In the previous article we began describing a true political process as that involved in the formation, development and regulation of human existence. We defined Kingdom Politics as an internal revelation of Christ that produces a sense of justice, activating a process of serving and developing humanity to a place of correct and equitable human existence. You cannot touch God and not become political in your orientation. To know God is to defend the cause of the poor and needy (Jer 22:16). Put differently, the knowledge of the Lord (or spiritual growth) must produce a sense for justice and equality inside our hearts.
Now all that I’ve described as the true ekklesia (church) needs to be built. The saints need to be brought to a place of kingdom political orientation so that they can go into the systems and communities God has placed them in and advance the cause of the Kingdom.
Matthew 16:18
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (ekklesia), and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. NIV
Christ spoke about “building His church” and “building” communicates a very deliberate process to produce an intended objective.
The big question then is how is Christ building His church?
Ephesians 4:8-16
8 This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. NIV
Ephesians 4 gives us some answers concerning the building plan and process of Christ for the church:
· Christ is building His church through the fives graces or gifts called Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. This is what is otherwise known as “the five-fold ministry”.
· These graces (or building dimensions of Christ) are given to various people who are called by Christ to serve in the church.
· It is important to note that “pastor” is mentioned here as one of the 5 graces or building dimensions of Christ, i.e. “pastor” is not to be used as a generic description of a person who leads a church. People who lead churches are called “elders” or “overseers” (1 Tim 3:1&2, Tit 1:5&6, 1 Pet 5:1&2).
· The description of a church leader as “pastor” comes from a Pentecostal-Charismatic dispensation and it basically came about because “pastor” was a dominant grace that people were used to. The usage of “pastor” in this context also often carries a wrong meaning of one who spends the rest of his life visiting the saints, drinking tea in people’s homes and sharing a “sermon” on Sunday.
· In a typical church structure, you will have a Pastor on top and then a group of elders who serve under the pastor. This is not necessarily consistent with Biblical descriptions. There must be a team of elders led by what we may call a “Senior Elder”, a “Primary Elder” or a “Set Man”. Paul ordained “elders” in churches (Acts 14:23, Tit 1:5).
· Paul designated church leaders as “elders” because a church leader is not always a pastor in terms of grace, an elder can be an apostle, prophet, pastor etc.
· The term “elder” also communicates a powerful idea of one who governs over lives. The term “elder” is borrowed from ancient Cities which were led by elders. These elders would meet at the gate to discuss the affairs of their cities, pronounce judgement and take important decisions. Elders are leaders not just of a church service but of a community. “Elders” played the same role then as that played by Mayors today. Elders were constructors and developers of human civilisations.
· The other issue to consider is that one can have a calling into one of the five ministries or dimensions of Christ (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher) and still not necessarily serve as a church leader in a local assembly. For example, Paul was called as an apostle and was sent by the Antioch church in Acts 13. Paul did great exploits, he developed doctrine, started churches, raised the dead etc. and yet he was not part of the eldership at Antioch, he actually went to Antioch to report on his trips (Acts 13:26-28).
Ephesians 4 gives us some answers concerning the building plan and process of Christ for the church (cont…):
· Christ is building His church through the release of His five building dimensions into the church: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
· These five ministers are called to “equip or prepare” the church (saints) for the work of the ministry.
· The word “equip” means “to make fully ready”.
· The “work of the ministry”: the word “work” means “labour, performance, toil”. The word “ministry” means “service, to serve a master”.
· “Work of the Ministry” is not just “ushering or Praise and Worship” on Sunday (and there is nothing wrong with these), it is kingdom responsibility God is calling the saints to engage in, in the development of human life within the nations and systems these saints are placed in. All saints are positioned either as Esthers, Josephs, Daniels or Adams within systems and communities and need to be equipped to be able to advance the kingdom.
· The concept of the “work of the ministry” must be connected to the concept of being “the ekklesia” – we are called to serve humanity.
· The “work of the ministry” implies that saints are called to what we may refer to as “kingdom service” (remember the word “ministry” is the word “service”). There are specific things God is calling each believer to fulfil in the advancement of human life.
· We have to make the saints “fully ready” to serve in the kingdom (kingdom service).
The Example of Adam, the First Believer:
Genesis 2:7
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
NIV
Genesis 2:8
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. NIV
Genesis 1:28
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
NIV
Genesis 2:15
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. NIV
Adam was put in the “garden” not to enjoy life but to actually work. He was built by God with certain competences that would allow him to serve the Kingdom in this way. He had responsibility over the development of life (Gen 1:28). He was called to rule and so by implication, called to serve because ruler-ship in the kingdom is service (Luke 22:26). The opposite is true in the church today. People get saved and are introduced to a God who is more like “Father Christmas” and so get deactivated in as far as getting involved in the business of development of human life is concerned. It is true that God wants to provide for our personal needs but the same God wants labour; He wants us involved in the development of human life.
Ephesians 4:11-12
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up NIV
It is the duty of five fold ministers and church leadership to get the saints ready for kingdom service. This means that we have to add the “equipping” element to our meetings.
