Category: Practical Ministry

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Orthopraxy: Welcoming Visitors

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Many of the topics we will discuss in this series have strong biblical foundations. For example, practices such as corporate prayer, intercession, and fellowship all have theological roots in scripture, which regulate how we participate in them. However, other things we will look at are things most churches practice, yet the biblical links are minimal. That isn’t to say they are unbiblical or not good, only that they are often more culturally-based than scripturally. Despite this fact, I want to go deep into everything we do as a church and see how the Bible does imply we should view those activities.

One of these practices, which we will look at today, seems to be a regular part of church life everywhere in the world I have been privileged to visit and ministry. That is our practice of welcoming guests.

Current Trends

How we welcome guests varies from one culture to another. For example, in America, many churches have a designated area to meet with guests, either before or after services. Some give first-time visitors gifts, such as coffee cups with the church name, a bag of candies, or some other small trinket, as well as ask the guests to fill out some form of information card. In addition, volunteers are usually available at the entry or in various places around the church to answer any questions guests may have or to simply greet them and make them feel welcomed.

While most churches in the U.S. will take a moment in the service to welcome visitors, they are usually asked to meet with someone in the designated guest area after the service, rather than having any pressure put on them to move or speak at that moment.

This is very different from what I have seen in East Africa, where I live and work as a missionary. Instead, in Uganda and Kenya, time is made in the service to welcome guests, who are usually asked to stand and receive some kind of personal greeting from the whole church.

In fact, in most small to medium-sized churches, visitors are usually asked to speak, telling the church who they are, where they come from, if they are born-again, where they usually “pray from,” and what brought them to the service that day. Giving the visitors this opportunity to speak is a culturally appropriate way to honor them and show that the church values them.

In the U.S., asking first-time visitors to speak would be quite awkward for them, making them feel put on the spot. Most guests would rather not have everyone’s attention put on them. However, an informal request to fill out an informational card would make guests in East Africa feel undervalued. That culture takes pride in giving time to people, whether personally or in group settings. 

The point is that while every culture is different, churches everywhere want to make guests feel welcomed.

What Does the Bible Say?

While the Bible does not have anything specific to say about how we greet guests in our services, it does have a lot to say about hospitality and welcoming outsiders.

The Church is Commanded to Show Hospitality

The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines hospitality as “the generous and gracious treatment of guests.” (1) This is why the author of Hebrews commands the church:

“Let brotherly love continue [which deals with biblical fellowship]. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

Hebrews 13:1–2 (emphasis mine)

In the same way, Paul explains what the culture of the church ought to be in the book of Romans:

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” 

Romans 12:9–13 (emphasis mine)

In many places in scripture, it is clear that, though we are members of the local church fellowship and care for one another, we should also be conscious of how we treat strangers (or we might say, “newcomers”), as we welcome them with grace and hospitality.

Church Leaders are Commanded to Value Outsiders

If it is not enough that the church is commanded to show hospitality, the Apostle Paul also, very clearly, instructs church leadership to value and show hospitality to outsiders. He writes to Timothy, the pastor at Ephesus:

“Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” 

1 Timothy 3:3,7 (emphasis mine)

And again, he writes to Titus, the Pastor at Crete:

“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” 

Titus 1:7–8 (emphasis mine)

Even in the way a church service runs, especially the use of spiritual gifts, Paul wants to make sure we are aware of the impact it has on visitors:

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all…” 

1 Corinthians 14:23–24 (emphasis mine)

We will come back to this passage in a minute.

Let’s Get Practical

It is clear from all of this that when the church meets together, it should pay attention to guests and make sure they feel welcomed and valued. The question is, in light of all the reasons the church gathers, how should we treat guests, and is there a limit?

Again, the cultural background of the church will have a lot to say about specifics. However, I think there are some general guidelines we can use to ensure our guests are valued appropriately.

1. Jesus Must Be the Focus

While we want to make guests feel at home among us, the truth is that non-believers should see Jesus exalted in prayer and worship, hear the gospel preached, and be confronted with their need for salvation. Unfortunately, many churches have moved too far into the “seeker-sensitive” realm and refuse to talk about sin, the cross, or God’s judgment, because those topics might make people uncomfortable.

When we come into the church, we must always keep in mind that Jesus is the focus; not the visitors. Though we are happy to have them and should go out of our way to welcome them, the service is not about them or even for them. In the same way, it is not about us, people’s comfort, meeting needs, or anything else. It is about Jesus. It is for Him.

When too much emphasis is on visitors and their comfort, the church becomes another social club rather than a house of God. However, when Jesus is the focus, we will see the lost get saved. We will see the church grow. We will see lives changed. And so much more.

2. Visitors Are Guests of Jesus

Although we should not center our service around visitors and their needs or comfort, we also must make sure we view them in light of God’s grace and mission. We must have a healthy respect for God’s sovereignty and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and understand that He is ultimately the one who brought them into our services. They are His guests first; ours second.

As such, our attitudes toward visitors should be guided by the realization that Jesus has big plans for them, and the Holy Spirit should guide our actions toward them. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Corinthian church:

“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.” 

1 Corinthians 14:24–25

This means that, while we may have great volunteers to greet guests, welcome gifts for them to take home, or special time in the service for them to introduce themselves, our ultimate goal should be to be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus toward them. The best care we can offer to guests is that they would have an encounter with Jesus.

It’s All About Jesus. Seek Him and Follow His Lead.

I would highly encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit how your church can better welcome guests prophetically. In other words, ask Him how He would welcome guests if He were leading the service, then do that. After all, it is His church, and the service is for Him. They are His guests, and we are His servants. 

As I am fond of saying, the goal of everything in the Christian life is “listen to God, and do what He says.” Greeting visitors is no different. We will do well, therefore, if we can keep our focus on Jesus and follow His leading toward His guests.

Let’s Connect

If you want more than just the blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

You can also make sure to never miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

Endnotes

1 Douglas K. Wilson, “Hospitality,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!



© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Orthopraxy: Fellowship

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As we continue working our way through the practical side of church ministry, we have already looked at corporate prayer and intercession, which are foundational to the life of the church. As we read in Acts 2, following the day of Pentecost:

“So those who received (Peter’s) word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Acts 2:41-42

When the church began, and thousands of new believers were added, the first thing Luke (the author of Acts) wants us to know is that there was great unity among them. They joined together around the Word of God (a topic we will get to in a few weeks), fellowship and sharing meals, and the prayers (which we have already looked at).

Today, we will turn our attention to biblical “fellowship,” as this word means something much different than the average 21st-century understanding demonstrates.

What is Fellowship

In Acts 2:42, the Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia.” If you have been around church very much, this is likely a word you have heard thrown around at various times when discussing an upcoming fellowship event, such as a church luncheon or a men’s meeting. 

Usually, when we use the word fellowship, we imply a social gathering of believers. So we tell people, “make sure you get to church early, to have a time of fellowship before the service.” We encourage people to join a cell group or a Sunday school class, not only for the teaching but for fellowship. The idea being promoted is that if we are going to be believers together in the same “church,” then we need to take time to make friends with one another.

Can Friendship Be Forced?

The problem with many “fellowship” activities planned by church leaders is that they don’t always work the way we hope. Of course, we desire that believers would come to know one another deeply. However, when everyone comes together, people tend to sit with their family or existing friends instead of getting to know others. Even when we do mingle with people we don’t know, our “small talk” is usually very shallow and limited.

I don’t mean to imply that we must know every person deeply. Even if it were possible, it goes against our natural human inclinations. Most people would rather have a small group of people they know well, trust, and can be vulnerable around. It isn’t natural to fully expose our inward self to the masses. And that is okay.

Even as a senior ministry leader, myself, responsible for thousands of believers in the Sozo Ministries network of churches, I still tend toward introversion and take a long time to build deep friendships. I don’t necessarily want to have an intimate relationship with every person I meet just because they are Christian, and that is fine.

But the question is, then, what is the goal of fellowship, if not to be friends with everyone in our church?

The Foundation of Fellowship

The first answer is that true, biblical koinonia is grounded on our shared faith in Jesus Christ. It is “unity of faith” that the New Testament writers point to as the thing that holds us together as a body.

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 

1 John 1:6-7 (emphasis mine)

According to John, we cannot have fellowship with one another unless we all walk in the light with Jesus Christ. He is our first partner in fellowship. As the head of the church, He is the one we seek intimacy with, which opens the door to intimacy within His body. Just look at how the Apostle Paul speaks of this relationship toward Jesus and one another in his letter to the Corinthians:

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you  — so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 (emphasis mine)

Not only were you called into fellowship “with” Jesus Christ, but you were placed in the fellowship “of” Jesus Christ – that is with the community of believers who are with Him as well!

Fellowship in Unity

This means that when we come together as the body of Christ, we are not gathering because we are all friends with one another. Instead, we are gathering because we are all friends of Jesus, and together we can make more of our relationship with Him!

