Revival and Reformation, Part 5
REVIEW
God has told us that 2024 will be a year of revival and reformation. We must know what to expect. We have been looking at these two Kingdom activities and the fact that they are linked to Yahweh’s assignments to us through Adam and Eve in Genesis 1: multiply His family and govern/manage His earth. Christ recommissioned the church to these assignments in Mark 16:15-20 and Matthew 28:18-20. In the first passage, He told us to multiply His family by preaching the gospel; in the latter, He instructed us to teach His commandments, in order to disciple nations.
We have also taught what occurs when we do not prioritize both of these assignments. You can see the first three posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
In yesterday’s post, we discussed several differences between Mark 16, which produces revival, and Matthew 28, which leads to reformation. Today, we’ll look at more comparisons.
THE FAMILY AND EKKLESIA
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church…” The word build is oikodomeo,(1) a compound word made of doma,(2) which by itself means “build,” and oikos,(3) meaning “a household.” “Oikos referred to three related but distinct concepts: the family, the family's property, and the house.”(4) Zodhiates says, “oikos includes the idea of household affairs,” and the lineage and posterity descending from one head or ancestor, such as “the house of David,” or “the house of Israel.”(5)
Without question, Jesus was saying He came to recover God’s family, to restore the household of God, and to establish a posterity and lineage flowing from Himself. We are partnering with Him in this endeavor of restoring to God His family as we fulfill Mark’s commission. We are also participating in this process when we honor Christ’s family, properly relating to and caring for one another. We are, and must live as, “the household of faith,” (Galatians 6:10).
And yet, we are also a Congress. Christ didn’t stop by calling us His family, but added that this household would also become His Ekklesia (church). We have already established that in Christ’s day, an ekklesia was a governmental term. Jesus left no doubt that this is what He was referring to by adding that He would give His family the “keys” or authority of His Kingdom. We are to use this spiritual authority to teach and disciple all aspects of a willing nation’s activities. God’s ways and principles apply to ALL aspects of life.
Just as a family and an ekklesia are very different, we are defined by other contrasting comparisons. We are a flock of sheep, but we are also a convocation of eagles. We are the bride of Christ, loving, honoring, and worshiping Him, but we are also His soldiers, wrestling with principalities and powers, enforcing his victory at Calvary. We are His body - fellowshipping with, caring for, and feeding one another, and we are His voice - wielding His sword, releasing decrees, binding and loosing. We are farmers, harvesting souls according to Mark 16, at times reaping the bumper crop of revival; and we are ambassadors, representing the will of God as we disciple nations according to Matthew 28, reforming them to His ways and principles.
We must know when to wear our “family hat” and when to wear our “ekklesia hat.” One must relate to family far differently than they do those outside the home. Also, some will be assigned to wear one hat more than the other. Just because your family unit - your congregation, or your broader affiliation, such as a movement or denomination, is more motivated toward soul-winning (fulfilling Mark 16), do not judge those who are called more to spiritual warfare and other ekklesia-related activities.
It should also be obvious that our level of maturity will determine our activities. Only when children mature into adulthood are they qualified to perform certain activities and operate in certain levels of authority. The same is true in God‘s family; we are all heirs of God (Romans 8:17), but we must mature until we can partner with God. The first involves benefits; the latter, responsibilities. Everyone in God’s family should, at some point, be capable of representing Him in the full authority of His Ekklesia. If this does not occur, then they have not been truly discipled.
The above passage in Romans 8 contrasts children, teknon(6) (verses 16-17), and sons, huios(7) (verses 14, 19). It tells us that all of God’s children (teknon) are heirs of His blessings, regardless of their age or maturity. But it also says His fully matured sons, the meaning of huios, are capable of being led by His Spirit. In that time and culture, when a child matured to the huios stage of adulthood - sonship - he was entrusted with the family affairs and business. The father would conduct a public ceremony in which he would say, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” It was his statement to the community that this child was now a “son” and was being given full authority to do business in his name.
This is what Father God was doing at Christ’s baptism when He spoke those words: declaring Christ’s sonship. Isaiah prophesied, “Unto us a child is born, and a son is given. And the government will be on his [the son’s] shoulders…” (Isaiah 9:6). Father God was publicly declaring that it was now time for His Son, Yeshua, to be released into His full authority and ministry. He was authorizing Jesus to represent Him, to speak for Him in His name.
Romans 8 says creation is anxiously waiting, not for God’s children, His kids. Creation is waiting for God’s fully matured sons and daughters, those who are led by His Spirit, know His ways, and can be trusted with broader authority. Children reap the benefits; sons are given authority and responsibility. It is they who can be trusted with the full authority of Christ’s Kingdom, enabling them to bring healing and transformation to the nations of the Earth. This is the church, the Ekklesia that Jesus is building.
Pray with me:
Father, we agree together today for the spirit of wisdom and revelation to increase, giving us a greater understanding of our assignment to represent You on earth. We are Your family, and we are Your Kingdom representatives, Your Ekklesia. WE increase and multiply Your family for You. It is profound, almost incomprehensible, that You would entrust us with such a responsibility and privilege. You also train and disciple nations through us!
We must have this increase of wisdom and revelation in order to understand and embrace these assignments more fully; we also need it in order to accomplish them at higher levels of authority and effectiveness. Most believers have little understanding of these roles and responsibilities. They believe life is about temporal things, but so few see its significance through the lens of eternity. Please help us change this.
We ask for this new level of maturity. Bring enlightenment, revelation, and understanding. We call forth the great outpouring of Your Spirit You have promised, which will not only win people to You, but will also create this awakening and reformation of the church. Do this here, and around the world, we pray in Jesus’ name.
Our decree:
We declare that the coming revival will be blessed with great wisdom and revelation.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
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James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3618.
Ibid., ref. no. 1430.
Ibid., ref. no. 3624.
Spiros Zodiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984; revised edition, 1990), p. 2232.
James Strong, ref. no. 5043
Ibid., ref. no. 5207
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