Biblical Church - Form Follows Function

Biblical Framework for Church Gathering - Form Follows Function

The Dilemma

One of the most challenging issues that faces a simple church as it begins to grow and bear fruit is what to do when it gathers. This issue can create obstacles and conflict among the members of a simple church. It is imperative to seek God to give them contextual answers to how to gather as a discipling community in a way that supports the culture and fruitfulness of the group. Questions like where and when do we meet, do we have a "preacher", what do we do with kids, do we need a building abound. If the group defaults to traditional answers based on embedded preferences of some of the members, the missional impulse of the ekklesia (gathering of disciples) is in dire danger.

The first dilemma a growing and vibrant missional community faces is whether to call themselves a church. In order to face that challenge, it requires a group to understand what Jesus required of a band of missional disciples. In the section below titled the Marks of a True Church, Jesus set forth three commands for his followers - to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (upward love), to love your neighbor as yourself (outward love), and to (love each other so that the world will know that we are his disciples (inward love). Assuming a group is practicing those three marks with all their heart - TOGETHER - they should identify themselves as a church.

Admittedly, as the ekklesia grows, there are some practices that the New Testament church models, which may create a little more complexity. There should be activities that support disciple-making, development of an APEST team, the appointment of leaders such as bishops, overseers, deacons, the administration of church discipline, and functions necessary for disciple-making and sustainability.

Marks of a True Church (ekklesia)

The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:28-31

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus’ “New” Commandment

John 13:34

33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Activities of a Church

The Acts Church Behaviors

Acts 2:41-47

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Five Universal Functions of a Church (ekklesia)

Ephesians 4:11

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

5 Leadership Functions of the New Testament Church

1. Apostolic Function - advancing ekklesia in unreached people groups (oikos’)
2. Prophetic Function - hearing from God and scripture and protecting the movement from heresy and mission drift
3. Evangelist Function - attracting unbelievers to the kingdom by proclaiming or inviting and having favor with people and Gospel fruitfulness
4. Shepherd Function - healing the heart so that God has access to the soul (mind, will, emotion) of a believer or unbeliever
5. Teacher Function - rightly dividing the word of truth and leading others to Truth found in scripture

Functional Fruits of the 5 Functions

1. Apostolic - multiplying believers, groups, communities, churches
2. Prophetic - keeping the movement Biblically and Spiritually aligned with God’s will
3. Evangelistic - calling and inviting unbelievers into the new communities of faith
4. Shepherding - loving and nurturing the community to open hearts for the Truth of Scripture
5. Teaching - rightly dividing the word of truth and leading the community toward a unified belief