Think about it like this: have you ever been invited to a birthday party for a friend, only to arrive at the venue and discover you don’t know any of the other guests? I’m sure you didn’t turn around and leave just because your friend has made other friends throughout their life. Instead, I’ll bet you joined the party, met a few new people, and took part in celebrating the birthday boy or girl’s life together. 

Every conversation you had with the other guests would be centered on this unity of celebrating your mutual friend: “How did you meet our friend?” “When did you meet them? “What stories can you tell me that I don’t know about our friend?” This is precisely what unity around Jesus looks like as well. 

As we come together in fellowship as the church, we gather to celebrate our mutual friend, Jesus. We may not be friends with everyone in the room — in fact, we may not know another person there at all. That doesn’t matter because He is the focus. As we look at Him, discuss Him, sing to Him, share stories (testimonies) about Him, etc., the unity built among everyone in the room will be tangible. Unity in our love for Him is the foundation of our fellowship.

The Extention of Fellowship

I know as some of you read this, you are getting frustrated with me. Sure, we might not be capable of being friends with everyone in our church, but shouldn’t we at least try? Isn’t living as part of the faith community important?

The answer is yes, being a part of the community is very important. But, it isn’t the foundation. What I mean is that we should never encourage people to join our church “for community.” We are not a social club. We are the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Knowing Him is the foundation for which we gather in koinonia.

However, the extension of our fellowship becomes love for one another as we see Jesus’ love for each other. As the Apostle John tells us:

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 

1 John 4:19-21

I love verse 19! “We love because He first loved us.” Love for others is an extension of our fellowship with Him. As we live in intimacy with Him, the Bible tells us we become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2), and therefore, we begin to love others just as he loves them.

The Fruit of the Spirit

One biblical evidence that we are transforming into the image of Christ is that “the fruit of the Holy Spirit” will shape us and be demonstrated through our lives.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” 

Galatians 5:22-23

What is interesting about this list is that we cannot demonstrate any of these fruits outside of a relationship with others. 

  • Love must be shown to others. 
  • Joy, in the Greek understanding, is the publicly shared celebration of gladness. Although we might be joyful in ourselves, the fruit of joy comes when it is shared. 
  • Peace, again in the Greek understanding, means a cease to war. It is peace among people or harmony between parties who might otherwise be opposed to one another.
  • Patience and kindness are attitudes expressed toward others.
  • Goodness simply means we set our mind toward the public good in all things.
  • Faithfulness deals with both our commitment to faith in God, as well as our trustworthiness. As we live by faith in Christ, other people should be able to trust our integrity when they meet us.
  • Gentleness, again, is demonstrated in how we interact with people.
  • Self-control simply means keeping a level head and restraining our passions, sinful desires, and extreme emotions. Again, this ability to discipline ourselves is best demonstrated in our public life.

As a friend recently pointed out to me, many of these “fruit” are also mentioned in “the love passage” of the Bible:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

1 Corinthians 13:4–7

The point is that the character of Christ, which is formed in us through fellowship with Him, is outwardly demonstrated in our love for other people. Thus, love is the extension of our fellowship.

The Expression of Fellowship

If fellowship is founded on our unity in Christ and is extended as our love for others conforms to His love, then there must be a tangible expression of that fellowship when we come together as the body of Christ. 

How are Jesus’ work in us and His love coming through us demonstrated in the church? Biblically, it was shown in the valuing of people over possessions. As Craig Keener writes in his book, Gift and Giver:

“Besides the numerical growth of the Christian community, the community grew in its cohesiveness through the believers’ commitment to one another. The Greek term for “fellowship” (Acts 2:42) could mean economic sharing as well as spending time together. When we go out to dinner with friends from our church, we often think we are doing well; and to be sure, such fellowship is better than the isolation many churchgoers feel today. But the first Christians were far more serious about fellowship in the biblical sense than we are. The believers “shared all things in common” (Acts 2:44).”1

Giving 100% In The Offering

Now, we must understand that this sharing of all things literally meant all of their worldly possessions.

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” 

Acts 2:44-45

Remember, this was also centered in Jerusalem, the capital city of conquered Israel. The Roman Empire was taxing the average person at 90% of their income! “Selling their possession and belongings” wasn’t a believer deciding to give up a second television for the family or forego a new vehicle this year in order to tithe a little more. This meant taking the last 10% of their income (after the government took everything else) and still putting it into the offering plate at church. The expression of their fellowship meant keeping nothing for themselves, and in turn, trusting that the local community of faith would take care of them.

The love for others, created through their unity with Christ, inspired them to give all they had for each other. Unfortunately, this is a level of “fellowship” not seen in most of our churches today.

Love Feasts

Another expression of their fellowship came in “the breaking of bread” together, as they “received their food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46). These large communal meals became known as “agape feasts” or “love meals” and were an everyday part of the early church’s life. Sometimes they were coupled with taking communion (another part of celebrating Jesus together, which we will discuss in a future post). Other times, they were simply about sharing a meal as the family of God.

Because people had given everything they had to the church, it bound them to life together with other believers. Even if they were not friends with everyone in the church, there was a commitment to one another that went deeper than most family ties would today.

Things were not always perfect at these love feasts. For example, in Acts 6:1-7, we see that some groups within the church felt excluded by other groups and that the shared food was not being fairly distributed. However, the church leaders were quick to fix the issue, so that fellowship would not be broken. In fact, as much as we elevate deacons in the church today, the first deacons in the church were tasked with serving tables to ensure that the fellowship was maintained. 

Another issue can be seen in Jude 12 concerning false spiritual leaders taking advantage of these love feasts. Nevertheless, love feasts continued as part of the life of the church for centuries.2

Creating Fellowship Today

The challenge we have today is that our world is entirely different from that of the early church 2000 years ago. Whereas the early church was limited by their location — there was no mass transit or mass communication — globalization has given us unending access to everything at any time. With the internet, I have access to all earthly knowledge in seconds. With YouTube tutorials, I can learn any skill I want. With modern transportation, I can be anywhere in the world in 48 hours or less.

Naturally, this access has shifted the focus of most modern individuals far beyond life in our local communities. Even as I write these words, I am continuously aware they will be read by believers all over the world — in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East — many of whom do not share my cultural background. (I still don’t have a noticeable readership in South America or Australia, but maybe one day.)

As society’s focus has moved beyond the ties of physical location, the church is faced with a new set of challenges that the early church did not have. If our people live globally, how do we ground them with a fellowship locally?

I think the answer lies in returning to the foundation. We must lift up Jesus in our lives and seek to build relationships with others around Him. (And I mean face-to-face relationships, not online.) Of course, this will require a willingness to share our faith with unbelievers in personal evangelism. More than that, however, it requires a willingness to put ourselves out there and be vulnerable with other believers. We will never see a thriving local fellowship until we lead the way ourselves.

Let’s Get Practical

Inherent inside every Christian believer is a desire to be part of the body of Christ. As His character is developed in us and as the Holy Spirit releases gifts for service through us, the desire for fellowship is natural. Therefore, as leaders in the church, we must simply follow the process of Unity -> Love -> Expression to create a true biblical fellowship in our churches.

1. Celebrate Jesus

Any time the body of Christ comes together, we must make Jesus central.

Of course, we need to take time to greet our visitors and do other social things as the church. However, our primary focus must remain Jesus. Preach Jesus. Talk about Jesus. Share testimonies of what Jesus is doing. Invite people to know Jesus deeper.

We may never all become best friends, but we can all live in unity around Him. If the focus of the church ever leaves Him, true fellowship will be broken.

2. Encourage Love

As we lift up Jesus, we also aim to disciple people into His image. While the process of sanctification will take place internally in the lives of believers, as leaders, we ought to create opportunities for the fruit and gifts of the Spirit to be demonstrated externally.

Make room in your service for people to serve one another. Give time for those who have discovered their spiritual gifts to use them (and give opportunity for those who have not yet discovered their gifts to seek the Holy Spirit and try something).

I remember the first time I visited a friend’s church in college. When we arrived, I met the pastor, who asked me about my story and why I chose to come that night. Then, as if I belonged to the church already, he asked if I would help serve drinks to people as they arrived. I no longer felt like just a visitor because I had a job to do, serving everyone else who would come. Though it was a small act, it invited me to become part of the fellowship the church had been building for years.

3. Facilitate Corporate Expressions of Fellowship

For the early church, giving generously to the community and joining together in love feasts became regular and expected expressions of fellowship. Though these things can and should be part of our modern-day practice as well, I would also encourage you to consider your own church and see what other “expressions” of fellowship you can maintain regularly to keep people engaging with one another. 

What can you do as a church that will give people the opportunity to gather in unity around Jesus and serve one another at the same time? Though I could give many examples in my own cultural context, I will leave this as an open-ended question for you to ponder for yourself.

