Is the Church God’s Governing Authority on the Earth?

This is true that the church is God's governing authority on the earth. It's time for the line of fire with your host activist, author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown friends welcome to the line of fire broadcast.

This is a special broadcast that I recorded to air while I am away for a week seeking God in prayer. Getting alone with him and we recorded some shows in advance. I'm obviously not taking phone calls, unless we could take your calls days in advance and just transfer them to that actual day so not taking calls but digging deep into the word together and really try to understand who we are with God's purposes are for us here on the earth. Just reminder that as we come to the end of the year we really pray for folks with generous hearts to stand with us if we been a blessing to you. We has the stand with us if you're able to. We have great vision to expand and touch many more people in 2021 to do it more effectively to do it more widely to take the resources that we have in the message were getting out and to get even more people can do that with your help. So if you feel prompted to stand with us go to website S. Dr. Brown.org SK dear Brown, double-click, donate, of course, your year-end gifts gifts and any time of year are tax deductible as we are a nonprofit ministry. Also, if you watching on YouTube is a dollar sign there in the bottom of the chat box you can give to YouTube or Facebook. There's a donate button donate button so you can click on that for your donation. But either way stand with us in prayer. If you're able to help.

At the end of the year. That would be absolutely awesome and know that I'm spending time on my knees before God. Crying out for his best. Pray for God's best, and in your lives as well.

All right.

Let's go to Matthew chapter 16 Matthew 16 this is a famous account as as Jesus asked his disciples, so people say that the Son of Man is so Matthew 16 verse 14 and answered some sage on the Mercer John the Baptist was a lie.

Just Alyssa Jeremiah 1 of the profits from the profit so their spirits back from the dead. But he said you say I am who you say what what what your opinion and and Simon Peter, always quick to speak. You're the Messiah, the son of the living God.

We secure the Christ that would ensure the Messiah, the son of the living God usually said to him, listen to you, Simon son of John because flesh and blood did not reveal this to my father who is in heaven. And I also tell that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my community by community Greek Iglesia Jesus without a been teaching in Greek he would have been teaching in Aramaic, or possibly Hebrew most likely Aramaic so what's he saying I will build my community my congregation translated most were English Bibles, church, where the main gates of Scholl will not overpower you the keys of the kingdom of heaven for been on earth will been forbidden in heaven. Whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

They were the disciples not telling when he was the Messiah. If they want announcing to everyone is Messiah is Messiah is Messiah, then the messianic fervor and the desire to try to settle this king with short-circuited but he was seeking to do okay so what's Jesus teaching their interestingly, the Greek word Clay Celia only occurs three times in the Gospels, Matthew 16 than in twice. Matthew 18 and that's it. Otherwise it's a word we see in acts that, of course, Paul uses it a lot and it has become known as church Iglesia associated with the word church but really that's not what the English word church originally meant and in fact the church could refer to a physical building with the Eckley seal was a community and in this case a community of believers.

In fact translations before King James like Tyndale translated English translations translated Eckley seal with congregation I will build my congregation and then King James translated with church. It was one of the rules that the King James translators had listed was to use the older ecclesiastical language, hence church and congregation.

But then that creates a wrong idea because we think of the church as a location for the church as a building. We just both a beautiful new church all you got to see our church or the police because were going to church this week so this misconception would now if you speak German, you have good mind that's a correlation that would be the word for Iglesia many of the character that's the physical building right but if you speak Spanish Iglesia Iglesia's the building.

Iglesia is the people that comes from the Greek, Eckley, C. So what is Eckley C really mean Jesus and I will build my Eckley C a my congregation. My community the gates of Scholl the gates of hell. Hades will not prevail against it. What you mean and why is he teaching there about what you bind on earth will been bound in heaven, which you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. There is a teaching that is become very popular in recent years, especially in charismatic circles and it has become very relevant.

Now with the electric controversies in the role of the church in prayer and is the teaching that the church is not just a gathering of believers or community of believers. The congregation of the saved that the church is God's governing authority on the earth that if you will look back in the ancient Greek and see how Eckley seal was used, you would see that it meant that the governing authority so that we by the spirit. According to this teaching.

We by the spirit are called to be God's governing authority on the earth. So if there's a plague. If there's a pandemic we should be the ones that deal with and in the spirit.

