TEACHING

Paul Galligan

(Paul’s apostolic company is based in Australia, and reaches into several African and Asian nations.)

THE WORD OF FAITH WHICH WE PREACH

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ [that is, the word of faith which we preach]” – Rom.10:8.

The word of faith is the rhema [quickened] word that we hear direct from God, either through the written word or the spoken word, or a word spoken directly to us by the Spirit. Jesus defined this word in Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  It is the ‘proceeding’ word.

 The restoration of apostles to disciple nations

Peter said “I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent to stir you up by reminding you” (2Pet.1:12-13). In these days the word of God has been emphasising the restoration of apostles to the church and the giving again of “grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Rom.1:5). Even though apostles have been restored in many parts of the church and the apostolic message is being heralded by many, there is a fresh understanding for us in the commissioning of Jeremiah, to know the direction and the authority that God has given in the apostolic commissioning of His church.

The commissioning of Jeremiah (1:4-12)

The LORD [I AM] said to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (v5a). The first spiritual blessing that Paul notes in Ephesians 1 is that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him” (v4). Paul goes on to tell us that “in love He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself … to the praise of the glory of His grace” (v5-6). Those who are predestined to be in Christ are also predestined to inherit all things in Christ (Rom.8:32).

The LORD said to Jeremiah “Before you were born I sanctified [set apart] you” (v5b). “Those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son … whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom.8:29-30). Our life in Christ is predestined and we have the most awesome opportunity to respond to God’s call and to co-operate with His grace to come to a walk of maturity in His love, witnessing to and reflecting the life of Christ within us.

A prophetic voice to the nations: an apostolic ministry to the nations

The LORD said, “I ordained [appointed] you a prophet to the nations” (v5c).

Jeremiah was ordained ‘a prophet to the nations’; the New Testament church is given ‘grace and apostleship’ for the nations.

The Old Testament church of Moses was called ‘as a corporate prophet’ to represent God prophetically to the nations; the New Testament church of Jesus Christ is called ‘as a corporate apostle’ to represent God apostolically to the nations.

The earlier Old Testament prophets were calling the people back to the Law of Moses, proclaiming judgements on both Israel and the nations and to some degree, pointing to the New Testament church which was to come. The later prophets were more and more pointing to that which was to come.

The New Testament church as the creeds have stated, is apostolic. However despite the creedal declarations, the church in history has fallen away from the apostolic pattern and failed to proclaim the apostolic message until this time that we are privileged to live in.

Appointed/ordained

Jesus told the apostles, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (Jn.15:16). “God has appointed these in the church: first apostles ...” (1Cor.12:28). Jesus said to the Father, “As You sent [apostello] Me into the world, I also have sent [apostello] them into the world” (Jn.17:18).

To go and to speak

Jeremiah’s response was to immediately excuse himself (v6) but God did not accept his excuse but rather clearly told him that he would go where he was sent and that he would speak whatever God commanded (v7). Our commission from the Lord Jesus Christ is exactly the same. Because we have been chosen and appointed, we are to be obedient to “the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19); obedient to the Great Commission “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt.28:19). “Do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father” (Matt.10:19-20).

Only speak the word

“Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched My mouth, and the LORD said to me: ‘Behold I put My words in your mouth’” (v9). It is the word of God that is “quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb.4:12). Jesus told the Father “I have given to them the words which You have given Me” (Jn.17:8). We are to only speak the words that the Lord gives us; He said “I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me I speak these things” (Jn.8:28).  

Authority over nations

“See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms” (v10a). God was giving Jeremiah rulership and judgement of nations and kingdoms. Jesus Christ has commissioned the church to have the same authority. When Christ was raised from the dead by the mighty power of God, He was seated “at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and power and might and dominion” (Eph.1:20-21). All things have been put under Christ’s feet and He “as Head over all things” has been given to the church (v22). As a result the church is “seated together with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph.2:6). This is the nature of the apostolic church: seated with Christ and therefore standing and going forth in His authority to the nations.

The ministry of the apostle

The commission given to Jeremiah in New Testament context is the apostolic commission: “To root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant” (v.10b). There must be a pulling down first, a rooting out of the old! The old wineskin has to be destroyed! For some that is a stumbling block! The high places – man’s way of worship and service – must be ‘thrown down!’ Strong language! Uncompromising words! “A rod of iron”(Rev.2:27).

The way must be cleared to lay a proper foundation

The house of God is to be “built on the foundation of apostles and prophets” (Eph.2:20). Which denomination has apostolic foundations? Which independent church has apostolic foundations? Until there is a pulling down and a destroying of what man has built, there can be no lasting building! What is planted will grow up among the thorns and thistles and be choked by the ways of men, the ways of denominationalism and institutionalism.

What do you see?

Finally God asks Jeremiah, What do you see? (v.11). Jesus said “anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev.3:18). Elijah said, “If you see me when I am taken from you” (2Ki.2:10).

Jeremiah said, “I see the branch of an almond tree” (v11).  God said to him, “You have seen well, for I am ready [watching] to perform My word” (v12). In the Hebrew there is a play on words here: the word for ready or watching is shaqad and the word for almond is shaqed. Further, the almond tree blossoms very early, thereby watching all the other blooms come forth in the spring.

The point is: the word that God puts in our heart and in our mouth, “the word of faith which we are speaking” concerning the restoration of apostles and thus the restoration of Christ’s authority to the church to disciple nations, is the very thing that He intends to do and His word will not fail. God is looking for those who will courageously allow the old to be rooted out, pulled down, destroyed and thrown down so that the perfect [that which is according to the word of God as it is written] can be built and planted.