The Office of the Apostle: Sent, Authorized, Ordered

Devotional

Day 1: Sent by God: Reluctant Messengers and Divine Presence

Moses stood barefoot at the burning bush, protesting his inadequacy while God declared, “I will be with you.” True apostleship begins not with human ambition but divine summons. Like Moses, apostles are marked by both trembling humility and unshakable confidence in the One who sends. Their authority flows from obedience to the call, not personal credentials. The burning bush moment—where human weakness meets holy commission—defines every God-sent messenger. [41:20]

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘But I will be with you.’”
(Exodus 3:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Where has God’s call unsettled you with holy reluctance? How might His promise “I will be with you” transform your perceived inadequacies into bold obedience?

Day 2: Ambassadors in Sackcloth: Discerning True Messengers

The Gibeonites’ frayed wineskins and moldy bread exposed their deception—false ambassadors manipulating God’s people. True apostles wear no disguises. Their authenticity is proven through tested character, not theatrical displays. Like Joshua discerning counterfeit messengers, believers must weigh words against the fruit of endurance and alignment with Christ. A sent one’s scars from spiritual battles often authenticate their message more than their miracles. [35:14]

“They worked craftily, and took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet.”
(Joshua 9:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: What “frayed wineskins” in modern ministry demand your spiritual discernment? How can you cultivate sensitivity to distinguish human craftiness from divine commissioning?

Day 3: Chosen Vessels: Suffering and the Apostle’s Identity

Ananias hesitated to pray for Saul—the persecutor turned God’s “chosen vessel.” True apostles bear the scars of their assignment. Paul’s blindness in Damascus became the birthplace of revelatory sight. Suffering for the gospel isn’t incidental to apostleship but integral to its DNA. The chosen vessel is tempered in the kiln of adversity, its cracks becoming channels for grace. [55:08]

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.’”
(Acts 9:15, ESV)

Reflection: What Damascus Road experiences have reshaped your understanding of God’s purposes? How might your present struggles be preparing you as a carrier of Christ’s name?

Day 4: Flipping Tables: Apostles as Restorers of Holy Order

Jesus’ whip-crack in the temple courts wasn’t rage but righteous realignment. Apostles confront spiritual clutter—the money-changers of compromise occupying sacred spaces. Their disruptive zeal serves divine order, not personal agendas. Like Christ clearing the temple, true apostles dismantle systems that replace prayer with profit, purity with performance. Holy disorder demands holy intervention. [56:53]

“God is not a God of confusion but of peace. But all things should be done decently and in order.”
(1 Corinthians 14:33,40, ESV)

Reflection: What “overturned tables” moment have you witnessed or resisted? Where is God calling you to champion holy order over comfortable chaos?

Day 5: As the Father Sent Me: The Chain of Divine Commissioning

Jesus stood resurrected, scars visible, breathing His mission into fearful disciples: “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Apostolic authority is a relay race—the baton passing from Father to Son to sent ones. This unbroken chain links every believer to the Twelve’s commissioning. To be apostolic isn’t about titles but living as permanently deployed ambassadors, carrying Christ’s breath into broken places. [49:49]

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’”
(John 20:21, ESV)

Reflection: How does seeing yourself as a link in Christ’s sending chain change your daily priorities? What broken place is waiting for you to carry His breath of peace?

Sermon Summary

The office of the apostle begins with being sent by Jesus Christ. An apostle is not merely a person carrying a title, but a delegate, ambassador, commissioner, and messenger sent forth with the gospel of Christ. The Old Testament foundation shows ambassadors being sent with an assignment, whether in Joshua, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Obadiah. That picture of a sent ambassador helps make plain that apostleship carries divine purpose, direction, and accountability.

The apostolic calling carries authority that comes from Christ, not from self-promotion. Jesus sends the twelve in Matthew 10 with power to preach the kingdom, heal the sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils. Christ, as the chief apostle, declares in John 20 that as the Father sent Him, He also sends His servants. The apostle of Jesus Christ therefore represents Christ’s kingdom and does the work Christ has assigned.

The calling of Saul shows that an apostle can be chosen directly by Christ even without having walked with Jesus in the flesh. Paul’s conversion turns a persecutor into a chosen vessel appointed to bear Christ’s name before Gentiles, kings, and Israel. The apostolic call also includes suffering, because Christ promises to show Paul the great things he must suffer for His name’s sake. A true apostle cannot be measured by an easy life, because the assignment often brings pressure, opposition, and costly obedience.

The temperament of an apostle is tied to order. Jesus overturning the tables in the temple reveals holy grief when God’s house is out of order, because His house is to be a house of prayer rather than a den of thieves. Apostolic authority may sometimes look abrupt or forceful, but its purpose is not fleshly control. The apostolic burden establishes ministries, makes paths, puts things in place, and delegates others to set the order that must be set.

The call to Revelation classes rests on the same concern for foundation and growth. Revelation One strengthens, fortifies, and secures a foundation that may have been weakened by the cares of this world. Revelation Two builds on that foundation and prepares believers to invest in what God has placed inside of them. God is a return on investment God, because He has invested His word and purpose in His people and desires that investment to come forth in ministry, especially toward souls.