If there is fraud in the elections. We, the church should be the ones that fix that in the spirit that that is some of the authority that we have been given by Jesus spiritually that's what he meant about binding and loosing and things like that, others would say you have the different mountains of culture. The so-called seven mountains B education, the media, be it government, and that the church is God's governing authority should exert its authority in every one of these areas and and then ultimately on some level the church takes over these areas. Before Jesus returns that there are several different things and putting together here.

This is not reflective of my teaching and my understanding of Scripture.

But I want to know so much out there, so there is a concept of spiritual dominion is him. There is a concept of of seven mountains theology of the church that just influencing and infiltrating every area of society but actually dominating taking over through the gospel and then the idea of the church is God's governing authority help people may hold to one or two or three of these pieces they may hold to just one of them.

In other words, some may understand the churches authority is purely spiritual. The churches authority comes entirely through prayer and and that's how we exercise authority. Others may say no were to have authority exerted in other areas of of society, not just through prayer, but through our activity was the Bible actually said what is the right understanding here.

Let's take a look in Matthew chapter 20 Matthew 28. Beginning in verse 18, Matthew 2818, we know that previously Jesus had given his disciples authority over demons and disease, Luke nine, Matthew 10 we know Lieut. he said I've given you authority over all the power of the enemy will tread on serpents and scorpions, nothing of any means hurt you speak of demonic power now after the resurrection, 27, 28, 18, says that the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mount issue would decimate it when they saw him they worship at some waiver you sure came up to them and spoke to them saying verse 18 authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me so will debate that nobody that understands who Jesus is.

Debates that authority in heaven on earth has been given to him right we don't debate that that's not in question.

She is the Lord. The father has given him authority. Therefore, we can go up to any opposition to any wall that's been put up the at the Berlin wall be at the Iron Curtain be at the bamboo curtain be at the opposition of Islam, be it secularism beat any other ideology and in Jesus name we can use his authority in prayer and preaching the gospel to see those kingdoms crumble or those walls come down because of the authority of Jesus. Alright so we agree on that right authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, so the fact that we have his authority. We go based on we go. Based on that working within the systems of the world that are here right and yet knowing that we have a higher authority in Jesus that can break down all opposition, then we are to go make disciples of all nations now, does that mean disciples of all nations. Those we we we through the gospel will Christianize a nation that work can be misused or misunderstood, but people come to faith government leaders come to faith.

Educators come to faith and we actually discipled the nation we take a nation that was idolatrous or pagan whatever and and now this becomes a co-Christian nation, which is a simply may make disciples of all nations mean the people of all nations discipled the people of all nations, immersing them in the name of the father the son and the rococo – worse than the father-son Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe our community remember them with you always, even to the end date.

So we go with the authority of Jesus to the ends of the earth to the ends of the age you could make the argument that when it says immersing them, baptizing them, it's obviously speaking of individuals, not immerse whole nations. In other words, go make disciples of all nations, meaning of the people of all nations, but how far has this authority of Jesus been given to us.

The church and how much is it up to us to enforce his will on the earth. This is some of the question that's coming up now as we see evil in the world around us as we see natural disaster and calamity as we see people doing wrong.

Whoever the people are not just talking politically about talking Republican versus Democrat on timeout human beings as we see this if you have tremendous crime in your neighborhood. If you have rising tides of of opiate addiction. If there is a plague of pornography sweeping young people.

If sex trafficking is growing how how much authority in the spirit does the church have turned the tide was a realistic expectation and and what is one that that misunderstands our role that gives us an authority beyond what God has in and do we have any more authority than the early apostles did. And if not obviously the answer is no, we don't have more authority than they had. Then, do we have some secret that they didn't have have rediscovered salinities in the data have some brief dictionaries and answered the request filed the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the minor fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown is welcome to this special like us to modify not take in comments today. We are digging into the word and doing our best to understand the language of the New Testament and the question is what authority is God given to the church or to the Eckley Sierra to God's community to the messianic congregation. What authority has he given to his people, or we God's government on the earth. How far should we go with that teaching. Let me start here and say this with all candor, alright.

The Greek word ecclesia translates some Hebrew words and in the the Old Testament so the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. A couple hundred years before the time of Jesus.

