The Beautiful Feet of Apostles
The Beautiful Feet of Apostles
By Ron Wood
The hands of apostles have healing power. The feet of apostles are always going, being mobile, not stuck in the same place like those on a career path in their vocation. These preaching apostles (unlike marketplace apostles) have left their nets to follow Jesus and fish for men. It was at the feet of God’s risk-taking sent-ones that wealth was laid. This kind of wealth transfer is returning again to empower all of God’s apostles.
The fact is, two waves of extravagant giving swept through the early church. I say that revivals are not at their zenith until they impact finances. When the money gets freed up for the kingdom, it is evidence that real revival has arrived. Both of these New Testament revivals came after an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on groups of praying believers. These moves of God mobilized the saints to give extravagantly.
The first release of wealth was recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts 2:45. The second was described in Acts 4:34-35. In both cases, men and women who loved Jesus sold their extra properties (Acts 4:32, 37). Notice, they did not sell their own homes. They did not impoverish themselves and become homeless or destitute because of religion. In fact, I believe they became more prosperous because of their actions.
But the point here is that they did not foolishly give away all of their family resources or means of security. We know this because Acts 2:46 says they were meeting in their homes as small churches, not just in the temple. They were practicing their Christianity in multiple locations throughout the city, in neighborhood house meetings. You need to be a homeowner in order to have a church meet in your house.
This small-group pattern of thriving house churches continued through the first 300 years of church history. This method involved reproducing local house-churches and leaders in the city and, as the house churches proliferated and leaders grew in grace and gifting, releasing trans-local (mobile) apostolic leaders to go plant new churches in other areas. To study this topic further, see the Philippi model in Acts 16, the Antioch pattern in Acts 13:1-4, the revival at Ephesus in Acts 18-20, and take note of the many New Testament references to “the church in your house.”
These waves of generosity among newly Spirit-baptized Christians came on the heels of a fresh empowerment from heaven. Revival must touch our money if it is to last beyond a mere flash-in-the-pan. When God moved in power, the result was deliverance from greed, selfishness, and possessiveness. True compassion flowed out of community. Fulfilling the mission motivated the movement. It created a model of simple Christianity devoid of carnal self-aggrandizement. There were no superstars strutting on the stage. The model of success was not mere numbers, but mature disciples mentored by great servant leaders.
In these revivals, the result was the same: The apostles of Jesus were empowered to take the gospel to the poor and oppressed. The Early Church was delivered from an Edifice Complex and successfully moved outside the sanctuary into the people. A Body was formed, not just a building filled. The poor saw the love of God demonstrated through food, healing, and hospitality. The leaders, those devoted to the word and prayer, and keen on planting of churches to extending Christ’s kingdom, were also financially empowered to be full-time in their service.
What happened to enable this surge of evangelism? What caused this spontaneous expansion of the church without artificial means? First: much prayer. Second: the presence of apostles. Third: grace-filled giving. The believers brought the proceeds of sales and laid them at apostles’ feet. Their surge of giving endowed key ministers with extra resources.
Notice, it was not pastors being empowered, but apostles. This is important. Pastors are maintenance-minded, but apostles are expansion-oriented. Pastors are plentiful and their partially-filled buildings now cover the landscape. But apostles and prophets seem to be left out of the current revenue stream. The Lord wants that reality to shift.
Are you investing just in your mother church? Are you also partnering with the apostolic fathers? It is vital to know which spiritual father has adopted you, not just what denominational mother birthed you. A clue is what you do with your money. Are you sowing all your seed inside the house? What farmer in his right mind does that? Seed sprouts in the field, not in the barn. We must give seed to those sowing outside the sanctuary.
Please hear the word of the Lord! The day has come when it is crucial -vitally important - that we empower apostles and prophets as God’s special workers in the fields, and not just fund the pastoral or teaching salaries of the care-takers inside the house.
Am I being critical of pastors? No; not at all. I love pastors. Many churches have gifted leaders who, although disguised as pastors, are actually apostles. They are truly spiritual fathers, equipping the saints, sending out sons, spinning off ministries, developing an Antioch Center to fuel kingdom growth in their region. They are worthy of support.
The Beautiful Feet of Apostles © 2008 by Ron Wood. Ron is a businessman, a writer, a prophet, and the senior pastor of Real Life Church, located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He may be contacted at ronwood@touchedbygrace.org.
