APOSTOLIC ORDER Part 3

Bishop John Arcovio

Pray for Apostolic Order

•  8 And God hath set some in the church,

first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1 Cor 12:28 KJV

Identifying True Apostles

•  2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Rev 2:2 KJV

Signs of an Apostle

•  There must be an Apostolic Seal! No seal, no deal.

•  With an Apostolic Seal, many (not all) will be displayed by many ( if not most) apostles.

The Apostolic Seal

•  Signs, Wonders and Miracles 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were

wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

2 Cor 12:12 KJV

Apostolic Seal •  Suffering physical persecution- •  2 Cor 11:23-29 23 Are they ministers of

Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

•  24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Apostolic Seal •  25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once

was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

•  26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

Apostolic Seal

•  27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

•  28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. KJV

Apostolic Seal

•  Planting Churches or Ministries-According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it. 1 Cor 3:10

•  Some apostles may not plant churches but ministries.

Apostolic Seal

•  Appointing and overseeing local church pastors- Paul and Barnabas planted churches, and then returned and “appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting” (Acts 14:23). Paul instructed Titus, a member of his apostolic team in Crete, to “set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5).

Apostolic Seal

•  Settle disputes in the church- But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments. 1 Cor 1:10 Apostles are called upon to bring resolution and unity.

Apostolic Seal

•  Applying discipline including excommunication- 1 Cor 5:1-5 IT IS actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, impurity of a sort that is condemned and does not occur even among the heathen; for a man has [his own] father’s wife.

•  And you are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done

Apostolic Seal

•  this [shameful] thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst! •  As for my attitude, though I am absent [from

you] in body, I am present in spirit, and I have already decided and passed judgment, as if actually present,

•  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the man who has committed such a deed. When you and my own spirit are met together with the power of our Lord Jesus,

Apostolic Seal

•  Providing spiritual covering for other leaders- Paul did this. Here are two examples: “ I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you” (Rom 16:12). And, For I am unwilling to see you right now [just] in passing, but I hope later to remain for some time with you, if the Lord permits.

Apostolic Seal

•  I will remain in Ephesus [however] until Pentecost,

•  For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.

•  When Timothy arrives, see to it that [you put him at ease, so that] he may be fearless among you, for he is [devotedly] doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.

Apostolic Seal

•  So [see to it that] no one despises him or treats him as if he were of no account or slights him. But send him off [cordially, speed him on his way] in peace, that he may come to me, for I am expecting him [to come along] with the other brethren.

•  Apostles provide and create safe havens of love and atmosphere's of spiritual protection.

Apostolic Seal

•  You are to deliver this man over to Satan for physical discipline [to destroy carnal lusts which prompted him to incest], that [his] spirit may [yet] be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus

Apostolic Seal

•  Attracting and distributing financial resources- Acts 4:34-35 “Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales

•  And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need”

Apostolic Seal

•  Most apostles have access to the financial resources necessary to implement the vision that God has given them.

•  Accountability and stewardship often controls this.

Apostolic Seal

•  Casting out demons- Acts 19:12 “So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them”

•  Not all apostles have deliverance ministries, however some do.

Apostolic Seal

•  Breaking curses of witchcraft- Paul broke the back of the spirit of divination (witchcraft) in Philippi. Acts 16:16-18 16“As we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination [claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners much gain by her fortunetelling.

Apostolic Seal

17 She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us, shouting loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce to you the way of salvation! 18 And she did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within her, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment

The Apostolic Seal

•  Paul also directly confronted the occult sorcerer Elymas in Cyprus- Acts 13:8-11 8“But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt

The Apostolic Seal

•  wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand

The Apostolic Seal

•  Frequent fasting- As he displays his credentials as an apostle, Paul mentions that he fasted often. 2 Cor 11:27, “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness”.

The Apostolic Seal

•  Confirmation by independent witnesses 1 Now there were in the church that was at

Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Acts 13:1-2 KJV

The Apostolic Seal

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Acts 13:1-2 KJV

The Apostolic Seal

•  Ministry “teams” that are drawn

4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.

Acts 20:4-5 KJV

The Apostolic Seal

•  Apostolic Functioning Churches- If I be not an apostle unto others, yet

doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

1 Cor 9:2 KJV

The Apostolic Seal

•  Serious resistance from Evil Prince Angels And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2 Cor 12:7 KJV

Affirming  Apostles  

•  Apostles  are  not  made  overnight!  •  How  is  a  person  recognized  as  an  Apostle?  •  1.  The  apostle  needs  to  know  God’s  call  personally;  

•  2.  The  leadership  of  his  own  local  church  needs  to  affirm  it;  

•  3.  The  congregaEon  of  the  apostle’s  local  church  needs  to  agree  

Affirming  Apostles  

•  4.  Those  whom  the  apostle  has  established  and  grounded  in  the  faith  will  recognize  him.  

•  In  light  of  this,  what  should  we  do?  •  It  is  not  up  to  us  to  create  apostles.  Only  God  does  that  by  giving  them  the  giK  of  apostle  and  assigning  them  their  apostolic  spheres.  

•  It  is  up  to  us  to  affirm  the  apostles  tht  God  has  given  to  the  church.  

Affirming  Apostles  

•  The  people  of  God  must  encourage  them,  award  them  the  office  when  appropriate,  and  submit  gratefully  to  the  authority  of  the  apostle  or  apostles  who  are  over  whatever  territorial  sphere  in  which  we  find  ourselves.  

•  When  we  do  the  the  government  will  be  in  place  to  receive  the  powerful  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  our  ciEes  which  will  lead  to  worldwide  transformaEon  and  revival.