The word ecclesia was used to translate a couple different Hebrew is primarily the word, Hall, which is congregation could be a dog assembly right but it did not have a particular or unique meaning as having to do with government or authority honestly again just to be candid with you. Having read the Hebrew Bible for decades in Hebrew. It would never have dawned on the that the Hebrew word, Hall for the Hebrew word aid had some special meaning other than congregation or assembly. In other words, it is the new with authority and had nothing to do with certain power that had nothing to do with with legal authority know it was it was the gathered assembly coming together as God's community and and and that's how it was used through the centuries. In the Old Testament and Jewish literature. So if you sure was talking to his disciples in Matthew the 16th chapter, and he and he says to them I will build my number was a speaking Greeks and witness that ecclesia the make, as if he was speaking Hebrew. Okay I will build my, how I will build my community. I will build my congregation negates the show will not prevail against it. You would you would not hearing that word thinkers of all he's talking about the governing authority on the earth. The story about the people of God being the governing authority others that that would not have occurred you if you are remiss in Hebrew, or the same thing in an Aramaic where a similar vocabulary been used.

Some just just laying them out. To be honest that's the first thing the second thing just going through the New Testament references to Eckley Sierra. I would not from – have gotten the idea that the primary emphasis was governing authority that we've seen Matthew 28 that authority in heaven and earth is given to Jesus and we go based on his authority to go make disciples. We understand and Paul elsewhere. For example significance 10 talks about the authority we have the spirit to pull down strongholds in Ephesians 6 that the war is a spiritual war. Alright, to what extent is the church called to be a governing authority on the earth and and what exactly does that meaning is a very prevalent popular teaching today so let me and and a lot of it is well-meaning and well intended with good application and in other parts.

I have to respectfully differ with so if you know my educational background might my PhD is near Eastern languages and literatures from New York University. I've referenced it recently just a talk about how I learned how I understand things that I was going get back to the original source. Want to get back to the actual quote I will get back to the words in the original language to do my best to understand what the original author was saying, in context, okay. So for example if you're reading the Bible in English okay great I read in English is my first language of learning being edified and growing and got a speaking resort in them was sent first actually means of immediately going to look at the Hebrew to Greek or in some cases, the Aramaic, and then just digging in because I want to see okay what did they say in the original language what it means. So over the years. I am asked that a large library significant library of of lexical books of dictionary books. Okay I mean every major dictionary of the Hebrew language I own. Medieval modern bit Iona and and then other ancient languages. What's called Acadian doubling the Syrian or major Syriac dictionaries or Aramaic dictionaries or Arabic dictionaries have a 15 volume dictionary Colby Salazar a bit. It is, it is Arabic Arabic Saul Arabic it's it's beyond my level of BWC constructively because my Arabic is that really strong as it used to be to set I have the dictionaries of the languages put together by scholars who spent their whole lives look at text like a Texan than analyzing confusing categories and even then I written articles challenging some of the dictionaries is then in my articles and become part of the dictionaries well even though my Greek is not nearly as strong as my keeper night day.

Not nearly as strong learned enough Greek to know how to use the tools and to dig and sift and so I own every major New Testament dictionary or key dictionary of classical Greek or Septuagint of Greek Basie that exists in terms of major dictionaries I Iona just like if your major seminary library that will be there right and some you now with software PIMCO's offer you a lot of these thoughts to say I I can dig I can dig and look through these and these are scholars from wide ranges of backgrounds, but the key thing is to look at text text text text was say and they know it all and they studied with the other authors say, and other writers analyze the text with their digging into the original right so I I printed up how many pages of 17 pages are I printed up what the major Greek dictionaries say about ecclesia.

I wanted to see how many of them understand the New Testament writers to be talking about governmental authority know if if you're listening on the radio or podcast. I'm to make this as clear as I can but forgive me if it's a little bit more dense than typical radio show are just taking calls on hot button topics okay for those watching.

I'm mashing to put the text up and and look at some of these definitions now. I have some encyclopedias of theology, addiction, New Testament and 10 massive volumes or new International dictionary of New Testament theology exegesis that that's what is for big volumes of I didn't print all those outcomes is just is too much material, but these are the major lexicons alright so let's look first at the Bauer on Gingrich Danker lexicon. This is the most authoritative lexicon of the Greek New Testament so it gives these definitions for ecclesia so this is an ancient Greek literature as as well as in New Testament usage so one example is first Eckley Sierra regularly summoned legislative body assembly is generally understood in the Greco-Roman world so it's acknowledging that this is the act that the ecosphere that was a name given for a a regularly summoned legislative body assembly or assembly and she's like that in the book of acts in acts 1939.

