Life of the Apostolic: Sent in Apostolic Teams

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. (Acts 13:2-5)

It is fascinating that as the church gathered in fasting and prayer in Acts 13, the Lord asked them to set aside Paul and Barnabus and send them out. Then, in practically the same breath, it says that the Holy Spirit sent them out. The Lord spoke to those in the church in a time of prayer and used them to release an apostolic team.

Paul and Barnabus were sent out together and they had an assistant with them as well. As we have been looking at the five-fold ministry, it is obvious that God intends for His ministers to be sent out in teams. God designed His Church as a body with interwoven parts and He wants us to function that way.

When Jesus sent out the seventy disciples in Luke 10, he told them to go in pairs. The Lord always seems to have a pattern of team ministry.

When Daniel was together with Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, they prayed together and strengthened each other to seek the  Lord about the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Also, three of them were thrown together into the firey furnace and God delivered them. Their friendship strengthened them to stand true in the ways of God. This was a community moving together in the ways of God.

Another example of this is in I Chronicles 12:32, which says, “The sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command…”

 

I heard a man named Robert Stearns speak one time about this verse. He said that the sons of Issachar had three things: 1.) Prophetic Vision, 2.) Apostolic Strategy, and 3.) Covenental Unity. He said that many times those anointed to carry out a work have both the prophetic vision and apostolic strategy, but are lacking in the covenantal unity aspect that the sons of Issachar had with all their brethren in ranks together.

God designed His body to work as a team, and when He releases an apostolic sending, He will send His people out in apostolic teams.