The Missing Piece in Church Maturity w/ Alan Hirsch
When we talk about how mature our church is, we often think about its age, programs, or leadership structures. But the Church is none of those things—it’s people. And every person is a gift Jesus has given to his Church. The real question is… are your people mature?
In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, I’m joined by my good friend Alan Hirsch, one of the most trusted voices in the missional movement. Together, we explore why so many churches remain stuck in growth and maturity—and how Ephesians 4 gives us a surprisingly simple key to unlocking both. We’ll see that this passage isn’t just about leadership—it’s about all of us, living in the fullness of life Jesus experienced with his Father and intended for his family.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- The overlooked “key” to unity and maturity found in Ephesians 4
- How to see leadership and ministry through a biblical, life-giving lens
- Why you are a gift to your church and community, given by Jesus himself!
- What happens when churches ignore or limit the 5 gifts Jesus gave to his people
From this episode:
“Here’s what’s exciting… We often use it (Eph. 4) as a leadership conversation, actually in the book of Ephesians, it’s not about leadership. The first instance and radical way of taking this is that the heroes of the text would not be a group of leaders from a seminary, it’s a group of local hacks and local churches. And they were small house churches, Missional sites.”
Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started.
Download today’s BIG 3 right now. Read and think over them again later. You might even want to share them with others…
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Join us on Facebook and take part in the discussion!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of this page or right below.
Also, please subscribe and leave an honest review for The Everyday Disciple Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Coaching with Caesar and Tina in discipleship and missional living.
Take the Free five-fold survey here.
The Permanent Revolution Playbook
5Q: Reactivating the Original Intelligence and Capacity of the Body of Christ
Missio Publishing – More Missional Books and Resources
Get Caesar’s latest book: Bigger Gospel for FREE… Click Here
Transcript
1
00:00:01,770 --> 00:00:12,600
Heath: And my experience in the church, it's always been rather than actually valuing one another's giftings it's the apostles are threats to the shepherds and the prophets are threats to the teachers.
2
00:00:12,750 --> 00:00:19,800
And there's this, rather than valuing the beauty of the checks and balances, we're actually opposed to one another and view each other as enemies.
3
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,630
Alan: Yeah, it's true, Ethan.
4
00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:23,560
And that's why I'm in the Ephesians.
5
00:00:23,580 --> 00:00:29,550
Texts actually starts in Ephesians four, one and one to seven talks about strive for the unity.
6
00:00:30,655 --> 00:00:38,295
The spirit through the bond of peace, you know, you to maintain your sense of connectedness because your diversity will split you apart.
7
00:00:38,295 --> 00:00:40,065
If you don't have a deeper sense of unity.
8
00:00:40,665 --> 00:00:47,045
And so this is why it's critical to actually strive to, you know, to recognize each other fundamental in Christ are we.
9
00:00:47,590 --> 00:00:48,700
Well, there's one church.
10
00:00:48,730 --> 00:00:49,810
We all belong to each other.
11
00:00:49,820 --> 00:00:51,400
Now you can go diverse.
12
00:00:51,910 --> 00:00:54,520
And by the way, guys, I think it's really important for your audience.
13
00:01:06,100 --> 00:01:10,420
Heath: Welcome to the Everyday Disciple podcast where you'll learn how to live with greater intentionality.
14
00:01:11,255 --> 00:01:13,985
Faith that naturally fits into every area of life.
15
00:01:14,164 --> 00:01:21,485
In other words, discipleship as a lifestyle, this is the stuff your parents, pastors, and seminary professors probably forgot to tell you.
16
00:01:21,845 --> 00:01:23,285
And now here's your host Caesar.
17
00:01:23,285 --> 00:01:23,975
Kalinowski
18
00:01:24,755 --> 00:01:26,164
Caesar: well, here we go again.
19
00:01:26,854 --> 00:01:27,574
Hey, you know what?
20
00:01:27,604 --> 00:01:28,925
It's finally happened.
21
00:01:30,340 --> 00:01:31,240
. You can probably hear it.
22
00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:37,920
I'm a little congested and, , I'm going to have to change course a little bit on today's topic because of this.
23
00:01:38,220 --> 00:01:41,250
I'll tell you about that more in a little bit here.
24
00:01:41,580 --> 00:01:41,910
First.
25
00:01:41,910 --> 00:01:44,160
I want to invite you over to the Facebook group.
26
00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,920
If you've not joined us there yet, please do so head on over to.
27
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:53,925
Facebook, look it up Everyday Disciple Podcast, or you can go to Everyday Disciple dot com forward slash podcast.
28
00:01:54,315 --> 00:02:06,315
And as always, I want to ask, would you please share the podcast with somebody would just send out a link, a mention, a link to something, whatever you're listening on Spotify or an apple podcast or whatever, and just share the show.
29
00:02:06,315 --> 00:02:09,195
If you're finding it to be a blessing and one last.
30
00:02:09,955 --> 00:02:14,065
If you're interested in learning a full framework for discipleship and mission.
31
00:02:14,065 --> 00:02:19,975
If you want to grow in your gospel fluency and learn how to apply and live out the gospel in all of life.
32
00:02:20,395 --> 00:02:25,105
I'd love to tell you more about the coaching that we offer and set up a zoom call.
33
00:02:25,135 --> 00:02:27,325
Get on there with the, explain everything to you.
34
00:02:27,895 --> 00:02:32,335
Tina and I coached together as couples and we would love to coach you and your spouse.
35
00:02:32,365 --> 00:02:40,425
If you're married, if you're not, we still happy to coach you . And we want to set you up for a big win and the ability to make some really big progress.
36
00:02:40,425 --> 00:02:45,315
Moving forward, starting this fall to get all the information you need and to set up a call.
37
00:02:46,005 --> 00:02:52,575
Just go over to Everyday Disciple dot com forward slash coaching Everyday Disciple dot com forward slash coaching.
38
00:02:52,845 --> 00:02:54,615
I'd love to at least talk to you about it.
39
00:02:54,735 --> 00:02:59,025
See what you think, get you the information, and maybe we can get on this journey together.
40
00:02:59,745 --> 00:03:15,045
Now I was supposed to be talking with you today about how to stop taking everything personally, but because of the coronavirus and feeling quite under the
weather last few days, the whole brain fog thing has kept me from being able to do the research and pull my thoughts together and the way that I really want.
41
00:03:15,635 --> 00:03:19,835
But I'm really excited about where it's heading and we'll get to that next week on the podcast.
42
00:03:20,625 --> 00:03:27,555
Instead, what I'm going to do is I want to share a conversation with you that Heath Hollins B and I had with Alan Hirsch.
43
00:03:27,855 --> 00:03:28,815
And it's wonderful.
44
00:03:28,995 --> 00:03:31,455
I don't even have to really set it up all that much.
45
00:03:31,485 --> 00:03:40,005
It's about leadership in the church and why we're not seeing people growing to maturity and why our churches aren't even growing the way they should be.
46
00:03:40,515 --> 00:03:45,255
And it's all connected to Jesus and his gifts to us as the church.
47
00:03:45,585 --> 00:03:46,995
So let me just dive in.
48
00:03:47,025 --> 00:03:48,325
I think you're really going to love it.
49
00:03:49,545 --> 00:03:57,165
We're about to talk with one of my favorite people in like all of the world and Christiandom, what a treat Alan Hirsch is, right.
50
00:03:57,465 --> 00:03:59,864
I mean, how many books of his have like just rocked you?
51
00:03:59,955 --> 00:04:01,484
Oh, nonstop.
52
00:04:02,415 --> 00:04:06,795
I've never heard of this guy and I'm just telling you like you, yeah, you needed to, you need to.
53
00:04:07,004 --> 00:04:16,565
Heath: So for those who don't know, Alan is actually considered among many pastors in even Christian world leaders to be a key mission strategist for churches all across the world.
54
00:04:16,919 --> 00:04:19,590
He is the Yoda of the Missional movement, the father of modern missions.
55
00:04:19,620 --> 00:04:20,700
Caesar: I'll probably call him that and see what he
56
00:04:21,930 --> 00:04:22,110
Heath: know.
57
00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,720
So it's, it's such a treat to have him here.
58
00:04:24,990 --> 00:04:26,159
I know you guys have been buddies for quite
59
00:04:26,159 --> 00:04:26,850
Caesar: a while as well.
60
00:04:27,090 --> 00:04:31,440
Yeah, we, we, we met like years ago and yeah, it's just, it's great.
61
00:04:31,470 --> 00:04:36,300
I, you know what he's going to, he's going to, so fill our heads and hearts with some stuff that's gonna like be.
62
00:04:36,860 --> 00:04:38,240
Or like paradigm shifting.
63
00:04:38,330 --> 00:04:39,950
It should be like three episodes.
64
00:04:39,980 --> 00:04:44,360
So let's just go ahead and let's get them on and get rolling because we're going to need the time today.
