Continuing the Work of the Apostles

OBJECTIVE

The objective of today's lesson is to identify how the Church continued ministry after the Apostolic age through today.

INTRODUCTION AND HOOKS - 10 Minutes

Imagine you were an apostle of our lord Jesus Christ
- Where would you preach his word and why?
- What was the spiritual gift of apostleship?
- What were the requirements of apostleship?
An Apostle means messenger; one who is sent
- An apostle is sent to deliver or spread those teachings to others
The requirements for the office of an Apostle included being a faithful eyewitness of Jesus' ministry and His resurrection
A gift of apostleship today is to plant new ministries and churches, go into places where the Gospel is not preached,

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples (Acts 14:21-28).

Memory Verse

"He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me" (Lk. 10:16).

CONTENT

Apostolic Ministry
- As seen in the history of the Church service, the Apostles and their successors endeavored to preserve the teachings of Christ and echo these to all people throughout all generations
- Each generation faced unique challenges, in turn leading to unique leaders ready to carry the faith through these times
- The Church taught us to echo the words and teachings of Christ according to our time and generation
Ministry Throughout the Ages
- Apostolic Age (1st Century AD)
  - As we've reviewed in past lessons, the Lord selected twelve apostles who He appointed for ministry, and by which He established the Church on Pentecost
  - The ministry of the Apostles was to present Christ to all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity (cf. Mt. 28:19-20).
  - Through the ministries of Peter and Paul, the gospel spread to in the Jews and the Gentiles, that all came to accept Christ and to keep the Apostolic doctrine
- Apostolic Fathers (70 to 150 AD)
  - The Apostolic Fathers were the immediate successors to the Apostles, who led the young Church after the apostolic age and encouraged Christians to be united
  - This group continued the work of the Apostles, teaching the growing church according to the Apostolic Doctrine, while providing examples of the Christian life
  - One of these fathers is Polycarp, who chose martyrdom over denying his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
- Apologists 130 to 170 AD
  - The Apologists were a group of skilled writers in the Church who wrote "apologies" or "defenses" for the Christian faith, often addressed to Emperors, but usually only read by faithful at that time
  - A famous apologist is Justin Martyr, who presented Orthodoxy in a way that was satisfactory to both Christians defending their faith and philosophers who were interested in learning the faith
- Martyrs
  - The martyrs served the Church by preserving the Apostolic faith by standing up to death, thereby serving as a witness to and proof of the Resurrection of Christ
  - The Coptic Church begins her calendar in 284 AD, the first year of the reign of Emperor Diocletian, so the church may remember the sacrifice of the martyrs during the bloodiest persecution in order to preserve and deliver to us the true orthodox faith
- Church Fathers
  - The Church Fathers continued the Apostolic ministry by defending the faith against various heresies and false teachings
  - One Church Father, Athanasius the Great, defended Orthodoxy and was exiled five times by those who sought to distort the true faith
- School of Alexandria (1st Century AD to Present)
  - In Alexandria, Mark the apostle, in continuing the Apostolic work, set up a catechetical school to educate the Christians and prepare the catechumen for baptism
  - One of the deans was Pantaenus, whose great love for God as well as great understanding of the faith compelled him to minister in India and serve there
How to Continue the Service Today
- As the Church always looked to the needs of its people, so we too look at the needs of the Christians in our community and serve them accordingly
- As the Apostolic Fathers learned from the Apostles, so we too must listen to and learn from the elders and servants in our churches, so we may be prepared for ministry
- The Church Fathers taught us that it's important to remain humble in our ministry, and not to innovate or change the teaching to fit our own opinions----we are to present Christ, not ourselves

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

If every generation and age has a challenge, then what's the challenge of our time?
Identifying the challenge of our time, how may we serve according to our time?
How may we prepare ourselves to adequately serve given our previous answers?

APPLICATION - 5 Minutes

Develop a relationship with your father of confession by talking to him about spiritual practices
Talk to people in your church and ask them whether there is anything they need
Since the primary service of a Christian is prayer, pray for the people you talk to
If you find there is something beyond your capacity, talk to your servant and work together to serve

PARENTS CORNER

See if there is any family in the church that may need assistance, and see whether you and your child may in some way serve their needs
Encourage your children to ask about people and care for their needs
If there is a group that requires service at the church, see with the priest whether a service may be organized, and see whether your child's class may minister in some way