What is the DNA of the Ekklessia?

“… authentic community, familial love and devotion of its members to one another, the centrality of Jesus Christ, the native instinct to gather together without static ritual, DNA desire to form deep-seated relationships that are centered on Christ, the eternal drive for open participatory gatherings and the loving impulse to display Jesus to a fallen world.” (Reimagining Church, by Frank Viola. p45)

Meetings were for true followers of Jesus; ie: 1 Cor.11-14. They were gatherings of DISCIPLES. Disciple means “disciplined learner”/whole hearted follower. 

From time to time, unbelievers may have been present, but they were not the focus.

“We have to see that the House of God [referring to the ekklesia] is not some inanimate lifeless thing. It is living, and the very marks of its life are that it is active, energetic, in a spiritual way; and it is characterized by the spirit of intercession…Life is spontaneous, and so intercession is a part of life, which is spontaneous. If the sprit of the Lord really has His way in us, we will be people of intercession.” (God’s Spiritual House, by T. Austin Sparks, p.34)

“HE GAVE GIFTS” OR MINISTRIES TO THE BODY – Eph 4:7-13

NOTE: 

  • The “gift” to the body of Christ IS the person! God puts each part or member of His body to edify it. Therefore, if you are in Christ; a true follower of Jesus then YOU are a gift to His body!!! This is why it is vitally important to discover what is your function!!!
  • There is no delineation of status! This is to each member and for each member of His body!!!
  • THESE ARE NOT POSITIONS (or jobs) but rather merely functions (ministries) of every body member of a healthy body… Jesus’ body!!

“For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function,” (Rom 12:4)

  • 1 Cor 12:14-30 explains the significance & the importance of each and every “member”. It illustrates how, although we are many, we form one body… Jesus!
  • So, this literally means we are all ministers “(or leaders“)!!!
  • So, if YOU are a gift to the body, what is YOUR way of serving the body? Is it:

Apostles – “sent ones”; big picture people; go ahead starting “new work”; laying the groundwork for the ekklesia

Prophets – guardians of the truth; forth tellers; sees everything in black/white; feels responsible to make sure the ekklesia walking in the truth.

Evangelists – a herald of the gospel (ie: newsboy of the 1920’s); burden for the blind & lost to see &/or find their way; goes about casting the seed of the gospel

Shepherds – caregivers of the ekklesia; nurturing & sensitive to the needs of the flock; willing to use both staff & rod; loves 1×1 or small group

Teachers – feeder of the truth; love outlines, books, studying; their passion is to make sure the ekklesia simply knows the truth.

GRACE GIFTS – Rom. 12:3-13; 1 Cor. 12:1-18

  • prophesying…serving…teaching… exhorting…giving…leading…mercy
  • These are different than the above functions in the body: A.P.E.S.T.

We can call these “expressions of grace”…In other words, manifesting Jesus to those in the body and not-yet-believers. Again, these are not positions or roles. These are gifts to others for the purpose of experiencing Jesus now!!! If He was here now, he would heal, serve, show mercy, give, etc., etc., etc.!!!!

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS: It is important to know that these have nothing to do with what we call “personality traits” (birth order, etc). These are gifts to a person for the purpose of expressing HIM supernaturally!!! Everything else we learned/received from Adam! This is supernaturally natural for every believer. As a Christian walks in humble submission to & dependent upon Jesus they will naturally express HIM in one of these 7 ways!

THAT THEY MIGHT BE ONE 

“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23 NET)

  • Unity/be one! To be one body, one bride, one family, one temple!!!! (Like a good rabbi, he repeats something important three times!)

“…in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

  • WHY? So that the world might believe!!!
  • HOW? Mutual Edification!!! It’s NOT a “1 man show”.

Mutual Edification

“What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (1 Cor 14:26)

1 Cor 12:7-20 

vs 7 – “There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (vv 8-10 explains examples of manifestations of the Spirit)

vs 11 – “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

vs 13 – “…and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (vv14-30 explains the significance & the importance of each and every “member”. It illustrates how, although we are many, we form one body… Jesus!)

It is often referred to as “one anothering” Each member had a vital and significant part in expressing Jesus in order to edify one another. (some examples)

  • Rom 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;”
  • Rom 12:16 “Be of the same mind toward one another…”
  • Rom 13:8 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”
  • Rom 14:13 “Therefore let us not judge one another …”
  • Rom 14:19 “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
  • Rom 15:5 “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,”
  • Rom 15:7 “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”
  • Rom 15:14 “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.”
  • In the 1st century, the chief marks for a gathering of an ekklesia were: freedom, openness and spontaneity; “one anothering” was a dominant feature & mutual edification was it’s goal.
  • There are no such thing as “big shot Christians” who have special positions and or power, etc. we are ALL equal “members” of HIS body. The ekklesia is a participatory experience for all “members”.
  • In an ekklesia there’s no such thing as a spectator (please me) and/or consumer (feed me; satisfy me)

GOD’S ULTIMATE DESIRE FOR US: That Christ be formed in us.

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

An Ekklessia is organically “on mission”

From the book, The spontaneous Expansion of the Church, 1997:

The Church was first established and organized with a worldwide mission for a world-wide work. It was a living organism composed of living souls deriving their life from Christ, who was its Head. It was an organism which grew by its own spontaneous activity, the expression of that life which it had in union with Christ, the Savior. Its organization was the organization fitted for such an organism; it was the organization of a missionary body. Consequently there was no special organization for missions in the Early Church; the church organization sufficed. It was simple and complete. There was abundant room in it for the expression of the spontaneous individual activity of its members; for every member was potentially a missionary; and the Church, as an organized body, expected that activity and knew how to act when its members did their duty. 

Discipline in an ekklesia?

Because all of the above IS true, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 just makes sense. The implication is that it is done in love for the good of the body, the family, the temple, the bride, etc!!!