65
00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:44,870
Okay, man.
66
00:04:44,930 --> 00:04:45,200
Perfect.
67
00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:45,560
Okay.
68
00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,159
So I have to say Alan, first off, I'm really grateful that you're on with us.
69
00:04:49,159 --> 00:04:51,919
I think our listeners, many of them are going to know who you are, bro.
70
00:04:51,950 --> 00:04:56,000
They're just, they're going to know the Yoda of Missional and all of life thinking.
71
00:04:56,450 --> 00:04:57,440
And he'd probably hate that.
72
00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:03,860
But, um, but I gotta tell people like Alan and I have been friends for a really long time and I count that a blessing I was going
73
00:05:03,860 --> 00:05:05,059
Alan: to live in your basement, bro..
74
00:05:06,159 --> 00:05:09,885
Caesar: Yeah, well, I mean, I would've given you a room upstairs, but, um, yeah, no kidding.
75
00:05:10,155 --> 00:05:14,205
I mean really in Tacoma that would have been something, but we met a long time ago, man.
76
00:05:14,205 --> 00:05:21,345
When, when the Soma days were just kicking in and, and you and Mike Frost were sorta waving this banner of something different.
77
00:05:21,814 --> 00:05:23,225
And we were like, what?
78
00:05:23,284 --> 00:05:25,355
But man, God blessed us with favor.
79
00:05:25,355 --> 00:05:26,495
And we became friends, man.
80
00:05:26,495 --> 00:05:29,345
So I, you and Debs are some of my most favorite people.
81
00:05:29,345 --> 00:05:36,544
Our listeners probably remember when we had Deb, Hirsch on that's Alan's counterpart and just the, the beautiful soul of this world.
82
00:05:36,725 --> 00:05:37,534
And she's awesome.
83
00:05:38,164 --> 00:05:40,865
Hey, so today we're going to get into something that I know is really.
84
00:05:41,340 --> 00:05:46,770
Oh, man, it's become your heart's passion in the, in the grander scheme of all the things that you've helped.
85
00:05:46,770 --> 00:05:48,419
Many of us learn and rethink.
86
00:05:48,780 --> 00:05:57,120
Um, this understanding of APEST, uh, Ephesians four apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds teachers, we're going to get into all that.
87
00:05:57,450 --> 00:05:58,919
Um, and I just want to.
88
00:05:58,919 --> 00:06:15,675
start Quickly, Alan, if it's cool by reviewing for our listeners, that critical passage from Ephesians four, 11 through 13, um, and, and, you know, set a
little basis for this, because I know we can just skip over this and like, apply it so minimally, but you're going to tell us maybe why we need to rethink some.
89
00:06:15,675 --> 00:06:26,065
So here's the passage for listeners, Ephesians four, Paul's talking to church and he's going so Christ himself gave these gifts, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists.
90
00:06:26,065 --> 00:06:38,115
The pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature.
91
00:06:38,325 --> 00:06:38,565
Wow.
92
00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:54,914
We all want that attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of christ so there's the passage now, traditionally I think we, as the church and
leaders within the church have sort of run past this and the deeper implications, the keys to life and maturity that this Jesus wants for us all.
93
00:06:54,914 --> 00:07:06,845
So, um, I remember when, when God started waking me up to some of this and it was because of, you, Alan know, um, I, I just, uh, It was like, why, how come I haven't experienced all this?
94
00:07:06,845 --> 00:07:08,585
Like I run into lots of pastors.
95
00:07:08,975 --> 00:07:10,085
Um, I was pastoring.
96
00:07:10,355 --> 00:07:11,675
Um, but I don't know.
97
00:07:11,675 --> 00:07:20,225
Am I running into like fully formed, mature apostles and, uh, evangelists and prophets and the whole thing, you know?
98
00:07:20,225 --> 00:07:25,355
So anyway, um, so what is the biggest thing from this important part of scripture?
99
00:07:25,355 --> 00:07:26,765
Do you think we've been missing?
100
00:07:26,975 --> 00:07:30,965
Like, if I was to ask it that way before you start teaching, what do you think is the biggest thing we've been missing.
101
00:07:31,174 --> 00:07:36,025
Alan: Well, actually, I think it's just that we haven't taken the text at all seriously, uh, at, at all.
102
00:07:36,505 --> 00:07:49,405
Um, it w you know, Paul in, in, in the texts there, is actually saying that, uh, in his Ascension, which is not an insignificant aspect of Jesus' ministry is going to the right hand of the father.
103
00:07:49,405 --> 00:07:53,495
So it's kind of in executive Lordship of the university and he is going up.
104
00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:59,580
Ubiquitous APEST apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd a teacher to the very foundation of the church.
105
00:07:59,610 --> 00:08:14,580
And this is in, his ascension . The other ascension texts by the way, Caesar, as you know, is when we take reasonably serious is the great
commission is, is about to go to the father and he is commissions his church and both of these and other ascension texts have a very heavy weight.
106
00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:15,930
Caesar: Yeah, we put a lot of weight.
107
00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,050
We put a lot of weight on the, on the, uh, go and make disciples one.
108
00:08:19,965 --> 00:08:22,005
We don't do it, but we put a lot more weight
109
00:08:22,005 --> 00:08:26,054
Alan: on that one, but more weight on it than we have on the Ephesians text and be you can't dismiss it.
110
00:08:26,085 --> 00:08:27,765
I mean, it's part of the resurrection cycle.
111
00:08:27,765 --> 00:08:37,304
So it's got, it's got theological weight, gravitas , you know, so, um, but the problem is that we've pretty much just disrespected what it's saying.
112
00:08:37,304 --> 00:08:38,924
So he gives APEST to the church.
113
00:08:38,955 --> 00:08:45,375
And you mentioned those terms for the, um, You know, F for, uh, for the maturity of the church.
114
00:08:45,405 --> 00:08:47,325
I mean, that's important the word is it is in the Greek.
115
00:08:47,325 --> 00:08:50,955
teliosei has 'been complete' everything God intended for us.
116
00:08:50,955 --> 00:08:51,135
Right.
117
00:08:51,135 --> 00:08:51,885
So that's what the word
118
00:08:51,885 --> 00:08:52,245
Caesar: means.
119
00:08:52,275 --> 00:08:56,625
And by the way, again, for people, we're going to say APEST a lot, and that's an acronym just for those.
120
00:08:57,290 --> 00:09:02,780
Those things, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teacher, or shepherd teacher.
121
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:03,140
So,
122
00:09:03,350 --> 00:09:11,150
Alan: uh, yeah, so, so, you know, uh, and then, uh, you know, it, it, it says, you know, um, so that we might attain to the fullness of Christ.
123
00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:15,050
I mean, my goodness, surely that's something, every Christian or every church is interested in.
124
00:09:15,650 --> 00:09:20,990
And so, you know, I just think we've disregarded the text and they mean a whole lot of political reasons for that.
125
00:09:20,990 --> 00:09:22,310
And a whole lot of sociological.
126
00:09:22,985 --> 00:09:28,655
Reasons for it about, you know, wanting a, kind of a more equilibrium based organization.
127
00:09:29,165 --> 00:09:37,225
But, uh, I think that much of our immaturity, much of our incapacity to be the church that Jesus intended us to be and designed us to be.
128
00:09:37,635 --> 00:09:41,985
Isn't it bound up with taking this text very much more seriously than we currently
129
00:09:41,985 --> 00:09:42,195
Caesar: do.
130
00:09:42,405 --> 00:09:42,765
Alan.
131
00:09:42,765 --> 00:09:45,195
I can remember being then this is way back machine.
132
00:09:45,195 --> 00:09:45,405
Okay.
133
00:09:45,405 --> 00:09:49,545
I remember being at a church building in Ghana and I saw a poster.
134
00:09:49,605 --> 00:09:51,495
I think I probably told you that some were along the road.
135
00:09:51,705 --> 00:09:57,795
I saw this poster for this church event that was coming up and it had pictures of all the people speaking at the event from this church.
136
00:09:58,035 --> 00:09:59,235
And it had underneath their name.
137
00:09:59,235 --> 00:10:00,415
It had like apostle.
138
00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,390
It had a evangelist, it had prophet, you know, their names.
139
00:10:03,390 --> 00:10:05,920
So it'd be like, you know, it would be the man or woman.
140
00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:07,720
And they had all these different people represented.
141
00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,290
I remember asking a friend of mine who was like really smart teaching pastor at the church.
142
00:10:11,290 --> 00:10:11,860
I was a part of the time.
143
00:10:11,860 --> 00:10:14,620
I said, Hey, there's, you know, I've read this passage in Ephesians.
144
00:10:14,620 --> 00:10:17,200
Obviously I've seen it, but how come I've never seen all these.
145
00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:18,460
I only see pastors.
146
00:10:18,910 --> 00:10:24,190
And then every once in a while you and people fear, you know, they fear prophets, but everybody's called a pastor.
