Ekklesia

 

Ekklesia was a word everyone in society understood when Jesus walked the earth – it referred to a political assembly of citizens of an ancient Greek state. Ekklesia is not just a gathering or an assembly of people, but a people who govern, a people who have authority to affect change in the way people believe, act and live. It was a governmental, not a religious term. When the Romans conquered a city, they sent in their Ekklesia to establish foundational principles of governance so that the city began to look like Rome as it followed the ordinances of the Roman king.

Jesus always used Ekklesia – never once the word “church” – when he referred to what He was building. The word “church” came with the King James Bible. After all, King James was the titular head of the church of England. Would he not tend to use that word rather than Ekklesia – which gave the people authority?

When Jesus said He was building an Ekklesia, He was saying that everything would change as people turned away from pagan gods and Jesus became their King. There would be a mind-shift which would affect what people believed and how they acted. Old ways of thinking would be put away as a new foundation was laid. The worldview of the people would change.

When Jesus told his disciples at Caesarea Philippi that the gates of Hades would not prevail against them, He was serious. They were meant to be the head and not the tail. They were meant to go into other lands to set captives free from idolatry and live out the destiny God meant for them.
He gave them powerful spiritual tools to change the atmosphere and to bind up demonic forces. These keys are designed to set people free to hear the good news of the Gospel without firing a shot. This is how we win the battle for territory and souls.

Did He not consistently talk about sending His people out to the highways and byways, to neighbors and co-workers, to the ends of the earth, continually expanding the Kingdom as they established Ekklesias everywhere they went?

C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed in disguise and is asking us all to take part in this great game of sabotage.”
Let that penetrate your spirit. Let it challenge your soul. We are His agents today to do that good work.

I heard a pastor say that the church building was a cave that satan built for believers. We were never meant to stay inside and wait for His harvest to blow in! No! He talked about going out into the world with authority and purpose. He spoke about declaring the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers of darkness. He said He didn’t want even one to perish. He said He is the King of an ever-expanding Kingdom. He may have come as the Lamb, but He is returning as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Jesus said, “I know where I come from and know where I am going.” He knew his identity, which is crucial for every mission.
Did His disciples know their identity and understand their mission? Do His people today know theirs? Do you know yours?
It’s time for us all to learn our authority, to talk about where we’ve been and where we are going; that is our testimony. We tell others about how Jesus is that great exchange agent who gives us beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning! He makes us more than conquerors.
God gave a word to Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham and Francis Schaeffer that there were seven mountains of influence which needed to be in the hands of believers so that Godly principles would prevail. Those mountains are family, religion, education, marketplace, government, communication, and arts and entertainment.

Whose hands are those mountains in? Certainly, if Kingdom leaders were developing curriculum, pornography and explicit sex would not be allowed in public school textbooks. Those righteous leaders would also make sure that the children could read and write. It’s appalling – from an article in the Austin American Statesman on 01/23/22: “The results of the 2021 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, the Texas standardized tests, indicate 36% of Texas fourth grade students scored at or above grade level for reading.” Are you ready to be a change agent? For change to occur, the members of the Body of Christ must Arise and Shine! Yes, deep darkness exists, but we are to carry His Light into it and know that His Glory will shine on us. It’s time for the Body of Christ to have a mind-shift which will establish His people as ambassadors, kings and priests, on the tops of all seven mountains of society.

Are you ready for a new identity and new assignment?