The Heart-Beat of the Apostolic

 

Tomorrow I head off for the weekend for my second ever visit to Namibia. Just two months ago I spent just under a fortnight in the nation's capital with All Nations Church and my heart was so captured by this incredible local church and Her story of influence in the city that I find myself counting down the hours till I am back with them again.
Here is an attempt at explaining why we still prioritize travelling +-1500km's,spending four nights away from the city I love and even missing out on a Sunday at home base

 

 

Friendship before function

 

I am still a firm believer in the above well-worn-phrase. In a fast "developing" brand of inter church relationships, the word "apostolic" has seemingly become tied up with the word "mission" to such an extent that real heart to heart friendships that weather storms as well as sail in the wind are being given less and less value. Questions of whether we gather together primarily around similar theological viewpoints, common tasks and events or firstly around the reality of relationships have held much sway in these types of conversations.

 

My heart's conviction holds all three elements as valuable, but it is my natural bent,reading of the scriptures that conveyed Paul's heart, as well as seeing the present prevailing wind of self-interest and emperial thinking that leads me to push the relational aspect to the front of the queue.

This weekend I will definitely preach and declare the message of the King and His Kingdom (which is great theology and strongly missional focused if I can be cheeky enough to say so myself), but what is of real worth to me will be the dining room conversations, laughing with one another, the late nights engaging with new and even newer friends around our common denominators of Jesus, church and the life-changing Gospel, laughing with one another, sharing communion together...and did I mention laughing with one another?

 

 

I'm not going seeking a platform to preach

I'm not going to further a "movement"

I'm not going to see what opportunities there are for us in Namibia

 

 

The apostolic heart is a sefless one. One that says I will come even if it costs me.

Yes, I do go because I want to change the world.

Yes, I do go because out of friendship we will want to do more together.

But for the world to be turned upside down, we first need to be turned inside out.

Our motives and agendas need to be ongoingly re-examined.

It's not friendship for friendship sake...it's friendship for your friend's sake.

No greater love is there than this, that a man would lay His life down for his friends.

 

 

This is what we've been called to. This is the apostolic heart.

 

 

Jesus, sent from the Father, laid His life down for His friends

Other related posts:
http://gabephillips23.blogspot.com/2012/07/namibia-part-one.html
http://gabephillips23.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-nations-are-our-inheritance.html