Behold, I Send You Apostles

I hear the Lord saying, behold, “I will send them…apostles”. Luke 11:49. Oftentimes, some will overlook what scripture actually teaches and teach something else in its place. Right here, Jesus unequivocally tells us that God in His wisdom will send apostles. Notice, it’s God’s wisdom not man’s wisdom to believe in the apostolic ministry, as revealed in scripture. As such, it’s incumbent on us to know what apostles look like and embrace them. Further, we must discern among those claiming to be apostles those who are actually called, anointed, appointed, set, and sent to the Church as apostles, for not all are. That’s what I’d like to talk about in this post.

The Lord Himself has taken it upon Himself to send apostles to His Church. Notice, Jesus doesn’t say what He says in the past tense, speaking of those apostles He’s already ordained. No! This statement reveals what God will do in the future. That begs the question: What provokes God to send apostles? We can see what provokes God to send apostles in Luke 11:49, which is, Pharisaism. The fact that Christ tells us He’s sending us apostles is a warning about our own current spiritual state and reveals something about us — we have become Pharisaical in our practice of Christianity.

Sometimes, the truth hurts. But we must acknowledge what scripture teaches. The fact that much of the Church denies the existence of apostles is proof of the Church’s current spiritual state — it’s religious but not righteous; it’s committed but also corrupted; it’s prayerlessness is proof of its own spiritual degradation. The Church has fallen into disrepair, disrepute, and darkness. Thankfully, Christ’s light will once again shine in His beloved Church. Remember, the Church is God’s idea not man’s idea. God created the Church and Christ states unequivocally “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18.

Christ is building His Church. The Church is under construction right now. Jesus, in His own wisdom, tells us what His plan is — to build His Church. In other words, the great desire of Christ right now is over the building of His Church. Then, why do some so quickly seek to tear it down?

 As Jesus reveals in one of His parables, “An enemy has done this!” Matthew 13:28, NLT. That right! Our adversary, the Devil, goes around seeking to stop, hinder, delay, and destroy what Christ is building. Nevertheless, whatever Satan or hell may throw against what Christ is building, they cannot prevail against Christ and His Church. Yes, the Church is destined to win.

Christ’s strategy for building His Church — He sends apostles. Now, He doesn’t only send apostles, He also sends prophets. That’s right! It takes both apostles and prophets to build His Church, His way. In other words, apostles alone will not and cannot correct those issues the Church is facing today. No! It takes both apostles and prophets. And that’s who Christ is actually sending to His Church — apostles AND prophets. Notice, not only apostles are sent ones, as some have taught. Rather, apostles and prophets are sent. See how foolish and thoroughly unscriptural some of our teachings on apostles and apostolic ministry have been? 

We need an upgrade in our understanding of the apostle. We need to go back to the book — the Bible — to learn who apostles are and what they do. Truth is, we don’t know as much as we think we know about the office of the apostle. And it’s something we need to know, for Christ is sending us apostles. And in Him sending us apostles, there’s tremendous hope for the Church. Your frustration over the state of the Church is understandable. Christ also is not happy about the state of His Church. And He wants to see His Church change. Isn’t that what scripture teaches? “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27. 

Yes! That’s what the Church is becoming, even though it doesn’t look like that today. Looks can be deceiving. And right now, they are. But hear what Christ says, “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I send you apostles.” That’s His solution to the issues the Church is facing. Christ will send men and women, apostles, to clean up and clear the way for Him and His coming.

Church, when they come, and they will come, remember to “go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” Matthew 25:9, NIV. The bridegroom is coming and the Church had better be prepared for His coming. For that, we need the oil for our lamps. As the song goes, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the light of day.”

Church, we need oil. Apostles bring oil. So do prophets, real ones. Yes, there’s an oil crisis in the world, but not the one you’re thinking of. Rather, we need the oil of heaven falling on the souls of men and women, anointed oil that’s coming as anointed ones bring that oil from the throne of God. As President Trump said, “Drill baby! Drill!” Just make sure you’re in the right place when the apostolic gushers come!

Let us pray!

—Scott Wallis