Culture of the Kingdom
Today’s Topic: The Apostles’ Doctrine: Introduction to Understanding the Apostolic
Scripture: Acts 2:42; Matthew 10:40; Romans 1:28
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Acts 2:42: They continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.
Now the first thing I want to point out that these new believers, just baptized and newborns in the Kingdom IMMEDIATLEY continued steadfastly. That means these people were committed and devoted to whatever the Apostles’ doctrine is. Next, if the apostles’ doctrine is an imperative of the Kingdom culture then there must be apostles today! Now I am not going into proving all of this again but if you want the proof then please check out our series on the “The Kingdom of God” and you can read that message. But there are apostles today. Now, some denominations have done away or do not recognize the apostolic to avoid hierarchies and to allow the church to act more democratically. Do we notice that for the most part what is being said in many pulpits around the world is to have more of an impact on the current society? Now should the messages from the pulpit change society? Yes but it should also foster the society and culture of the Kingdom to come into mankind and bring the rulership of Jesus Christ to the Earth. But we do not really hear about rulership, let alone the Kingdom. It is all about getting saved and not going to hell. But the first cultural change centered around the apostles.
The word “Apostolos” means one sent or as I have heard it “sent one”. Now if apostolos means one sent, then that means someone is sending the one who is sent. If you are an apostle then you were sent by someone. Jesus said is best in Matthew 10:40: “He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” Jesus is showing the disciples the apostolic gift and the definition of it. Jesus WAS SENT by the Father and the Apostles (One Sent) were sent by Jesus. So now if we do not know what the apostles’ doctrine is then we can look and probably find that the church or that denomination did not embrace the apostolic and because the apostolic was not embraced that gift was withdrawn from that body of believers until the one who comes in the name of the Lord comes and they are ready to receive the truth. Now that may challenge you beliefs or what you think is right based upon your religious status but the truth comes from Christ and it is evident that for some of us and that included me at the time, I did not know anything about the apostles doctrine until God knew that I wanted truth and I was not going to inject my beliefs or doctrines in what He was saying. The problem we are having is we are injecting democracy in the Kingdom. See the old saying is that democracy empowers and enable the people. But what is does, especially in the Kingdom, it enslaves them to a “commonality” type of thinking without altering their understanding of the truth. In a democracy, no matter what truth is, to the people it is all about their opinion and perception. The main line to any issue with someone who lives in a democracy is “I think”. Then in some cases people have the right to vote on what they think and they vote based upon their own convictions to what the truth is. In the Kingdom of God
“I think” does not fly anywhere. In the Kingdom of God there is a King named Jesus. Whatever Jesus says is truth. In the Kingdom there is no voting on referendums or amendments. What you believe or do not believe as an individual is irrelevant. All belief structures have been already put into place. Now you have the freedom to decide whether or not you believe, but you do not have the freedom to decide what you believe. Jesus does not make truth based upon popular appeal. We can look at the life of Jesus and see He was not popular in the sense because the very ones He would heal and feed are the same ones that would crucify Him. Jesus knows the end from the beginning. See we are in time so our view from time is limited but He is eternal. One of the frightening things I have seen is preachers aligning themselves with politicians. Now why would you align yourself with someone who has already told you that they are for abortion or for homosexuality? Better yet why would you align yourself with someone who exalts the rich and degrades the poor? Now they say they are bringing the gospel to them but what is their real motive. These preachers are on camera smiling with these people and let them speak from the pulpits just because of their natural social status. Can I be honest, it just makes me shake my head and ask, what are we doing? I watched a politician come into one of our local churches and ask for people’s vote and she talks about all of the things she was going to do for the children, but the question really needed to be asked is where do you stand on this? Are you a Kingdom citizen and son of God? Do you know Jesus? See if they do not know any of that then they cannot bring the rulership of God to that nation or area. Well one year later she is in the newspaper pulling on the side of homosexuality. We need to allow Holy Spirit to discern people for us. See most of these politicians see money and many of the preachers that are with them if you take a look are the ones with the mega churches and huge platform. They want to be seen so they can say, here I took a picture with the future president. Or hey, the future President or Congressman came to ”my church” and I allowed Him to speak to my people. Never mind whether they believe in Christ or not or whether they promote homosexuality or abortions. They just want to be seen so they can get some publicity and the one thing it is all about “MONEY, MONEY MONEY!” How perverse these people have become and some of these people are pastors and bishops of congregations. Their gospel is the gospel of prosperity and money they do not know the true gospel of the Kingdom or the King.
We will continue looking at the Apostolic in the next message.
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
