This week, we will continue with practical ways we can prepare for the coming revolutionary/civil war. After solidifying our relationship with The Lord, we must seek our place in His body and function in it as we are called to do. We cannot be rightly joined to the Head without being rightly joined to His body.
In the times to come, not being in the right place in His body will result in much more than an unfulfilled spiritual life—it will be life or death. Regardless of what is unfolding with this revolutionary/civil war, as we approach the end of this age the only safe place to be is in God’s will. A basic characteristic of one who is in His will is how they fit in with the body of Christ, know their place, and are a living, functioning member of the body. This we are told in I John 1:7: “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship (Greek koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
It is not His fault or the fault of the body if we are not in our place. If we do not have a church body in our region that we fit into, then we must not be in the right place. Many Christians are not in the right place geographically because they chose a place to live based on personal preference, geography, family and friends, the best job opportunity, etc., rather than seeking first the kingdom and the purposes of The Lord for their life. To get in the right place we must turn from seeking our own preferences and seek The Lord’s purposes first.
If we resolve to live in a place because of natural and personal preferences, things may go well for us there in the natural, but we can pay a terrible price spiritually. The job that we moved there for can go great, but the family suffers, and we can drift further from The Lord because of the lack of meaningful fellowship. No job is worth the cost of not being in The Lord’s will and having a spiritual life where we are maturing in Him and in our purpose. As the times unfold, the cost of not having these will increase.
But what if we have been led to the place we live but still do not have a church body that we fit into? Maybe it is your calling to either start or be a part of starting one? Many of the most effective church bodies in the coming times, especially for the coming harvest, will be small home groups. These can be just as legitimate a church body as any mega church, and even more so.
The definition of church is changing, and it needs to because what is generally understood today as “church” is far from the biblical model or The Lord’s intent for His body. You will not likely experience koinonia by gathering once a week, shaking a few hands, and spending an hour or so looking at the head of the person in front of you, regardless of how good the worship and teaching is. Neither is this a form where the saints can be equipped to do the work of the ministry as described in Ephesians 4, which is necessary for true church life.
There are some congregations of the model described above that have small groups where there is an opportunity for much deeper relationships, as well as real equipping of the saints. It seems that the healthiest church bodies today are those that combine larger corporate meetings that include great worship and teaching with the real bodybuilding that takes place in small groups.
After our personal relationship to The Lord, having a healthy church life is the most critical priority of our life. If we are in the right place, it will be the safest and most edifying place for ourselves and our families. This will also result in the most fulfilling, exciting life that we can live on this earth. Those living the true Christian life are experiencing the greatest adventure there will ever be.
As Ed Silvoso has described, the Greek word used for “church” by Jesus was ekklisia which was derived from a Roman Empire law. This law stated that whenever just two Roman citizens met, they were considered to have the authority of the Roman Empire with them to extend Roman culture and law in a place. Jesus used this to describe how just two or three of His disciples who gathered would have Him, and thereby His authority, with them. This too was to extend the culture and laws of His kingdom. In the coming times, we are going to see such small teams become powerful in The Lord, and having a major impact extending and demonstrating the Gospel of the kingdom.
So, if you are convinced that you are in The Lord’s will but are not in a place where you fit into a church body, seek to deepen your fellowship with just one or two other believers. Start gathering intentionally in ways that seem appropriate, even for coffee or lunch. Start praying together. Let your fellowship grow organically with true fellowship that bonds you together in Christ and for His purposes. Such small groups that have found true koinonia will be the strength and backbone of the body that emerges to gather the harvest, preach the Gospel of the kingdom, and prepare the way for The Lord.
