are more like a curse. This is an area where we must mature. We are never under any obligation to receive any spiritual manifestation, or any word from a minister that the Holy Spirit is not revealing to YOU. Maybe it is just not God and it is bitter water coming forth, or maybe it is not the season for you to receive it. The Holy Spirit NEVER pressures you - He leads! It is the immaturity of God’s people that has allowed the false Shepherds to teach at their lovefeasts. God is saying that this is a day that the blame must be accepted by those that accepted the false doctrine, but I thank the Lord that the hurt we may have experienced because of our immaturity is healed because we serve a merciful God - Who draws near to us as we draw near to Him.
True ministry always causes completion not competition. They always serve with the result that the body becomes more mature; and they plant and water, so that the seed will grow to fruit bearing. True ministry always edifies. Edifying means the BUILDING UP of the body of Christ. What are we building? The temple of Christ, and God uses ministry to do it, but they are never to be your mediator or go-between. Jesus is your only go-between.
Eph 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
This verse pertains to God's plan, plain and simple. God's purpose is for unity of the faith to occur in the church. It will happen. There are some that say "unity of the faith" is that we all get along. Jesus' plan is for a unity that is based on us being complete in Christ. If you are not pressing on to completion then you are not unified. A church with contrary doctrines is not in unity. Jesus prayed a prayer that we would come into unity and it will happen.
John 17:21-23
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (NIV)
What glory and unity is observed by the world when we differ on so many doctrines and teachings?
There is only one doctrine and His Name is Jesus.
Every doctrine that does not give a true picture of Him is false doctrine.
Over emphasis or under emphasis of a series of teachings is NOT a TRUE PICTURE OF JESUS!
The Amplified Bible says UNITY "in the FULL knowledge of the Son of God". If we were really edifying the church, then we should see a church that has come into a “knowledge of Christ” and that we all see the same way. Amplified version continues; “that we might arrive at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality that is nothing less then the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him.”
I once went through a season of not serving God because of the disillusionment I found with the incompleteness I saw in this truth. God has set me in a place of grace where, if I am the only one on planet earth that believes these things that I see, and these things that I am persuaded of the Spirit by, I will continue to teach and walk, even if it costs me my own physical life. The children of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb for the “good report”, Steven WAS stoned immediately after giving His “good report” and we should not think it odd if we are honored to suffer the same fate. How can we do any less for Him Who bought us and became our dearest friend? We must be delivered from the fear of man and be only a God-fearing people.
Know this, that as you mature, you will obtain the character of Jesus. The character of Jesus is Love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and Galatians Chapter 5. However to become mature, God gave gifts. Gifts edify you. That is their purpose. When gifts are working in the Power and Wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit, then they will result in a building up that produces a temple held together by love. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 (the gift chapter) precedes chapter 13 (the love chapter). Paul starts chapter 12 with saying, "Do not be ignorant concerning gifts" and he ends the chapter with "earnestly desire the best gifts". Why? The gifts of the Spirit are an important part of the blueprint to build the temple of God.
In chapter 12 we also learn about love and unity. It is the cherishing of others who are in Christ. Most of us have learned how the human body is used to teach us unity. To teach how we are to love one another and that all of us have a place (concerning gifts) in the body. There are no useless body parts in this building project. You have a gift and you are called to edify. What we also need to see is a revelation of God's design for our human body. We understand the human physical body by observing the spiritual body. God's plan for the spiritual body, which is called the mystery of Christ and the church, was planned from the foundations of time. The mystery of the spiritual body concerning Christ and the church existed BEFORE ADAM! God designed our physical human bodies as a great lesson to communicate this TRUTH. Our physical bodies are to manifest the Purpose of God in the Earth. Observe the natural to see the spiritual and observe that the spirit of man and the body of Christ preceded this natural body in design. Therefore the unity in the body of Christ is observed through the unity of our physical body.
Unity is simply this, those who are in Christ, and have a relationship that is maturing in Him, Who is the Head; will then respond to the mind of Christ like our own physical body responds to our minds. When He moves we move, when He reveals - we will see, when He speaks - we cannot but proclaim. It does not matter as to geography, and it is something that cannot be obtained outside of maturity. Jesus is our head and He only has one mind!
Eph 4:11,12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The role of ministry is to serve and not to lord over. A minister is not to dominate, be prideful, or boastful.
We as ministers are to LOVE and SERVE, We are to manifest Him, Who is the Shepherd of His sheep, and yet we are to always remain sheep ourselves. A minister not willing to wash the feet of the people should go into the desert of the Lord until he is ready to really lead God's people out of Egypt and through the wilderness and into the promise land. God gave us ministers to perfect us, and that word will not return to Him without accomplishing that task or mission as Isaiah declares. No matter how many foxes may have spoiled the vine, God says His vine will produce fruit and He intends on using His true shepherds to do it.
At times we feel like God's gifts are more like a curse. This is an area where we must mature. We are never under any obligation to receive any spiritual manifestation, or any word from a minister that the Holy Spirit is not revealing to YOU. Maybe it is just not God and it is bitter water coming forth, or maybe it is not the season for you to receive it. The Holy Spirit NEVER pressures you - He leads! It is the immaturity of God’s people that has allowed the false Shepherds to teach at their lovefeasts. God is saying that this is a day that the blame must be accepted by those that accepted the false doctrine, but I thank the Lord that the hurt we may have experienced because of our immaturity is healed because we serve a merciful God - Who draws near to us as we draw near to Him.
