Tag Archives: Fellowship

Church of Jesus Christ part 2

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In carrying out the Great Commission the original twelve deployed their apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching gifts to draw people to faith in Christ. Those so drawn were put in clusters under the temporary care of overseers to nurture them to stand on their own.

Overseers did not belong to the local church but moved from one house church to another house church as it was considered expedient for disciplining new converts.

Originally, there was no clergy-laity dichotomy in the local assembly. They were all brethren.

The purpose of the house church was to function as nursery to nurture and grow believers from babyhood to maturity in Christ.

The Holy Spirit Himself was in charge of house churches. The joy of fellowship was the fact that the Holy Spirit was totally in control of proceedings.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13)

In the days of the Apostles those with pastoral calling had no direct role to play in the local house church other than to transmit messages and divinely-received teachings to them through overseers sent to establish them in the faith.

For the house church established by the Holy Spirit and enrolled mostly through fruits of evangelism qualified men and women were given appointments in the church. “And God has appointed these in the church” Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Workers of miracles, Healers with – gifts of healing, Helpers, Administrators, Speakers with tongues & Interpreters of tongues.

House church Apostles, Prophets and Teachers were not the same as those in the five-fold ministry. Their ministry was not worldwide but limited to the place they were ordinarily resident with the cell as their base.

From maturing appointees ‘elders’ were chosen to manage the cell in the absence of the overseers that move to new centres. They in turn could be assigned to new cells as overseers.

In the early church, every member of a house church was endowed with at least one of these nine gifts to function in the local assembly. They were not ordained by ‘anointed’ men of God. They simply stirred the gift bestowed to them and carried out the enablement in the local assembly of believers and their environment.

They did not carry the titles like bracelets. Some functioned in more than one appointive position.

The twelve Apostles appointed from the men who followed them overseers of house churches. They were required to move from house church to house church establishing the new appointees in their roles in the church and strengthening them to continue in the grace of God.

~Collins #Reinventing Apostolic Standards

Apostles’ Doctrine and Fellowship part2

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Apostles’ Doctrine and Fellowship part2

A gathering of believers regardless of number for fellowship is a local church. It is a fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

A gathering comprising of believers and unbelievers no matter the combination is a mixed multitude. It is not a church but a fellowship with demons. A mixed multitude cannot please God. It is a strange marriage of sons of God and sons of Belial.

At the fellowship of the original Apostles of the Lord, they ensured that only those bearing the mark of Christ were in attendance. They took steps to prevent ungodly men from creeping in unnoticed when they gather for fellowship. Also, they took time to invoke the participative companionship of the Holy Spirit at every of their meetings.

Imitating the Apostles

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Imitating the Apostles

Acts 2:

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The original apostles so pleased God that the sacred records command followers of Christ to imitate them.

1 Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

2 Thess 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you.

1 Cor 4:16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
The Apostles’ doctrine is not another set of fundamental truth but designs for practical application of the concepts in the doctrine of Christ.

Acts 2:

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 

IMITATING THE LORD’S 12 APOSTLES

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IMITATING THE LORD’S 12 APOSTLES

The church the Holy Spirit established on the Day of Pentecost started with few members. From one hundred and twenty men and women who were with one accord in the compound where the apostles were fasting and praying in an upper room, it increased by three thousand after Peter’s inaugural message. Soon after the Apostles preached at the Temple and another five thousand men and women who believed were added to the church.

With one accord those who believed the gospel of grace of God preached by the Apostles were together. They went about fulfilling the Great Commission. “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul” and as time progressed they turned the known world of their generation upside down for Christ. The original apostles and those who followed them were focused on the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The original Apostles understood the twin assignments of preaching the gospel of grace of God to unbelievers wherever they are found and teaching those who believe the gospel the commandments of the Lord. As a result, they designed a module termed ‘Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship.’ In Acts 2:42 it is written: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The Apostles’ doctrine is not another set of fundamental truth but designs for practical application of the concepts in the doctrine of Christ.

Mark 16:

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

 16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

 18 “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God

 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.  (NKJV)

The Apostles’ fellowship was the vehicle for communicating the commandments of the Lord to believers to enable them grow in grace from babyhood to maturity in Christ. The original apostles of the Lord so pleased God that the sacred records command followers of Christ to imitate them.

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

2 Thessalonians 3:7 “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you.”

1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I urge you, imitate me.”

The church of Jesus Christ can only function effectively on earth by adopting the original Apostles’ doctrines and method of fellowship by brethren.  A House church with few members where everyone has the opportunity to contribute his or her gifting to the fellowship is the only way to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Collins Enyeribe #Reinventing the 12 Apostles’ Fellowship standards.