147
00:10:24,810 --> 00:10:31,380
And, um, and then every once in a while there's an evangelist, but that, like, we all think Billy Graham at someone on a stage, you know, who's doing a big show.
148
00:10:31,530 --> 00:10:31,740
Right.
149
00:10:31,770 --> 00:10:32,550
Alan: Very scary to talk
150
00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:33,270
Caesar: understanding of it.
151
00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:33,830
Yeah.
152
00:10:33,850 --> 00:10:34,140
Right.
153
00:10:34,140 --> 00:10:39,930
So why do you think, like for the least all of our lives, why do you think we've just so really focused on the.
154
00:10:40,830 --> 00:10:44,370
And to the exclusion of the other four, primarily org or one or two, you know?
155
00:10:44,550 --> 00:10:44,760
So
156
00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,940
Alan: it's the two really it's the shepherd or the pastor and the teacher.
157
00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:49,440
Interesting thing, quirky.
158
00:10:49,590 --> 00:10:50,070
Okay.
159
00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:51,480
But this is really important.
160
00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:56,830
I mean, language in the Bible is really important when it, when a word is used regularly it carries weight.
161
00:10:56,850 --> 00:10:58,050
It's Revelator really okay.
162
00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,700
So guess how many times the word for pastor is the word?
163
00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,260
Um, you know, which I translate, Shepherd's a better translation.
164
00:11:08,485 --> 00:11:13,375
How many times does that you think come up for the ministry of believers in the new Testament?
165
00:11:13,585 --> 00:11:13,975
Well,
166
00:11:14,095 --> 00:11:17,365
Caesar: you'd, you'd think it's a ton because every church only primarily
167
00:11:17,365 --> 00:11:17,995
Alan: has pastors.
168
00:11:18,205 --> 00:11:18,685
Exactly.
169
00:11:18,685 --> 00:11:20,605
But it's only used once.
170
00:11:20,605 --> 00:11:21,025
Dude.
171
00:11:21,205 --> 00:11:21,825
once!
172
00:11:22,495 --> 00:11:28,465
Crazy is once this is the only place where it's used as a noun to describe the ministry of believers in the new Testament.
173
00:11:28,615 --> 00:11:29,245
So it must
174
00:11:29,245 --> 00:11:30,745
Caesar: be a pretty rare gift.
175
00:11:31,975 --> 00:11:36,635
Alan: Well, if I think that the imagery is there, there's no question that the function of the Pastor.
176
00:11:37,064 --> 00:11:39,015
And the shepherding function is really important.
177
00:11:39,555 --> 00:11:43,035
I don't want to dismiss it, but it doesn't carry the weight we put on it.
178
00:11:43,125 --> 00:11:49,275
Also, another thing I would say it's when w we use the word pastor, it's not the way the Bible uses the term.
179
00:11:49,814 --> 00:11:51,875
We've overblown it to mean everything.
180
00:11:52,175 --> 00:11:59,040
It's a catch all phrase for every form of leadership, but actually in the Bible, it's only used once get perspective, you know?
181
00:11:59,310 --> 00:11:59,700
Yeah.
182
00:11:59,730 --> 00:11:59,880
They
183
00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:04,140
Heath: tend to be the, the ones when there's only enough budget for one person, it's always the shepherd that gets the budget.
184
00:12:04,140 --> 00:12:04,230
Right.
185
00:12:04,260 --> 00:12:04,410
Well,
186
00:12:04,410 --> 00:12:05,970
Caesar: and that shepherd might actually be one.
187
00:12:05,970 --> 00:12:08,580
It might be a teacher, might be an evangelists dabble in a couple.
188
00:12:08,670 --> 00:12:09,720
Alan: So that's the problem too.
189
00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,160
The other one is the teacher, right?
190
00:12:11,190 --> 00:12:13,680
Which is used about 14 times in that same form.
191
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:20,070
Um, most of the references to teach in a deductive way in the new Testament refers to false teachers interests.
192
00:12:20,775 --> 00:12:22,365
Because they screw up the church, right?
193
00:12:22,875 --> 00:12:27,645
So the Bible takes it very seriously because it gets into the head and messes with the faith of the church.
194
00:12:28,095 --> 00:12:35,025
The interesting thing is that when we get clear teachings in James, that not many of you be teachers, he says because the tongue is second fire.
195
00:12:35,025 --> 00:12:37,635
for hell, it's a little rudders that steer the whole ship.
196
00:12:37,814 --> 00:12:40,064
It's the fire that causes of conflagration.
197
00:12:40,245 --> 00:12:45,155
How do we train people for ministry and standard for teacher primarily and ship itself?
198
00:12:45,155 --> 00:12:45,665
Secondary?
199
00:12:46,170 --> 00:12:55,200
You have to wonder about our faithfulness and our loyalty to scripture and the beautiful thing guys about, about the APEST thing is a wonderful proportion to it.
200
00:12:55,700 --> 00:12:56,910
I call it symmetry.
201
00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:05,430
Um, uh, in other words, if you look at the APE, we haven't given definition to these, but, uh, apostle is the one who's most.
202
00:13:06,465 --> 00:13:13,035
Kind of feels strongly about the mission and extension of the ministry of the church or the organization.
203
00:13:13,335 --> 00:13:21,165
Um, it's pioneering, uh, experimental, uh, entrepreneurial by nature because you have to be trying new things on the edges.
204
00:13:21,465 --> 00:13:24,135
Um, the prophet is attentive to God.
205
00:13:24,435 --> 00:13:31,305
Um, keeps loyalty faithfulness in our lives who pays attention to God's holiness and his.
206
00:13:32,535 --> 00:13:34,985
His justice within the community of faith.
207
00:13:35,325 --> 00:13:38,505
Um, the evangelist is the recruiter to the cause.
208
00:13:38,865 --> 00:13:45,255
Um, the infectious person, the one who sneezes the message of the church or the, or the organization.
209
00:13:45,915 --> 00:13:50,475
So these are actually what I call generator generative forms.
210
00:13:50,985 --> 00:13:55,095
The shepherd teacher are what I call operative or sustaining form.
211
00:13:55,455 --> 00:13:57,375
And in all movements you need both.
212
00:13:58,425 --> 00:13:59,595
You cannot survive.
213
00:13:59,835 --> 00:14:16,125
Let me put this in context of any organization in, in, in any organization, HR human resources is that part of the organization that looks after onboarding, uh, uh, you know, compliancy to policy, procedure, teaching sides of things.
214
00:14:16,125 --> 00:14:21,855
So people are aware of what they're doing and they know also conflict resolution, human flourishing, and development, all that stuff.
215
00:14:21,855 --> 00:14:22,095
Right.
216
00:14:22,125 --> 00:14:22,905
Really important.
217
00:14:23,595 --> 00:14:24,975
Every organization needs it.
218
00:14:25,005 --> 00:14:25,815
I think it does.
219
00:14:26,175 --> 00:14:26,385
Yeah.
220
00:14:26,505 --> 00:14:27,445
I asked the question.
221
00:14:27,755 --> 00:14:31,815
Can you run an organization on H R alone?
222
00:14:32,505 --> 00:14:41,365
The answer is no look likely, even an HR company, can't run an organization there on HR alone.
223
00:14:41,685 --> 00:14:41,815
Caesar: Yeah.
224
00:14:42,165 --> 00:14:47,865
They've got sales people, recruiters, they've got development, new ground, new frontiers, all that.
225
00:14:48,155 --> 00:14:49,815
They don't exist as an HR company even.
226
00:14:50,295 --> 00:14:54,805
Alan: So why in the church do we think we can run the church on HR alone and get away with it?
227
00:14:55,074 --> 00:14:58,415
And be healthy I would argue guys, that's where we are.
228
00:14:58,425 --> 00:14:59,445
Dysfunction comes from.
229
00:14:59,925 --> 00:15:08,955
We are trying to do the ministry of Christ, which is a five fold form, he embodies those in the perfect form, gives it to the body of the embodiment of Christ.
230
00:15:09,465 --> 00:15:13,065
So we're trying to do what Jesus did, which is what the church is meant to be doing.
231
00:15:13,125 --> 00:15:15,315
We meant to take what Jesus did and extend it.
232
00:15:15,405 --> 00:15:16,125
We don't produce.
233
00:15:16,965 --> 00:15:20,235
We Jesus didn't we take it and we extended, right?
234
00:15:20,235 --> 00:15:21,555
We, our job is to embody it.
235
00:15:21,585 --> 00:15:22,455
We'll pass it on.
236
00:15:22,935 --> 00:15:26,535
The thing is we turn it only do two parts of Jesus's five-part ministry.
237
00:15:27,015 --> 00:15:29,895
And we, and then there is our dysfunction friends.
238
00:15:29,925 --> 00:15:31,325
I mean, you can't do it any other way
239
00:15:31,445 --> 00:15:31,675
Caesar: Alan.