Let’s Connect

If you want more than just a blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

You can also make sure to never miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

Endnotes

1 Craig S. Keener, Gift & Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today, Repackaged Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020), 85.

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape_feast

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!



© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Orthopraxy: Intercession

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In the last post, we took a deep dive into corporate prayer — what it is and isn’t. We saw in that post that prayer is an essential practice for the Body of Christ to grow in. Just as God said, His household should be a “house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7, Luke 19:46). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul commanded that the culture of the church ought to be unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

As we continue to look at prayer as a church practice, however, there is another side we must explore. There is corporate prayer, which we discussed, and of course, there is the private life of prayer for the believer (which we will not discuss much in this series.) Then, there is a middle ground, where the private prayer life of an individual believer has significant, practical implications on the public body. I am referring to what most of us would call “intercession.” To be more specific, I am talking about what many modern charismatic believers refer to as “prophetic prayer.” I believe the biblical definition points to this wording, too, as we shall soon see.

Intercession in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, there are generally two Hebrew words translated as “intercede.” They both carry the general idea of being an arbiter or mediator, seeking to bring two parties together in agreement or reconciliation, though they each come at this purpose with a different approach. (Unfortunately, both of these words are difficult to transliterate for English readers. One is פלל or pll, and the other is פגע or pg’.)

Intercession is Based on God’s Decree

The first of these two – פלל – is a judicial word. It emphasizes making an appeal based on an objective or legal truth. Biblically speaking, this would typically be the objective truth of God’s word or a decreed judgment of God. For example, we see this word used twice in 1 Samuel 2:25:

“If someone sins against a man, God will פלל (mediate) for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can פלל (intercede) for him?”

1 Samuel 2:25

The viability of each use of פלל in this verse is dependant on the target of a person’s sin – whether it be against man or against God. This means that the effectiveness of intercession is directly based on a preexisting determination in God’s law.

The point is that for intercession to be effective, it must rely on revealed decrees and judgments of the Lord. A person cannot simply “intercede” for anything they desire and expect to receive it. Intercession prayer must be according to His will (1 John 5:14).

Intercession is Based on Human Willingness

The second Old Testament word – פגע – emphasizes the process of meeting with a person and “pleading” with them or “entreating” them toward reconciliation. The effectiveness of this intercession has to do with a person’s willingness to be the arbiter or mediator for reconciliation. For example, Isaiah 59:16 speaks of the Lord’s wonder “that there was no one to intercede…”

In Jeremiah 27, we see a group of false prophets challenged due to their lack of intercession. God had already decreed that the Temple’s holy vessels would remain in Babylon for some time (27:22), yet these false prophets were prophesying that they would be returned shortly (27:16). Jeremiah calls them out:

“If they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, then let them intercede with the Lord of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon.” 

Jeremiah 27:18

He says, if they are prophets and have received God’s decree, then let them show a willingness to do the work of intercession in the Lord’s presence. Unfortunately, their willingness wasn’t there.

These two words show us that effective intercession always seeks reconciliation between two parties and requires two things. First, it requires the declaration of the Lord. Then, it requires the willing involvement of man to agree with God’s decree through both prayer and action. 

As we will see, this same idea carried over into the New Testament as well.

Intercession in the New Testament

There are various forms of the Greek word “entynchano,” translated as “intercede” in the New Testament. Specifically, “entynchano” and “hyperentynchano.” This word means “to appeal” or “plead,” with the pleading usually done before the Lord, on behalf of someone else.

Entynchano is not pleading with people to be reconciled to God. Instead, it is pleading with God to remember His promises toward a person. (Remember, Jesus saves. It is His work, not ours.)

This form of intercession, then, is a continuation of what we saw in the Old Testament language. “Entynchano” means that we have heard the decree of God over someone or something and have the willingness to come into His presence and plead for His declaration to come to pass.

While my sovereignty-minded friends will struggle with the idea that human pleas can impact the effectiveness of God’s will, it is a very biblical idea.

Abraham Shifted God’s Plans

For one example, look at God’s declaration of judgment on Sodom in Genesis 18. Before He sent His angels to bring about destruction, God decided to hear what Abraham would say!

“The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.'” 

Genesis 18:17–19

Abraham thinks through this judgment in light of the character and grace He has seen in the Lord, and He begins to bargain with Him. “God, if you find 50 righteous men in the city, will you spare it?” God relents. “40?” “30?” “20?” Again and again, God’s plans change according to the request of Abraham, until finally, they come to the final plea:

“Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” 

Genesis 18:32–33

God had already decreed destruction, but Abraham’s intercession on behalf of the city gave an acceptable change of plans if only ten righteous might be found there. But, unfortunately, Abraham did not understand the depth of Sodom’s sinfulness before the Lord, the ten righteous were not found, and the angels destroyed the city anyways.

Moses Effectively Interceeded for Israel

We see another example of this intercession in the book of Exodus. Moses had led God’s people out of Egypt, with God working many signs and wonders along the way and giving Moses step-by-step instructions. Once the people reach Moun Sinai, God calls Moses up the mountain to receive the ten commandments. Meanwhile, the people of Israel backslide away from the Lord and begin worshipping a golden idol.

God gets very angry and decides that rather than delivering the people, He should destroy them where they stand:

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.'” 

Exodus 32:9–10

Moses quickly intercedes for the people, not requesting anything based on the people’s deservedness but on God’s revealed character and plans!

“But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, ‘O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'” 

Exodus 32:11–13

Look at how Moses calls on the Lord to remember His plans as far back as Abraham and see how far they had come in His goodness. If God were to destroy the people now, it would not reflect poorly on the people. They were clearly deserving of wrath. Instead, it would appear that God’s promises are invalid. He promised to rescue a people He already knew was sinful. Now, He must uphold His decrees!

“And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” 

Exodus 32:14

In the next chapter, we see Moses’ intercession continue. God agreed not to destroy the people but then decided to send them on their way without Him. Moses reminds God that their identity as God’s chosen people is wrapped up in His presence with them. Again, God relents and agrees to go with Moses as He had previously promised (Exodus 33:1-5; 12-16).

God Released Wrath When There Was No Intercessor

Recalling Moses’ prayer on behalf of the people in Exodus, there is one other example of the effectiveness of intercession given in the Old Testament, which seems appropriate. 

In the book of Ezekiel, God gives a long list of the sins of His people, including false prophecies and injustice to the poor. Once again, God decides He is going to bring wrath on the people. However, there is a brief pause before He does. He speaks:

“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” 

Ezekiel 22:30

God says before He brought destruction, He looked for a man who would put themselves into the gap between Him and the sinful nation to plead for grace. 

The Hebrew phrase is intense. It literally means He wanted someone to “get in My face” on behalf of the land. It is the same Hebrew language used to describe Moses’ intercession in Psalm 106:23. Yet, in Ezekiel’s day, there is no one to intercede.

“Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.” 

Ezekiel 22:31

God’s Decree and Human Action in Jesus

As a final example of a life of intercession, we must look at Jesus. It was prophesied in Isaiah 53 that to fulfill God’s decree, Jesus would offer not only His prayers but also his actions as “intercession” for the lost:

“Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” 

Isaiah 53:12

The entirety of Jesus’ life would be about reconciling the lost back to God. He would be the promised Lamb of God, who would pay the price for sin and release those who would trust Him from God’s wrath. The fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation through His sinless death in their place would be the final objective truth by which reconciliation could take place.

Based on God’s judgment which would fall on Him on the cross, the purpose of His earthly ministry, teachings, and prayer life (John 17) would be about entreating people back to God. In all ways, Jesus would be the mediator pulling both sides back toward each other (1 Timothy 2:5). This was the life of intercession.

In the same way, intercessory prayer is about partnering with God on behalf of others — the church, the lost, and the world. Intercession is not meant to be a part of the church service. Rather, intercession should be a core practice in leading the church to take its place in the ministry of reconciliation between God and man. This is the heart of the gospel and the fundamental mission of the church.

Let’s get practical. 

As we can see, intercession is something much different than what takes place in our usual corporate prayer times. In corporate prayer, we join together as a body to celebrate what God is doing among us and pray with expectation for His faithfulness toward us each day. That is NOT intercession.

Intercession is where members of the body engage with the Holy Spirit to hear what is on His heart and then pray with Him to see His will come to pass. This is key. This is why I believe the definition of “prophetic prayer” is applicable.

First You Need God’s Decree

For someone to intercede, biblically, they must first hear God’s will: be it a decree, a promise, or a judgment. While this can and does take place by spending time in His written word – the Bible – those with a calling toward intercession will go deeper into specific practical matters as the Lord speaks to them (John 10:17, John 16:12-15). They need to be able to hear God’s Holy Spirit clearly.

Since intercession depends on hearing God’s voice, I find it difficult for most congregations to truly have an effective time of intercessory prayer during a regular church service. Many of the people attending do not understand what they are being asked to do. Those who do may not have the maturity to take part in biblical intercession as a brief, passing moment in a broader worship service.

