The Portal

Christian versus the World System

The real Christian church is anything but boring.

Wherever Christian churches were planted,  the mindless assumptions of the culture are threatened. Such is the nature of “The Revolutionary Way” set in-motion by Jesus Christ and the early church.

Did you know:

• It was a revolution that sparked riots everywhere it went?
• It was called “The Way” long before it was called “Christianity”?
• God called it “The Mystery” because He wanted to keep it secret?
• It still is the most misunderstood and confusing aspect of the Christian faith today?
• She is “the bride” undergoing preparations for marriage to Jesus Christ?
• That “church” is an unbiblical term, and even worse, it’s a misleading term?
• The American church is undergoing a revolution — not a “reformation” — according to most Christian thinkers?
• That 80% of the churches in America are declining?

If a “revolution” is underway, it’s about time things changed. God’s view of “the church” is so radically different from our traditional and popular views, how did they became so traditional and popular? Yet everyone is influenced by these long-held misconceptions.

For example, the Bible says we are the “Called-Out-Ones”, and not a “church”, and the Bible’s term has more punch:

“The most generic definition given by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon is ‘a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place.’”¹

Some of us might recognize the Bible’s word “ekklesia” is poorly-translated as “church”. But do we understand the implications of this mistranslation?

A New Assembly

The issues above are only a few of the reasons why we need a different kind of assembly. It launches after Spring break, meeting every other Saturday at 5:30 PM on weeks opposite CT, in the same time-slot. It isn’t a “Central Teaching” and it isn’t a “class” in the way we’ve seen before. This new meeting fits somewhere in-between the two.

It is a new series on “The Ekklesia” which combs through God’s precious revelation about “the Called-Out-Ones”. For our Lord Jesus, this is a most-precious investment of our time and resources, because:

Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27

This meeting is much different than Central Teachings because:

1. It is aimed at Christians and those involved in home churches.
2. It is an effort to fortify the effectiveness of home churches by equipping everyone, but especially the workers, teachers and leaders.
3. It means handouts, reading books, assignments, and taking notes.

But it is different from regular Xenos Bible classes, too:

1. Only members of the Deacon Ministry Teams have to complete the assignments and take the quizzes (for obvious reasons).
2. But our younger Christians can still attend and will benefit greatly from exposure to this material, even if they don’t master it.
3. Each session will only last one hour (maybe a few minutes more).

More details will be posted soon, but for those going on Spring break, you may want to select one of the following books for this new “Revolutionary Way”:

• Vintage Church, by Mark Driscoll, Gerry Breshears. This is a new book, and we know Driscoll is exciting (to say the least).
• 5 Views of Polity – This is for advanced readers and thinkers. A most-excellent and challenging look at different leadership models in the church.
• Pagan Christianity and Rethinking the Church  – Both of these books are written from a home church viewpoint. Pagan Christianity is especially easy to read, and highly-recommended.
• 5 Views of the Church Growth Movement – This is a challenging book about the “Church Growth” movement, which has played a significant role on our own development as a church.
• Roland Allen books: Paul’s Missionary Methods, etc. See the 2009 FST Forum for some of the outlines uploaded there. A most radical and excellent read, but not as easy as some of these other books. (These books are available under the public domain.)
• Body Life – This is a must-read, especially for younger readers.
• You will need a Bible (We’ll give you one if you can’t afford it)

The books above were selected for their challenging insights, and not because they represent what we as a Body of Christ may wish to do. But they do present biblical thinking which will be helpful for everyone to consider.

The Driving Need

The Equipped Revolutionary: Joe Allie, circa 2015

Our needs are so pressing: “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed!” (Romans 13:11 NLT)

We can barely keep up with our growth, and equipping is our greatest shortcoming. Jesus said it to his own faltering disciples, but he could say it to our enthusiastic but under-equipped workers: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 NASB)

For months this Fellowship was rocked by phenomenal persecution and also great growth and advances in all areas. Every home group and ministry was stretched beyond imagination, yet somehow we still gather and grow. But we should never imagine “riding the wave” without a greater competency in God’s Word. Our spiritual zeal is contagious, but can only carry us for a short while. But spiritual strength will carry us into that new territory God has already prepared for us to invade.

1. From Theopedia on “ekklesia”, retrieved 3/8/2009. [↩]