240
00:15:31,695 --> 00:15:37,935
I hope our listeners are picking up on, on this because this just lays out why we see such a rapid decline.
241
00:15:38,425 --> 00:15:52,435
In our lifetime of the church and people, uh, engaged in the kingdom of God and the, and, and the formal organization of the
saints as the church, because we clearly, no one could argue that we see full mature functioning of all five of these functions.
242
00:15:52,435 --> 00:15:55,205
We've, we've kind of retreated to a maintenance mode.
243
00:15:55,865 --> 00:15:59,069
Of of some teaching and soul care, but where's the expansion.
244
00:15:59,069 --> 00:16:01,830
Where's the, where's the adapting to cultural shift.
245
00:16:01,830 --> 00:16:03,060
Where's the new frontier.
246
00:16:03,060 --> 00:16:05,430
Where's the understanding as people change
247
00:16:05,843 --> 00:16:24,393
Alan: speaking truth to power, truth, to power, and then recruiting, getting people excited about the cause of which we're part of, which is evangelists truth to power,
which are prophetic thing to, to call, to account the church in our unfaithfulness cause done men we've demonstrate every year more and more how unfaithful the church can be.
248
00:16:24,843 --> 00:16:33,488
Um, you know, we need the prophetic voice to hold us to account, you know, and to call us to relationship and God here, but taking those out, we can never be faithful.
249
00:16:33,488 --> 00:16:34,388
We can never extend.
250
00:16:34,988 --> 00:16:44,438
Uh, and you know, I mean, you know me well enough, my real passion is to see the church become a movement again, that can extend and adapt and evolve.
251
00:16:44,438 --> 00:16:48,248
If you take the one most likely in the organization of the church.
252
00:16:49,763 --> 00:16:54,083
So to remind the church of its centeredness it's is the Missio function.
253
00:16:54,083 --> 00:16:55,313
missio and mission, the same word.
254
00:16:55,823 --> 00:16:59,783
The one is, is going to remind you of that is the upper Stella, which is the sent one.
255
00:17:00,503 --> 00:17:12,293
If you take the sent one out, if you exclude in principle before you've even started the possibility of Epistolic ministry, then what actually happens is that you forget the church forgets it doesn't understand giftedness.
256
00:17:12,653 --> 00:17:12,883
So.
257
00:17:14,108 --> 00:17:18,998
You can ask most people in most churches define an apostle, and this is what happens.
258
00:17:18,998 --> 00:17:19,208
Right.
259
00:17:19,208 --> 00:17:30,158
You get, get this or, uh, uh, they're in the Bible, um, uh, Which is, they are in the Bible, but they also outside the Bible because it was a secular function.
260
00:17:30,158 --> 00:17:31,868
So that's not even really correct answer.
261
00:17:32,288 --> 00:17:37,118
Um, and then the other one, uh, there were 12 of them, which is not a correct answer either because there were more than 12.
262
00:17:37,778 --> 00:17:38,948
Um, and one was a woman.
263
00:17:39,488 --> 00:17:43,118
Uh, there were, at least 30 is what we can determine in scripture then we got named.
264
00:17:43,418 --> 00:17:44,198
But here's the thing.
265
00:17:45,098 --> 00:17:46,148
If you exclude that.
266
00:17:46,178 --> 00:17:52,868
And by the way that the term is used over 80 times, eight zero, as opposed to the one for shepherd, work it out.
267
00:17:54,158 --> 00:17:55,568
Most people can't define it.
268
00:17:55,778 --> 00:17:56,798
And so there's our problem.
269
00:17:56,828 --> 00:18:00,038
We don't understand the missionary or the entrepreneurial function.
270
00:18:00,868 --> 00:18:04,808
Cause we don't, we can't even, we're not allowed to use that language without kind of getting our asses caned
271
00:18:05,378 --> 00:18:08,308
Caesar: and you know what, you know what, echoes through my brain right now, as you're just talking.
272
00:18:08,558 --> 00:18:15,758
And I think about, you know, in the Acts passage where it says this, the early church, they sat regularly, they sat at the feet of the apostles, right?
273
00:18:16,088 --> 00:18:16,208
Yeah.
274
00:18:16,238 --> 00:18:18,728
Meaning maybe they were just soaking in like, Hey, what's next?
275
00:18:18,728 --> 00:18:19,388
Where are we go?
276
00:18:19,388 --> 00:18:20,318
What are you hearing from God?
277
00:18:20,678 --> 00:18:22,808
And who as a church do we sit at the feet of.
278
00:18:23,918 --> 00:18:28,958
Teachers pastors, maybe an evangelistic pastor, someone like bill Hybels or whatever, right?
279
00:18:28,958 --> 00:18:29,078
Yeah.
280
00:18:29,528 --> 00:18:36,668
But, but how many churches, if you said, listen, maybe what's going on with our decline, uh, denominationally or just individually as a church body?
281
00:18:36,938 --> 00:18:42,848
Um, maybe it's because we have never said at the feet of an apostle and in fact we're afraid of them, you know,
282
00:18:43,148 --> 00:18:48,698
Heath: it's what I've in my experience in the church, it's always been rather than actually valuing one another's giftings.
283
00:18:49,958 --> 00:18:54,638
The apostles are threats to the shepherds and the prophets are our threats to the teachers.
284
00:18:54,838 --> 00:19:02,078
And there's this rather than valuing the beauty of the checks and balances were actually opposed to one another and view each other as enemies.
285
00:19:02,318 --> 00:19:11,344
Alan: Yeah, that's true, And that's why, I mean, the Ephesians texts actually starts in Ephesians four, one and one to seven talks about strive for the unity.
286
00:19:12,314 --> 00:19:20,054
What the spirit through the bond of peace, you know, to maintain your sense of connectedness, because your diversity will split you apart.
287
00:19:20,054 --> 00:19:21,854
If you don't have a deeper sense of unity.
288
00:19:22,394 --> 00:19:32,384
And so this is why it's critical to actually, you know, strive to, you know, to recognize each other, fundamentally in Christ where there's one church, we all belong to each other.
289
00:19:32,394 --> 00:19:33,954
Now you can go diverse.
290
00:19:34,499 --> 00:19:37,109
And by the way, guys, I think is really important for your audience.
291
00:19:37,769 --> 00:19:38,429
What's exciting.
292
00:19:38,429 --> 00:19:55,379
We often use it as a leadership conversation, actually in the book of Ephesians, it's not about leadership, not in the first instance of radical way
of taking this is that the, the, the heroes of this text would not a group of leaders or a seminary is a group of local house and local churches.
293
00:19:55,379 --> 00:19:55,559
Right.
294
00:19:55,559 --> 00:19:58,109
And they were small house churches, Missional size churches.
295
00:19:59,099 --> 00:20:01,259
So when it says in verse seven.
296
00:20:01,339 --> 00:20:06,764
So to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ has apportioned it.
297
00:20:06,794 --> 00:20:07,034
Right.
298
00:20:07,754 --> 00:20:15,914
We have to send that to each one of us means that all of us, every, all of God's people are, is somehow in the framework here everyone's being referred to.
299
00:20:15,914 --> 00:20:19,274
So all of us will find a broader sense of calling.
300
00:20:19,274 --> 00:20:20,294
And that's what I think it is.
301
00:20:20,294 --> 00:20:29,984
It's vocation and calling within the five, somewhere within the categories of five or a mixtures of the five and I think that is the remarkable thing.
302
00:20:30,044 --> 00:20:31,334
Everyone can find themselves.
303
00:20:32,474 --> 00:20:36,944
epistolic in nature sensing, they got the entrepreneurial instinct.
304
00:20:36,944 --> 00:20:38,414
They're risk takers by nature.
305
00:20:38,414 --> 00:20:43,064
What you know, they might , not be leaders the stage, they might just something have a natural instinct for it.
306
00:20:43,364 --> 00:20:47,494
Or someone naturally instinctively prophetic folk God attentive.
307
00:20:47,544 --> 00:20:48,504
Justice oriented.
308
00:20:49,164 --> 00:20:51,414
Um, some are just naturally evangelists, man.
309
00:20:51,414 --> 00:20:53,814
Anyone with an apple Mac is an evangelist stroke.
310
00:20:54,354 --> 00:20:54,924
Yeah, you're right.
311
00:20:55,014 --> 00:20:55,854
It's good news.
312
00:20:56,084 --> 00:20:57,114
Caesar: It's super good news.
313
00:20:57,264 --> 00:21:07,824
Hey, so, so a lot of this is covered actually in permanent revolution, last book, um, which just game changer for, uh, yeah, I remember you had sent me an advanced copy of that years ago.
314
00:21:08,499 --> 00:21:16,959
Same to you and many other people, if the church actually read this and believed what scripture said, game-changer, I mean, like the whole thing would just be rocked on its axis.