So there's an example of that. And then it's got all these other Greek citations and and everything's and abbreviations because you have to when you work with this dictionaries everything is abbreviated because that I can print the same words 10,000 times we have to learn all the abbreviations, etc. right then, second definition, a casual gathering of people in assemblage gathering Medicus. Other examples from acts or from the apocryphal literature of soul first Maccabees things like that.

Then another usage of people with shared belief community or congregation rights of people with shared belief community or congregation, and then it now puts under that definition. The rest of the New Testament usage.

In other words, it's saying that the New Testament is using Eckley Sierra in terms of people shared belief or work community or the word congregation.

The words this dictionary saying the idea of the Iglesia being a legislative body is not how the word is used with reference to the New Testament church.

So it begins to listers usage from the Septuagint from the Greek translation of the Old Testament of Old Testament Israelites meaning assembly or congregation or of Christians in a specific place or area that is as of a specific Christian group assembly gathering.

Ordinarily, involving worship and discussion of matters of concern to the community or it can mean congregation or church is the totality of Christians living and meeting in a particular locality or large geographical area, but not necessarily limited to, immediate cuff you if you're looking on the screen that is listening to me you're seeing scores and scores and scores and scores of references sourcing most commonly the word is used for congregation or church as the totality of Christians living gathering in a particular community, or it can mean the global community of Christians right so there's there's much more that he gets into their right. But keep on a lot to make what will the consumer definitions in a moment. Keep on.

I want to make the leading dictionary of the Greek New Testament, originally in German then translated into English then expanded and updated with a wide range of scholarly contribution to the one that whether you're an evangelical.

Whether you're a liberal with your charismatic, whether secessionist is the first dictionary you go for it and in terms of if you find what you're looking for their you got good backing even though it recognizes that the word Iglesia could be used as a legislative body and was used as such in some literature. The Greco-Roman world. New Testament usage is not that comes to the place that you and I are positive cases. This is one dictionary what some of the others have an error on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown, the voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown joyous on the special as you are listening or watching I atlases like years later, but if you're listening, watching live, I am right now away praying just needed to get a week away, to refresh, get with the Lord, do some focused writing as well. But, at this very moment as is shows are going on among praying for God's blessing in your life for the fire God to burn brightly in your heart for God to use you to fulfill his purposes for you my friend, Jesus didn't save you to put you on a shelf.

Jesus didn't save you.

Just to give your ticket to hell. Jesus saved you and of his love for you and that of his purpose for you to live a life for him that will make a difference and you may be 90 years old and shot in until your prayers to change generation to be 12 years old and saying what's the purpose of life to be a university professor, you can be a ditch digger you can be overwhelmed with four little kids and and homeschooling and you could be burdened with several jobs you can be going through any kind of difficulty or challenge in life right now. But I tell you, if you know the Lord. He is a purpose.

If you don't know him. Then you begin to find your purpose by surrendering your life to him and no longer living for self and you do that through the cross. You do that through Jesus dying for your rising from the dead, and with him you died your old ways in your old life you say Lord here I am, send me use me, but I would encourage whoever you are, whatever your background, whatever failures, disappointments that they can be steppingstones from stumbling blocks everything in your past or present, that Satan or society mean for evil God can use for good someone encourage as I'm speaking to.

Now this broadcast am also praying for you privately me a fresh vision for your life rise in your heart when you realize I can use me, my life can count on. Think of it when I was 14 years old to start again. How was 15 oh shooting heroin. How many people come out of that so that decades later, the leader, productive lives and and and touching millions by the grace of God and can look at teenage grandchildren that love the Lord. It was his grace. The same grace that worked in my life and that works in my life daily is the greatest work in your life as a looking for superstars is looking for people say Lord here I am, send me use me again that's that's in the world in which you live. That's where it starts.

That's where it starts starts secret in prayer in your heart tells you, cry out to God cry out to God and if you keep knocking, keep asking, trusting that he is good until your amazing things will happen and you will know him in ways you've never known him and bear fruit for him like you never knew you could bear.

So from my heart to yours receive that receive that work all right. Let's look at some other major dictionaries.

Let's see how they understand the Greek word ecclesia again, many scholars looking for new meanings and new insights, and they are very happy to go against the grain. Very happy to come up with novel ideas but but then other scholars analyze look at things the text speaks for itself and prepared of time.

The exotic definitions kind of washout and you know, many years ago.

