Last week, I talked about Nehemiah 4 and how, just as the Israelites worked together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we can each be part of what God is wanting to build today. People responded from everywhere to Nehemiah’s call for help. It is going to be increasingly important for us to be ready to respond to God’s call to build His kingdom on earth.
The Bible tells us to, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). That can mean moving to a new place just like some of the workers in Nehemiah 4 did. I don't believe God would have you living anywhere where there's not a good community of faith or a church in which you can get connected and equipped to be a part of the ministry. So, I think God is challenging some of you to move. He has been nudging your heart, and you've got to be willing to take that step of faith.
The people responded from everywhere to Nehemiah’s call for help to work in a spirit of cooperation and unity. They came because they were called to help restore the wall and build something for God. No matter what our normal job is, there's always something we can do to help God’s kingdom. Even if no one knows about the prayers you pray, the money you give, or the people you encourage, God sees it. Even if your name isn't in the limelight, you can still rest in the fact that God knows what you're doing for Him. Nehemiah 3 names some of the people who worked on the wall, but not all. Still, they all contributed to the greater purpose.
Now, the task to build His kingdom may seem daunting, and it may seem like the odds are stacked against us like they were for the people rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They had lost their culture and had just spent seven years in Babylon. So, they had to go back and relearn everything—their culture, their heritage, the Torah, and how to worship God according to the blueprint that God gave Moses. Then, they had to put their resources and skills together to rebuild a wall of protection and restore the temple. But when God calls you to a task, He will make a way—no matter how daunting it may seem.
We are called to rebuild, restore, and renew. I believe there will be a restoration of the end-time apostolic and prophetic ministry. I am not against people who carry the titles of apostle or prophet, but I think what we're now calling apostolic and prophetic ministry is just a starting point. I think where God is taking us is a full restoration of the apostolic and the prophetic. This is important, because there are a lot of denominations out there arbitrarily teaching that the ministry roles of apostle and prophet are no longer for today.
The fivefold ministry includes pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles and prophets (see Ephesians 4:11-12). It is total presumption to assume that just two of those ministry roles ended with the first century church; there is not a Scripture that says so. This is why I believe we will see a full restoration of the apostle and prophet to the fivefold ministry. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and there are still places on earth where that foundation has not been laid. There are communities, cities, and even nations on this earth that haven't yet heard the gospel of the kingdom.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:13-14, “He who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Why hasn't the end come yet? Because the foundation hasn't been laid everywhere yet. That's why we need apostolic and prophetic forerunners and those who will believe emphatically that the entire fivefold ministry is just as relevant today as it was in the first century.
There is a level of the miraculous that is not going to be released in the world until the apostolic grace and office are fully restored. Why don't we see greater miracles? The Bible says, “through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people” (Acts 5:12). We keep praying for God to pour out His Spirit, but an outpouring won’t be fully sustainable without the right infrastructure in place. It'll just go down in history as a temporary move of God. What we want is heaven's infrastructure. We want heaven's infrastructure to be in place to sustain the full outpouring of God's Holy Spirit.
Just like in Nehemiah’s time, there’s a call going forth to different people with different skill sets, in different regions, to come together and rebuild the apostolic ministry. If we are just getting together for conferences or just looking for a boost every Sunday, we're living far below the standard of work God wants to bring in this time. We've got to go beyond our present church experience. God has put us here to be salt and light. If He can align the individuals with the right skills with the right resources, we can change the trajectory of our nation—and our world.
The call of the apostles is to take heaven's blueprint that's been received by the prophetic to equip the saints. The saints can then, in their own areas of influence, help install the infrastructure needed for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Real ministry is not just for Sunday mornings; it happens the other six days of the week when you employ your skills, gifts, and talents for His purposes. That's what God is wanting in this hour.