Key Objectives of this Building Process (Eph 4)
· The church must be built and brought to a place of kingdom service (vs.12).
· The church must be built and brought to a place where it is no longer “an infant”; it must come to a place of maturity in the nature of Christ (vs.13).
· The church must be built and brought to a place of unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son (doctrine), vs.13.
Moving toward Maturity in Christ: Confronting the Issue of Infancy
Colossians 1:28
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. NIV
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
NIV
Ephesians 4:14
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. NIV
A true building process must produce a mature Church.
What are the Characteristics of Infancy? (1 Cor 3:1-4, Eph 4:14):
· Inability to co-exist with others: are we building churches where there is co-existence or people still mobilise themselves along the lines of race and class? How is it that church in South Africa is still very much built along the lines of Race and Class?
· Living by individualistic principles of this world as opposed to communal principles of the kingdom: have we built a true sense of community in the hearts of the saints or our Sunday meetings are gatherings of “strangers” who have no sense of shared life, pursuit and existence.
· High levels of gifted-ness coupled with undeveloped character (the Corinthians’ Problem): do we still have the tendency to celebrate the manifestation of gifts and put a blind eye on the character of those who are ministering? Who is laying hands on you? What kind of life do they live?
· Inability to have a well-developed kingdom expression in the midst of “waves and winds of doctrines” of this world (i.e. values, perspectives, philosophies and ideologies of this world): when we hear people proclaim with passion principles of communism, capitalism or any other ideological position do we suddenly feel small realising that we do not have an ideology of our own? Have we realised that the kingdom of God is a complete ideological system?
As long as these characteristics still define church then we know that we have not come to a place called “maturity”.
Church Building: the issue of Architecture
Here is how the word “architecture” is defined in dictionaries:
- Architecture is the profession of designing buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments, usually with some regard to aesthetic effect. Architecture often includes design or selection of furnishings and decorations, supervision of construction work, and the examination, restoration, or remodeling of existing buildings (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/architecture).
- Architecture is the art or science of building; specifically: the art or practice of designing and building structures and especially habitable ones (Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/architecture).
- Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture).
- The art and science of designing and erecting buildings; a style and method of design and construction; Orderly arrangement of parts; structure (Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/architecture).
Matthew 16:18
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (ekklesia), and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. NIV
Every building process requires architecture.
God does not build anything without having architecture for it first:
· The nature of God is the architecture behind the formation of the entire system of creation (Rom 1:20). The Psalmist says that heavens declare God’s glory, the skies proclaim the work of his hands; day after day, they pour forth speech (Ps 19:1-4). This is the Psalmist’s way of saying that creation proclaims the architecture of God to humanity.
· God is the Architecture of human life; He is the “image and the likeness” by which we were formed (Gen 1:26).
Abraham saw God as an Architect of life (Heb 11:10).
It has become tradition in the church that when a person is called to start a church, that they pay attention only to “what God said to them” and not go on to consider the architecture of what they are called to build. And so in most cases, we build churches out of programmes and not out of architecture of God, only to find that what we are building may have a lot of programmes and vibrancy but often lacks structure and design. We assume that what excites God is the quantity of what we are building. In Ezek 40:1-4, Ezekiel sees an angel carrying a “measuring rod” standing in the temple. This angel had come to measure the correctness of what had been built (not just the quantity of what had been built). It is true that God wants all men to be saved but it is equally true that God wants correct building.
As we saw in the definitions above, the word “architecture” deals with design, building, orderly arrangement of parts as well as style and method of design and construction.
1 Corinthians 3:10
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. NIV
Paul, the apostle talks about the grace of God in his life - the grace that made him “an expert builder” (NIV) or “a wise master-builder” (NKJV).
The word “wise master-builder” is “sophos architekton” in Greek. The word “architekton” is the word from which we get the English word “architect”. Let us consider the elements of the grace Paul is talking about here:
· “Sophos” (a wise man): this word is related to the word “sophia” used in Eph 3:10 as “wisdom”. This word “sophos” was used to describe respected ancient philosophers. The word defines one who is skilled in the affairs of life. Philosophers are people who had the understanding of the basic platforms, patterns and principles upon which life was built. Now Paul describes the apostolic grace as the ability to understand God and the basic structures upon which human life is built.
· “Architekton”: this word is described as “the chief constructor, the master builder”. The Architekton (architect) functioned as the chief constructor who supervised the building process to ensure that it was correct.
Paul says apostles are wise master-builders, meaning that true apostles are defined by the ff. characteristics:
1) Wisdom: the understanding of the basic shapes, principles or philosophical platforms upon which life is built. This understanding does not come about through one’s natural intelligence but it comes through a deposit from God (it is God’s grace that makes an apostle).
2) Architecture: the understanding of the correct structures of human life (not just the correct structures of church organisations).
3) Building: the ability to bring to formation platforms, patterns and structures of life that have been perceived in God.
