|
Firstline
By Terry Virgo
Our final Brighton-based Together on a Mission is upon us. Like our final Stoneleigh Bible Week it marks a major landmark in our journey together. Who would have expected that ten years on from Stoneleigh there would be nearly 850 Newfrontiers churches in over 60 nations around the world!
Now, as we move on again, we anticipate more growth, not because we are special, God knows (!), but because He is committed to fruitfulness and increase. When he was given a handful of loaves and fishes, Jesus blessed and multiplied them to feed thousands with basketfuls left over. If we will release people and ministries, God will bless and multiply our fruitfulness.
The outpoured Holy Spirit
From the original formation of Newfrontiers we have believed that God still pours out His Spirit and that the New Testament model of Spirit-filled churches, established on apostolic foundations and committed to world mission, remains plan A. We have never been content with a cessationist perspective that expects the church to try advancing without God’s manifest presence.
Jesus ascended on high and gave gifts to men. He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers (see Eph. 4:8-11). We desperately need all of these gifts. They come not by human appointment but by God’s gracious provision. When we encounter a fully mature prophetic gift such as Keith Hazell’s or the sparkling bright revelation of a Julian Adams, how we wish we could create more like them! How I would love to manufacture some duplicate evangelists like Lex Loizides or Adrian Holloway. The fact is we cannot mass-produce them. We have to ask the Lord of the harvest to give them. Meanwhile, we encourage and endorse all who begin to demonstrate a prophetic or evangelistic gift and celebrate their development, as we do other gifts.
Probably the ministry that can most cause us disquiet in this process is that of the apostle. How do we reproduce apostles? Do we reduce our expectation of what an apostle is and simply regard him as an area manager or even the CEO of a growing business venture? Or do we tremble under the authority of Paul’s words when he introduces himself as ‘Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God’ (1 Cor. 1:1), or even more challengingly ‘Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father …)’ (Gal. 1:1)?
Who dare carelessly to claim to be an apostle knowing that one day he will face Jesus and give an account of his life? The thought has scared me for a long time.
As KH Rengstorf states in his authoritative article in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, the apostle is ‘not an office created by the community or a synonym for its leaders, but an appointment of Jesus creating the church.’ Philip Hughes in his commentary on 2 Corinthians says that Paul’s role was ‘not based on innate ability or Christian zeal but only on apostleship entrusted to him’.
Bible blueprint
Having taken serious note of these comments, we still maintain that the Bible gives us the blueprint for the church throughout the ages, and that although we have no permission from God to create apostles we can certainly continue to ask God for them and do our best to recognise when He has given them.
Other non-Biblical alternatives such as hierarchical ecclesiastical structures or church leadership by democratic process have been tried and found wanting.
It’s not appropriate here to give a full Biblical argument for the work of an apostle in the modern church, but I wholeheartedly recommend David Devenish’s long-awaited and excellent book on the theme, Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission, almost immediately available. I have longed to see a well-argued Biblical approach to this subject and David has done a great job, illustrating helpfully from life and experience, and thoroughly submitting himself to Scripture’s authority on this vital theme.
In this magazine I tell something of our story, introducing a number of friends who are already exercising apostolic responsibility within Newfrontiers. Some would be more comfortable than others to regard themselves as apostles. Ultimately it is plainly God’s prerogative to make manifest what a man’s gift is. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged that he might not be regarded as an apostle by all, but he was to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 9:2).
I commend them to you as men worthy of being followed. Paul did not nominate Timothy as an apostle but was happy to commend him and encourage the saints to receive him as they would Paul himself. Several of the guys referred to here need no introduction from me since they have already fathered you for years. They have established your churches and even brought your churches into existence. They hardly require my affirmation.
Having said that, we have worked happily together across the nations for some time and I am delighted to give my endorsement, and indeed the endorsement of the team who have been my companions for decades.
Multiplied spheres, same values
Although these brothers will gradually develop their own spheres of service we will maintain our common values and trust God to fulfil His promises to us as a family of churches that will have world-wide impact.
We shall continue to work as friends together gathering regularly and visiting one another’s locations but, as we progress, each man and his team will take their own initiatives in training leaders, planting churches, planning strategies and upholding the New Testament values that we collectively own in Newfrontiers and which we have recently printed in this magazine. You can also watch on my web-site (www.terryvirgo.org) a series of interviews which provide opportunity for me to explain and develop each of those values in a conversational context.
Although each team might reflect a different style and genuinely respect national culture where appropriate, we all remain strongly committed to the values that God has impressed on us over the years and which we pray will gradually become more universally embraced by the wider body of Christ.
God has called us to make disciples throughout the nations. By His grace we will continue to proclaim the need for churches to be restored to New Testament values and to be multiplied, and for the kingdom of God to fill the earth.
Terry Virgo
Editor and leader of Newfrontiers |
|
|
Previous issues
Articles and features from previous issues of Newfrontiers Magazine are available from the magazine archive. To search the archive click here »
Printed copies
Printed copies of the latest magazine issue are available from your local Newfrontiers church or by subscribing.
Email: magazine@newfrontierstogether.org for more info. |
|
|