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 for contextual answers on 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, and do we need a building abound. If the group defaults to traditional answers based on embedded preferences of some of the members, the missional-incarnational impulse of the ekklesia (gathering of disciples) is in dire danger.
Should we identify as a church?
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 (read more HERE), the appointment of leaders such as bishops, overseers, deacons, the administration of church discipline, and functions necessary for disciple-making and sustainability. But, the question on whether to identify as a church should be answered with the following question:
Are we intentionally meeting together to grow in our relationship with God (upwardly), our relationship with our world (outwardly), and our relationship with one another (inwardly)?
If the answer is yes, then there should be no hesitation in identifying as a church (ekklesia).
But what do we do when we meet?
In the book, Church 3.0, by Neil Cole, Neil outlines at least five different forms of ekklesia in the first 100 years of the Christian Church. Each of these forms developed to meet the contextual missional needs of each geographic region.
- The Jerusalem Model - a homogenous, local mega-congregation
- The Antioch Model - a multi-ethnic, missional congregation
- The Thessolinica Model - a multi-ethnic and missional regional network
- The Roman Model - an urban network of organic churches in a major city
- The Ephesian Model - decentralized networks of missional organic churches
I would propose that if in the New Testament, a variety of models of church based on the contextual needs of each ekklesia worked, then in our modern culture there should be as many forms of church as meets the needs of localized bodies of disciples who are on mission together.
Conflict and division diverted!
Finding unity on the path forward for a growing simple church is critical for the next stages of multiplication. An understanding that God gave that ekklesia the members he gave them for a purpose is crucial. What if we can actually see the strategy of God in the personnel he provides. In order to utilize this tool, we must understand the five-fold function of church leadership found in Ephesians 4:11 and following (learn more here). A brief overview of the 5 functions and the fruit of those functions are listed below.
This process takes some time, but if the five-fold team gathers and dedicates extended time in prayer, a path forward for an ekklesia will become clear. If all 5 voices of the "Great Team" are represented, there will be a balance of gospel mission and spiritual maturity in the strategy that God gives.
Recently, my local discipling community could have come to a quick decision on a path forward, but we chose instead to take 3 weeks to pray and discuss among ourselves the path we felt like God was leading us toward. With all 5 voices of the Great Team represented, we came to a conclusion that was greater than any one of us could have come up with on our own. And, there was complete unity in the decision and process. It was a beautiful experience that could have potentially led to conflict and division if not given to the Holy Spirit.
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
- Apostolic Function - advancing ekklesia in unreached people groups (oikos’)
- Prophetic Function - hearing from God and scripture and protecting the movement from heresy and mission drift
- Evangelist Function - attracting unbelievers to the kingdom by proclaiming or inviting and having favor with people and Gospel fruitfulness
- Shepherd Function - healing the heart so that God has access to the soul (mind, will, emotion) of a believer or unbeliever
- Teacher Function - rightly dividing the word of truth and leading others to Truth found in scripture
Functional Fruits of the 5 Functions
- Apostolic - multiplying believers, groups, communities, churches
- Prophetic - keeping the movement Biblically and Spiritually aligned with God’s will
- Evangelistic - calling and inviting unbelievers into the new communities of faith
- Shepherding - loving and nurturing the community to open hearts for the Truth of Scripture
- Teaching - rightly dividing the word of truth and leading the community toward a unified belief and spiritual maturity
Conclusion
In order to get the results of the early church, we have to adopt the strategies of the early church.
Those strategies are clear in both the scriptures and stories of church history.
- An "All-In" no holding back faith in Jesus.
- Living life together in transformed community.
- A willingness to suffer and even die for our faith.
- Spiritual conversations and gospel stories on the frontlines of life.
- A Great Team culture that values what each leader brings to the table and an unwavering commitment to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
When we commit to this kind of faith community, God will bless our ministries and we will begin to see discipleship multiplication and transformed lives.