Part II

	In Part I of this article, we examined the reality of the
functioning apostle in today's church, the personality traits and
skills of the apostle, and the necessary maturing process for the
called apostle.  Let us continue this study by looking at the
works of the apostle as part of his call.

The Works of the Apostle
a.	Evangelism
	Apostles evangelize!  As we follow the ministry of Paul
through the Book of Acts and his own writings, we see his never
ending zeal for evangelism. Paul had a compelling desire to
preach the Gospel. We see this when he skillfully seized the
opportunity to preach to the pagan philosophers at the meeting of
the Areopagus in Athens.  Paul's zeal jumps out at us again when
we read about his intense desire to address the rioting crowd in
Ephesus. (See Acts 17, and 19.)
	I believe that evangelism is the number one priority of all
apostles. Indeed, the evangelist and the apostle have this
priority in common.  But the apostle's focus is really beyond
that.  The apostle, once he has a few converts, begins to form
them into a church,  whereas the evangelist is continually
looking to new fields of evangelism.  Unlike the evangelist, the
apostle senses that his work is not complete until a church is
formed.  Then he will move on.

b.	Lays the Spiritual Foundation of a Church
	The apostle understands the absolute necessity of laying a
proper spiritual foundation for every church.  He forms churches
"built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Eph 2:20 NIV)
Paul seems to doubly emphasize the importance of a proper
spiritual foundation for he also wrote, "For no one can lay any
foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus
Christ." (1 Cor 3:9 NIV)
	The importance of a proper foundation cannot be
overemphasized. I have had the unfortunate experience of
observing churches whose foundations were not properly set.
Invariably they encounter disaster, most often in the form of
doctrinal error.  Usually such churches are born in the
excitement of revival, or are built around the personality of a
strong leader. In either case the numerical growth of the church
exceeds the spiritual growth. As a result, proper doctrinal
foundation stones are ignored. A true apostle will never permit
this to happen in a church under his care.

c.	Builds Churches
	The apostles I know have pioneered many churches. Some of
them have churches numbering in the hundreds.  Apostles usually
continue to supervise these churches in both their spiritual and
material erection. In Part I of this article, I pointed out that
much of today's church has seemingly abandoned the title
"apostle."  So many of the apostles of whom I am speaking are
called "missionaries." (Note that this is not to say that all
missionaries are apostles. Some are, many are not.)
	In my travels to the developing nations of the world, many
of the missionary/apostles I meet and observe are nonwestern. For
example, I have seen a number of African and Asian apostles, all
busy building the Lord's church.  They are national Christians
planting churches in their own nations.  Or in some cases, the
church's nonwestern apostles have gone to nations other than
their own and are building churches where they are sent.

d.  Ordains Elders
	We see in Acts 14:23 that, "Paul and Barnabas appointed
elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,
committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."
(NIV)  Note that Barnabas was also an apostle, for in Acts 14:14
Luke wrote, "But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this,
they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd..." (NIV)
	It seems that ordaining elders was the Biblical pattern
wherever the first century apostles established churches.  And so
it continues today.  Once the apostle has evangelized, taught,
laid the foundation, and ordained elders, he moves on to a new
territory or city and starts all over again. He also returns from
time to time to his established churches to check on their
progress, make corrections, and to encourage them.

Hardships of the Apostle
	Apostles, because of the spiritual significance of their
work, suffer many hardships.  The apostle Paul's letters are
literally laced with references of hardships, beatings,
shipwrecks, imprisonment, hunger, and trials.  (See 2 Cor. 4 &
11)  The apostle Peter, in his two letters, makes many references
to hardships, trials, and tribulation.  In the Book of Revelation
we see the apostle John exiled to the island of Patmos, ". . .
because of the word of God and testimony of Jesus." (Rev 1:9
NIV).
	Apostles are also subject to intense demonic attack. We know
that Satan doesn't like to lose his people to Christ. He
therefore focuses his attention on those who are successful at
"stealing his sheep," chief of whom are the Lord's apostles.
Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians church wrote of Satan's
opposition. "For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul,
did, again and again--but Satan stopped us." (1 Thes 2:18 NIV)


Apostles in the Bible
	Let us now consider in more detail the lives and ministries
of Peter and Paul as examples of biblical apostles. The life
style and ministries of these two men are superb examples of an
apostle in action.