315
00:21:17,199 --> 00:21:35,919
Now, now just flash back to a few months ago, I remember when you were still finishing up five Q your newest book, and you were telling me why you were so excited about it and how God had
actually, as you were researching and writing this, and just really spending time with the Lord, how God has been revealing some pretty big stuff for you personally, and how it was growing.
316
00:21:36,069 --> 00:21:38,034
Your love for Christ, even you remember that?
317
00:21:38,334 --> 00:21:38,664
Yeah.
318
00:21:38,904 --> 00:21:44,634
Alan: Well it coincided with a very wonderful time in my own life of a great sense of renewal in prayer.
319
00:21:45,234 --> 00:21:46,884
And I, I don't think that's coincidental.
320
00:21:46,884 --> 00:21:54,144
I don't think it's, I'm not claiming anything more than just, I I've had a fantastic renewal in the Lord for the last seven or so years.
321
00:21:54,684 --> 00:21:55,314
And, um,
322
00:21:57,614 --> 00:22:00,504
Somehow when the writing, it just came to the forth at that point.
323
00:22:00,524 --> 00:22:05,804
But, but here's the thing is that, I mean, I've always loved this text is it goes back as far as I can remember.
324
00:22:06,314 --> 00:22:08,744
I think it's really important to what it means to be a movement.
325
00:22:08,744 --> 00:22:09,054
You have to.
326
00:22:11,069 --> 00:22:11,789
To be a movement.
327
00:22:11,789 --> 00:22:17,229
You have to have Missional capacity and leadership and functionality and you can't do it without APEST.
328
00:22:17,249 --> 00:22:17,999
I've always felt that.
329
00:22:18,419 --> 00:22:18,659
Yeah.
330
00:22:18,809 --> 00:22:21,239
So that's, you know, permanent revolution.
331
00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:22,979
It comes up in just about all my books.
332
00:22:23,009 --> 00:22:23,339
Okay.
333
00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:35,849
But then what actually began to take place and five-fold, I was really interested in, what did it mean to look at an organization or a church as an organization, through the lens of the fivefold?
334
00:22:35,879 --> 00:22:36,569
Not just as people.
335
00:22:37,484 --> 00:22:39,914
Individuals, but look at the organization in that term.
336
00:22:40,454 --> 00:22:44,024
And what actually happened is that I thought that's a pretty easy go.
337
00:22:44,024 --> 00:22:46,784
I've done serious hefty books on this.
338
00:22:46,814 --> 00:22:50,324
I'll get this done in 10,000 words and give it away as a free ebook.
339
00:22:51,224 --> 00:23:02,064
What actually began to happen is that I got to delve into this idea of functions and looking at, in the created order that in all of God's world, everywhere.
340
00:23:02,519 --> 00:23:04,169
These patterns are evident.
341
00:23:04,169 --> 00:23:10,799
They call archetypes, which are recurring patterns or themes or concepts that come through culture history.
342
00:23:10,889 --> 00:23:13,319
We know them archetypes in personality.
343
00:23:13,619 --> 00:23:17,369
Why is it some of us similar and how are we different?
344
00:23:17,369 --> 00:23:18,629
It's all about archetypes, right?
345
00:23:18,959 --> 00:23:29,789
So this is actually, when you look at that, man, it just opens the game up because what you're looking at, this is what began to blow my head off is that actually it's a way of categorizing broader culture.
346
00:23:30,479 --> 00:23:33,539
Broader capacities and you can look way outside the church.
347
00:23:33,629 --> 00:23:34,289
Hey, connect some
348
00:23:34,289 --> 00:23:35,279
Caesar: dots for us here in that.
349
00:23:35,279 --> 00:23:37,709
So like, I think probably I'm sitting here listening to this.
350
00:23:37,709 --> 00:23:47,459
A lot of our listeners are, are they work at churches, many people, uh, they're thinking about their own church structure, polity, you know how the leadership is structured and they're going, wow, this is opening up some new thought to me.
351
00:23:47,879 --> 00:23:49,889
Um, let's, let's drop this down.
352
00:23:49,889 --> 00:23:51,629
Let's drop the cookies down a little lower on the shelf.
353
00:23:51,809 --> 00:23:56,259
Since like you just said a few minutes ago, the Jesus is talking.
354
00:23:56,469 --> 00:24:01,659
Uh, I mean, Paul is talking to the whole church here that what Jesus has given, it's not just a leadership passage.
355
00:24:01,659 --> 00:24:07,359
And so let's, let's talk a bit about like, how does, how does this organizational structure in archetypes?
356
00:24:07,539 --> 00:24:08,739
How does it even begin to play out?
357
00:24:08,739 --> 00:24:09,819
Just everybody has a job.
358
00:24:09,819 --> 00:24:16,059
And if it's not at a church, which is going to be most people, how does even understanding this and how the church connects to culture?
359
00:24:16,489 --> 00:24:18,049
Like, let's just talk a little bit about that.
360
00:24:18,579 --> 00:24:18,789
Well,
361
00:24:18,789 --> 00:24:22,689
Alan: in a sense, the church has a body of christ ultimately takes what Jesus.
362
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:32,909
Jesus's ministry and its job is to live out what Jesus equates to it, not just to five, but definitely including the five fold.
363
00:24:32,929 --> 00:24:35,969
And I think the fivefold really is a great way of understanding the ministry of Jesus.
364
00:24:36,419 --> 00:24:40,709
So for all of us, that matters because all of us are ministers in every sphere and domain of society.
365
00:24:41,369 --> 00:24:42,749
Every believer has.
366
00:24:43,499 --> 00:24:47,999
Some sort of vocation, some sort of calling that's distinct to them that only they can do.
367
00:24:48,719 --> 00:24:58,319
And I believe that by beginning to see how we're shaped in Christ, um, for our distinctive contribution, APEST plays a very significant role in that.
368
00:24:58,649 --> 00:25:00,509
Uh, and the language of Ephesians.
369
00:25:00,509 --> 00:25:01,889
Again, I don't want to be geeky.
370
00:25:01,889 --> 00:25:05,909
It hints at identity shaping it's called the indicative mood.
371
00:25:06,379 --> 00:25:07,709
It shapes who we are.
372
00:25:07,709 --> 00:25:09,989
So I would argue that everyone could find themselves in this.
373
00:25:10,724 --> 00:25:13,094
You know, and by the way, just this is quirky.
374
00:25:13,094 --> 00:25:17,864
But the interesting that the language has said of APEST precedes the church.
375
00:25:17,864 --> 00:25:19,664
It's not particularly church language.
376
00:25:19,724 --> 00:25:21,824
I mean, the word apostle was the secular function.
377
00:25:22,664 --> 00:25:30,044
The Bible takes it over and gives it a nuance, but it's still a function that had the same definition as what it's useful as
378
00:25:30,674 --> 00:25:31,304
Caesar: evangelists.
379
00:25:31,304 --> 00:25:31,514
So it
380
00:25:31,514 --> 00:25:32,984
Alan: was prophet and prophet to you.
381
00:25:33,734 --> 00:25:34,844
Yeah, that's exactly right.
382
00:25:34,844 --> 00:25:37,514
So all the functions exist outside of the church.
383
00:25:37,904 --> 00:25:38,304
Boom.
384
00:25:39,024 --> 00:25:50,579
Here's the thing is that they, yes, they broken cause in the fallen world, they don't perfectly carry the weight that God intended for them in designing them in the first place, but they still reflect something in his nature.
385
00:25:50,579 --> 00:25:58,029
And this is true to our doctrine of creation and our theology of the creator, um, which is another aspect of 5Q.
386
00:25:59,444 --> 00:26:12,134
Uh, so, so I would say that all of us are, we can find creational design, but also in sense of, you know, in the church, you can find more continuity w what you do inside and outside the church church for us is a Sunday affair.
387
00:26:12,344 --> 00:26:30,989
You know, it's locked in on, on, you know, on the weekends, perhaps the Bible churches , it's called the called out ones who live their life in the context of every
sphere of society . That is everyone's in the ballgame and Jesus is renewing the entire world through renewing his church because the church has connected with him and
388
00:26:30,989 --> 00:26:32,069
Caesar: his churches people.
389
00:26:32,309 --> 00:26:35,819
So it's the knowing of people and their true identity in him,
390
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,459
Alan: the body of Christ.
391
00:26:39,059 --> 00:26:40,979
And here's the thing also for organizations.
392
00:26:40,979 --> 00:26:41,879
And I would say this.
393
00:26:43,319 --> 00:26:47,789
If let's say your body and my body, my mind is getting a little old actually to be the same age.
394
00:26:47,789 --> 00:26:52,349
I think it's getting a little more, but the thing is with our bodies, getting a
395
00:26:52,349 --> 00:26:53,339
Caesar: little, we're getting a little
396
00:26:53,339 --> 00:27:02,999
Alan: older, bro, we are getting grumpier, but, uh, actually for me, the prophetic is beginning to assert itself.