For this reason, I would encourage pastors to create intercessory teams who meet at specific times outside of the regular service. They should take time together to hear from the Lord, pray into His will, and inform the leadership of what God is speaking before the regular service takes place. For some events, such as crusades or revival services, having the intercessory team in place, praying quietly throughout the service is also quite effective and strategic.

Second You Need A Willing Intercessor

This process of sitting and hearing from the Lord takes diligence and patience. Intercession, while vital to the life of the body of Christ, is not a spiritual practice everyone will engage in. This is where the willingness comes into place.

Again, this is why I believe it is a mistake for a pastor to invite every church member onto an intercessory team. It takes maturity as a believer, specifically in the area of hearing the Lord speak. For people unwilling to take the time needed to hear and pray effectively, it will be a waste of time and energy with little benefit to the church. For this same reason, there may be people who go through seasons of life where they will step on and off your intercessory team. This is ok. Just make sure that those who are there are mature, able, and willing to stand in the gap for the body and ministry.

Third You Need To Release Them With Boldness

People willing to step into the intercessor role as part of their life in the body of Christ need to be released by their leadership to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading completely. While there will definitely be times church leadership will give guidance around a specific need to pray for (an upcoming event, a needy individual, or anything else), it will ultimately be up to the Spirit in how the need is covered.

They must have the freedom and the boldness to take what they hear from the Lord and go deeper into His presence (“in My face”) with the things He shares. While the leadership can guide how some ministers in the church do their work, the intercessor cannot be directed at all times. Instead, the leadership must be willing to flow with the intercessory team as the Lord guides them along.

If we do intercession well, the church will be fruitful in the mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Let’s Connect

If you want to more than just a blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Orthopraxy: Corporate Prayer

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I grew up in the American “bible belt;” an area where there is a church building on nearly every street corner and a social expectation that you are a member of one of these churches, even if you never attend. Growing up outside of the local church, therefore, caused various relational challenges for me when people would ask the question, “where do you go to church?” 

A few decades later, I now live in Uganda, where there is a similar cultural expectation of religious affiliation, though the divisions are different. Back in the U.S., the divide was denominational — baptist, methodist, pentecostal, church of Christ, etc. The religious lines here, however, are whether you are Catholic or “protestant,’ meaning Anglican (government recognized churches), a “mulokole” or “a born-again,” meaning evangelical/charismatic (not government recognized churches), or you are a Muslim.

Due to this different background, the question people ask here is also much different. Instead of being asked, “where do you go to church?” you are much more likely to hear, “where do you pray from?” While this also implies the question “which god do you pray to,” I still like this question much better. After all, as we discussed last week, the church is not a place you go; it is the community of believers with whom you gather. Prayer, however, is one of the biggest reasons why the church gathers, so the question “where do you pray from” is entirely appropriate.

As we continue our practical dive into what the church does and why, I want to dig deeper into the practice of prayer, or more specifically, “corporate prayer” as the body of Christ. Next week, we will go further into prayer by looking at the role of “intercession” as a ministry of the church.

What is Prayer?

According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary1, prayer is “communication with God, primarily offered in the second-person voice (addressing God directly). May include petition, entreaty, supplication, thanksgiving, praise, hymns, and lament.”

From the Jewish and Christian perspective, the concept of prayer is much different from that of many other cultures. It comes down to one critical theological difference between the personality of Yahweh versus the deities of other religions. Yahweh is an intimate God who wants fellowship with His creation. Since the first man was formed in Genesis, human history has been marked by people’s relationship (or lack of relationship) with God. Relationship is one of the primary biblical characterizations that define our faith. We are the people of God because we know Him and live in relationship with Him.

Our God is a Relational God

The Bible is full of intimate and relational language when it talks about human interaction with God. For example, Moses was called a friend by God (Is. 41:8; James 2:23). The book of Hosea demonstrates God’s unfailing love for His people as a husband’s pursuit of his unfaithful bride. Jesus is called “Immanuel,” meaning God with us, and when He had to leave the earth, He sent His own Spirit to dwell inside of us. These are only a few examples, but they make the point well.

This intimate view of deities was not common in most of the pagan cultures of the first century. Instead, the gods that people worshipped were silent and distant. Prayers and offerings were made to appease them but never to know them. This is why when Paul preached to the gentiles, his gospel often emphasized the closeness of our God (Acts 17:26-28).

God is personal! Although it’s been said thousands of times before, it bears repeating: “Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship!” 

To summarize this point very candidly, to be a Christian is to know Christ. We do this first through His revelation of Himself in scripture, but we go deeper in intimacy with Him through prayer and fellowship with the Holy Spirit inside of us.

What is Corporate Prayer?

“Corporate prayer” is simply a way of saying that when we come together as a congregation (or in a small group), we are praying in unity with one another. There is cooperation in how we lift our voices to the Lord and agreement in our prayer focus.

This unified seeking of the Lord — especially for more of His presence and power in our lives — is one of the main reasons we gather as a local church. And there are several components that ought to be included when we come together in corporate prayer.

1. Worship

Though there is a strong misconception that “worship” means singing to the Lord, this is not the case. Instead, worship means recognizing and acknowledging the praiseworthiness of God, whether in song, prayer, proclamations, or deed.

Worship, therefore, should be one of the primary goals of our corporate prayer time. As we gather together, our purpose should be to behold Him and, together, publicly display our adoration of Him. That is worship.

We see worship as a vital part of prayer throughout history. Just read through the book of Psalms and see how often God’s character traits are celebrated. Also, notice how Jesus begins His model prayer by acknowledging that God’s name (character) is “hallowed” or wholly set apart, high above all other names (Matthew 6:9). (Remember, the revealed names of God represent His personal character and relational promises: Jehovah Jireh, “God who provides.” Jehovah Rapha, “God who heals.” Et al.)

If worship and adoration are not a priority in our church services, both in our singing AND in our corporate prayer, we are missing the point.

2. Thanksgiving

Whereas worship is closely related to celebrating who God is, thanksgiving celebrates all that God has done. It is gratitude for His faithfulness.

In a future post, we will see why sharing testimonies should be a regular part of our church practices to encourage others to trust the Lord more. However, as we seek to keep a record of what the Lord has done and is doing among us as the local body of Christ, we must make saying “thank You” to Him a regular practice as well.

Remember, prayer is vital for living in relationship with the Lord. It hurts His feelings when He blesses us so abundantly, but we refuse to acknowledge it through praise and thanksgiving. We must be like the Samaritan leper in Luke 17:11-19, who made the return journey to Jesus, just to say thank you. When we pray, we must take time as a body to thank Him for all that He does.

A second way we should incorporate thanksgiving into our church prayer times is to thank God for one another. We see this demonstrated in almost every pastoral letter from the Apostle Paul. He takes time, in each letter, to pray for the recipients and makes it a point to give thanks to God for individual people and their God-given gifts and roles in the church (1 Thessalonians 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:3; Romans 1:8; et al.). Remember, when we receive one another as a gift from God, with honor and gratitude, we will also receive the blessing from one another, as God intends (Matthew 10:41).

3. Community Petitions

Another vital element to our corporate prayers is that we should be lifting the needs of one another to the Lord. 

Of course, we do this privately. Paul tells us: 

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 

Philippians 4:5b-6

He also tells us to “pray without ceasing,” which implies that this is not only when we are together with the church.

However, when we walk together in unity as the body of Christ, we share in one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and through our prayer, we become instruments of grace to each other. As James writes:

“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” 

James 5:15-16

Therefore, it is good to give members time to make their requests known to the congregation and for the church to take time to pray specifically for those needs.

4. Blessings and Impartations

Beyond just lifting the stated needs of church members, however, our times of corporate prayer should also be opportunities to bless one another in the Lord. We should make time, as the body, to lay hands on each other, to see an impartation of God’s grace and gifts onto others; to see God’s power come alive in their lives; and to see the Holy Spirit fill them in new, fresh ways.

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Jewish priests to bless the people by putting God’s name upon them (Numbers 6:22-27). (Again, referencing God’s name implies believing in His revealed character and claiming the related promises on behalf of the person.)2

In the New Testament, we see Jesus putting a blessing onto people by embracing them (Mark 10:16), laying His hands on them, and imparting the Holy Spirit to them (John 20:22). This example was followed by the 12 Apostles (Acts 8:17) and the Apostle Paul (Acts 19:1-6).

This shared time to seek the Lord for the benefit of one another, for more of God’s presence and power in their lives, ought to be a central goal of our times in corporate prayer. 

What Corporate Prayer Is Not

As you can see from the four elements we have listed above, a time of corporate prayer must be God-focused and purposeful. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at a few things corporate prayer is not.