True ministry always causes completion not competition. They always serve with the result that the body becomes more mature; and they plant and water, so that the seed will grow to fruit bearing. True ministry always edifies. Edifying means the BUILDING UP of the body of Christ. What are we building? The temple of Christ, and God uses ministry to do it, but they are never to be your mediator or go-between. Jesus is your only go-between.
Eph 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
This verse pertains to God's plan, plain and simple. God's purpose is for unity of the faith to occur in the church. It will happen. There are some that say "unity of the faith" is that we all get along. Jesus' plan is for a unity that is based on us being complete in Christ. If you are not pressing on to completion then you are not unified. A church with contrary doctrines is not in unity. Jesus prayed a prayer that we would come into unity and it will happen.
John 17:21-23
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (NIV)
What glory and unity is observed by the world when we differ on so many doctrines and teachings?
There is only one doctrine and His Name is Jesus.
Every doctrine that does not give a true picture of Him is false doctrine.
Over emphasis or under emphasis of a series of teachings is NOT a TRUE PICTURE OF JESUS!
The Amplified Bible says UNITY "in the FULL knowledge of the Son of God". If we were really edifying the church, then we should see a church that has come into a “knowledge of Christ” and that we all see the same way. Amplified version continues; “that we might arrive at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality that is nothing less then the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him.”
I once went through a season of not serving God because of the disillusionment I found with the incompleteness I saw in this truth. God has set me in a place of grace where, if I am the only one on planet earth that believes these things that I see, and these things that I am persuaded of the Spirit by, I will continue to teach and walk, even if it costs me my own physical life. The children of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb for the “good report”, Steven WAS stoned immediately after giving His “good report” and we should not think it odd if we are honored to suffer the same fate. How can we do any less for Him Who bought us and became our dearest friend? We must be delivered from the fear of man and be only a God-fearing people.
Know this, that as you mature, you will obtain the character of Jesus. The character of Jesus is Love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and Galatians Chapter 5. However to become mature, God gave gifts. Gifts edify you. That is their purpose. When gifts are working in the Power and Wisdom of God through the Holy Spirit, then they will result in a building up that produces a temple held together by love. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 (the gift chapter) precedes chapter 13 (the love chapter). Paul starts chapter 12 with saying, "Do not be ignorant concerning gifts" and he ends the chapter with "earnestly desire the best gifts". Why? The gifts of the Spirit are an important part of the blueprint to build the temple of God.
In chapter 12 we also learn about love and unity. It is the cherishing of others who are in Christ. Most of us have learned how the human body is used to teach us unity. To teach how we are to love one another and that all of us have a place (concerning gifts) in the body. There are no useless body parts in this building project. You have a gift and you are called to edify. What we also need to see is a revelation of God's design for our human body. We understand the human physical body by observing the spiritual body. God's plan for the spiritual body, which is called the mystery of Christ and the church, was planned from the foundations of time. The mystery of the spiritual body concerning Christ and the church existed BEFORE ADAM! God designed our physical human bodies as a great lesson to communicate this TRUTH. Our physical bodies are to manifest the Purpose of God in the Earth. Observe the natural to see the spiritual and observe that the spirit of man and the body of Christ preceded this natural body in design. Therefore the unity in the body of Christ is observed through the unity of our physical body.
Unity is simply this, those who are in Christ, and have a relationship that is maturing in Him, Who is the Head; will then respond to the mind of Christ like our own physical body responds to our minds. When He moves we move, when He reveals - we will see, when He speaks - we cannot but proclaim. It does not matter as to geography, and it is something that cannot be obtained outside of maturity. Jesus is our head and He only has one mind!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Apostle James Williams on
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That's right Man of God , Apostolic Maturity is when the Apostolic Teams are walking in their perfection ( maturity ), Paul talk about a level of knowing Jesus that every Apostolic Movement needs to experince, so that the level of maturity is tested AND NOT MIMIC, for he said I want to know Him in the Fellowship of His Suffering and the Power of His Ressurection, true Apostolic Maturity (Perfection ) can only be a reality when it is tested and we come out with fellowship with God, how can I take a people to places I am not willing to go,and how can the Spirit of God lead me where I am in not willing to go,We need to see the Power of God raise us up out of situations,bring us out,so now real Maturity is the Apostolic Teams that has been tested and maintained Fellowship to God, to now be used in return to perfect the Saints, and to edify the body of Christ, notice Maturing Saints ( the word Saint is Most Holy ) you know Holy was good enough for us,but the word means most Holy, but yet we have to Mature them and we need someone Maturing us ,and then edifying is next, building one another up in Knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,but we need first some Most Holy to Mature, to teach and give examples of how to live as an adult Christian under pressure,in marriages,in business practices,etc.,so we can build with knowledge, for the most part we have been giving knowledge before signs of maturity , and finding out people can not handle marriage problems, job problems,church problems, whatever fire that they are in they show that they are nothing but fleshly, natural babies like the ones Paul rebuked 1 Cor 3,we need Apostles that are placed in the Body to bring the proper order to the church development, to be concern about MATURITY IN THE MOST HOLY,so we can stop giving more knowledge to the most unholy,and then turn around and put them over people because of their charisma (Gift ) Amen !!! God Bless You ,keep laying down the Law of the Spirit.for the Bible says the Law shall be in the Priest Mouth Amen !!!
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Permalink Reply by Apostle Jerry A. Howard on
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Apostle,
Thank you for the reply. Let's connect...
Apostle Jerry A. Howard -
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