397
00:27:02,999 --> 00:27:04,169
Again, that makes me grumpy.
398
00:27:04,994 --> 00:27:05,714
Well, we'll go there.
399
00:27:06,044 --> 00:27:09,074
The thing is your body, your mind has 10 different systems in it.
400
00:27:09,614 --> 00:27:11,864
So it has the endocrine, that's the chemicals stuff.
401
00:27:11,894 --> 00:27:17,234
Uh, the, um, the cardiovascular, the blood and the veins and all that stuff.
402
00:27:17,234 --> 00:27:25,424
And then the neuro neurological, it's the brain nerves, um, digestive reproductive data that 10 of them, right?
403
00:27:26,114 --> 00:27:29,424
If your body let's say, if one of them goes down, I mean a body.
404
00:27:29,444 --> 00:27:32,174
By the way, it's a system everything's connected to everything else.
405
00:27:33,074 --> 00:27:34,454
Your body is not linear.
406
00:27:34,484 --> 00:27:35,804
It's happening all at once.
407
00:27:36,164 --> 00:27:36,284
Caesar: Yeah.
408
00:27:36,284 --> 00:27:38,504
You don't go like, well, I just don't use my cardiovascular.
409
00:27:38,504 --> 00:27:39,764
I just, I just, you know, I don't go
410
00:27:39,764 --> 00:27:39,944
Alan: there.
411
00:27:39,944 --> 00:27:40,094
Yeah.
412
00:27:40,334 --> 00:27:43,334
I try not to use mine, but you have to use it every now and again.
413
00:27:43,814 --> 00:27:45,134
It's all happening at once.
414
00:27:45,464 --> 00:27:46,394
And so here's the thing.
415
00:27:46,904 --> 00:27:49,574
If one of your systems goes down, how are you feeling guys?
416
00:27:52,484 --> 00:27:52,994
Not so good.
417
00:27:52,994 --> 00:27:53,204
Right?
418
00:27:53,204 --> 00:27:56,414
You might be going to the doctor and two goes down.
419
00:27:57,014 --> 00:27:59,864
Now you definitely at the doctor and you may be in hospital.
420
00:27:59,954 --> 00:28:01,484
Three goes down, you're definitely hospital.
421
00:28:01,484 --> 00:28:08,594
Maybe in life support, four goes four goes down, you did, right, because your system fails or can't contain.
422
00:28:09,164 --> 00:28:13,274
So here's the thing is that we're operating on a, to two have a five-fold system.
423
00:28:13,934 --> 00:28:16,404
The system cannot work that way.
424
00:28:16,404 --> 00:28:17,414
It's not designed for that.
425
00:28:17,414 --> 00:28:19,904
So we actually like a body that's got most.
426
00:28:20,939 --> 00:28:22,889
60% of our functions are missing,
427
00:28:23,099 --> 00:28:37,219
Caesar: you know, and I even just think of this from a, like a day to day aspect of, cause I bet we could line up a, you know,
a hundred Christians Alan and ask them, so of those five, APEST, uh, which do you think in greatest measure, Jesus has gifted.
428
00:28:37,849 --> 00:28:42,259
You know, with, you know, are you more apostle, are you more prophetic or you are, you know what I'm saying?
429
00:28:42,259 --> 00:28:45,889
Like if we ask the average Christian, they'd say never gave it any thought.
430
00:28:46,159 --> 00:28:49,459
I know I'm not a pastor, cause I don't want to have to, you know, write sermons every week.
431
00:28:49,459 --> 00:28:51,199
It's like, that's not even the function of a pastor anyway.
432
00:28:51,469 --> 00:29:05,839
So I, I think your average Christian, but then think about this now, as we engage the world, we engage culture, business, healthcare,
politics, uh, you know, a coffee shop, any of it, people are going like, well, I guess even if I knew which of the five I was.
433
00:29:06,349 --> 00:29:13,219
You know, well in line gifted with, um, I guess the only way you engage the culture though, is through the gift of evangelism.
434
00:29:13,339 --> 00:29:14,689
And we don't have a right understanding of that.
435
00:29:14,689 --> 00:29:20,509
So what I'll do is I'll preach really hard to people about their sin and how different we are and how they need to get in line and start coming to church.
436
00:29:20,569 --> 00:29:22,729
And it's like, I only have one system.
437
00:29:22,729 --> 00:29:24,079
I only have one channel to go through.
438
00:29:24,079 --> 00:29:28,699
It's not even who I am and no one had the world, which perfectly operates in the systems.
439
00:29:28,849 --> 00:29:30,079
Everybody getting to be who they are.
440
00:29:30,289 --> 00:29:32,809
It goes, nah, I'm rejecting that, that doesn't even fit.
441
00:29:32,989 --> 00:29:33,919
I don't even hear that.
442
00:29:34,249 --> 00:29:34,729
Alan: No, I agree.
443
00:29:35,389 --> 00:29:39,979
I think that's because we don't have the language to name what is real and share.
444
00:29:40,429 --> 00:29:42,169
Language is really important in this room.
445
00:29:42,169 --> 00:29:46,849
Again, I don't want to get Diggy here on it, but it's language is a critical part of culture.
446
00:29:47,209 --> 00:29:54,279
And the fact that most people don't know what an apostle or a prophet and barely understand what an evangelist is and overload what a pastor.
447
00:29:54,974 --> 00:29:58,004
It's a huge problem for, for us as God's people.
448
00:29:58,004 --> 00:30:03,824
Cause we are called to attend to theology of God words on the matter the Bible matters to us.
449
00:30:04,304 --> 00:30:07,454
We need to reform ourselves with the scriptures net.
450
00:30:07,634 --> 00:30:07,814
Hey,
451
00:30:07,814 --> 00:30:15,149
Caesar: so as we start to move towards wrapping up Alan, I have to say, okay, so I want people to begin to understand this more deeply.
452
00:30:15,149 --> 00:30:19,259
So I'm going to, I'm just going to say, so Alan is now, he's not on the he's my bro.
453
00:30:19,259 --> 00:30:22,649
He's not Hawking anything trying to make another quarter off a book.
454
00:30:22,919 --> 00:30:27,779
I want, I want to tell people, get out and get permanent revolution, get five Q like go deeper into this.
455
00:30:27,779 --> 00:30:34,379
This is so key to your own understanding of your own identity in the function of the church as a church, body and within culture.
456
00:30:34,559 --> 00:30:36,659
But also Alan, I know you've got a really.
457
00:30:36,809 --> 00:30:42,809
Great assessment, online assessment that both individuals can take and you've got even organizational ones, right?
458
00:30:43,379 --> 00:30:44,069
Can we get the links
459
00:30:44,069 --> 00:30:44,459
Alan: to those?
460
00:30:44,849 --> 00:30:45,029
Yeah.
461
00:30:45,029 --> 00:31:04,079
So the organizational ones are new and again, that came directly out of five Q in fact, I think precipitating reason why I wrote so, so they, they look
at organization, but the, the place you can get just about anything related to APEST, at least my articulation is on five Q. That is the numeral five Q.
462
00:31:05,444 --> 00:31:11,984
Central.com and then just look under the various links for the tests and the assessments and the books.
463
00:31:12,344 --> 00:31:17,114
And by the way, really important for you and me.
464
00:31:17,114 --> 00:31:21,224
I mean, you publish the permanent revolution playbook, which is really good.
465
00:31:22,154 --> 00:31:30,344
Six week group study, where everyone comes to self-insight by, you know, learning together and individually is really great resource Caesar can
466
00:31:30,344 --> 00:31:30,704
Caesar: provide.
467
00:31:30,944 --> 00:31:34,274
And it's a great starting point for, for staff and teams.
468
00:31:34,274 --> 00:31:38,414
Just to start to say, Hey, let's, let's start leaning into this instead of going, wow, that's too heavy.
469
00:31:38,414 --> 00:31:40,484
We'll just stay, we'll stay anemic.
470
00:31:40,484 --> 00:31:43,574
And we'll stay really, you know, at a disadvantage here.
471
00:31:43,574 --> 00:31:44,834
Like, no, let's go for fullness.
472
00:31:45,014 --> 00:31:45,914
Let's go for maturity.
473
00:31:45,914 --> 00:31:47,564
So yeah, we'll put links to all that stuff.
474
00:31:47,804 --> 00:31:51,014
Alan: Click on the show notes and just one more shout out on things that.
475
00:31:51,769 --> 00:32:16,909
Uh, it should be about two months before it's published because it's going to print us right now for print type setting is I have a book which has kind of like an a minus in the best sense, like a dummy's version of five
Q, which is, which is aimed at really helping what we call L 50 level leaders, um, leaders of 50 people in the church and, you know, which is where most of us have to live, uh, helping them kind of get a handle on that.
476
00:32:17,834 --> 00:32:18,944
And not having to have a degree.
477
00:32:19,754 --> 00:32:19,994
Caesar: Right?
