SEVEN BASIC TASKS OF THE EKKLESIA
God’s trajectory is to build his Ekklesia to bring His Kingdom on earth. Sadly, the church’s trajectory is to build its own empire on earth. The sole purpose of the Ekklesia is to win souls by equipping Soul Saving Catalysts who will go and kick start a Soul Savers Movement (SSM). Thus, a true Ekklesia consists of Equippers and those being Equipped by APESTs (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers) for the expansionist agenda of the Ekklesia. The rest are dumb spectators (Eph. 4:11-13).
1. PREACHING
Our God is the God of all creation. Yeshua shed His blood to reconcile the whole creation, not just human beings. Therefore, we must proclaim the good news to the whole creation. Signs and wonders and expelling of demons should be the norm. The venue must be where Messiah has not yet been named. Our preaching, like our Master’s, must be instant, contextual, and spontaneous, not a well-polished sermon. It should be dialogical in character with room for interaction. Preaching is for the unconverted and teaching is for the converted (Mark 16:15-20; Col. 1:19-0; Acts 19:8-11; Rom. 15:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Cor. 14:26).
2. SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Yeshua, came to destroy the works of the Devil (1John 3:8). The first time, the Devil tried to act smart, God promptly threw him out of heaven on the earth (Isa. 14:12). The second time, Daniel prayed which started Star Wars over Persia and Greece when Michael and Gabriel defeated the Devil (Dan. 10:13-20). The third time, Yeshua demolished Satan when he tried to tempt Him while He was fasting for 40 days and gave him a fatal blow on the cross. The fourth time, when Yeshua sent the 70 disciples, they cast out demons and Yeshua rejoiced and saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven (Luke 10:17-21). Finally, Michael and his army, with the saints will destroy the entire army of the Dragon, with the blood of the Lamb and through their testimonies, even if they must become martyrs. And there will be no place left for him (Rev. 12:7-11). Every time you cast out demons, the heaven rejoices and the Kingdom of God comes that much closer to being a reality on earth.
The Ekklesia is the army of the Lord, weaponized with the most powerful weapons armed with his Name, his Word, his Holy Spirit and his Blood and their Testimonies to dismember Hell’s angels, causing immediate meltdown of the gates of Hell (Zech. 14:12). Sadly, these are highly underutilized weapons even allowed to rust leaving a church with no firepower (1 Thess. 1:5; 2 Tim. 3:5). He has seated His Ekklesia beside Him in heavenly places to shoot missiles of the manifold wisdom of God at the prince of the power of the air and plunder the gates of Hell and release the captives. Then barriers will be breached, new areas will open and the apostolic agenda of filling the earth with the gospel will be fulfilled (Matt.16:19; 12:29; Eph. 2:2; 6:10-18; 1 John 3:8; Acts 1:8).
3. IGNITING A MOVEMENT
In 1995 there were maybe just a handful of Movements across the world. In 2020, there are over 1300 movements going on. Each movement consist of an average of 76,000 people and each flock has about 16 members. Now they are intentional acts with well-planned, goal-oriented, time-bound strategies for reaching specific target peoples and regions. However, the results are not as good as the NT times rather haphazard but spontaneous Movements. This is because in those days it was the lifestyle of ordinary believers to equip, empower and launch every new believer for ministry while the modern Movements are program and resource based. Either way, these move through various stages of evangelism, validated by supernatural miracles, repentance, baptisms, disciple-making, Ekklesia-planting and finally natural reproduction (Acts 2:37-39; Matt. 28:19; Acts 9:31).
For this God chooses and anoints a Man of Peace who acts as leaven and transforms his entire area of influence. Leaven in the jar (church building) is of no use. He goes out and orchestrates the steps, trims the sails and then the Holy Spirit comes, and the ship sales off wherever the wind blows. A movement can be arrested at any stage. If the evangelists become more interested in collecting ‘decision cards’ than in going to the next level, or if mobile apostles become a ‘static pastors,’ then the movement disintegrates.
Movements are precipitated by face-to-face engagement in small groups rather than in large gatherings. Appointing seminary trained clergy to teach a set of their own brand of denominational doctrines proves a sure recipe for disaster that ravages a movement. When critical numbers of disciple-makers have been equipped, a spontaneous movement kicks in.
During Pentecost, Peter preached, validated by supernatural miracles and three thousand people repented and baptized (Acts 2:14, 41). They were discipled in small house groups and soon a DMM (Disciple Making Movement) saturated Judea, Galilee and Samaria with Communities of believers (Acts 2:37-47; 6:1, 7; 9:31).
4. COMMUNITY REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM
John the Baptist immediately baptized all those who repented. Yeshua baptized more than John. Yeshua is not only a personal savior but the Lord over all nations. Christianity is not just a personal faith but a community of the faithful, the Body of Messiah, wherein all members repent, dying to the world by acknowledging the Lordship of Yeshua (Gal. 2:20). When Jonah preached in Nineveh, the king and all his subjects put on sackcloth and ashes, fasted, and repented. Ezra did the same with those returning from the Diaspora. Thousands of Jews received instant baptism during the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem.
Even today, during the season of Lent, Christians corporately go through a process of repentance and of spiritual rejuvenation. During the 40 days of Lent, many Christians gather in their homes. If they continued doing so throughout the year, inviting people of other faiths, then we would be back to the NT model, and the kingdom would grow rapidly. All those who repent should be baptized promptly.
Repentance, baptism, and salvation are inter-linked, leaving no room for delay (Mark. 16:16). Many Households, like those of Lydia, the Philippian jailor and Cornelius were instantly baptized. Any believer, man or woman can take self-baptism after confessing their sins to two witnesses. Temple priests baptized no one, male or female, as baptism is not a priestly function (Acts 2:37-39, 41; 10:44-48; 16:14-16, 30-33).
