Recapturing the Wonder of the Ekklesia Movement

For her church was not an institution and it certainly wasn't a location. For her church was literally what we've been talking about. It was Ekklesia, it was the gathering or the assembly of Jesus followers. That's what church was for her, it was a movement, or to put our words around it, the church, she understood it as God's catalyst for change, personally, culturally, and globally. [00:03:18]

The early church, as described in the Book of Acts, was a dynamic, outward-facing movement that changed the world. It was a multicultural, multiplying movement inspired by Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The first-century Christians, despite facing severe persecution, were driven by the resurrection of Jesus. They understood that the church was God's catalyst for change, personally, culturally, and globally. [00:04:53]

Jesus mandate for his assembly has not changed. He said, "I want you to go into every part of the world and I want you to create or make disciples. I want you to create more Jesus followers." This is to be a multiplying, multi-ethnic movement. That's for the whole world. He said, "I'm not just the Jewish Messiah. I am God's final king." [00:06:13]

And the text tells us, Luke tells us that, after they preached that day that, "Those who accepted the message were baptized and about 3000 were added to their numbers." So day one, this is opening day Ekklesia, opening day of what we would call the church, 3000 people. As time went by, the apostles in Jerusalem continued to preach. [00:08:06]

And this is where their courage came from. It wasn't the teaching of Jesus, it was the resurrection of Jesus. But the good news is bad news for those who benefit from the old news. So the temple leaders stirred up opposition against the movement, the Jesus movement. Eventually they took one of the ring leaders who wasn't an apostle, but who had become a powerful spokesperson, an apologist for this new movement, a man named Steven. [00:12:06]

Saul began to destroy the ekklesia. Going from house to house he dragged off both men and women and would put them in prison. And this goes on for three years. He becomes the point person for destroying or undermining the success of the ekklesia of the Jesus movement. Wherever he found these people, he would drag them out, bring them to Jerusalem, or bring them to the temple and have them flogged or punished or threaten or forced to blaspheme. [00:13:09]

And Saul of Tarsus gets there and he's blind and he begins to meet with the disciples. To make a long story short, Saul Tarsus changes course. In fact, once God restored his sight, this is amazing. Saul spent several days with the disciples, not the apostles, they're all hiding out in Jerusalem. The disciples are the followers of Jesus. That's just the New Testament word for a Jesus follower. [00:22:00]

Paul dedicated his life to taking this good news everywhere he could. The message of Jesus all around the world to people like us, to people like the young woman who shadowed us on the tour. In the end, he lost his life, but he never lost his wonder that God would forgive a sinner like him. [00:38:43]

Imagine if we got it back. Imagine if the thrill of gathering with other believers who are overwhelmed by God's grace in their life and we have the freedom to collectively once or twice or however many times we want to collectively come together and just sing about it and talk about it. What if we got it back? [00:39:44]

Paul, the Apostle Paul made major, major contributions to our faith and your faith. There are things you believe just because he wrote them, you maybe you can't quote him, you can't find him. But he's so shaped the thinking of Christianity and the two things he did, number one that were huge. Number one, is Paul actually applied Jesus new covenant command. [00:31:11]

Paul had extraordinary insight into the significance and the implications of Christ's death on our behalf and on behalf of the world. Here's the thing, and I've said this to you before, he lived in both covenants, he lived under the old covenant that God established with ancient Israel, and he was really good at it. In fact, he said, "I'm the best pharisee I've ever met. I keep the law better than anybody that I know." [00:32:00]

The event, the resurrection that launched the movement, the ekklesia of Jesus, the resurrection is what launched the movement, and the movement the church is eventually what assembled our first Bible that I read every single day and love so much. But that's the order of things. That's how it happened historically. That's how it happens logically. [00:26:33]