10: God’s Strategy For Civil Conquest 1 or 7 - EKKLESIA (b)

The apostle Paul certainly understood “church” to be politically active, per the church’s original ekklesia design:

* The Lord told Paul he was to specifically go and speak “to kings” (Acts 9:15).

* Paul told Timothy the church’s “first” priority is to affect “kings and all who are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1-4).

* Paul told Christians to set up their “own judges” (1 Cor. 6:1-5).

* Paul and those with him were committing treason in “turning the world upside down” declaring “Jesus as King” in place of Caesar (Acts 17:6-7).

So Christ’s ekklesia “church” was never a building but rather Christians who were political activists:

* “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (God’s nation with King Jesus), as Jesus commanded (Matt. 6:33).

* “Discipling the nation” (law & government), as Jesus commanded (Matt. 18:19).

* “Ambassadors for Christ” (representing His Kingdom), as Paul commanded (2 Cor. 5:20).

* “Royal priests” (servants of the King), as Peter declared (1 Peter 2:9).

* “A holy nation” (a civic body), as Peter declared (1Peter 2:9).

This vision will explode “building up the body of Christ,” but can only happen when pastors see this as Christ’s vision and their mission to stop preaching nice sermons but understand their responsibility (Eph. 4:12):