Oops! I would have loved to have seen the look on my friends face when he realized what he had accidently posted.
Every weekday morning I do a live teaching on Facebook where I greet those who join me online with “Good Morning, Ekklesia!”
Many of those watching chime in by posting the same greeting. Well, on this particular morning, my friend used his speech recognition tool to say, "Good Morning, Ekklesia". However, the system did not understand what he said and transcribed his words as the now infamous, “Good Morning Sex Lesea!” He tried everything he could to delete this mistake, but it was too late. It showed up in the post. Everybody could see. I had the opportunity to speak with my friend later, and as embarrassing as it was for him, we both had a great laugh.
This funny little incident helped me to realize an important fact. Many people can say the word, ekklesia, but have no idea of its core meaning. Thus, there is the potential of confusion and misunderstanding around this important truth.
In Judges 12, there is an interesting story of how the Gileadites exposed their enemies. When they were approached by someone they suspected was an Ephraimite, they asked them to perform one simple task. They required them to say ‘Shibboleth’. The Ephraimite would respond and say, “Sibboleth”, because ‘he could not frame to pronounce it right’ (Judges 12:5-6).
The word ekklesia is being highlighted by the Holy Spirit in this season. Like many truths the Lord releases into the earth, it will be filtered through human religious systems. The result will be a cacophony of definitions that will swirl around the Body of Christ. Many will say the word ekklesia, and potentially be as incorrect as my friends Facebook post. Many will not be able to articulate it right. They will say the word, but be void of understanding its meaning.
As I’ve written about and discussed ekklesia with several people, I’ve been able to identify six different categories of people that each have a specific response to the mention of ekklesia.
You may see this list differently. Or you may want to add or subtract from my list. It is possible that you may find yourself identifying with one of these categories. Share your thoughts with us. We can learn from each other.
From time to time, I will repost (with permission) articles and blogs from other writers regarding ekklesia. Of course, I have my views on ekklesia, but will openly admit that I don’t know it all. I will state however, that I am comfortable with what I know, and I will be sharing it. I will be releasing a new blog each week, and posting other information throughout the week.
The bottom line is I want you to grow. I want you to be effective in the Kingdom of our Lord. Therefore, I pray that you will grasp what the Lord is doing in this season, and when someone says ekklesia to you – you will be able to say the right thing! TLK
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