The Apostle Peter
	Peter was a leader among leaders.  The willingness of others
(including other apostles) to submit to his authority clearly
demonstrates his leadership ability.
	As already noted, Peter had a very forceful personality.
His eagerness to stand and address the crowd on the day of
Pentecost, his fearless stand before the Sanhedrin, and his
authorative words to the lame man at the Temple gate all display
his force of personality.  His demonstrated willingness to boldly
preach, rebuke, and stand his ground on issues against the other
apostles speaks of the power of his authority.
	There is no doubt that signs and wonders accompanied Peter's
ministry.  The early chapters of the Book of Acts are full of the
miracles Peter performed in Jesus' name.  Certainly Scripture
shows us his close relationship to the Lord Jesus.  And as we
have already mentioned, Peter's epistles let us know that he was
no stranger to apostolic hardships.
	Finally, Peter was certainly an evangelist.  He preached
throughout Jerusalem.  He even went to Cornelius' house in
Caesarea to preach, though Cornelius was a Gentile. In so doing,
he was the instrument used by God to bring about the first
Gentile Pentecost!  There is no doubt that Peter was instrumental
in laying the foundation of the first century church, both in
Jerusalem and in Antioch.

The Apostle Paul
	Because so much is written by and about Paul in the New
Testament, we know more about him than any of the other apostles.
Let's overview his personality, attributes and ministry.
	We certainly see the force of Paul's personality in his
letters. Here is an example:

		You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?
	Before your very eyes Christ was clearly portrayed as
	crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from
	you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law,
	or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish?
	After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to
	attain your goal by human effort? (Gal 3:1-3 NIV)

	Paul demonstrated his apostolic authority again and again.
For example, he wrote, ". . . I, Paul, who am 'timid' when face
to face with you, but 'bold' when away! I beg you that when I
come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some
people who think we live by the standards of this world." (2 Cor
10:1,2 NIV)
	Paul's leadership flows from his forceful personality and
demonstrated authority. He founded numerous churches.  On an
individual level his leadership is seen in the extensive
greetings he gives to many, many Christians in areas where he has
ministered.
	Paul's intimate relationship with Jesus virtually shines
through his letters. In his Philippian letter he cried, "I want
to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his
death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the
dead." (Phi 3:10,11 NIV)
	We see more apostolic signs and wonders in Paul's ministry
than in any other apostle: the blinding of Elymas (Acts 13),
casting the demon out of the slave girl, the life-changing
midnight earthquake in the Philippian jail (Acts 16), the healing
of a crippled man in Lystra (Acts 14), and many more.
	Even as the first century church experienced many miracles,
Paul's miracles are recorded as extraordinary. "God did
extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs
and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their
illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them." (Acts
19:11,12 NIV)
	Paul certainly demonstrated evangelistic zeal wherever he
preached, which seems to be wherever he went. He founded churches
on all four of his missionary journeys. And in Titus he makes
references to ordaining elders: "The reason I left you in Crete
was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and
appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." (Titus 1:5 NIV)
	Clearly the apostle Paul is a model apostle. His entire life
and ministry may be summed up in this one statement he made: "For
to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phi 1:21 NIV)

Apostles Since the Reformation
	From church history we know that apostolic power, authority,
and preaching had been dormant for several centuries when Martin
Luther came along at the turn of the 16th century. However, from
the time of the Reformation on, many of our most powerful church
leaders have been apostles. While it seems logical that some of
these leaders birthed during and after the Reformation knew they
were apostles, I'm sure others were apostles but didn't know it.
Why?  Because of the absence of an experienced human pattern,
ignorance of Scripture (at least in the early stages of the
Reformation), and a general lack of understanding of Biblical
principles, all of which had to be relearned and reexperienced
during and after the Reformation.
	I have selected an early reformer, John Wesley, and a later
missionary, Hudson Taylor, as examples of post-Reformation
apostles for us to examine.

a.	John Wesley (1703-1791)
	Although most of us don't think of John Wesley as an
apostle, he certainly was one. Born in England, Wesley was a
product of the Church of England. Although he evidenced a great
zeal for the things of the Lord, he made little impact in the
church until he was truly converted under the influence of the
Moravians. Then his preaching to the established church in
England began to emphasize holiness. Immediately doors started
closing.  Undaunted, he began preaching in open air meetings
drawing his audience from the common people who gladly came to
hear him.
	Wesley's message brought great revival to the peoples of
Ireland, Scotland and England. He established churches as he went
using his "methodism." Although we read of no signs and wonders
in the biblical sense in Wesley's ministry, we most certainly see
the hand of God guiding him in establishing one of the most
powerful churches of his day.  And the Methodist denomination
continues even to this day.

b.	Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
	Hudson Taylor was an English pioneer missionary to China
between the years 1854 and 1901. He was the first Western
missionary to fully join the Chinese society in dress, food,
manners, and customs. Because of this radical departure from the
lifestyles of other missionaries who maintained all their Western
dress, customs and traditions, he suffered social and
ecclesiastical rejection. Because of this rejection by his peers
his missionary support was withdrawn and he returned to England.
 But God, and the Chinese, approved of his actions!  While in
England, Taylor founded the China Inland Mission, and when he
returned to China, he did so by depending solely on God for
provision.
	Upon his return Taylor went into the interior of China,
where Westerners had rarely traveled, to preach the Gospel. He
began to pray and ask the Lord to send others to work in the
harvest with him. Before he left the field in 1901 there were
over a thousand China Inland Mission missionaries preaching in
every province of China.
	As one reads about Taylor it is clear that there were
miracles in his ministry. For example, though it took sailing
ships months to reach China from England, there were times when
Taylor would pray for a specific financial need and the precise
amount asked for would arrive by ship at the precise time needed,
usually sent from England months earlier!
	There is no doubt that God used Hudson Taylor mightily as
the founding apostle to the nation of China.