5. BREAKING BREAD
The Lord’s Supper was a shared meal that has been so overly spiritualized by churches that it has lost its original meaning and purpose. God ate beef, bread and butter for lunch with Abraham under the shade of a tree, discussing destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Sarah’s pregnancy (Gen. 18:1-21). Melchizedek served bread and wine to Abraham and his men alongside of a road (Gen. 14:18).
Whenever believers come together, eating a “communal meal”, this must be the central act of worship, not occasionally but “as often” as the Ekklesia comes together. Because the breaking of bread was never a priestly function. It is Jewish fathers that break the bread during the Passover seder (meal) at home. (1Cor. 11:20-23; 33,34)
The Lord’s Supper is not a religious ritual. Everyone brought their lunch boxes, sharing their meal with newcomers and non-believers alike. They broke bread from house to house, sharing the whole gospel of God, whilst the Lord daily added new believers (Acts 2:46-47). Yeshua had instructed his disciples to eat whatever was laid before them, when they would go plant a Household of God (Luke 10:5-8). He invited Himself for supper at the house of Zacchaeus, a tax collector. When Yeshua knocks at your door, He comes to eat supper with you (Rev. 3:20). His last evening with his disciples, he greatly desired to eat the Passover meal with them (Luke 22:15). At his coming, He will hold a banquet for all nations, tongues, and tribes (Rev. 19:7-9). The breaking of bread signifies the breaking of His Body, implying that the Ekklesia is to multiply. An Ekklesia that does not multiply becomes stale.
6. EQUIPPING
The primary function of Ekklesia is to equip royal priests, who offer up Gentiles as an offering acceptable to God. As royalty, they must be equipped to rule the nations (Rev. 5:9-10; Jam. 5:20). Joseph, Moses, Esther, Daniel, and David, who were ordinary people, functioned as royal priests who had an impact on kings and their kingdoms. Wherever Paul went, he raised up local leaders who preached, baptized, made disciples, planted Households of God, and ruled as spiritual fathers. (1Cor. 1:14-16)
Preaching a sermon is not a necessary part of worship. Sermons were introduced into the Roman church by professional Sophists, orators who made their living by delivering sophisticated lectures to the public. Many ancient church fathers, like celebrity evangelists today, belong to this class of brilliant orators. Eloquence, however, does not necessarily mean speaking of truth. Apollos of Alexandria was an eloquent expositor of the Scriptures even before he accurately knew “The Way” (Acts 18:25-28).
It is largely brilliant orators who harmed the Ekklesia by manipulating the truth, hogging all the glory, and denying to common people any real participation. Martin Luther made it worse by calling the church a Mundhaus, a ‘speech house’. Yeshua did not say, when you gather, somebody should give a sermon. We are to gather in His name to share the gospel and to enjoy a fellowship meal, as oft as we do so (Acts 20:7; 1Cor. 11:20, 24-26; 10:16-17).
There are many job descriptions available in the Scriptures. You can choose to be a seed sower, a harvester, a fruit bearer, a fisherman, a laborer, etc. (Matt. 4:19). You can be equipped as prophets, priests, and kings to reign on earth, starting now, bringing in the righteous kingdom of God (Rev. 5:9-10). For this, you must be equipped by the APEST-gifted elders, learning to convince, to convict, and to convert those of other faiths into disciples of Yeshua. You must do this with sound doctrine, without arrogance with meekness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15).
Ability to convict those who contradict is the acid test of a mature Christian (Titus 1:9). Sadly, most believers, including their pastors, cannot engage practitioners of other faiths, not even amongst their best friends and colleagues. A believer equipped in apologetics will deftly handle all their questions and bring them to repentance and baptism.
However, the objective is to make disciples that make disciples and not just converts. Yeshua made disciples who proved to be world changers. Paul trained disciples who turned the Gentile world upside down. While Peter made only converts, and the Jewish church dwindled (2 Tim. 2:2; Acts 17:6; 21:20).
7. SENDING
The original word for “send”; (Greek – “ekballo”) is a very strong word. The picture conveyed is something like God grabbing hold of people and shoving them into His harvest fields. It the same word which is used when speaking of “casting” out demons.
We are to pray. prepare and thrust laborers into the harvest fields of the Lord of the harvest. We are to send them out 2x2 to find “persons of peace” and turn them into laborers. Like the demon-infested Gadarene and the sinful Samaritan woman, once delivered, brand new believers can start witnessing immediately. Their testimony can open doors. Like Philip the evangelist they can evangelize, thrust out demons and baptize while later Apostles like Peter and John the apostles can empower and mentor them. The aim of an apostolic Ekklesia is to be a sending Ekklesia.” Yeshua said, “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” His Ekklesia is designed and mandated to reach the ends of the earth, hence its end goal is to be an ‘ekballo’ Ekklesia that keeps thrusting laborers into the harvest fields (Matt. 4:19; John 20:21). Anything less is counterfeit.
Yeshua has other sheep which are not yet in the fold and must be brought in. A pastor is shepherd to the whole city. Some sheep are in, while others are out. He must equip those who are in, to bring in those that are without (John 10:16).
Yeshua has appointed APEST gifted equippers to replicate the Book of Acts, all over the world, sparking out of human-control, disciple-multiplying movements. (Eph. 4:11-13; Acts 16:5).
The Book of Acts of Apostles is not just for reading but an instruction manual for advancing the Kingdom of God from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. We should not be living in Eastern or Western culture but living and practicing Book of Acts culture.
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