The Call to Community
The Call to Community
Elvis Iverson
http://www.elvisiverson.com
Many churches do not have community; only a very few have community, most have no ideal of what community is. Some may talk about community, and say you need community, or say you need to be in community, but they don’t have community and they are not an a community, yes there is some kind of community, instead it is not biblical community. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
The early church had community, and again the Lord will restore us to biblical community but it will be greater then the early church. They had common fellowship, true communion fellowship, they came together to fellowship in the home, the church was in the home, there was relationship and fellowship building, they understood unity, unity comes with community, and community comes with the fellowship of believers, however community does not come from the one man ministry, it comes from the one another ministry. –(Acts 2:40-47)
There is no such thing as a special class of priest instead there is the priesthood of the believers; we do not have the same gifts or functions, and there is a division of labor, but we are all labors, we are all priests, we all have a ministry. The first expression of the priesthood is in community, in the church in the home. It is not the ministry of one man, or a few, instead it is the ministry of the one another. –(1 Pet. 2:5,9, 4:10-11)
Every believer is to have a teaching, a revelation, and a song, for edification we are to minister and to speak to one another in teaching, in prayer, in song, we are to release wisdom, teaching and admonishing to one another, this is not the ministry of the few, instead it is the ministry of the one another, it is community. –(1 Cor. 14:26, Eph. 5:19-21, Col. 3:12-16)
To understand community it is sevenfold; (1) we come together in the church in the home, (2) each of you have a psalm, (3) has a teaching, (4) has a tongue, (5) has a revelation, (6) has a interpretation, (7) let all things be done for edification. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
In addition, community is coming together in love feasts or eating together, sharing with one another, praying for one another, prophesying to one another, and ministering to one another, and caring for one another and loving one another. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
The church in the home is the expression of community, it is the ministry of the one another, it is the fellowship of believers ministering to one another and loving one another, yes there could be a pastor among them, that leads with coordination and serves more as a coordinator, however the church in the home is an expansion of community, the priesthood, and the one another ministry. The pastor is there for pastoral care and to guard the continuity of community. Yes he or she ministers, instead they minister along with the one another ministry. –(Rom. 16:5)
Apart from that, there is a center gathering place; this is for fathering, mentoring, equipping and training, this is the ministry of apostles, prophets and teachers, this is called the 1 Cor. 12:28 center or the APT Center. The senior elder who is an apostle leads a team of elders, who are leading apostles, prophets and teachers. The senior elder leads with vision and coordination.
Nevertheless, The church in the home is first, and has the priority, then second is the center. –(Acts 19:1-10, Acts 2:40-47, and Acts 5:12-16)
The five-fold ministry is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, the saints are to do the work of the ministry, and the five-fold ministry is to do the equipping ministry. –(Eph. 4:11-12)
Above this there is the community of the city church, there is only one church in a city with a company of congregations, believers are to build relationships and fellowship with other believers throughout the city church, and congregational leaders are to build relationships and fellowship with other leaders of other congregations. –(Rev. 1:20, 1-4)
Copyright © 2008 Elvis Iverson All Rights Reserved
Elvis Iverson
http://www.elvisiverson.com
Many churches do not have community; only a very few have community, most have no ideal of what community is. Some may talk about community, and say you need community, or say you need to be in community, but they don’t have community and they are not an a community, yes there is some kind of community, instead it is not biblical community. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
The early church had community, and again the Lord will restore us to biblical community but it will be greater then the early church. They had common fellowship, true communion fellowship, they came together to fellowship in the home, the church was in the home, there was relationship and fellowship building, they understood unity, unity comes with community, and community comes with the fellowship of believers, however community does not come from the one man ministry, it comes from the one another ministry. –(Acts 2:40-47)
There is no such thing as a special class of priest instead there is the priesthood of the believers; we do not have the same gifts or functions, and there is a division of labor, but we are all labors, we are all priests, we all have a ministry. The first expression of the priesthood is in community, in the church in the home. It is not the ministry of one man, or a few, instead it is the ministry of the one another. –(1 Pet. 2:5,9, 4:10-11)
Every believer is to have a teaching, a revelation, and a song, for edification we are to minister and to speak to one another in teaching, in prayer, in song, we are to release wisdom, teaching and admonishing to one another, this is not the ministry of the few, instead it is the ministry of the one another, it is community. –(1 Cor. 14:26, Eph. 5:19-21, Col. 3:12-16)
To understand community it is sevenfold; (1) we come together in the church in the home, (2) each of you have a psalm, (3) has a teaching, (4) has a tongue, (5) has a revelation, (6) has a interpretation, (7) let all things be done for edification. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
In addition, community is coming together in love feasts or eating together, sharing with one another, praying for one another, prophesying to one another, and ministering to one another, and caring for one another and loving one another. –(1 Cor. 14:26)
The church in the home is the expression of community, it is the ministry of the one another, it is the fellowship of believers ministering to one another and loving one another, yes there could be a pastor among them, that leads with coordination and serves more as a coordinator, however the church in the home is an expansion of community, the priesthood, and the one another ministry. The pastor is there for pastoral care and to guard the continuity of community. Yes he or she ministers, instead they minister along with the one another ministry. –(Rom. 16:5)
Apart from that, there is a center gathering place; this is for fathering, mentoring, equipping and training, this is the ministry of apostles, prophets and teachers, this is called the 1 Cor. 12:28 center or the APT Center. The senior elder who is an apostle leads a team of elders, who are leading apostles, prophets and teachers. The senior elder leads with vision and coordination.
Nevertheless, The church in the home is first, and has the priority, then second is the center. –(Acts 19:1-10, Acts 2:40-47, and Acts 5:12-16)
The five-fold ministry is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, the saints are to do the work of the ministry, and the five-fold ministry is to do the equipping ministry. –(Eph. 4:11-12)
Above this there is the community of the city church, there is only one church in a city with a company of congregations, believers are to build relationships and fellowship with other believers throughout the city church, and congregational leaders are to build relationships and fellowship with other leaders of other congregations. –(Rev. 1:20, 1-4)
Copyright © 2008 Elvis Iverson All Rights Reserved
Labels: Elvis Iverson, home church, new apostolic congregation, Supplication International Ministries
posted by Elvis Iverson at 1:20 PM
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