Nancy said it was no fun going to meetings with because some of get up there preaching sermon and based on the Hebrew were destined to look at me and I don't know mispronounce the word misuse that is that with instances always got of a cool point. This is not the point is good I can find other scriptures to support that point but they butchered the Hebrew and completely misunderstood the meaning of the Greek and goggles versus wrong, but there are other verses that support the point the trailer was nothing positive to make up for the disappointment if the point arose true. So let's let's go back in and see. I'm going to look now at Thayer.

This is an older dictionary but but widely used.

What is a Joseph Henry Thayer say the meaning of AKC.

It is so the general meaning is a gathering of citizens called out from their homes and to some public place in assembly. That was the basic origin of the word right so among the Greeks. Any any goes from various authors down in assembly of the people convened at the public place of counsel for the purpose of deliberating as in acts 1939 at the Clay see their religious gathering but a legislative body. Then in the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament often equivalent to call the assembly of the Israelites, especially gather for sacred purposes, so it could have the idea.

The emphasis of sacred gatherings but not legislative body, Hall was not a legislative body in ancient Israel. I'm telling you the usage of telling you some of its study Hebrew and in the revolver decades because knowledge is a legislative body just called for sacred purposes.

Call to the amount of Lord but not a legislative body and then it could mean any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance or tumultuous Lee acts 1932, 41, etc. then is X point in the Christian sense. In other words, he understands that the word Clay steel was used in a specific way by New Testament authors. What did they mean what they say. So here's the data and assembly of Christians gathered for worship, a company of Christians or those who hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ observe their own religious rights holder own religious meetings and it manage their own affairs.

According to regulations prescribed for the body for orders sake the ghost or further details of gatherings and things like that the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth, collectively, all who worship and honor God in Christ, whatever place they may be. The name is transferred to the assembly. Faithful Christians really didn't receive into heaven, so that's Joseph Henry Thayer so he just like the Bauer Art Gingrich Danker lexicon. The bow say the same thing that you there is a secular Greek usage of a place theory can be legislated by this, not the New Testament usage, all of the references to it over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

Do not refer to legislative issues older is divine authority that the church operates in the spirit. So for example if you have someone that's claiming to be a follower of Jesus and is walking in open sin and rebellion and refuses to repent, you have authority to turn that person over to Satan we have authority at the least excommunicate that person say we no longer treat you as a believer, we will have fellowship with you and yes there is spiritual authority given over demonic powers and and does mean that we have complete mastery in this world were in a fallen world right and Paul said no we apostles wanted more authority spiritually than the apostles did said we apostles were set forth like that that the scum of the earth just off scouring the earth but the worst of the worst and and and were made a spectacle before men and angels and were beaten and suffering and just not there brings her words you entered authority over all these powers and know when a fallen world, and this can be conflict but in Jesus we have authority to set people free in Jesus, we can try back powers of darkness so in that sense.

Those who talk about the church's governing authority, meaning that we have spiritual power, meaning that through prayer, through spiritual warfare. We can bring about positive change.

Amen and amen and I know of striking examples where pastors gathered together for daily early morning prayer in the city they came together across denominational lines and ethnic lines and racialized and they came together and pray for breakthroughs and they fasted and they saw dramatic supernatural breakthroughs. I remember many years ago while preaching in Richmond, Virginia. It was right after they had had an extraordinary breakthrough. There is a prayer leader known in prayer circles. This is one of the great fathers of intercessory prayer movement, and in this last generation, and he came in to meet with these pastors. The teaching on prayer and said okay will you gather with me every morning there was six in the morning or something come together every morning. Hadn't done is a busy pastors busy. Liza hadn't done that they did it. He said okay. What's the number one stronghold in the city right now. Will at that time. This would've been mid 80s thereabouts at that time Richmond had the highest per capita murder rate in the nation.

As I was told that the highest total murder rate numbers but per capita and there is basically one murder a day in Richmond is not that giant city right so they felt to target this in prayer to come against the spirit of murder. Yes their people doing it, but they felt there were demonic forces driving and they came together they prayed they came to the night. And instead of murder, a day there was a murder.

Then once they started gathering it for early morning prayer the summer that day and then the next, and then the next, and in the next and then the next. By the time I got there I met with these pastors right but is how I got there they had gone 28 days without a murder. They, they had a gathering in one of the pastors read a quote from the newspaper from the mayor saying whatever you're doing. I don't know who's doing what, but please keep it up and then right after that there was like a triple homicide in one day, but the numbers were still low, as the pastors regarding the Macy's gathering numbers when backup you explain that to me some other way you you explain that not I believe in spiritual power in Jesus and as we come together and God crying out to him, but I don't believe in the teaching that the church is God's governing authority in the earth, and that we are to serve as his legislative body. Let me give you another example.

