The Battle of this Generation – What is “Church”?

“Change! You can’t live the same any more. You can’t pray the same any more. You can’t preach the same any more. You can’t give the same any more. That’s because we are in a new era. It’s going to cost you. It’s not going to cost you your best. It’s going to cost you everything. We are going to be looking for the original design Jesus had for ‘Ekklesia’. We should not be interested in anything else. We have had a battle in the past for the definition of the authority of scripture. This generation will battle for the meaning of ‘church’. It will override our embraced and entrenched ‘churchianity’ and exaggerated church-growth-ism. We have lost the meaning of marriage in this culture, because now ‘marriage’ can mean anything you want it to, so it doesn’t mean anything at all. In the same way, ‘church’ can mean anything and may mean nothing at all. So, we will restore ‘ekklesia’. We will restore the meaning that comes from the mind and the mouth of Jesus. We are not just going to talk about it. We’re going to live it!” (Don Lynch)1

“You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it. “ (Matthew 16:18; GWT)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • Worship the Lord, Church!
  • Ask God to begin to give you a revelation of what He meant “Church” to be.
  • Humbly lay down all of your own thoughts and views of “Church”.
  • Let Holy Spirit show you if “church” has become idolatrous to you. Is it a building you serve at? Is it a set service you wouldn’t miss for anything? 
  • Ask Jesus to reveal what He meant when He said, “Upon this rock I will build my ‘church’.”

A prayer you can pray:

God, I worship You! I fix my eyes on Jesus, my wonderful, beautiful, ever-loving and forgiving Savior. The One who has authored my faith start to finish! Holy Spirit, prepare my heart and teach me. What is church to You? I know what it is in my mind. (Tell Him what you think.) If what I think doesn’t line up with what You meant, change my thinking. If my affections are for something earthbound and not effective in the Spirit realm, change my heart. If “church” is a place I go to serve You, meet with You, or get my needs met, I repent. I am short-changing You. If I think I am a big someone in a small pool called ‘church”, I am missing Your destiny and the fullness of your calling for my life. Why would I want to limit You like this? Why do I have this propensity to box You up? Wow! Reveal “church” to me, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Today’s decree:

The Church will prevail against the gates of hell!

1 Learn more about Don Lynch here.