Apostles Today
	I have encountered a number of ministers in my travels whom
I regard as apostles. In order to illustrate the validity and
value of apostles in today's church let me describe two such
apostles.
	I met the first man when he was in his mid-thirties.  By
that time he had established a very large church in the center of
a big city in Asia.  His church had 23 daughter churches and many
granddaughter churches that had been pioneered by the daughter
churches under his guidance.
	During my week long ministry with him, I observed this young
apostle serving as a pastor, an administrator, a local church
leader, a worship leader before large groups, and as a counselor.
 The day we left he was to begin to preach the salvation message
at a seven night evangelistic crusade in a relatively unreached
area of his city sponsored by one of the daughter churches.  So
for that following week, he would be adding the role of an
evangelist to his many functions within the church.
	During the Sunday that we were with him, he took us to two
churches under his care.  One of the churches was in the city
dump.  When we arrived he immediately left us and integrated
himself into the people of the church who were living at the dump
and making a living by scavenging through the trash.  He and the
pastor walked through the little community with the people of the
dump church.  He talked and laughed with them but left us by the
car simply to observe.  The people shyly looked our way
occasionally but that was all.  After he said his goodbyes, we
left.
	Next he took us to another church under his care.  This one
was a growing church with a very ambitious building program.  The
people were by and large well educated with high paying jobs in
the city.  At this church meeting, he made every effort to
introduce us to the church members and had one of our group greet
the church on our behalf in his effort to integrate us very much
into the church setting.
	In other words, this young man acted absolutely differently
in the two church settings.  At the poor church at the dump, he
seemed to shrink physically and to fit perfectly with the
congregation there.  At the large, "prospering" church, he
conducted himself very much as the host of our group as well as
the church people.
	Over my week of observing him, this young man seemed to be
able to slip into these different church roles naturally. He
would change roles as needed.  He could be an administrator for a
hour, then get up and lead worship, then conduct a meeting of
other pastors, then preach an evangelistic message that night.
	You see, this man is a called apostle.  God has gifted him
with all the various giftings as needed to found and run a group
of churches.  He seems to be able to fulfill any role needed at
the moment.  And, watching him, I am absolutely convinced he has
no idea that he is doing so.  I am sure he doesn't think to
himself, "Oh, I need to be an administrator this afternoon, then
an evangelist tonight."  No, he just does it!
 	Let me tell you about another apostle I've worked with.
This man is a native American working here in the United States
among his own tribe.  I first met this apostle many years ago
when he was a pastor.  I listened to him pour out his heart for
his people and the churches among his tribesmen.  I told him that
I thought he was a called apostle and I urged him to resign his
pastorate and make himself available to be used by the Lord
throughout all the churches of his tribe.
	I next met him four years later.  He had resigned and was
overseeing all the churches on his reservation.  This apostle
viewed the entire tribe as his parish!  He knew about every
church and mission station on the reservation.  He knew who the
leaders were, their doctrinal beliefs, and their denominational
affiliation.  Though he respects all the leaders, their
denominational affiliation does not matter to him.  If he finds a
church or mission station whose leader had to leave without
having a replacement, he places a pastor over the flock while
waiting for a replacement from the sending church.  He told me,
"I don't care what denomination the church is.  These are my
people and they need a pastor.  They need a spiritual shepherd.
My concern is for the flock.  A flock without a shepherd will be
scattered by the wolves."
	Another remarkable thing about this man is that, although
God raised him up from among his peers, the other native American
ministers readily submit to his gentle authority.  They recognize
his authority as given by the Lord.

Conclusion
	It is a joy to observe an apostle functioning as an apostle
. . . to see that strong yet gentle apostolic authority wrapped
in Jesus' love at work correcting, instructing and building the
church of Jesus Christ.  It is time we recognize more fully and
publically the validity of the apostolic ministry.  Let us free
today's apostles to move and act boldly in the execution of their
ministry.  God calls and ordains His apostles, and we in the
church need them as much today as ever before!
	It is my hope that we will more and more see, recognize and
publically support God's apostles at work, "until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ." (Eph 4:13 NIV).