From Salvation to Assignment: Embracing an Apostolic Church

Scripture References

John 10:1, 7-11; Matthew 6:22; Psalm 24:3–4; Luke 2:52; Luke 5:27-32; Romans 5:8; Job 13:15

Introduction

• Pastor acknowledges a “multitude of assignments” in one service and the need to lay a foundational understanding of apostolic ministry.
• Culture of misinformation breeds distrust; many voices speak without study or authority.
• The Church stands at a pivotal moment of transition, requiring clarity about true apostolic function and the believer’s role in it.

Key Points / Exposition

1. From Salvation to Assignment

• Jesus is the only door (John 10); believers have camped at the threshold, living with “one foot in, one foot out.”
• Divided attention produces wandering eyes and a “deficiency of faithfulness” (Matthew 6:22).
• Recycling Christians rather than birthing new converts: same congregants repeatedly at the altar, multiple baptisms, little external evangelism.
• Leaders become celebrities because the majority refuse personal responsibility for kingdom work.
• Coming season: every believer must know how to pray, war, and cast out demons personally.

2. From Program to Process

• Traditional liturgy and denominational structures (“two points and a poem,” collars, rigid orthodoxy) no longer meet present needs.
• Apostolic model equips the whole body; ministry training cannot be limited to “ministers-in-training.”
• 20 % of the people performing 80 % of the work is unsustainable; power must move from pulpit to pew.
• Shift calls for practical demonstration: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, activating dreams, affirming entrepreneurs, raising the dead.

3. From Pastoral-Only to Apostolic Leadership

• Pastors remain essential—“everyone needs a pastor”—yet the church must expand beyond a solely pastoral paradigm.
• Five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers) must function collectively to mature the saints and release them.
• Warning against performers without covering: viral influence ≠ divine endorsement; submission and accountability are non-negotiable.

4. Luke 5:27-32—Jesus at Matthew’s Table

• Jesus reverses religious expectation: instead of sinners climbing toward God, God pursues sinners.
• Matthew, a tax collector, drops everything immediately—contrast with church folk clinging to titles, jobs, and idols.
• Sensitivity test: unchurched often respond more quickly to authentic presence than seasoned saints numbed by routine.
• Meal becomes ministry: the simple act of sharing a table surpasses ostentatious displays of spirituality; Pharisees stand outside in judgment.
• Prophetic picture: insiders who resist change will be left outside; outsiders hungry for God will be ushered in.

5. Transparency, Brokenness, and True Discipleship

• Idolatry begins in the pulpit when leaders project superiority; congregation idolizes perceived purity.
• Church must value honesty over image: “I’m broken but willing.”
• Discipleship is for the areas we are doing wrong; hiding flaws makes discipleship impossible.

Major Lessons & Revelations

• Christianity’s distinctiveness: God comes to us; incarnation redefines ministry location.
• True apostolic ministry decentralizes power, mobilizes every believer, and measures success by transformation, not attendance.
• Spiritual sensitivity is vital; familiarity can desensitize believers to God’s movement.
• Transparency and submission restore trust and release corporate authority.

Practical Application

1. Pray, prophesy, or serve someone outside church today—put the word into immediate practice.
2. Identify your pastor/covering and submit; influence without covering is dangerous.
3. Cultivate personal prayer and deliverance skills; do not rely solely on intercessors.
4. Replace program-based involvement with process-oriented discipleship: join or start training that equips for real ministry.
5. Practice radical hospitality—share a meal with unbelievers and engage them without condemnation.
6. Audit personal idols (titles, relationships, careers) and be willing to “drop everything” if Jesus calls.
7. Maintain spiritual sensitivity: guard against routine by engaging emotionally and attentively in worship and daily life.

Conclusion & Call to Response

Pastor commissions the congregation: shift from passive salvation to active assignment; move from rigid programs to transformative processes; carry apostolic authority beyond church walls. Every believer is charged to pray, prophesy, give, and make Christ real to someone today.

Prayer

“Father, thank You for activating our assignment and maturing us by Your word. As we leave this place, empower us to make You real in someone’s life. Be with us even to the end of the age. Amen.”