By Ron Wood
The hands of apostles have healing power. The feet of apostles are always going, being mobile, not stuck in the same place like those on a career path in their vocation. These preaching apostles (unlike marketplace apostles) have left their nets to follow Jesus and fish for men. It was at the feet of God’s risk-taking sent-ones that wealth was laid. This kind of wealth transfer is returning again to empower all of God’s apostles.
The fact is, two waves of extravagant giving swept through the early church. I say that revivals are not at their zenith until they impact finances. When the money gets freed up for the kingdom, it is evidence that real revival has arrived. Both of these New Testament revivals came after an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on groups of praying believers. These moves of God mobilized the saints to give extravagantly.
The first release of wealth was recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts 2:45. The second was described in Acts 4:34-35. In both cases, men and women who loved Jesus sold their extra properties (Acts 4:32, 37). Notice, they did not sell their own homes. They did not impoverish themselves and become homeless or destitute because of religion. In fact, I believe they became more prosperous because of their actions.
But the point here is that they did not foolishly give away all of their family resources or means of security. We know this because Acts 2:46 says they were meeting in their homes as small churches, not just in the temple. They were practicing their Christianity in multiple locations throughout the city, in neighborhood house meetings. You need to be a homeowner in order to have a church meet in your house.
This small-group pattern of thriving house churches continued through the first 300 years of church history. This method involved reproducing local house-churches and leaders in the city and, as the house churches proliferated and leaders grew in grace and gifting, releasing trans-local (mobile) apostolic leaders to go plant new churches in other areas. To study this topic further, see the Philippi model in Acts 16, the Antioch pattern in Acts 13:1-4, the revival at Ephesus in Acts 18-20, and take note of the many New Testament references to “the church in your house.”
These waves of generosity among newly Spirit-baptized Christians came on the heels of a fresh empowerment from heaven. Revival must touch our money if it is to last beyond a mere flash-in-the-pan. When God moved in power, the result was deliverance from greed, selfishness, and possessiveness. True compassion flowed out of community. Fulfilling the mission motivated the movement. It created a model of simple Christianity devoid of carnal self-aggrandizement. There were no superstars strutting on the stage. The model of success was not mere numbers, but mature disciples mentored by great servant leaders.
In these revivals, the result was the same: The apostles of Jesus were empowered to take the gospel to the poor and oppressed. The Early Church was delivered from an Edifice Complex and successfully moved outside the sanctuary into the people. A Body was formed, not just a building filled. The poor saw the love of God demonstrated through food, healing, and hospitality. The leaders, those devoted to the word and prayer, and keen on planting of churches to extending Christ’s kingdom, were also financially empowered to be full-time in their service.
What happened to enable this surge of evangelism? What caused this spontaneous expansion of the church without artificial means? First: much prayer. Second: the presence of apostles. Third: grace-filled giving. The believers brought the proceeds of sales and laid them at apostles’ feet. Their surge of giving endowed key ministers with extra resources.
Notice, it was not pastors being empowered, but apostles. This is important. Pastors are maintenance-minded, but apostles are expansion-oriented. Pastors are plentiful and their partially-filled buildings now cover the landscape. But apostles and prophets seem to be left out of the current revenue stream. The Lord wants that reality to shift.
Are you investing just in your mother church? Are you also partnering with the apostolic fathers? It is vital to know which spiritual father has adopted you, not just what denominational mother birthed you. A clue is what you do with your money. Are you sowing all your seed inside the house? What farmer in his right mind does that? Seed sprouts in the field, not in the barn. We must give seed to those sowing outside the sanctuary.
Please hear the word of the Lord! The day has come when it is crucial -vitally important - that we empower apostles and prophets as God’s special workers in the fields, and not just fund the pastoral or teaching salaries of the care-takers inside the house.
Am I being critical of pastors? No; not at all. I love pastors. Many churches have gifted leaders who, although disguised as pastors, are actually apostles. They are truly spiritual fathers, equipping the saints, sending out sons, spinning off ministries, developing an Antioch Center to fuel kingdom growth in their region. They are worthy of support.
The Beautiful Feet of Apostles © 2008 by Ron Wood. Ron is a businessman, a writer, a prophet, and the senior pastor of Real Life Church, located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He may be contacted at ronwood@touchedbygrace.org.
posted by Ron Wood at 9:41 AM
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