1. Corporate Prayer is Not Mindless

Worship, thanksgiving, petitions, and blessings all require us to pray with mindfulness. This means that when we enter into a time of corporate prayer, we must take time to explain the intended focus so that everyone is unified in seeking the Lord. It may even be necessary, at times, to give clear instructions on how to pray with or for one another.

What we never want is to say, “let’s begin to pray,” without an explicit reason. If you’re going to lead people deeper into worship through a time of prayer, or if you want to spend time praying for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in some way, you must explain this clearly. Otherwise, you will have confusion in the prayers and declarations being made by various members of the body.

When people are home, praying in their secret place with the Lord, they should pray as the Spirit leads them. However, in corporate prayer, we must be unified in the Spirit and in agreement with one another in our requests. This unity is what will make our prayers effective.

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 18:19-20

2. Corporate Prayer is Not Religious Ritual

Many more traditional forms of Christianity use liturgical prayers both in and out of their services. For most of us, the best example would be the praying of “The Lord’s Prayer” when we fellowship together. For others, there are standard prayers to be prayed over various aspects of a church service or at various times and seasons of the year.

Some Catholics and traditional protestants recite prayers like the “Jesus Prayer,” which says, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Some denominations use liturgical books, such as “The Book of Common Prayer,” used by the Anglicans, or other forms of prayer books. In fact, many of the hymnals used in many evangelical and charismatic churches contain a section of pre-written prayers to be recited, as well.

While it can be very useful to use some of these traditional prayers, which can keep us grounded in our church history and theological orthodoxy throughout the generations, we must be careful of turning corporate prayer into a weekly religious ritual we perform out of obligation.

We never want prayer to become a mindless routine or something we do simply because it is what we have always done. Even if we use some form of liturgical prayer in our services, we must do our diligence to keep the focus on Jesus and not just perform a religious exercise. 

We do not pray for the sake of prayer. We pray to connect with Jesus relationally.

3. Corporate Prayer is Not Focused on the Devil

Another negative trend I have noticed often in corporate prayer is that it becomes too easy for people to take our eyes off the Lord and instead begin to engage in warfare with the devil.

Let me be clear; I do believe there is a need for spiritual warfare in the life of the church. We will cover this topic in a future post. However, the point I want to make is that we should NEVER take the time dedicated to the Lord and use it to talk to the devil. When it is time to pray, we pray to God alone. We CANNOT get distracted from Him as the central pursuit of our services!

To turn our attention to the devil when we should be in prayer actually expresses a belief that God cannot hear or answer our prayers until we get the devil out of the way. What faithlessness! Our authority over the devil comes from our relationship with Jesus! Let us never cut our intimate time with Him short to engage with an already-defeated enemy.

The Church Must Pray

Now that we have a clear understanding of what prayer is and is not, all that is left is to put it into practice. The body of Christ must pray. It should be inherent in our meetings.

  • As a leader, have you taught your church what prayer is and how to do it?
  • Do you lead your church regularly in the four elements discussed in this article?
  • If not, what corrections do you need to make immediately, to fulfill the biblical call to corporate prayer in your meetings? 

Let’s Connect

If you want to more than just the blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

You can also make sure to never miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

Endnotes:

1 Leslie T. Hardin, “Prayer,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

2 Joshua G. Mathews, “Blessing,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!



© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Orthopraxy: What is the Church?

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As we dig into this series discussing how the body of Christ – “the Church” – puts their faith into practice as they meet together, the inescapable first question is, “What is the church?” That question is immediately followed by “What is the church supposed to do?” These two questions are the target of this post. 

What is the Church?

The idea of “church” carries so much cultural and linguistic connotation that it has come to mean many things across the world. For hundreds of years before the Protestant Reformation, talking about “the church” always referred to the Roman Catholic church. In scholarly debate, there is always a discussion whether “the church” references the entire body of Christian believers around the world (as in Matthew 16:18) or only the local assembly of Christians in a regional area (as in John’s letters to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3). Then there is always the question of whether the word church refers to the people (i.e., “we are the church”) or the place where the people meet (i.e., “let’s go to church”).

To understand what “the church” is, we need to dive into the original language in the New Testament. We might find that the biblical understanding of “church” is quite different from what our modern vernacular would imply. 

The Greek word used for “church” in the New Testament is “ekklesia.” So let’s begin by taking a deeper look into what it means.

1. An “Ekklesia” is Always the People; Never the Place

The Greek word “ekklesia” was used widely in the first century to mean an assembly of people brought together by a specific purpose. There is not a single case where the word ekklesia was used to refer to the location or building where this group met. It always meant the group itself.1

However, confusion around this word may still remain as the word “ekklesia” is used throughout the New Testament to point to different groups of people. Thus, depending on which use is assumed, it can affect our theology. 

Ekklesia is used to describe all believers everywhere in some cases (like Ephesians 1:22). At other times it is used to point to all Christians in a particular city or region (like 1 Corinthians 1:2). However, we are going to use an even narrower meaning. As we discuss “church,” we will be referring to a localized group of believers who regularly meet together for worship and service to one another (such as in Romans 16:5 or 1 Corinthians 16:19). These small, individual congregations of Christians are usually referred to as “a local church” as opposed to “the universal church” or “the American church,” etc.2

The “local church” will be our primary focus in this series because the idea of a “gathered assembly” is at the core of the word ekklesia. For us to be the church, we must meet together (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is in the gathering that our orthopraxy will be proven or not.

2. An Ekklesia Had Legislative Authority

In the New Testament times, the word ekklesia most often described a select governmental or legislative body,3 such as the Roman senate or the Jewish Sanhedrin. These assemblies would meet together to make formal decisions regarding various legal matters, whether secular or religious. These assemblies carried designated authority to rule over some domain of community life.

This governmental use of this word makes sense, then, when Jesus shares His plan to build His “ekklesia“:

“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” 

Matthew 16:18

An Embassy of Heaven

Jesus’ first stated purpose for His ekklesia was that it would move into territory ruled by sin, death, and the devil and take authority over the domain of hell (tear down their gates; their defenses). Thus, the church would have the authority to bind and loose spiritual realities in the earth. I view this in much the same way that one nation will set up an embassy in another nation to bring governmental influence over the laws and culture of the host country.

We see this legislative function further when Jesus began delegating His divine authority to His disciples. 

“And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.” 

Mark 3:14-15

He gave them the title “apostles,” which, as we have discussed before, is another governmental word for a certain class of military leaders, similar to modern-day ambassadors. Their authority was to replace all of hell’s influence on earth with God’s Kingdom reality.

It is clear from these and other passages that Jesus’ “church” is an earthly delegation representing Him and carrying His legislative authority as Lord over all things. 

3. An Ekklesia is a Body Formed From Shared Beliefs

The other regular use of “ekklesia” in the first century described a group of people who gathered around a shared set of beliefs or a common purpose. We read of groups such as the “ekklesia of Pythagoras” or the “ekklesia” of animals who gathered to hear Orpheus speak in the works of Himerius.4 This use of “ekklesia” can also be seen in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) when referring to gatherings of “the congregation of Israel.”5

Regarding the church, we can see the expectation that we, too, would be a community built around our shared faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see this repeatedly as the early church leaders are commanded to teach and protect sound doctrine in the church. 

“[An overseer of the church] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” 

Titus 1:9

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” 

Titus 2:1

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” 

Jude 3

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites…” 

Romans 16:17-18a

A Community of Faith

We must see that the purpose of the church is to be a community of believers in Jesus Christ. This is foundational. He is the reason we are together, and together we strive to live out our shared faith in Him as the Messiah and Son of God.

Although many great civic organizations and social clubs exist that people can participate in, the church is not one. Unless you are a follower of Jesus, you cannot be a member of His ekklesia. 

This fact has led to confusing and controversial situations where some groups call themselves part of Jesus’ church (universal) yet do not firmly hold to a firm faith in Christ, as revealed in the Bible. For example, the Unitarian church allows people of any religion or belief system to claim membership and does not have a common biblical doctrine as their foundation. They cannot, therefore, be considered a Christian “church” in biblical terms. 

The same is true for the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” (Mormons). Though they use Christian terminology, their doctrine has rejected the truth of the New Testament, and their shared faith is based on another contradictory book. Thus, though they would be considered an “ekklesia” in general terms, they are not the biblical “ekklesia of Jesus Christ.”

For a group of people to be considered “the church of Jesus Christ,” they must hold to and proclaim a biblical doctrine grounded in the Bible.

What Is the Church Supposed to Do?

Having laid the foundation for what the church is, I think we can also form a pretty clear picture of what the church is supposed to do. As we look at why believers are called together as an ekklesia – a local church assembly – we can conclude from this discussion that the following purposes should apply when a local church meets together.

1. To serve as an embassy of heaven on the earth, empowering God’s ambassadors (all believers) to bring the reality and power of God’s Kingdom to the world. 

This will necessarily affect how we come together to worship, pray, and serve one another, as well as how we practice spiritual gifts, engage in spiritual warfare, and reach out to the lost around us.

