The Apostle – a wise master-builder

This week we will take at look at how Jesus Christ is building his church. He is equipping men with abilities and talents to produce what he is looking for. The men he has chosen, anointed, and enabled to cause the church to be built his ways, he has given as gifts to the people of God world wide. The apostle is the first one given in this building process. As a wise master builder he is co-ordinating the work of ministries, as they all work towards the same end.

How does Jesus build his church?

Jesus has set people, whom he has equipped with different abilities and gifts, to build his church as he wants it. He does not want Christians to be like a pile of bricks but that we shall be built together as a spiritual house. (1.Pet. 2.4-5) Too many Christians have lived in isolation and independence without being built together with others to a living house where God’s glory can be revealed. The people who Jesus has given to build up the church, we, as Christians, must receive.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers. (Eph. 4:11)

All these gifts, people with a call and an equipping from Jesus, have a function in together building God’s church. None of them can manage alone; they are placed there to work together! They have a joint call to help all Christians to find their area of service and to function together:

To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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. 4:12-13)

It is God who sovereignly calls and equips these people to serve, but they also need to be recognised by the church in which they will function. In order to be able to function in a God-given gift one needs the confidence of the people one will serve or it will be impossible. These gifts which Jesus has given to the church represent Jesus and therefore people must be able to recognise Jesus’ voice and heart in their leaders. Jesus is The Apostle, The Prophet, The Evangelist, The Shepherd and The Teacher in capital letters! All who are sent by Jesus will reflect Jesus in their special service.

The Apostle - a wise master builder

You are …built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20)

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. (1 Cor. 12:28)

By the grace God has given me I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. (1. Cor. 3:10)

An apostle is called and sent out by Jesus Christ to build a healthy and strong church. He is a sort of spiritual architect, a master builder who has an oversight over the whole building work and knows how the end product should be. He has a revelation and an insight into God’s plan that gives him wisdom to build people together and to draw in the different ministry-gifts at proper times.

Because the apostle is a spiritual master builder he has a responsibility to direct and manage the building work until Jesus returns. By giving room for the exercise of the apostolic gift a church will be able to grow healthy and strong with God’s growth.

Here is a simple explanation of an apostle’s task:

a. First of all - the foundation

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles. (1 Cor. 12:28)

God has an order that will bring life and well being to all those who keep to it. If we leave God’s order the result will be that we mess up God’s plan and create problems for ourselves.

You… are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the chief cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20)

The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. If we remove this foundation the whole building will collapse. All the time we need this foundational function which an apostle has.

As a foundation holds up the house all the time so the apostle carries the church in his heart all the time. He cares for the church and spends a lot of time praying for it. In this way he can know the condition of the church, even when he is not present, and can send to it people who have God’s grace to meet its needs.

b. Steward of divine revelation

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. (1 Cor. 4:1)

We see, therefore, that the first Christians continued faithfully to follow the teaching of the apostles. They kept the apostles’ teaching. In the same way we, as a church, want to give ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and practice. Like the first Christians, we want to be gripped by the same revelation; absorbed by the same vision as the apostles, as this is what is safest for us.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)

Our own opinion and understanding is important and we must not compromise with our conscience. At the same time, it is not our conscience or opinions which are the final authority. Our opinions and conscience have to be adjusted to agree with God’s Word and the apostles’ teaching.

c. He is a «matchmaker»

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. (2 Cor. 11:2)

Here the apostle reveals his purpose: to betroth the church to Christ, being joined in fellowship to him alone. The apostle wants to present the church to Christ as a pure virgin. It is his burning desire to bring Jesus and his bride together. He works at filling us with love for Jesus, so fully that Jesus becomes our only love.

In the same way the apostle binds people together so that they can serve the Lord together and express Jesus life. He will be a catalyst for people who love Jesus so that they find one another and can encourage and help each other to grow in their spiritual life.

d. He is the wise builder and architect

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. (1 Cor. 3:10)

Because he is a spiritual architect and builder he knows the plans for the house God wants. He knows what God wants to have and has committed himself to the task of building God’s house God’s way.

He has a gift from God to build God’s house by building people together as living stones in this spiritual building.

He has oversight and knows what a church needs from the ministry-gifts. He is the team-leader and has all the necessary people on his team with the different gifts that are needed at any given time. As a builder or architect calls in carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, painters etc. to complete a building, so the apostle brings in people with different gifts to build up the church.

The architect is not often seen on the building site but is behind most of what happens because he works through others. So, too, is the apostle. (Col.1:7; 2:1-2)

Exercise:

Why is the apostle called a wise master builder?

What function of the apostle do you think is the most important?

Do you know any present day apostle? What is their name and what characterises their ministry?

Continue to memorise the Bible verses, and add this new one:

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, (Eph. 4:11)