APOSTLE Program

We’re convinced there are three main phases in the faith life of every believer:

1) Their life without Jesus.
This was before we had any faith at all, or even an awareness of God. This was when we lived life on our own, responsible for our own sin.

2) Their life as a disciple of Jesus.
This was when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, were freed of our sin, and began the lifelong journey of learning about Jesus and becoming more like Him. If we boil down the definition of “disciple,” it very simply means “student.” Disciples of Jesus are students of Jesus.

3) Their life as an apostle of Jesus.
Try to put aside the political or controversial aspects of this word and boil it down to it’s simplest form: The Greek word for “apostle” is very simply defined as “sent one.” This is when Jesus’ disciples accept the task of going beyond the role of a student and begin working alongside Jesus to help build His Kingdom. It is the greatest work we can do as believers. It is the only work we do on earth that is eternal. Jesus called all of His disciples into apostleship, “sending” them to go and make disciples in Matthew 28:19. An apostle is always a disciple, as journeying with Jesus is about being a lifelong student, or learner, of Him, but an apostle applies what they’re learning and shares it with others.

It is fascinating to see the journey that Jesus took His disciples on. They did not receive an “instant diploma” as disciples, but were with Jesus for three years before Jesus commissioned them as apostles. This is enlightening to the fact that the discipleship process is its own journey, and that an apostle of Jesus never ceases to be a disciple of Jesus as well.

We also see that Jesus did not choose Pharisees to be His disciples, who were at the time like religious lawyers. They knew the Scriptures better than anyone, and yet they lacked the obedience to fulfill the mission as apostles. However, average men, many of them blue collar workers with no more than a 3rd grade education equivalent were chosen by Jesus to be the pioneers of what we now know as the Christian faith.

We believe Jesus knew what He was doing when He taught His disciples and when He called them into service as apostles. There are patterns and characteristics of 1st century apostles that can be studied and applied to the 21st century for modern-day believers seeking to live out their mission with similar attributes of the original 12 apostles. We have presented these attributes in the form of the acronym, “A.P.O.S.T.L.E.” Completion of the APOSTLE program is a prerequisite for formal participation under the umbrella of SGM. Here are short definitions of the seven attributes of SGM apostles, and why we believe them to be so important.

A - Accountability
The original 12 apostles worked so well together that there was no need for extensive hierarchal leadership. No one in particular took a more commanding stance than anyone else. In fact, whenever big decisions needed to be made, the 12 apostles were on record speaking as one voice (Acts 6:1-5). Armed with the knowledge of God’s Word, the original 12 apostles likely kept each other sharp (Proverbs 27:17), shared each others’ burdens, and helped keep each other on the right path (James 5:16, Galatians 5:25-26).

In application for today, an apostle is someone who understands that God designed us to be communal beings. An apostle allows themselves to be held accountable by other apostles. Some may think this is suffocating or legalistic, but we believe it’s a core need. Since an apostle is a “sent one,” then accountability means others can help you get to where you’ve been sent. You need others to help you fulfill your calling and your mission, because God did not design any of us to be able to do it alone (Luke 10:1, Galatians 6:2, Matthew 18:20, 1 John 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:10). Accountability with another person means, “I was with you when you got the call and I will be your helper as you carry it out in Jesus’ name!”

P - Peace
An apostle understands that they are working for Christ and His Kingdom. An apostle is not divisive (Romans 12:18) but instead seeks to live at peace with all men. (Ephesians 4, Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 10:5, Acts 9:31).

O - Obedience
An apostle knows that they are not in charge, and that the whole point of apostleship is working for the Kingdom, which means there’s a King, only one King, and it’s not any of us. Obedience means knowing your place underneath the leadership of Christ and following Him instead of following your own way. Obedience means following God’s commands, outlined in the Bible, and not trying to control them or manipulate them into saying something that goes against canonical Scripture. Obedience also means when the Spirit prompts you to pray, you do so with fervor. When the Spirit leads you to lay hands, you obey. When the Spirit calls you to talk with someone, or share a word, you share it unashamedly and unapologetically (Proverbs 10:17, James 1:22,25, Luke 11:28, John 15:14, Acts 5:41, John 15:14).

S - Servanthood
An apostle understands that Jesus did not come to the world to be served by it, but to serve the world. Being Christ-like means following Christ’s example of servanthood. Jesus was a giver, and even gave His life for our behalf. That kind of sacrificial love should perpetually permeate the heart of every apostle (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 15:13).

T - Testimony
All apostles are apostles because of the change that took place inside them when they accepted Jesus as their Savior. An apostle needs to know their testimony and have it ready for whenever and wherever they are able to share it (John 9:25, Revelation 12:11, 1 Peter 3:15).

L - Love
An apostle knows that the love of God is endless and unfathomable, and yet who is also a recipient of His love, such to the extent that they are able to love others authentically and gracefully (John 15:9, John 13:35).

E - Expansion
There is no quota to fill or anything. God is not some used car salesman expecting you to sell 10 late-model sedans each month. But it is peppered all throughout Scripture that when God moved, His church grew (Acts 2:41-47, Acts 4:4, Acts 5:14, Acts 16:5). While numbers are not a universal indicator of church growth, it is definitely a factor. An apostle is always looking for people to help make disciples, and also to train up and encourage into apostleship. An apostle wants to see God’s Kingdom grow and expand, and that may also mean asking someone in your church to go start their own church.

Final thoughts…
This kind of apostleship is not a title we carry, nor a diploma we receive, but more of a mindset that we take hold of and do our best to live by. In the same way that we pursue our assumed roles as disciples, we can do so as apostles. You’ll also notice that there’s nothing in here about HOW to operate as an apostle - these are mainly all characteristics, or indicators, of apostleship. The HOW part is something God reveals to you. Whether you want to serve as a parking lot attendant at a local church or open a new orphanage in Uganda, these characteristics are a Biblical way of operating as you go about your life as a “sent one.”

Attending this program is a prerequisite to participating as a leader at SGM.

This program is also an excellent addition to every existing church! It is particularly great for all small group leaders to go through. If you would like to receive personalized training and/or implementation at your church, reach out to us. We’d love to help!