2. To proclaim Christian doctrine as found in the Biblical scriptures and form a community centered around these shared beliefs.

This will lay the foundation of our life together in fellowship and will place a high demand on how we study the scriptures, preach the Word, engage in discipleship, and much more.

As we move forward in this series, we will discuss how these various practices ought to be done in order to fulfill these broader biblical mandates.

Beyond the Greek Understanding

One final note I want to make is that while it is helpful to get our foundational understanding of what “the church” is supposed to be from the language Jesus used when He established it, we must also take into consideration that the Bible is full of other commands which make Jesus’ ekklesia quite different from all other local bodies in the world. As we move forward, we will highlight many of these things, but I believe two of them are essential to note now.

The first is that Jesus repeatedly said that He is the head of the church, both universal and local. The elders and other leaders are servants under His leadership. When a human leader puts himself or herself as the highest authority in the church, it ceases to be a true church of Jesus Christ. Instead, it becomes a personality cult or a system of hierarchical domination.

Secondly, Jesus said He was sending His Holy Spirit to guide the church in all things, both doctrinally and practically. This means that we will find things particular to Jesus’ ekklesia, which may be far different from secular counterparts. We cannot and should not depend on the traditions and “best practices” of men for the direction of the church. Instead, we must always be listening to the Holy Spirit for how we “do ministry.”

This also means that as all believers have access to the same Holy Spirit, we all have a purpose and place within the life of the church and ought to have the willingness and freedom to fulfill our roles in their service to the Lord. Thus, while there will be those that God calls to places of leadership in the body, there is not a single believer who is “just a member” or is excluded from taking part in the works He has planned. If you are a believer in Jesus, you have a place. (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-26)

Let’s Connect

If you want to more than just the blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

You can also make sure to never miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

Endnotes:

1 D. W. B. Robinson, “Church,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 199.

2 Ernest Best, “Church,” ed. Mark Allan Powell, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 134.

3 William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 303.

4 ibid.

5 Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 168.

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!



© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Orthopraxy: From Right Belief to Right Practice

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The most incredible privilege of my life is serving as the Apostolic Overseer of Sozo Ministries International, in which I get to lead, equip, and encourage a number of the most anointed men and women of God I have ever met. 

I come from an American background. I was raised outside of church until I was 16, then was saved through a fundamentalist Baptist church at a youth camp. Then, after attending a fundamentalist Baptist college, I spent time working with various churches and ministries of different flavors. I served as an intern with a Baptist missionary organization for a time. I was an associate pastor at an Acts29 Network (neo-reformed) church for a few years. After that, I served an interdenominational missionary organization as an evangelist, where I traveled extensively and even lived in Haiti for almost a year. And, along the way, I grew more and more charismatic in my theological opinions before launching Sozo Ministries in 2015.

I have served in Christian ministry since 2003. In that time, I have had the privilege of working in the U.S., Mexico, Panama, Ukraine, Haiti, Israel, India, Kenya, South Sudan, and in Uganda, where I have lived full-time since 2018. 

Though I have served as a youth pastor, associate pastor, cell group leader, evangelist, missionary, and probably a few other titles, my calling from the Lord is apostolic. (This is not a self-appointed role. It has been recognized by various other Christian leaders who know me well and is proven by the fruit of my labors.) My passion and anointing from the Lord are to lay the theological foundation and practical framework for building the church, especially in less-reached and unreached areas, which is where I now spend all of my time.

It is within this apostolic role that I am now setting my mind on this new blog series, which will take my writing well into next year. I am calling it “Orthopraxy,” which means taking our correct belief (orthodoxy) and letting it lead us into right action as the body of Christ.

The Basis For This Series

As God continues to open new doors for ministry and even opportunities into new nations and regions, all while the world is still in crisis with this current pandemic, it is no longer viable for me to limit my church development teachings and training to in-person settings.

As I have lived and served the body of Christ in various cultures, I have seen that there are many different ways of doing things as “the church.” This is great. There is great beauty in the diversity of God’s creation.

At the core of my belief system is that true ecclesiology is that those called by God to lead His body are not required to follow any model or method created by man. Rather, they must lead and minister out of intimacy with the Holy Spirit and only do what He leads them to do. That is how the original 12 Apostles set up the church, and it has been the way the church has taken root and grown in some of the most antithetical cultures in the world.

As I travel, I have seen this beautiful diversity in the culture of the global church, and I have observed believers everywhere doing their best to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Nevertheless, the fact remains that ALL Christian belief and practice must have their firm foundation on the Word of God, despite our personal cultural backgrounds or subjective experiences with the Lord.

It is here, sadly, that I have too often seen the gaps between what we claim to believe from scripture and those things we simply do out of habit or traditions of men. These are the areas I hope to shine a light on in this series.

Like What?

One example where our practices don’t always line up with scriptural teachings is the area of praise and worship. Of course, every culture has its musical styles, instruments, and methods of emotional and verbal expression, which should all be utilized to worship the Lord. However, the truth is that sometimes things get called praise or worship, which are pretty far from the biblical understanding of what those things should be. 

For instance, I have heard it said that praise is when you sing upbeat songs during which people clap and dance for God, while worship is when you sing slow songs where people focus quietly on Him. That isn’t true! Also, singing songs that instruct the worshipper to dance, shout, jump, or clap, just for the sake of getting people moving, instead of pointing to the glory of God for which we ought to do those things, is too shallow to be considered praise. So we will be covering biblical praise and worship in this series.

Another example is in times of sharing testimonies. While I love hearing testimonies of God’s hand in and through His people’s lives, I can truthfully say that some things offered as testimonies are not actually shared to glorify and point people to Jesus. Some are benign, just missing the point of the opportunity. Others are outright sinful, shared with personal recognition at the heart of the story they tell. 

Biblically testimonies have a prophetic power to them, which ought to lead people into more profound experience and awareness of the Lord in their lives. This will be another area we will cover in this series.

What to Expect

While I don’t want to lay out every single topic that I plan to share in this series (nor do I know them all at this point), here are some of the things to come to give you a taste of what to expect.

I hope you will join me as we begin to dig into the practical outworkings of our shared beliefs. I plan to write in such a way that the theological foundation is laid out clearly, without giving too many specific instructions. That way, no matter your background or the culture you minister in, you will be able to take the truth of scripture and then look to the Holy Spirit yourself to discover how to put it into practice.

Let’s Connect

If you want to more than just the blog, join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

You can also make sure to never miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!



© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

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Tips for Leading Someone to Christ

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As we wrap up our series on “God’s Gossip,” we have come a long way. We have looked at how the story of Jesus does not become a “gospel” until we share it with someone. We then looked at two practical ways to share the story of salvation. The first was the ground-level gospel, which is the simplest way to lead someone, personally, to Jesus Christ. The second was the sky-level gospel, which gives a broad view of God’s redemption story throughout history. 

After that, we looked at how to share our personal testimony as a means of connecting people to God’s story, and last week, we put some scripture verses to memory, which will aid us in our witnessing to others. 

Now, I want to finish this series by giving you some practical advice I have learned over the years, for sharing the gospel with others. I pray they are beneficial to you.

Explaining Clearly

As you boldly go out to share the gospel with non-believers, remember that the people you are sharing with may have no grasp of the Christian-ese language we speak to one another at church. Make sure that you tell them what they need to know, very clearly, and don’t add so many extra thoughts you have in the moment that it confuses them.

To do this, use “street language,” rather than “church language.” I am not saying that you should be crass or try to look cool with slang words. I am simply saying to make sure they understand you.

Don’t say, “With the introduction of original sin in humanity, the imago Dei was marred in all people. However, God sent Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins, and through His imputed righteousness, we can be redeemed to fellowship with the Godhead, both in this life and at the final consumption of all things.”

Instead, say something like this: “The Bible says we are all sinners. That means God created us to live within certain boundaries that He set for us, and we broke all the rules. Jesus is the only one who can save us because He was the only sinless person to ever live. On the cross, He died to pay our debt to God and as we believe in Him by faith, rather than trying to be good enough to earn it, He will save us.”

A brand new believer does not need to know terms like depravity, atonement, propitiation, or sanctification. In the moment of salvation, no one cares about the immaculate conception, dispensational theology, or what it means to be Calvinist. As simply and as clearly as possible, just bring them to Jesus.

Dealing with Nervousness

When the opportunity arises to lead someone to Christ, the first thing that happens for most of us is that we immediately get nervous and feel uneasy. 

I remember when I first began doing evangelistic meetings outside the United States, I would get so nervous during the altar calls, that after I invited people to accept Christ as their Savior, I would often chicken out of praying with them. I would instead try to look humble by asking another local pastor on the team to come up to speak to them and pray with them, so that he could share in the moment. In all honesty, I preached well, but I couldn’t bring myself to walking people personally into the kingdom out of nervousness and fear of messing it up.

