Reformation Celebration
The Series
#9 – An Ecclesiastical Networker
The ninth characteristic of the man of God whom we seek is that he will possess effective knowledge of Ecclesia networks and friendly contacts necessary to align with established financial/project management vehicles for the rapid advancement of the Kingdom.
Until they come to see that ecclesia is much larger, much more comprehensive, this may look like church, and most believers are, directly or indirectly, affiliated, interact and network with the church world. Ecclesia is much-broader, much more powerful, but part of the process of helping people to recognize and step up into the reality of God’s kingdom here on earth is to start with the places that they currently identify with in that way. The practical reality is that much of the ecclesia doesn’t know of any place to find ecclesia except in church on Sunday morning. These folks network together at church and in various ministries and outreach efforts around the world, and that is how they know each other.
When Paul wrote to the ecclesia at Corinth, at Galatia, at Ephesus, at Philippi, and at Colosse, no doubt they felt honored, as local folk, to get a personal letter from this world-renowned leader. But those letters, more than being personal to them, hinged on their belonging to the ecclesia – the body of Christ at large. And Paul was networking amongst all of them that he knew to be ecclesia.
Businessmen know the business world; lawyers know the court system; doctors know the medical arena; upstanding ecclesia leaders know the ecclesia. Their knowledge extends beyond the First Baptist of B-town, the Second Congregational of C-town, or the Third Presbyterian of P-town. (In fact, they may not even be directly affiliated with any institutional church at all, but they know God’s people – the ecclesia.) They have contacts and good relationships with the ecclesia that extend beyond their own local church, ministry, denomination or religious association. And while they might not be as well-known as Paul was in his day, they could write letters to other local manifestations of the ecclesia and be received as brothers.
So whether it’s in church, out of church, or both, the man we seek knows how to network in the ecclesia. Do you?
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