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Key Takeaways

1. Apostles are sent by Christ The apostolic office starts with sending, not with a person choosing a name for himself. Christ gives the assignment, the authority, and the place of service. An apostle stands as an ambassador under the authority of the One who sent him. [33:02]
2. Authority flows from kingdom assignment The authority given to the twelve was connected to kingdom work: preaching, healing, deliverance, and serving the lost sheep. Apostolic power is not for display or personal importance. Christ gives power so that His name, His kingdom, and His redemptive work can be made known. [44:19]
3. Chosen vessels endure suffering Paul’s calling proves that divine selection does not promise an easy road. Christ chose Paul, redirected his life, and also told him that suffering would come with bearing His name. The apostolic call carries grace for hardship, not exemption from it. [55:28]
4. Apostolic order serves God’s house Order can feel abrupt when disorder has been allowed to sit too long. Christ’s cleansing of the temple shows that holy correction protects the purpose of God’s house. Apostolic firmness must serve prayer, purity, and proper function rather than human control. [56:13]
5. God expects return on investment Spiritual foundation is not merely information to collect but truth that must grow and come out in service. God invests gifts, word, and purpose within believers for the sake of ministry and souls. Spiritual growth becomes fruitful when what God placed inside begins to bless others.

## [60:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:22] - What Is an Apostle?
[33:48] - Old Testament Ambassadors
[40:32] - Moses as One Sent by God
[42:39] - Paul as an Ambassador in Bonds
[43:39] - Jesus Sends the Twelve
[49:26] - Christ the Chief Apostle
[50:30] - The Temperament of an Apostle
[52:25] - Saul Becomes a Chosen Vessel
[56:13] - Apostolic Authority Sets Order
[58:27] - True Apostles Are Sent
[59:24] - Building a Strong Spiritual Foundation
[60:42] - God’s Return on Investment

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 10:5-8
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.” [44:19]

John 20:21
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” [49:34]

Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” [55:28]

Observation questions

In Matthew 10:5-8, what specific people were the twelve first told to go to, and what were they instructed to proclaim as they went? [44:19]
What works did Jesus connect with the authority He gave the twelve: preaching, healing, cleansing, raising the dead, and casting out demons? What does the command to give freely add to that assignment? [44:19]
In John 20:21, whose sending is the pattern for Jesus sending His disciples? [49:34]
In Acts 9:15, what three groups was Saul chosen to reach with the name of Christ? What does this show about the scope of his assignment? [55:28]

Interpretation questions

Matthew 10 connects authority with a clear kingdom assignment. Why is it important that spiritual authority be used for serving people and making Christ’s kingdom known rather than making a person important? [45:22]
Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” How does this verse show that those who are sent represent Christ’s purpose rather than their own agenda? [49:34]
Saul had persecuted Christians, yet Christ called him a chosen instrument. What does Saul’s calling reveal about Christ’s power to redirect a person’s past and give that person a new purpose? [55:28]
Paul’s assignment included carrying Christ’s name and suffering for that name. How should believers understand hardship when it comes while they are obeying God and serving others? [55:42]

Application questions

Christ sends His people to make His kingdom known. Where has God already placed you—at home, work, school, or in your neighborhood—to represent Jesus with your words and actions this week? [50:00]
The twelve were told to give freely because they had freely received. What gift, encouragement, practical help, or spiritual truth have you received from God that you could freely share with someone this week? [44:43]
Saul’s life changed when he asked, “Lord, what will You have me to do?” Is there an area where you need to stop resisting God’s direction and become more willing to obey His next step? [53:25]
God can use a person’s past without allowing that past to define the person’s future. Is there a past failure, fear, or old identity that has made you hesitate to believe God can use you? What truth from Saul’s calling speaks to that hesitation? [56:13]
Spiritual growth requires a strong foundation, especially when life’s cares have weakened it. What part of your spiritual foundation needs strengthening right now—prayer, Scripture, fellowship, obedience, or serving others? [59:31]
God invests His word, gifts, and purpose in His people and desires fruit for the sake of souls. What would a real return on God’s investment in your life look like over the next month? [01:00:48]
God’s house is meant to be a house of prayer, purity, and proper order. Is there an area of your own life that has become spiritually cluttered or out of order? What is one humble and practical step you can take to make room for prayer and obedience? [56:46]

Sermon Clips

79s

“And then what Revelation two does is that they build on the foundation that Revelation one has, you know, has set for you. These are nine month classes, and I would tell you to strap in, put your seat belt on, and get ready for the ride. So I admonish each and every one of you. If you haven't had any of these classes or you are very interested, hey. Listen. Reach out. You'll reach out. Sign up be because you want to invest in your spiritual walk. You want to invest in what God has already placed on the inside of you. You want to to grow that. One thing about God, he is a ROI And what that means, and you all know what r o r o I means, return on investment. God has invested in you. Now he wants a return on that investment, which he wants that word to come out. He wants you to go out and minister. He, especially to the souls because souls is god's heart beating. And so he wants to return on his investments. So getting these classes, you won't regret it. I guarantee you one thing. You getting these revelation classes, you'll come in one way, but you will exit another way.”

30s

“God has invested in you. Now he wants a return on that investment, which he wants that word to come out. He wants you to go out and minister. He, especially to the souls because souls is god's heart beating. And so he wants to return on his investments. So getting these classes, you won't regret it. I guarantee you one thing. You getting these revelation classes, you'll come in one way, but you will exit another way.”

40s

“So he was setting order. So a lot of times when apostle, the temperament of apostle is order. So when apostle when an apostle, true apostle comes in and that apostle sees things out of order, he sets order. So sometimes, when you read that story about Jesus, he went in in an abrupt manner to set order. So sometimes that apostle may come in in a abrupt manner because why he's grieved in his spirit because order is not set. So what is he doing? He's setting order.”

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