Vision for Mission: Nurturing an Apostolic Heart

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Vi s i on for Mi s s i on: Nur tur i ng an Apos to l i c Hear t

D. Get your ticket and set your place: the upcoming banquet and celestial wedding of the Son of God, (See Bryant, p.26)

Revelation 19.1-8: God’s invitation and your RSVP

III. What Does It Mean to Have an “Apostolic Consciousness”?

To possess an apostolic consciousness, one must come to possess an apostolic experience. To put it bluntly, the apostles were profoundly Christ-centered (Christo-centric); they were called personally by Christ, lived with Christ, were taught by Christ, rebuked by Christ, comforted by Christ, eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty and resurrection, commissioned by Christ, sent to speak the Gospel of Christ, suffered for Christ, loved the Church of Christ. All they were and all they did was measured to give witness to and glory to Christ. If we are to have an apostolic consciousness, we must share their heart; in order to share their heart, we must, like them, come to be utterly and completely captivated with Christ and his Kingdom in the world (cf. Phil. 3.4-14).

A. “ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. ” – Disciples and intimate companions of Christ, inviting as you sojourn towards the New Jerusalem, cf. 1 Cor. 11.1

B. “ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. ” – Unconditional availability to Christ as Lord of all, Phil. 3.8

1. Bondslave

2. Prisoner