You See Bones, I See an Army (cont,)

Today we'll look at the 5 Apostolic Passions Floyd McClung has chose to be his core values:

1.  Apostolic Abandonment - Too many people want the same amount of fruit the apostle Paul enjoyed without paying the price that Paul paid.  Paul died.  He died to everything.  He died daily.  He was crucified with Christ.  This strong-willed, opinionated man knew that he must die to self.  He reckoned himself to be dead to sin so he could be alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Paul declared tot he Galatians that he was dead to the world and the world was dead to him.  One translation says Paul had been "set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate."

We have chosen apostolic passion only when our hearts long for Jesus to be worshipped by our neighbors and in the nations.  When that passion beats in our hearts above all other passions, then we knew we have exchanged our life for his.

Apostolic Focus - We have sseen one of the greatest enemies of apostolic passion is lack of focus.  You can expend energy on all sorts of good ministries and not get one step closer to living with apostolic intent.  God has called us to live single-mindedly for Jesus.  We must focus, or we won't obey.

Focus on what?  Obeying Jesus.  God wants a people for himself.  Being busy for God without sharing God's passion for more worshippers for his Son is good religion, but it's not the mission of God.  Whatever you do for Jesus must lead to this one thing:  that Jesus has more worshippers who know, love, and obey him.  Call that what you will.  I call it making disciples; other people call it church planting.  But make sure that above all things you do what he commanded us to do:  go, teach, baptize, and make disciples.  That is apostolic focus.

2.  Apostolic Praying - A young man in Bible school offered to help a well-known preacher years ago when he was ministering on the streets of New York City.  The man of God asked him how much time he spent in prayer.  The young student estimated about twenty minutes a day.  The preacher told him, "Go back, young man.  Go back for a month wand pray for two hours a day, every day for thirty days.  When you've done that, come back.  Come back, and I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence, and danger.  If I sent you out now on twenty minutes a day, I'd be sending a soldier into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed."

Here's the challenge for you:  ready everything Paul says about prayer, then ask yourself, "Am I prepared to pray like that?"  In his various letters Paul said that he prayed "night and day with tears . . .without ceasing . . . with thankfulness in the Spirit . . .I pray constantly . . .boldly . . . for godly sorrow . . . against the evil one."  If we want Paul's passion, we need to pray as Paul prayed.

3.  Apostolic Decision-Making - There are too many overfed, under motivated Christians hiding behind the excuse that God has not spoken to them.  They are waiting to hear voices or see dreams - all the while living to make money, provide for their future, dress well, and have fun. 

Apostolic decision-making starts with a fresh encounter with God, then leads to a burden for lost people.  Most people ask where-and-when questions without a revelation of God's glory burning in their hearts.  Is it any wonder they never hear God say "Go!"?  They have not cultivated a passion for the passions of God.  Lesser desires are holding them captive.

4.  Apostolic Courage - Courage is the quality of those who see the need in the world, have faced their fears, and choose faith instead of fear.  Courage is overcoming our struggles by facing down the lies of the enemy that have been holding us captive.  Courage is not the absence of fear in the face of danger; it is the willingness to trust God in spite of danger.  Courage is believing that God's grace is sufficient for every situation, and then acting on that belief.  I am convinced that in myself I would deny God if I were persecuted.  I am banking on the grace of God.  That, to me, is courage.

Courage does not come arbitrarily to the brave; it is taken hold of by the obedient.

5.  Dangerous People - If you have apostolic passion, you are one of the most dangerous people on the planet.  The world no longer rules your heart.  You are no longer seduced by getting and gaining the things of this world, but you are devoted to spreading and proclaiming the glory of God.

Next we'll look at making disciples, then we'll be done with this book.  I love the story above about the street evangelist.  He knew the dangers of being unprepared when going out to fight spiritual and physical battles.  In our church we use a term called "prayed up".  Greg often asks our Pastors and intern before they have something important to do, "Are you prayed up?"  There is a spiritual preparation that needs to take place whenever we step out to do something for God and, therefore, against the enemy.  Are you prayed up?

Have a blessed cold, cloudy, windy, Thursday.