478
00:32:20,174 --> 00:32:24,884
Which means that's going to be super helpful for like , small groups who lead missional communities.
479
00:32:25,334 --> 00:32:27,794
We're not talking, people are leading movements, we're talking regular
480
00:32:27,794 --> 00:32:32,054
Alan: people and people haven't been to seminary people to which you don't have to go to be a minister.
481
00:32:32,054 --> 00:32:34,874
You already are one, but we have to educate ourselves.
482
00:32:35,354 --> 00:32:43,094
Typically when the church in this regard has let us down really badly not giving us a tradition that enables us to talk about APEST at all.
483
00:32:43,094 --> 00:32:43,844
Well, yeah.
484
00:32:44,084 --> 00:32:44,684
Heath: So Allen.
485
00:32:45,479 --> 00:32:48,149
As far as we're shutting things down, I have a quick story.
486
00:32:48,149 --> 00:32:49,859
And then a question for you.
487
00:32:50,309 --> 00:32:53,639
Um, a couple years ago, you were up here in Tacoma doing, uh, the future travelers event.
488
00:32:53,639 --> 00:33:00,749
And we got a few minutes together and I was, I was kind of venting to you that I'm kind of wired apostle prophet by nature.
489
00:33:00,749 --> 00:33:04,109
And I was in a church that was very shepardy, uh, teacher.
490
00:33:04,199 --> 00:33:06,149
And I was, I thought I was the crazy person.
491
00:33:06,239 --> 00:33:07,889
I thought I was going senile.
492
00:33:07,919 --> 00:33:12,389
And you had made a comment that you said you got to remember Heath, that nobody runs.
493
00:33:13,139 --> 00:33:14,099
The Shepherd's out of 10.
494
00:33:14,129 --> 00:33:15,449
No, one's shooting the shepherds.
495
00:33:15,689 --> 00:33:17,169
They're going after the apostle prophets.
496
00:33:17,169 --> 00:33:18,989
And I was, and then you kind of talked about.
497
00:33:20,684 --> 00:33:32,114
How, how each of those functions plan out, you know, the Shepherd's hunker down and they're going to see that church into a
church of eight members that has been around 300 years and the apostle prophet evangelist or long gone onto something new.
498
00:33:32,564 --> 00:33:40,784
And, uh, as I I'm sure you don't even remember this conversation, but I just want to say thank you because you know, I'm still bleeding for the future of the church.
499
00:33:40,814 --> 00:33:43,154
I'm still serving the church because of that encouragement.
500
00:33:43,154 --> 00:33:45,384
And so I just wanted to say personally, thank you
501
00:33:45,384 --> 00:33:45,464
Alan: for.
502
00:33:46,074 --> 00:33:46,704
Thanks brother.
503
00:33:46,854 --> 00:33:47,304
And listen.
504
00:33:47,454 --> 00:33:47,634
Okay.
505
00:33:47,634 --> 00:34:05,844
We'll just say on, on as we tie it up, but honestly, I can't say the stronger, I believe this more with all my heart, that it's all five
have got to be active and the counterbalance is what I could gain a call symmetry that each counterbalances the biases of the other.
506
00:34:06,054 --> 00:34:08,174
And this is why I need you to be.
507
00:34:09,104 --> 00:34:10,514
If all apostles hang out.
508
00:34:10,544 --> 00:34:13,094
That's not a pretty place to be, to be very honest with you.
509
00:34:13,094 --> 00:34:16,634
It's driven, demanding dead bodies all over the place.
510
00:34:17,024 --> 00:34:22,184
If all prophets hangout, it gets wacky very often than you don't have to think very hard about that.
511
00:34:22,184 --> 00:34:22,574
That way.
512
00:34:22,604 --> 00:34:26,114
You know, you can see movements go wacky, uh, evangelists hanging out.
513
00:34:26,114 --> 00:34:28,034
It's like an Amway conference, right?
514
00:34:28,034 --> 00:34:29,384
There's everyone's got something to sell.
515
00:34:30,734 --> 00:34:32,504
In other words, they needs a balance.
516
00:34:32,564 --> 00:34:39,734
All pastors hang out a lot of back rubbing, you know, Yeah, whatever, all teachers, it's all about ideas.
517
00:34:39,944 --> 00:34:44,744
You know, it's all five need to be in dynamic, dynamic, systemic relationship to each other.
518
00:34:44,744 --> 00:34:50,774
So it's five fold, not one fold, not four, four it's five fold, at least five fold to be biblical.
519
00:34:51,224 --> 00:34:51,344
All
520
00:34:51,344 --> 00:34:51,464
right.
521
00:34:51,464 --> 00:34:52,694
Heath: So here's my question for you.
522
00:34:52,934 --> 00:34:55,964
I love your, your heartbeat for the church and the future of the church.
523
00:34:55,964 --> 00:35:01,634
And I think very few people have influenced me nearly as much as you have in thinking about, about the church.
524
00:35:01,664 --> 00:35:02,534
My question for you is.
525
00:35:03,584 --> 00:35:06,494
As a little grim, but let's say you had five minutes left to live.
526
00:35:06,644 --> 00:35:14,324
What would be your, what would be your parting words to the, to the church and church leaders in those lay people that something that you would really want to communicate?
527
00:35:15,404 --> 00:35:25,574
Alan: Well, uh, I'm, I'm more convinced again, the core of our dysfunctions and our problems is that we just don't understand Jesus, um, APEST part of that.
528
00:35:25,574 --> 00:35:32,504
Cause I think even Jesus is the perfect APEST but much bigger is that I think the church, which has meant to be the body of.
529
00:35:32,504 --> 00:35:34,504
Christ, barely.
530
00:35:34,559 --> 00:35:41,339
It ought to be dialectically, uh, ought to be an index between body of Christ and Christ.
531
00:35:41,369 --> 00:35:43,079
I mean, to be some sort of symmetry there.
532
00:35:43,109 --> 00:35:43,379
Right.
533
00:35:43,859 --> 00:35:46,319
Um, I just think the church doesn't get Jesus.
534
00:35:46,349 --> 00:35:49,559
And I think to the degree that we failed to get Jesus, right.
535
00:35:50,219 --> 00:35:51,479
Everything else goes wrong.
536
00:35:52,439 --> 00:35:58,799
And, um, and so I think our Christology understanding of who Jesus is and his role within the People of God.
537
00:35:59,289 --> 00:36:00,479
It's pretty screwy.
538
00:36:00,479 --> 00:36:13,799
And I think that if, if the only thing we do is to correct at that level fall in love with Jesus again, and to seeing the fresh as the center of the church, I think everything else heals as a result, Jesus must become Lord again,.
539
00:36:14,354 --> 00:36:15,284
As well as savior.
540
00:36:16,034 --> 00:36:16,634
Caesar: That's beautiful.
541
00:36:16,634 --> 00:36:17,894
And that's that's yeah.
542
00:36:17,954 --> 00:36:21,074
Isn't that the gospel that Jesus is Lord and that's it.
543
00:36:21,404 --> 00:36:21,734
Wow.
544
00:36:21,974 --> 00:36:23,144
So you've had five minutes.
545
00:36:23,144 --> 00:36:31,364
So at least you should take 30 minutes in before your dying last breath to say, I know I love Debs, like with all my heart and all the time, you know, you got to throw that in there.
546
00:36:31,364 --> 00:36:31,994
At least brother,
547
00:36:32,324 --> 00:36:33,044
Alan: I do love Debbie.
548
00:36:34,304 --> 00:36:35,804
She's such a gift to me, man.
549
00:36:35,804 --> 00:36:36,614
I'm just so grateful
550
00:36:36,614 --> 00:36:40,424
Heath Hollensbe: for, and we were talking even before we started recording this podcast.
551
00:36:40,724 --> 00:36:46,199
If you've not heard episode 455 , Uh, redeeming sexuality with, , Alan's wife, Deb Hirsch.
552
00:36:46,819 --> 00:36:47,629
Unbelievable.
553
00:36:47,659 --> 00:36:47,959
She's
554
00:36:47,959 --> 00:36:48,349
Caesar: awesome.
555
00:36:48,349 --> 00:36:50,209
At this, my favorite episode we've ever done.
556
00:36:50,329 --> 00:36:52,189
Yeah, this is probably this one.
557
00:36:54,069 --> 00:36:55,039
I have to fight about that later.
558
00:36:55,039 --> 00:36:55,339
I don't know.
559
00:36:55,339 --> 00:36:55,889
I have to see how
560
00:36:56,659 --> 00:36:59,449
Alan: no, no, we take her she's she's a great communicator.
561
00:36:59,479 --> 00:37:00,949
And on topic she's so good.
562
00:37:01,509 --> 00:37:04,164
Caesar: Hey, Alan, thank you so much for this, uh, your time.
563
00:37:04,164 --> 00:37:05,214
I know you're crazy busy.
