Contending for Apostolic Foundations

In one paragraph

Steve, a friend of the church who has spent years working through what he calls apostolic foundations, brought the message this particular Sunday as part of Tribe's 21-day focus on Israel. He drew on his own long journey, from a charismatic upbringing through a season of communist ideology in college, to a dramatic encounter with God, to years serving in Tel Aviv, to running a plumbing company, to...

Read together

1. Jude 1:3 contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints
2. Ephesians 2:19-22 built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus the chief cornerstone, a dwelling place of God
3. Ephesians 4:11-15 fivefold gifts given to equip saints until unity of the faith and fullness of Christ
4. Hebrews 6:1-2 listing elementary foundation stones: repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, eternal judgment
5. Ephesians 3:1-21 mystery of Jew and Gentile, Paul's prayer for strength in the inner man, manifold wisdom made known to principalities through the church
6. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 warfare not carnal but mighty for pulling down strongholds and every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
7. Hebrews 11:6 God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him
8. Matthew 6:33 seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added

What was said

• Set aside time this week to read Ephesians 3 slowly, taking each line on its own before moving to the next.
• If you are joining the 21-day focus on Israel, carve out a specific time each day to pray for the nation of Israel, the people of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem.
• Come to the building at 8:45 on Sunday morning and join Lanisha to pray over the seats before the service starts.
• If something Steve said stirred something in you, do not leave without finding one of the prayer team members - Isaiah, Lanisha, Lee, or Colleen - and asking them to agree with you in prayer.
• Pick up or look up the book Rick Renner wrote on apostles and prophets if you want to go deeper into what Steve was teaching about apostolic foundations.

Talk about it

1. Steve described a long season working in a juvenile justice program where he saw almost no breakthrough and came out discouraged and questioning whether he had missed God's call. Have you ever been in a season like that, where obedience seemed to produce nothing? What did it do to your faith?
2. Steve read from Jude about contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and said that half measures get half measures and full measures get full measures. What does contending actually look like in your day-to-day life, and where do you find yourself settling for half measures?
3. Steve talked about the difference between asking God to reveal his plan for your life and actually dying to your own plan so Christ can live through you. He said we usually mean, God, reinforce my plan. How honestly can you say that distinction has shown up in your own walk with him?
4. Paul writes in Ephesians three that the church makes the manifold wisdom of God known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. Steve said that means what we say, sing and pray about Israel and these apostolic foundations is not just for our own benefit but is enforcing something in the unseen realm. Does that change how you think about corporate worship and prayer? How?
5. Steve said he has spent seven years as a plumber after a season of speaking and traveling, and that God told him he wanted to teach him to toil and persevere in obscurity. He also said God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. How do you hold those two things together, the call to obscurity and the promise of reward?