My dear brethren:

I would like to begin a series of teachings today on apostles and apostolic character. What is an apostle?

· An apostle is one who is sent out on a commission by another. The apostle himself is of no importance. John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

· The mission of the master, who sent him, and his precise representation of his master’s character and wishes, is the only thing that counts. John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

· He is an ambassador, being that he comes as sent to represent another. Therefore, apostles are messengers with the full credentials, and authority, of their master. Luke 9: 1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Briefly, the church depends on the apostles’ and prophets’ revelatory gifts to manifest Christ Jesus in His glory. A church can only build as effectively as the manifestation or revelation of Christ is within it! (Please remember that)

· 1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

· Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Programs and agendas alone will never ever create a healthy church. A church has little to do with programs and outreaches that are not based on the strict direction of Christ Jesus. A church has much to do in making the invisible Christ visible, through the effective operation of His Body. The great man of God Watchman Nee said, that the function of our assembling together for church is to meet with the living God. We must understand that only the very person of Jesus Christ filling, fulfilling, directing, governing, and speaking to a local congregation will ever produce something of lasting value.

· Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Ephesians 2:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. We need to see my beloved brethren, what is the true purpose of our churches. A local congregation is no more and no less than the body of Christ. That is to say, that Christ the head, is needy of a body that will complete Him, and give Him his fullness. As we need Jesus Christ to complete us, so Christ is incomplete without His church. If we go to church to listen to a sermon, we have missed the meaning of church. If we have a pastor who wants to operate a one-man show, we have missed the meaning of what church is all about. If we desire to be a bunch of pew sitters, we have missed the true meaning of church. Let me clarify once again this point because it is essential. The true purpose of a local congregation is to give completion to Christ Jesus on earth within itself. This is the meaning of glorifying Christ. The church does this by being His body, through the fulfillment of the ministries, which every member has been called to perform. There are no pew sitters!!!! The awesome job of a pastor is to be the great conductor of this whole show. Then will we see the fulfillment of the following scripture John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw (OR TUG) all men unto me.

The pastor has been called by God to locally oversee and care for this local body. The apostle can be more itinerant, as he visits different congregations, and assists them in understanding the purposes of Christ by revealing Him to them.

· Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Do you think that you may be an apostle? Briefly here is one telltale sign.

There must be a love and a passion to die with Christ on the cross so that the resurrection life of Christ can be visibly manifested in you. This is the secret of effectively and accurately being used in revelatory gifts that will manifest the Christ. There is no other way. If you have a great desire to manifest the living Christ to others you may be an apostle.

· Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body), whether it be by life, or by death. The apostle Paul’s desire was to take his life and use it as a magnifying glass that would make Jesus Christ great.

· 2Cor 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. The death of Christ is as an “energy dynamo” within us that never ceases but always works. We are always being handed over to death, so that the very life of Christ can be like wised energized for the sakes of others. Most of us put limits on how far “God can take us”. Yet God wants to take each and every one of so very far. Do you want to go all the way?

· Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

· 2Cor 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. Is your great desire to live solely by the power of the risen Christ within you?

· Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. This is one of my favorite apostolic scriptures. It states that only the Christ formed in you, through death and resurrection has strength and power to accomplish anything on this earth. Is this your desire, to be so filled with Christ after failing countless times to accomplish anything by your own power? Have you discovered that only Christ manifested will give you the victory?

· 2Cor 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Have you gotten to the point where your only success in obtaining victories from the Lord is through serious times of consistent prayer?

· 1Cor 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

· 2 Cor1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (Literally Paul asks, “Am I going to save myself by earthly efforts? My answer is NO!! I MUST DIE!! ONLY IN CHRIST AND THROUGH CHRIST)