This is the signature anointing of a true apostle. There are other things that characterise apostles or apostolic grace like pioneering etc. but what we see in 1 Cor 3:10 (wisdom, architecture and building) is the signature of authentic apostolic ministry.
Apostles are therefore not primarily defined by church planting (because the saints planted churches in Acts 11), miracles (because the saints are also supposed to manifest the gifts of miracles and healing in 1 Cor 12). These things can manifest in an apostle’s life but are not basic definers of apostolic grace. The apostolic grace deals with the comprehension of correct architecture for the construction of human life.
Paul continues in Eph 3:
Ephesians 3:1-6
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
NIV
Paul in Eph 3 talks about the grace being his comprehension (“my insight” in vs.4) of the correct structure of human life. The correct structure of human life is the removal of ethnic dominance and the establishment of new platforms of human life where there is integration, justice, equality and shared life. This is the foundational doctrine upon which the early church was built. This is the architecture Paul brought to the early church.
Apostles are philosophers, architects and builders of the Kingdom of God.
So we see here that the apostolic grace introduces us to the reality of architecture. The thing that makes us build churches is not the anointing or programmes but it’s the design for correct human life.
There is a huge difference between having architecture for the church organisation and having architecture for human life within that church organisation. Many churches easily grow numerically but only to find that life within the organisation is collapsing. This Capitalistic age has infiltrated the minds of those sent by God to build the church in that we want to measure results on numbers, accumulated resources and finance. How many believers did Noah have? Only 8 as seen in 1 Pet 3:20. Did Noah impact his world? Yes! How many solid believers did Christ leave in the earth? Only 120! Did He impact the wider humanity? Yes, and He continues to. Impactful building is not so much the accumulation of numbers but it’s the ability to establish correct platforms and structures of human life.
Considering Architectural Dimensions (or Components) for Correct Church Building
The first realisation that must hit anybody truly called by God to build is that building church is not to be confused with building a church organisation, building church is nothing but building human life in its totality. It is very possible for one to have a vibrant church organisation and church service but weak human life within that organisation. Leaders today travel over land and sea to get plans and resources that will help them build big church organisations but I always wonder about the nature of human life within these organisations. If anybody is called to build church, they are essentially building human life and they must therefore be able to see into various architectural dimensions (or components) of that human life. What are these?
· Correct Internal Positions: the word of the Lord must speak into the establishment (by believers) of correct internal positions. Remember Jesus said we must first clean the inside of the cup and then the outside will also be clean (Matt 23:26). God looks at the internal nature of believers, He doesn’t look primarily at their outward appearance (1 Sam 16:7), if this is the case then there must be more time spent on how to build correct inner life. Believers must be equipped on how to put off their old inner lives and put on new inner positions (Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:9&10). These inner positions have to do with developing correct heart positions, internal attitudes, inner values and mentalities.
· Correct Behavioural Patterns & Lifestyles: Jesus also talks about the outside of the cup becoming clean. Salvation must bring about real and practical transformation at a level of one’s behaviour and lifestyle. The word of the Lord must therefore speak into this architectural dimension also.
· Correct Relational Platforms and Community: humans generally don’t know how to relate and people can get saved and still don’t know how to relate. The kingdom of God emphasises the issue of believers coming out of individualism and stepping into community. At the end of the day, all prophets and the law are (or the Word of the Lord is) summed up in this one law, “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:37-40, Rom 13:9). Those speaking the word of God must equip believers on how to develop correct relationships, what platforms must such relationships be built upon?
· Correct Marriage, Family and Parenting: this is another very important architectural component of human life. Those speaking the word of God must speak into issues of correct marriage and correct family. The saints must not struggle and have to figure out themselves how they need to build their marriages and families. Proclaimers of God’s word must have a clear sense of how a correct family looks like. This is why the word of God puts “correct family building and parenting” as one of the requirements of becoming an elder (1 Tim 3:4&5, Tit 1:6).
· Correct Systems of Life: all saints have to engage with systems of life in one way or another. This could be their workplace, work organisation, business etc. those speaking the word of God must educate the saints on how a correct system looks like.
· Correct Philosophy and Ideology: “Ideology” is the lenses through which the saints analyse life on a daily basis. “Ideology” is a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation; the set of beliefs by which a group orders reality so as to render it intelligible (Source: Collins Dictionary). A belief system must produce ideas about life or life perspectives. It’s only in Christianity where people have a belief system that does not translate into ideology. Islam produces a set of perspectives by which Muslims see life. God has a perspective about life and the development of doctrine must consider this reality. Any doctrine that gives people a set of beliefs without empowering them with perspectives through which they develop a Worldview is essentially faulty and leaves such people vulnerable to “foreign ideological positions”. This is why God says “my people are wondering over all the mountains and every hill (Ezek 34:6).
These are the architectural components or dimensions that we cannot afford to be blind to. These cannot remain our blind-spots. We have to resist the temptation to produce “nice church services” and start the process of producing “equipping houses” that are seriously engaged with the development of human life in its various forms, where saints are truly empowered to go back into the world and advance the cause of the Kingdom of God.
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