Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. Matthew 16: 13-20 ESV

Now we come to the part of our discipleship journey that transforms our lives by weaving us together with those that are on the same path and end destination. This is something that as a follower of Christ is deeply embedded within our soul, the desire for community. Yet most believers I have known that are truly serving the Lord, have struggled to find it in the modern- day spheres of religious activity. This is not to say that some do find true community within these circles, but for the most part we must not look at what we now call church as the biblical model for community. In this next section we will explore what true Christian community is all about, its importance for transformation, and how we can obtain it in our own lives. I personally believe that this could be one of the most fundamental things for us to navigate as the people of God which makes it a fertile field for the enemy to create conflict.

The above scripture passage is one of very few times we see the Lord speaking of and using the term church. These are the ones who he has called out from the world and conveyed into his kingdom. The Greek word is “ekklesia” and it simply means a gathering or assembling of citizens into a home or public place usually for religious purposes. For us to understand what it is to gather in the Lord’s name and to be connected by that name, let’s break down what this is by first looking at three objectives. What does it mean to assemble, what is the function and outcome of that assembly, and what does this do to transform us into mature believers? The first point I would like to make is an answer to the question, what does it mean to assemble in the name of Christ and what part does the average believer have to play?

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

I don’t know if I have ever heard a more quoted verse than this one concerning our gathering together. (Especially if someone can use this scripture to produce guilt pertaining to church attendance) Truth is that quite a large majority of churchgoers show up every Sunday without regard for what it truly means to assemble. For our study today I would like to propose a

different view of coming together as a Christian community. Instead of us gathering in a random sequence and letting a handful participate, how would it look if each of us had a part to play? The picture I always get of Christian assembly is that of a jigsaw puzzle. Suppose someone asked us to assemble a puzzle and we simply put all the pieces on the table and said here it is! This is sad to say but most of our modern church meetings have become just like this. There may be preaching, singing, praying, but by and large most attendees are simply spectators to the event. The opposite of this, and what I feel the bible intends, is when we put each piece of the puzzle into place where we can allow our relationship with God to influence and affect each of the other participants. Like unique pieces of the puzzle, each of us carries by God’s design a certain set of gifts, experiences, and inner witness that can edify those we meet with. This is the reason I spend so much time teaching on personal transformation because it is only through a relationship with Christ that we can get to this place in our gatherings. This may sound like a soapbox, but it could be that in the contemporary era we have created a form and system that allows people to attend our gatherings without ever knowing the Lord on a personal level? Heaven forbid that someone could frequent our meetings without ever being convicted of sin, called to repentance, taught how to live victoriously, or coerced into a deeper relationship with the Lord. On the other hand, let’s look at the biblical model for what a Christian gathering should look like.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. I Corinthians 12:14-27 ESV

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. I Corinthians 14:26-32 ESV

It is apparent from these two scripture texts that the Lord champions our uniqueness and desires that we share that distinctiveness rather than reducing our meetings to a spectator sport. This perspective of class participation in a church service could possibly be one that is foreign to most of us whom call ourselves believers. Most people I meet know that there is something inside them that desires for this type of community and gathering but the reality is

that very few ever experience it. It is this type of gathering that will allow us to edify one another and provoke each other to live a life of holiness and devotion to our Lord. Now I realize that in the context and timing of this study most of us have never had to think about these types of ideas much less take part in a collective gathering like the bible is describing. But at some juncture we must change the form to accommodate the function.

Let us not forget that the Lord described his house as a house of prayer which brings me to the next point of this lesson on the local church. What is the function and outcome of our gathering together as believers in the name of Christ?

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So, Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Acts 12:4-5 ESV

For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, Philippians 1:19 ESV (Emphasis mine)

There are plenty of verses throughout the New Testament that give us a glimpse into what it was like to be a part of the early church. These two passages illustrate what the outcome of those gatherings could be. It is our responsibility, as the church, to be aware of what the Holy Spirit is doing in and outside of our community. As we seek heaven and intercede for our neighbors, the Lord will prompt our prayers. The church has the authority to push against any darkness and those schemes of the enemy that come into our sphere. Remember the scripture earlier in this chapter when Jesus said that whatever we bind and loose will be that way.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. “Matthew 16:19 ESV
The thing to remember here is that we only have this authority when we pray in Jesus’ name. Praying in the name of Jesus is more than just the tag line, it is when we are operating under his authority or following his decree. As we grow in our faith these type of prayers naturally flow out of the relationship with the Lord and with others. There appears to be one more function and outcome that the early church was walking in that we should discuss and that is being a light to those outside the kingdom. Christ always expects us our gatherings to be a place for unbelievers to be exposed to the supernatural workings of our God.

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. I Corinthians 14:24-25 ESV

Not only should the church be praying for God’s justice and to hear his heart, but we should be ready to respond when the Lord wants us to show himself through us. In our present-day

church meetings, I have found that a large portion of God’s people are frightened of or have no context for the manifestation of his Spirit. Intercessory prayer and allowing the Spirit to supernaturally manifest are the main two things we should give attention to when we come together. This practice of hearing and obeying the Lord in a corporate setting is one of the most renovating habits we can obtain as believers in Jesus Christ. It is one thing to hear God one on one, but when we allow others to share with us and us with them in the workings of God, it becomes personally transformative. If I had to answer why this is, I say it is because we are submitting ourselves one to another and recognizing a fullness of Christ that only comes through the whole body. This is a term that I use called interdependency. I believe that this is a by-product of our maturity in Christ. As we mature in our faith it becomes apparent that others cannot take what we have, and we do not desire their giftings either. My wife likes to say that the older we get the more we become comfortable in our skin. Just like the disciples that fought over who is the greatest, it becomes apparent that Christ is and has always been the Greatest!

*This article is an edited excerpt from the book “Navigating the narrow way” by Curtis Wilson soon to be published by Christian Faith Publishing