Sent

Today's Scripture

Christian author and speaker Alan Hirsch has developed a system of personal ministry style assessment based on Ephesians chapter four where Paul says that some are given as Apostles, some as Prophets, some as Evangelists, some as Shepherds, and some as Teachers. In his simple and beautiful way of examining our own calling, the word that Alan uses to most directly describe the 'Apostle' ministry style is 'Sent.' Apostles are the sent ones. They seem to be able to overcome that fear of trying something new, meeting new people, embracing new challenges, and travelling to new lands. It takes a certain kind of person.

Paul and his companions are clearly engaged in an apostolic journey. This, his second missionary journey, will take him more than 1,400 miles away from his starting place in Antioch (which is already 80 miles or so from Jerusalem). Think for a moment about what this meant for them. This is like setting out to walk on foot (I guess that's the only way, huh) from Pittsburgh to Topeka Kansas, or to Baton Rouge Louisiana. That seems hard enough, but there was no GPS; you couldn't even go 'old school' and get a Trip Tik from AAA. Add to this that strangers were generally mistrusted and mistreated. Lastly, they were going on this journey to introduce people to a radically new way of thinking about God (or gods...) that in their local travels so far had almost gotten them killed several times.

Two very important things fuel these Apostles: One is the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Truth is with them in a powerful way. If you have ever felt 100% certain of something, you are MUCH BOLDER in your actions, even forceful perhaps. This is the mindset of the Apostles; they are not proposing a theory, or a different approach, they are sharing THE TRUTH. Secondly, this is what THEY were called to do, literally and figuratively. Jesus or His successors called them to do THIS MISSION. Good news for us--we may not be called to THIS MISSION.

You might be called to teach, or to care for others (shepherd), or recruit people to the cause (evangelize), or to speak truth to power (prophet), or some combination of these. But rest assured, whichever style God has bestowed on you, He will also bestow the Spirit of Truth to make it active and effective and impressive. That Spirit will testify to Christ and to the Truth "and you will also testify."