Since that time, I have had the privilege to walk hundreds, if not thousands of people through this decision. The truth is that I still get nervous sometimes. However, I have to remind myself that it is the Holy Spirit leading that person, not me, and that I can trust Him to give me the words to say when I need to say them. 

You might get nervous, but that doesn’t give you the right to back down. As the Holy Spirit for boldness and guidance, and then give people the opportunity to change their eternal destiny.

Fear of Rejection

Another reason we don’t always respond as the Lord leads us in ministry situations is the fear that the people will reject what we are explaining to them, and by extension, reject us. However, this is a situation where love and the opportunity to see their lives change must win out. 

Again, we must remind ourselves that it is ultimately not us that they are rejecting, but Christ, yet even in their rejection of Him, He still loves them and wants them to find His salvation. Our goal is to share His love, and when we do that love will cast out our fear (1 John 4:18).

Feeling Like You Can’t Do This

The first person I ever led to Jesus was a young man in a Juvenile Detention Center (a youth prison) in Dallas, Texas, back when I was in college. I was excited to go be a part of this outreach with my friend and his church’s youth pastor, but that all changed when the invitation came and a young inmate came to me wanting to receive Christ. 

Having never shared with anyone, personally, I couldn’t help but be afraid that I would mess it all up. Even though I knew God wanted to use me to lead others to salvation, in the moment I felt unqualified for the job. I thought to myself, “I know I’m saved, but I don’t know how to get this guy saved.” However, as I prayed in my head for God’s help, and began leaning back on some of those scriptures I had memorized to share with him, like Romans 10:9, I managed to explain that Jesus died for Him and how faith works. After a brief time, I had the privilege to lead him in prayer, and I have celebrated that one guy’s salvation more than any other, simply because I got through it.

In moments when you feel like you are unqualified or that you just can’t do it, the one thing you must remember is this: Jesus saves… not us. 

Despite our worrying because we don’t want to mess up, we have to remember that just like we cannot be good enough to earn our salvation, neither can we mess up so bad that it might cause others to miss out when Jesus calls them. It is their faith in the response to the call that saves the person, not the perfection of the words they are told by the ministry team. Use the scriptures. Listen to the Spirit lead You. I promise you will get through it.

Unanswerable Questions

The biggest fear many people have in leading other’s to Christ is, “What if they ask me a question I don’t have the answer to?” The truth is, no one has all the answers where God and salvation are concerned. Never be afraid to admit that you don’t know. If you are pressed for an answer, then be willing to seek help from other believers around you, other members of your ministry team, or from the your pastor. 

Paul tells us that until we see Christ face to face, all of our knowledge and understanding is like looking in a foggy mirror. We only know in part, but when Christ comes, then we will know Him the same way He knows us (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until then, sometimes we just have to accept the mystery and admit we don’t have it all figured out. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

Changing Someone’s Eternity

All of the previous tips have had to do with getting over our own insecurities in order to help others get saved. As a final note, I just want to remind you that when you get the privilege of leading someone to the Lord, that moment is no longer about you. In overcoming your fears and worries, you get the opportunity to look someone in they eye, ask them the golden question – “Would you like to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior” – and then lead them in a decision that will change the outcome of eternity for them (and likely many others they will encounter with the gospel as well). You will experience fear and doubt and insecurity, but you must ask yourself, is it worth it? 

I think it is. Jesus thinks it’s worth it, too. That’s why He died, and that is why He has called you to this.

Let’s Connect

If you are enjoying what you are reading, it would be my honor to have you sign up for my weekly content newsletter, below. I promise not to spam your inbox or share your information with anyone.

You can also follow me on social media. I can be found on  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler. I’d love to see you there.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts, questions, and any tips you think I missed in the comment section!

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Cover Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash

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Gospel Scriptures You Should Know

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As we have spent the last four posts discussing the why’s and how’s (#1, #2, #3) of sharing the gospel, it seems like a good idea to now get our heads full of the Word of God, to aid us in this great task. 

In leading someone to Christ, it is most helpful to have some scriptures memorized to share with them. Here are some of my personal favorites.

Gospel Scriptures

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 — “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 — “For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”   

1 Peter 3:18 — “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…”

The Romans Road

One of the most famous sets of scripture for leading someone to Christ is know as “The Romans Road.” This is a set of scriptures taken completely from the book of Romans to show that everyone of us is sinful and in need of a Savior, and that God has made Jesus to be that Savior to all who believe. The Romans Road is:

Every Person is Sinful and Needs a Savior:

Romans 3:10 —“as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one;’…”

Romans 3:23 — “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Jesus Christ Died in Our Place to Be Our Savior:

Romans 5:8 — “..but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23 — “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

To Be Saved, Simply Put Your Faith In Christ, and Ask Him To Save You:

Romans 10:9 — “…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 — “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

The benefit of the Romans road for many people is that it is easily marked in your Bible. In the front of your bible you would write yourself a note that the Romans Road starts with Romans 3:10. Then in the margin next to Romans 3:10, you would note that the next scripture is Romans 3:23. Beside that you would write that next is Romans 5:8 and so on. Because they are in chronological order, you could also just mark each verse with a star, and follow through the book in order.

Other Helpful Scriptures

In addition to knowing scriptures for leading people to Christ, it is also helpful to have various other scriptures memorized that will point believers to Christ in other areas where they may struggle.

Remember, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” That means that when scripture speaks into the life of a person, it cuts in like a surgeons scalpel, in order to bring healing and life to the person in need. Make it a priority to use scripture to encourage and build people up. 

Some scriptures you might want to put to memory would be:

Jeremiah 31:3b — God says “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 — “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Matthew 11:28 — “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 — “he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”

Romans 8:31 — “…If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Luke 11:13 — “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

1 Peter 5:7 — “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 — “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Exodus 14:14 — “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

You probably have other verses that come to mind. What other scriptures would you add to this list? I would love to hear them in the comments.

Let’s Connect

If you are enjoying what you are reading, it would be my honor to have you sign up for my weekly content newsletter, below. I promise not to spam your inbox or share your information with anyone.

You can also follow me on social media. I can be found on  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler. I’d love to see you there.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts, questions, and favorite scriptures in the comment section!

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Cover Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash

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How to Share Your Testimony

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As we continue our series, “God’s Gossip,” and discuss the need to share the gospel, we have looked at two, simple methods for telling the story of Jesus: the ground-level gospel and the sky-level gospel. In this post, however, I hope to persuade you that it is not enough to simply know the gospel story with your head, and be able to communicate that information clearly. You must also know it to be true and effective with your personal experience, for your words to carry any meaning to those you are sharing with.

Your personal gospel testimony is your direct connection to God’s story in human history and is a tool He will use for leading others to Himself. In sharing your testimony, you are connecting your own personal story and experience to the gospel story from 2000 years ago. When people hear the effects the gospel has on you, it opens them up to what it might do in them.

The Power of Testimony

“The Hebrew word for testimony, ‘edut,’ and the Hebrew word for witness, ‘ed,’ both come from a root word meaning ‘to duplicate or repeat.’ This means that in sharing our testimony, we are asking God to repeat the action in the lives of those we share with. This can be our salvation testimony as well as our testifying to other works of God in our life, such as being healed or set free from addictions. 

Sharing the testimony is a way of saying, ‘If God did it for me, He can do it for you.’ This honors God by giving Him credit and it raises faith in the person, so that they can believe God will do it again for them, as well.

Keeping the Testimony is Commanded by God

If sharing a testimony is declaring ‘God can do it again,’ and builds faith in Him, then is it any wonder that all throughout the Old Testament God commands His people to share the testimonies of His faithfulness with the next generation? In fact, the command to keep God’s testimonies is usually connected equally to keeping His law!

Just look at Deuteronomy 6:17,

You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

Look at King David’s charge to his son, Solomon, from his deathbed,

…keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…

1 Kings 2:3

It even seems like one of the major messages of Psalms is that mankind lives best when we follow God’s laws and remember His testimonies. For example, read through Psalm 119, which begins like this:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Psalm 119:1-2

Sharing the Testimony is Expected by Christ

In the Old Testament, testimonies were to be passed down through the generations. In theNew Testament, however, we see that it is the privilege of the Christian to be Jesus’ story-tellers, spreading the testimony to the world!

We are called to be witnesses. In legal terminology, when a “witness” is called in court, he shares his “testimony.” For us to be witnesses for Christ, we too must be able to share our own testimony of the gospel. What is it that we have seen and experienced of the gospel we are sharing.

This is exactly what the first apostles were doing, that displeased to leaders of Israel. When they were tried and ordered to stop sharing their stories, the first apostles couldn’t obey!

