Creating Apostolic Culture

 

Cultural Conquistadors

According to Kris Vallatton, the word Apostle referred to a type of Roman general who was also responsible for being what I would call a “cultural conquistador”.  They would conquer a new land and impose Roman culture there.  Obviously, the weapons of our warfare are purely spiritual and peaceful, but we do seek to create an alternative culture from the culture of the World.

 

Cultural Founders

 

Noah

God wiped out all world cultures and began a new culture with Noah’s family. 

Abraham

Abraham had Apostolic Vision of a new land with a new monotheistic culture.  Beyond all hope, he held on to this vision and followed it by faith.  We Gentiles are ingrafted through Christ into Father (1 Corinthians 4:15) Abraham’s covenant by faith. 

 

Moses

Moses followed the heavenly pattern shown him on the mountain prescribing proper worship of Abraham’s one true God, establishing a Kingdom of Priests though a complex systems of laws ensuring justice and fairness:  Creating God’s culture on earth as it is in heaven:

 

Romans 1:5 (New American Standard Version) speaking of Christ 'through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake...'

 

He brought His people out of cruel bondage to slavery in a pagan land to their own land, where they could freely practice their own culture. 

 

Joshua

Took dominion of the Promised Land on behalf of Moses.

 

Jesus, Peter, and Paul

Brought obedience of faith to the Gentiles by explaining to them Christ’s Jewish identity in Moses:  The savior from transgressions of Moses’ moral law.  Paul always preached first to Jews in a synagogue, then to the God fearers (Gentile attendees).  Most of his churches were planted on Jewish foundations.  Where there were none, he taught them the apostolic foundations, which are Jewish. 

 

 

Culture Wins

Individual change is rare without cultural change.  The unanswered question has been: How do we effect cultural change?  The answer lies in creating our own.

Jewish Culture

Many in Israel viewed Jesus as the Messiah who would save them from their transgressions of the Law of Moses.  That is because he was born during a period of great religious revival in Israel.  There were revivalist Jewish denominations like the Essenes (John the Baptist), the Pharisees (Nicodemus, Paul, Gamaliel…), who had many prominent members that spoke out their belief in Christ early on. 

 

Other Cultures

If Jesus showed up among cannibals they would have perceived him as a lunch item.  They would have no concept of sin from Moses.  No idea of what a Savior is or means.  Western churches and most churches today are Pastorates, not Apostleships.  They are not built on the foundation of the apostles teaching and avoid even the Milk of God’s word by not defining or confronting sin/demons/curses.       

 

 

Pattern

Steps

 

  1. Noah – Clean slate.
    1. The first step to creating a new culture is eliminating all others.
    2. Noah replaced multitudes of cultures with simple obedience of faith.
  2. Abraham – Leave the land of the idols.
    1. Christ’s “leave everything” condition is the missing element of today’s gospel that short-circuits this step of creating a heavenly culture.
  3. Moses – Set the Kingdom boundaries (laws)
    1. Establishment - Deliverance by raising the Serpent for healing –
    2. Rulership - Salvation, Healing, and Deliverance within the boundaries of the Kingdom*.
  4. Joshua – Taking Dominion
    1. Establishes Kingdom in land of promise.
  5. Jesus – Established Heavenly Kingdom on Earth
    1. Sacraments
      1. Blood - Communion
      2. Body - Water Baptism
    2. G12 Discipleship Model
  6. Peter and Paul – Established Church Planting Model
    1. Scalable – 2000 new converts in one day – House to house
    2. Replicable – Paul’s and Peter’s churches enjoyed unity with each other and within themselves because they were all built on similar foundations.

 

 

 

Isaiah 42 (KJV) 1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

 

 

 

 

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