Here's a James Swanson dictionary of Biblical languages with semantic donate domains. So, Clay, Sia means a congregation individual assembly of Christians are ultimately was usually with leaders who conform to standard reports or practices with members and tracking more or less local. Refer to the totality of all creations of Christians at all times, or in other secular settings and assembly gathering of persons for purposive neuritis, but the idea of the church being a legislative body is simply not found in in that in the New Testament is a habitable. What about Matthew 16 review binders will be bound in heaven, etc. some would simply argue that that means if you take it in the first century Jewish context that the things that you permit as a practice among believers are permitted in the thing that you forbid is a practice among believers is forbidden, but the idea that we can just stop playing. Stop a war stop famine that was the case.

The world is very different with Mitt, with all the Christians around the world so that another 30 or so did the early apostles on all the authority of the early church on those authority what can they just snap their fingers and stop all of this as what white working. They stopped in euros and the colleague is the crazy leaders of that day. What can I stop the persecution. The beheading of theirs and authority we have in Jesus. But it's different. We don't control other people and we don't take over society. Rather, we infiltrate to the gospel and then to conversion and make disciples and who knows his number and it's the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown is an amazing story from the ministry of John Lake from 1870 to 1935 and and really did pioneer apostolic work in South Africa at the turn of the 20th century was over there for several years. Birther movement that continues to this day, and Lake tells a story of a terrible plague that was sweeping through community where they were and decimating lies, especially when you get into more rural areas where you have less hygiene list medical care play can be absolutely devastating and its impact and there was much prayer and much crying out much prayer, much crying out and still the play continued to months Christians crying out and praying and of course the medical world doing what he knew how to do and and Lake just got this sense, I could just get somebody that really knew how to pray, we could break this thing was he understood it was demonic and understood that that Satan was trying to kill and steal and destroy. And and Lake found another prayer warrior and as their praying he said in front of their eyes they saw was like a flock of demons. Instead, like a flock of sheep was like a flock of demons, they recognize the demonic powers behind this and and they said, in Jesus name, the date they took authority over this. They thought so the thing scatter and the plague stopped Lake recounts this, how many people died also this a far higher percentage of people dying then then then through culvert now right and how much prayer and crying out happen until in an anomaly.

Christians.I'm sure plenty along the way.

Again, such as we snap our fingers have dominion over everything, but there is a place in prayer.

Sometimes in prayer and fasting crying out where these Breakthroughs happen. I believe in that. And I believe that if if Christians who have been praying fervently for the elections leading up to the elections and then after that the voting Christians who been praying fervently for the elections if they stay the same. Christians and Christian leaders will keep organizing prayer and pushing prayer for revival in the church and awakening in society and we keep crying out seek his face we see amazing things happen and then as we see breakthroughs that is as believers we have to we have to infiltrate meaning. Why not be university professors, why, why not be administrators of a or superintendence of school districts. Why not be newscasters YY in other words, why should it just be the world that runs everything though. Let believers be raised up. Let there be godly people in politics and in every spear society. Why not want to be salt and light. Yes that are taking over somatic serving and shining make a difference but is God looking to the church to be his governing authority on earth that can be fraught with misunderstanding.

Let me go to another dictionary.

This is a multivolume dictionary and how many pages that I print out from here.

Yikes. Lotta pages from this dictionary. The three volume exegetical dictionary of the New Testament, Bruyette exegetical dictionary test with three volumes edited by Baltz and Schneider started coming out in 1990 in English only pages and a printer nine pages and Iglesia the opening page just initially has of a bibliography here relevant books, relevant articles all right sort sites this run. Page 5 okay and the document I printed out for my team here. Let's go to page 6. Right page 6 is from exegetical dictionary of the New Testament. The 114 occurrences of clay Sia in the New Testament are on evenly distributed there only three occurrences in the Gospels on Matthew 1618 and 1817. Twice word appears most frequently in Paul's letters 46 occurrences 22 of which are in first Corinthians in general Pauline letter 16 occurrences so they don't leave all of the support by pulse. Let's just say that that it's it's 62 references in Paul's writings and in acts 23 occurrences appears twice in Hebrews twice in Hebrews among the Catholic epistles of the general letters is found only in third John three occurrences and James once of the 20 occurrences in Revelation 19 on formalized phrases and letters to the seven churches chapters 1 through three.