So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:18-20

Testimonies are Prophetic

As we have seen, the Old Testament word for testimony means “do it again.” However, to extend this idea further, John writes in the book of Revelation,

 “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 19:10

What this means is that when we declare the good things God has done for us in the past, it not only builds faith in the hearers, but there is actually a prophetic release that what God does for one, He will do for another. It should create hopeful expectation.

This is why when we do large gospel events in Africa, sharing testimonies plays a large part in everything we do. When I preach the gospel, I always include my own testimony of who I was before Christ, and the effects on my life and destiny that have come from believing in Him. These are verifiable details. You can call my high school friends to find out if I was really an alcoholic. You can call my family to find out what my life dreams and goals were before. You can see, in reality, that God has done a great work in transforming me to the man I am today.

When it comes time to pray for the sick or do deliverance ministry, I always share testimonies and stories of the great healings we have seen in the past. If people in the crowd have been healed, we invite them to come forward and share publicly what God has done for them. We have seen, over and over again, that through the sharing of testimonies, the expectation for healing goes up, and so does the fruit of the ministry. More people get healed when they hear what God has been doing already.

How to Share Your Salvation Testimony

Since we are talking about sharing the gospel, I want to give you some idea of how you can share your own “gossip” of what God is doing in your life. Simply put, sharing your personal testimony requires you to know where you were before Christ found you, how the gospel came into your life, and the change God has brought in you now.

For me, that means I share something like this, in as few or as many words as I have time for:

Before Christ

“I am not the man I was before Christ saved me. I was a teenage slacker, alcoholic, trying drugs and experimenting sexually. Even visiting churches with friends, I was a hypocrite, drinking with my youth leader on Saturday nights, just pretending to be a good person… 

How I Was Saved

“Thank God, He used an unknown evangelist at a small church camp when I was 16 years old to speak to me. I was sitting under a tree, praying and asking myself questions about my own salvation, when he came by, took time to talk to me, and led me to full faith in the Lord. Though I knew the stories of Jesus my whole life, I finally put my faith in Christ to be saved…

After Salvation

“Today, I am free from all those addictions and perverse lifestyles. I am faithfully married, and have the privilege of sharing this gospel all around the world as a missionary.”

What is your Gospel story? 

It is not a shame to share what your lost self did before Christ saved you, as He will use it to bring others to Himself. We must know the gospel in our heads and with our lives. Then God will use us to reach others as well.

I encourage you, if you have never taken the time to do so, spend a few moments this week writing out your own testimony. Who were you before Christ? How did He finally reach you and save you? And what has happened to you since? After you write it out, practice reading it out loud. Get comfortable sharing the points that excite you. Don’t hesitate to share the things that used to bring shame and condemnation. I promise, as you find the boldness to share with others, God will use it to change lives for eternity.

I would love to have anyone who wants to share, post their testimonies in the comments below.

Let’s Connect

If you are enjoying what you are reading, it would be my honor to have you sign up for my weekly content newsletter, below. I promise not to spam your inbox or share your information with anyone.

You can also follow me on social media. I can be found on  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler. I’d love to see you there.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts, questions, or personal testimony stories in the comment section!

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Cover Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash

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The Sky-Level Gospel

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As we continue our seres on “God’s Gossip,” we have already discussed that for it to be a “gospel,” it must be shared. We then looked at the first of two storylines1, which will enable you to easily remember the gospel story and share it with others. In this post, we will look at the second storyline. I call it the “sky-level gospel.”

Though the first method is simpler, and can be used for a quick presentation of the gospel, the second method is, by far, my favorite. Whereas the first method keeps things close to the ground, this method will take the person up higher, and give them the 30,000-foot view of the entire gospel narrative. 

This method uses the full story of scripture to lay out God’s beautiful, original plan; the problem of sin in humanity, and the reason for which Christ came into the world. If the person is far from getting saved, it can also be shared conversationally when giving an explanation of your faith, without adding the immediate pressure of a response. It can act as the starting point to impart faith in God, that may lead to a later decision.

The four keywords to learn for this method are Creation – Fall – Redemption – Restoration. Let’s take a look at them.

Creation

God created all things in the beginning and made them good (Genesis 1:1-31). He put humanity in charge of His creation, giving him authority to rule as a steward of God’s universe (Genesis 1:26, 2:19). Again, this creation was perfect and holy, and man himself was righteous having been created in the image of God.

God’s original intention was that creation, from Eden, spreading to the ends of the earth, would be a physical representation of heaven. Righteousness would rule, and mankind would live in harmony and fellowship with God, as they lived out His will on the earth (Genesis 1:28).

Fall

After God created the world and placed man in the Garden, He gave one commandment, which would ensure that Adam and Eve – the first man and woman – were faithful to the covenant He made with them to rule the earth. They were not allowed to eat of one tree in the garden, lest they die (Genesis 2:15-17).

It didn’t take long for mankind’s curiosity to rise up, and one day Eve was admiring the fruit of the tree, with Adam by her side. Taking it as his first opportunity to tempt the humans and mess up God’s plans, the devil tempted the man and woman, and they ate the fruit (Genesis 3:1-6). 

When mankind sinned against God for the first time – the event we call ‘The Fall’ — not only was man affected with a curse, but the whole creation as well. This is why everything we see in the world is not as it was originally intended to be: war, famine, sickness, violence, natural disasters, etc (Genesis 3:14-19).

Another downside of the fall was that the authority over the earth which God had given to mankind was then delivered to the devil (Luke 4:5-6), who has become ‘the God of this world’ and ‘the prince of the power of the air…at work in the sons of disobedience‘ ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Ephesians 2:2). The world mankind was intended to rule, is now controlled by sin, death, and the devil.

Redemption

The good news (gospel) is that God has a rescue plan for humanity and all of His beloved creation. When we say “redemption,” it is a theological word meaning that on the cross, not only did Jesus die for our sins, but He also came to break the curse over creation and reclaim what was lost in the fall. According to Luke ‘…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10).

This goes beyond just the salvation of souls, but also the restoration of righteousness and justice in the earth, and ultimately the redemption of authority over creation. This is why after the resurrection, Jesus tells the disciples that He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).

The promise of redemption for individuals comes when we begin to trust Jesus as the Savior from God. This is where an offer of personal salvation comes in to the story. If Jesus is the Redeemer of all things, that means He also redeems us, and brings us back to our original intended relationship with God the Father. He also gives us new life and restores our ability to walk in holiness by faith in Him.

Restoration

The Greek word for “be saved” is the word “sozo” which I think is a great name for a ministry. It literally means we are saved in every way. It translates as “to be saved from judgement for your sins,” “to be healed (saved) from sickness and disease,” and “to be delivered (saved) from the power of your enemy (the devil).” Not only does salvation bring eternal life for the believer, but it begins the process of restoration, when we will be returned to God’s original intention for the creation.

Though we are not made completely perfect in the moment of salvation, we now recognize Jesus as the Lord of our life and submit to Him. As we work to build our relationship with Him, we also begin to be conformed to His image once again, just as we were originally created to be in the beginning (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This presentation of the gospel then looks forward to the day when Jesus will return and we will see the final restoration of all things back to the way God intended them to be in the beginning. Sin and death and the devil will be dealt their final blow. Jesus will judge the world according to whether or not their faith was in Him, and then He, along with all those who believed in Him as Savior will see all things finally made right. There will be a new heaven and new earth, and all the promises from the Bible will finally be fulfilled.

It is now the role of all believers to be living their lives with restoration in mind. That is why we share the gospel, pray for the sick, and cast out demons wherever they rear their ugly heads (Matthew 10:1,7-8).

Lead Them Toward Discipleship

One final note about this gospel story line: even if you do not use this method for reaching the person in salvation, it is an important story for them to understand once they are saved. Therefore, if the person gets saved using the ground-level version of the gospel, then the high-level gospel should be discussed with them, in depth, as you begin the process of discipleship.

No matter which method you use to preach the gospel, what must be made clear is that our goal in sharing the gospel is to take a lost person and lead them to salvation in Christ. We must be bold to share the gospel, and we must give them the opportunity to accept Christ as their personal Savior. 

Let’s Connect

In the next post, we will discuss why sharing your own testimony is an important part of your gospel witness, and how to share your story clearly. To make sure you never miss a future post, it would be my honor to have you sign up for my weekly newsletter. It goes out every Sunday morning. I promise not to spam your inbox or share your information with anyone.

You can also follow me on social media. I can be found on  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler. I’d love to see you there.

Also, if you want to find out more about the ministry I oversee, sharing the gospel and planting churches in East Africa, you can find it a www.SozoMinistries.net. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved!

1 These two story lines do NOT originate with me. I have heard these two ways of sharing the gospel repeated in many teachings and writings by various pastors, especially during my time working for an Acts29 Network church, so it would be impossible for me to footnote any specific reference. Suffice it to say, (though I have not read it) I believe Pastor Matt Chandler of The Village Church has explained these two ideas in depth in his book, The Explicit Gospel, published by Crossway.

© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Cover Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash

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