Article #3: The Restoration of the Church

The Church, as the Body of Christ, has the business of liberating the captives, recovering the sight of the blind, enabling the lame to walk, bringing the good news to the poor, and (yes) raising the dead.
(Paraphrase of a quote of Donald McGavran)

When we look at the issue of vision and leadership, this implies community. We can only discover who we are and why we are here in relationships—relationship to God, and in relationships with others. Being created in the image of God means that, like God, we hunger for relationships. We cannot experience healing unless we are in relationships.

The visions that God gives us are so radical and transformational that, if we try them alone, the Enemy will certainly destroy us. No question about it. Christ came to establish His authority on earth and to restore the relationship of you to Himself. The Church, as the very Body of Christ, exists as the authority for the visions God gives us.

What is the Church?

The word used in the early Bible for the “church” was ekklesia. It was generally used at the time to refer to a political or any other type of assembly. The first mention of the ekklesia (as church) in the Bible is often considered to be in Matthew 16:18. At this point Jesus is traveling in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, a center of godless worship at the time. Jesus turned to His disciples and asked them who other people were saying who He was. When Christ responds to Peter’s statement that Christ was and is the Son of the Living God, Christ responds saying it was on this statement that he would build his Church. The word used by Christ for “Church” was ekkesia and is the Greek word for “called out”.

In reality, the Church begins in the Old Testament as Abraham is called out as chosen:

Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him.
Gen 1:1-12:4 NKJV

In the New Testament, Peter refers back to this as the New Testament church is birthed in Acts 7:2-5. The Church today is called to act in authority (rhema) as the called out, ekklesia, or chosen people. The very Body of Christ.

The Church Today

In many locations around the world, this Church exists today in its true form. Some church leaders call this form a Missional Church – but many of these abhor labels beyond simply “The Church”. This implies it has a mission, is sent, and is intentional in terms of what Christ told it to do and that is expressed in the Great Commission. Here are some of the characteristics:

• First, it is incarnational. As the body of Christ, it is the embodiment of the authority, power, love, peace, and grace of the risen Lord.
• It is a sent Church, going to the people. It is sent into the world; but it is not of the world. As I write this there is a sign near the front of my own church building that plays off a famous quote at the end of an Elvis Presley concert:
  The church has left the building.
  I love this quote. I like the worship experience at another church near me where the pastor says, at the end of the worship experience, “The service starts now”.
• It is a servant Church, with the members serving each other first and then the world.
• There is no real distinction of laity and clergy. Each member is a servant leader in terms of their gifts and receiving in terms of the gifts of others.
• There is a deep, deep passion to see the Kingdom of God in the here and now.
• The community is more like an organism than organization.
• It is not a model, but a movement.

Here are some specifics of this Church:

Note: Some of this article is from the book Beyond Illusion: Leading from Reality by Carl Townsend, © 2009 by Carl Townsend

© 2009 by Carl Townsend