564
00:37:05,214 --> 00:37:10,254
We're friends, but still man, like to, just to make the time and get on here with us and, and jump on the Skype.
565
00:37:10,254 --> 00:37:11,334
I appreciate it so much.
566
00:37:11,334 --> 00:37:11,664
I love you.
567
00:37:11,664 --> 00:37:12,414
I miss you man.
568
00:37:12,564 --> 00:37:13,254
Talk to you later.
569
00:37:13,254 --> 00:37:13,584
Okay.
570
00:37:13,614 --> 00:37:14,394
Thanks again, brother.
571
00:37:14,574 --> 00:37:15,444
Alan: God bless everyone.
572
00:37:16,304 --> 00:37:16,734
cheers.
573
00:37:17,019 --> 00:37:17,379
Heath: Wow.
574
00:37:17,499 --> 00:37:18,669
My mind is
575
00:37:18,669 --> 00:37:19,569
Caesar: fried right here.
576
00:37:19,569 --> 00:37:21,459
holy cow it there again.
577
00:37:21,489 --> 00:37:22,599
You know, I said this at the front end.
578
00:37:22,599 --> 00:37:28,349
I, we probably should have done three episodes because this topic is packed and Alan is such, unbelievable.
579
00:37:28,509 --> 00:37:28,809
Yeah.
580
00:37:29,289 --> 00:37:38,166
Heath Hollensbe: Do the Hirsch, the Hirsch family together, like we said, just a few minutes ago, episode four 55 , and redeeming sexuality with Deb Hirsch . If you've not heard that, I'd encourage you to go back to that.
581
00:37:38,246 --> 00:37:38,476
Caesar: Yeah.
582
00:37:38,496 --> 00:37:42,636
We're not, we're not hitting that too hard, like for you folks, please go check that out.
583
00:37:42,636 --> 00:37:42,966
Anyway.
584
00:37:43,286 --> 00:37:44,126
Dynamic duo.
585
00:37:44,376 --> 00:37:48,216
Well, anyway, we were, we're running fast and we're probably running long a little bit at this point.
586
00:37:48,466 --> 00:37:54,896
So let's jump into the big three and as always, I'll send you a printable PDF of this week's big three as a free download.
587
00:37:55,106 --> 00:37:59,006
All you have to do is go to Everyday Disciple dot com forward slash big three.
588
00:37:59,606 --> 00:38:12,706
I would say, first one is, uh, an Alan source of this, th this Ephesians four passage about APEST apostles, prophets evangelists, shepherds teachers is not a leadership passage, it's to leaders, but it's to every believer.
589
00:38:12,706 --> 00:38:18,346
And if you go and look in the context, that's who Paul's talking to, the apostle Paul is talking to, and I think it's so key.
590
00:38:18,346 --> 00:38:19,216
Don't miss it.
591
00:38:19,456 --> 00:38:21,046
That that is a passage for you.
592
00:38:21,046 --> 00:38:23,866
I read this for years as, okay.
593
00:38:23,866 --> 00:38:24,786
So leaders.
594
00:38:25,051 --> 00:38:26,431
Yeah, leave it to the truth.
595
00:38:26,461 --> 00:38:28,981
This is how you'll accomplish everything in the church.
596
00:38:29,011 --> 00:38:29,311
Sure.
597
00:38:29,371 --> 00:38:31,291
How you will know its exact opposite.
598
00:38:31,291 --> 00:38:34,921
The passage is how the church will grow to maturity in sharing these gifts.
599
00:38:34,921 --> 00:38:35,731
And Jesus knew it.
600
00:38:35,731 --> 00:38:39,781
So he gave these gifts, which are people in all these forms.
601
00:38:39,781 --> 00:38:41,341
These five forms is fivefold gifting.
602
00:38:41,341 --> 00:38:42,931
So every don't miss that.
603
00:38:42,931 --> 00:38:43,291
Okay.
604
00:38:43,321 --> 00:38:43,561
Yep.
605
00:38:43,741 --> 00:38:43,921
Okay.
606
00:38:43,921 --> 00:38:44,551
In second.
607
00:38:45,861 --> 00:39:04,761
Key from this Alan sort of wrap this up was, is key from this passage and really everything that in our lives, as Christians, that leads to maturity and
unity is a falling deeper in love with Jesus and becoming so caught up with his person and his words and understanding his heart and his life and his mission.
608
00:39:05,311 --> 00:39:05,401
Yeah.
609
00:39:05,401 --> 00:39:10,586
So like, it's very easy with someone as smart as alan to just take this very cerebral, like, wow.
610
00:39:10,646 --> 00:39:11,666
My mind's blown.
611
00:39:11,666 --> 00:39:12,476
I'm going to get the book.
612
00:39:12,776 --> 00:39:13,556
I'm going to read it.
613
00:39:13,646 --> 00:39:16,196
I'm going to have the knowledge, just remember knowledge putts puffs up.
614
00:39:16,376 --> 00:39:18,726
And I can tell you what being his friend Alan is.
615
00:39:18,726 --> 00:39:19,276
So.
616
00:39:19,336 --> 00:39:20,766
in love With Jesus.
617
00:39:20,781 --> 00:39:23,481
We were just, you and I were just talking offline a minute ago, like wow.
618
00:39:23,541 --> 00:39:29,301
As Alan and Deb, maybe the two nicest people like on this planet planet, you know what it is, they are deeply in love with Jesus man.
619
00:39:29,661 --> 00:39:36,261
And so don't miss that as, as, as you try to dive into APEST to understand it, this is Jesus.
620
00:39:36,261 --> 00:39:42,771
Who's the perfect Apess blend who is here to fill the world with his father's glory says I'm going to give these gifts to you because you're a part of my body now.
621
00:39:43,941 --> 00:39:48,051
Don't take it just as fundaments, you know, P like tools in the toolbox.
622
00:39:48,111 --> 00:39:49,961
This is the heart of our Lord.
623
00:39:50,081 --> 00:39:50,431
Okay.
624
00:39:50,841 --> 00:40:07,206
The third, We need to believe that the church and your family and your city and all this world need you to embrace this and embrace your full identity in Christ and the gifts that he's given you and made you to be in the world.
625
00:40:07,326 --> 00:40:08,886
So by blowing off like, well, I don't know.
626
00:40:08,886 --> 00:40:10,066
I know I'm not a pastor, like, but.
627
00:40:10,896 --> 00:40:19,806
By understanding the gift that Jesus has given you, and then embracing that we will never see the whole world filled with God's glory and that's, God's eternal purpose.
628
00:40:19,836 --> 00:40:20,106
Sure.
629
00:40:20,826 --> 00:40:32,356
And that won't happen until, and unless we learn and embrace the authority and the privilege that we've been given, and we act within that and share these gifts with not only the church
630
00:40:33,016 --> 00:40:33,666
but the world.
631
00:40:33,951 --> 00:40:43,341
And you think about it, like so many of us, like our highest goal in life within the churches, like to be on staff or to like, I'd like to be a, I like to be a lead usher someday, you know, you know, we need those, right.
632
00:40:43,341 --> 00:40:47,421
But it's like, you're, you were not created to ush with the best of them.
633
00:40:48,021 --> 00:40:53,811
Like you, you have been gifted as an apostle or an evangelist or a prophet in, in, you need to embrace that.
634
00:40:54,021 --> 00:40:55,941
And you need to share that gift both within the church.
635
00:40:56,461 --> 00:41:03,091
And just out in the world because God is going to uniquely act and speak within you, he need to show the world what he's like and draw all men unto himself.
636
00:41:03,571 --> 00:41:03,811
Heath: Wow.
637
00:41:03,871 --> 00:41:04,621
That's beautiful, man.
638
00:41:05,071 --> 00:41:05,941
Hey, time is up.
639
00:41:06,241 --> 00:41:07,891
But Alan Caesar kill your
640
00:41:07,891 --> 00:41:08,371
Caesar: buzzkill, man.
641
00:41:08,371 --> 00:41:09,841
It's always times up watching the
642
00:41:09,841 --> 00:41:12,061
Heath: clock down like the referee because everyone hates the referee.
643
00:41:12,571 --> 00:41:14,851
Caesar: I'm always like, Hey, we'd like to y'all were in a structure.
644
00:41:15,091 --> 00:41:17,491
I was wondering why big, giant black and white stripes.
645
00:41:17,491 --> 00:41:19,301
Heath: I got a whistle, I haven't used it..
646
00:41:19,611 --> 00:41:26,661
Thanks for joining us today for more information on this show and to get loads of free discipleship resources, visit Everyday Disciple dot com.
647
00:41:26,901 --> 00:41:33,261
And remember, you really can live with the spiritual freedom and relational peace that Jesus promised everyday.
648
00:41:35,430 --> 00:41:39,430
The Missing Piece in Church Maturity w/ Alan Hirsch| https://EverydayDisciple.com/556