October 14, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

Pioneers For Jesus
Ephesians 4:11-16

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Think how the world would be different without pioneers. No America from sea to shining sea—we wouldn’t even be on the east coast because there wouldn’t be any Pilgrims, no Columbus, no Vikings—no Indians. Surgery—how would you have liked to be the first person to ever be operated on? You’re going to stick that where? No horseless carriage of Henry Ford, no “electric light of Thomas Edison”—we’d have to watch Television in the dark—no electricity of Ben Franklin.

What about a church without pioneers? First, there would be no Jesus coming to earth to be the apostle or pioneer of our faith as the Bible says. There would be no one expanding the influence of God beyond Jerusalem. There would not have been a newly formed congregation in 1838 in Hancock County to become Bradley UMC. No one would challenge this congregation through the years to keep reaching out to those who are different. No one to stimulate us to not get mired in the status quo.

The book of Ephesians is a general book about how to be the church. One of the things it teaches us is that each and every Christian has a place in the Body of Christ and the work of God. Ephesians 4:7-“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Who you are means something! We’ve been given grace in one of five ways to be part of God’s church. “¹²to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” We learn from each other and the roles we bring to the church: Pioneers, Truth-Tellers, Special Witnesses, Care-Givers, Mentors. We need them ALL! All of us are in these five. Which are you? From whom are you learning besides Clarinda or Me? We’ll give you a survey next week to help you discover where you are with these five.

Our text never mentions “leaders.” These can be leadership positions, but they are also ways we relate to the world and the Body of Christ. Remember: The church is not about leaders, it’s about us! These five are people-types, not “gifts”. They are personalities, not tools to use. “God gave some to BE . . . not God gave some to have . . .” Know who you are!

I. The apostle-type feels a special drive from God.

Apostle-types are like pioneers, the advance guard, establishers, trailblazers, visionary, and extroverted in their personalities. Divine compulsion in apostle-type Christians keeps them challenging the church to look into new territory, learning new language, reaching out to new people. Galatians 2:8-“For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.”

Pioneers often seem like crazy people and most of us are uncomfortable being around them. They advocate change, movement and breakthrough. They live for discovering new frontiers—planting Christianity in new places formerly “foreign” to the Faith—and US. “They boldly take Christ where no one has taken Him before.”

The word “apostle” means, “One who is sent.” Apostle-type Christians, like the Blues Brothers, have a special sense of being on a mission from God. They feel “divine pressure” wanting the congregation to press forward to the “new”, to continually reach out in message and ministry, and get frustrated when we don’t. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:16-“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

The apostle-types need this increased drive. God has equipped them to plow ground that has never been plowed before, to face dangers of the wilderness and the unknown that those who come behind them don’t have to worry about. Beyond tolerating them, the church should thank God for them because the apostle-types prepare new places for the Gospel to settle into. Most of us are not equipped for doing that.

II The apostle-type has a responsibility in the church.

Apostle-types, watch your pride. Remember there are four other parts of the Body. Not all parts are made to reach out as hard or as far as you are. Remember also that all reaching out and no shoring up puts the church “out on a very small limb.” You need the work done by the other four roles in the church.

Learn from the 4 other roles in the church. Listen to the words of the prophets—to hear the WHOLE counsel of God—not just speak in areas where you have a “thing”, but like Paul, take the Gospel to the whole world.

Listen to the evangelists: not just go around starting little clubs, groups or organizations and calling them churches. Truly plant the Gospel in people—so that salvation comes to their hearts and minds. It is out of that congregations are born. These will have a chance to survive in the world.

Listen to the pastors and teachers and be sure to make some provision for them to be encouraged and trained when you are not around. All five roles are important in building God’s Church! While you build up others through your ministry—don’t forget to be building up your own spiritual growth, too! We all need each other’s ministry!

III. The apostle-type challenges the church to be God’s movement.

These pioneer, apostle-types challenge us to continue to be a movement of the Holy Spirit and not get stuck being just another worldly institution. The church is to be on a mission from God, in part to continually break new ground for God—establishing the kingdom of God in new places with new people.

These pioneers must keep the church reaching out! We must be careful not to resist the apostle-type work. In the first church, Paul had to really work to get the church to accept different people—the Gentiles as worthy of being a full part of the Church and to fellowship with them.

Pioneer, apostle-types challenge the church to defend new Believers against the established Believers (Barnabas did this for Paul. Peter did this for Cornelius. Paul did this for other “Gentiles”). I know of a congregation that didn’t want the pastor bringing youth from the town to youth group because they would “taint” our youth.

What will you do now?

Without the role played by the pioneers—the apostle-types, our development as a congregation and individually as Christians is stunted. Pioneers for Jesus motivate us all to stretch a little. And the older I have gotten, I have learned that regular stretching is important if one is going to stay active and able. Thank you—pioneers for Jesus! Keep up God’s work! Amen.