2000 years ago Jesus founded the Church. He prophesied, ?I will build my church and the gates of death will not prevail against it.? This prophecy is being fulfilled right up until the present day. From the 1st Century to the 21st Century followers of Jesus have been built together in Christian community spreading from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. This means that every community of believers in Christ found their lives on the solid rock, who is Christ himself. It begins with the historic revelation of who Jesus is, as Peter the disciple of Jesus declared, ?You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.? This confession divinely revealed by God the Father is the apostolic rock upon which the church is built.
The apostolic nature of the church begins with accepting true apostolic testimony. The early apostles proclaimed and recorded as prophetic eye witnesses the events and the facts of the Gospels so that generations to come might hear and believe the good news. But they also left another legacy ? the apostolic ministry itself.
Modern day apostles do not bring foundational doctrine. The Scriptures are the full and final revelation of God?s word to humanity. All further words of revelation, teachings and church traditions are to be judged by this infallible Word, the gold standard of truth. However, every church today needs true, living apostolic foundation and connection.
Apostles bring shape, clarity and vision to churches. They are foundational in the sense of breakthrough, game changing and innovation. Under the influence of apostolic ministry, churches face the challenge of presenting changeless truths in a changing world. They find and foster new ways of doing church, expressing Christian community and planting churches in our contemporary world.
Kensington Temple is an apostolic church. We were founded apostolically and, over the decades, have been led apostolically, being at the forefront of much apostolic and prophetic vision in London. We are breeding a generation of apostolic people who fear nothing and give everything to see Christ proclaimed and his church built in London and the nations of the world.