The noun, a clay Sia is derived etymologically from Eck and Calero so out of and call accordingly. It was used to designate the totality of those recall that. However, this original meaning nowhere plays a recognizable role in our material is always displaced by terminological shifts which the concept is undergone going during the long history of classical Greek as well as in holistic literature became a technical expression for the assembly of the people, consisting of three men entitled to vote. This political usage is present also in acts 13 1939, which refers to the regular assembly of the inhabitants of Ephesus write, so every lexicon. I looked at so far every one of them said the same thing.

All right, that acts 1939 reflects clay Sia is a public assembly a legislative body, but they all also say the same thing. This is not how it is used in the rest of the New Testament. So here's what they right in the overwhelming majority of the New Testament passages a clay Sia is used as a fixed Christian term and is to be translated with congregation or Congregational assembly or church Odyssey with a changed meaning church but transfer that the right word to use in translation distinguishing among passages that use a clay Sia with these different means as possible only within limits.

The distinction between Congregational church, the body of Christians at a specific place and church the super Congregational Association of God's people in the totality of all Christians. As far in two New Testament so it's is a fine distinction to to to make a break between the local assembly believers in the universal assembly of believers. Closely related is the fact that early Christianity did not conceive of a clay Sia primarily as an organizational but rather as a theological entity, the Iglesia Universalists is neither as such, Greek, Latin, Seesmic is neither a secondary union made up of individual autonomous churches ignores the local congregation only an organizational subunit of the total church rather both the local summary of Christians in the trans-local community. Believers are equally legitimate forms of the clay Sia created by God. Now I could go through page after page after page after page after page and you will not find references to the church as a legislative body, the clay, Sia is a legislative body, New Testament of silicone to the dictionaries and is one after another after another after another civil why is it so important because we need to really understand the role yes all authority in heaven and earth is given to Jesus.

Yes we go in his name into all nations to make disciples. Yes, we have authority in prayer.

Yes in Jesus we have authority over Satan doesn't mean that we can stop people from doing bad things doesn't mean that we can just go to the container and Saline Dr., Satan out of you. In Jesus name in your note.

Learning to be a dictator them enough power over people's wills right and we overcome by dying right with my going pulses were more than conquerors he means you tell us we still serve God, we still honor the Lord by the message still recovers. As is often the message to churches and persecuted countries. Richard warm drawn the most famous tortured prisoner for Christ of the last century.

He said you know before the Iron Curtain fell in Romania. There were there were fine Christians that came over missionaries try to serve the church.

He said then the Iron Curtain fell.

He said in this new breed of people came over and eroding to teach the Romanian Christians about overcoming life and spiritual life and power in all this he said it didn't occur to them to say you were tortured for 20 years and didn't deny Jesus, could you teach us something know they came as well, especially from America, but we got all the cool new methods of re-operating authority really fix everything you said they didn't even ask what can we learn from you who were faithful to Jesus and watching family Guy friends. We are not going to take over this world, we are going to usher in the return of Jesus who will take over this world and I believe will see great harvest before he returns and I actually believe that it's possible that America's greatest days are still ahead through revival and awakening in the end the clay Sia impacting the society either victorious mentality.

I just believe that we can get off track with an emphasis on the church's governing authority based on a misunderstanding of the Greek. Let me see if I have time to do this. All let's see on the skip down to page 14 in my document and this is from the Brill dictionary of ancient Greek. This is old what just in 2015, so perhaps the newest dictionary of ancient Greek clay Sia assembly people call together meeting gathering there when he gets to New Testament usage same thing. It's it's once again the community of believers that lexicon of semantic demands load neither congregation of Christians employing interacting membership in congregation, etc. it does not see anything as to a legislative body I am and printed up printed up for those those who are watching printed up. The Hebrew for Heber from Ezra for example, it mentions the hall in exile between exons on the last page of the document I printed up the Greek Denise that this is a clay Sia that I printed out the Aramaic Targum which is speaks of the assembled congregation and in the Syriac right so it's if you're looking at it top right is Hebrew bottom right.

Greek top left Aramaic bottom left Syriac Syriac to assist people.

The idea of legislative body, either tying in with ancient Hebrew concepts of call for the degree concepts of ecclesia New Testament is not there church is not a legislative body church is God's family on the earth with his authority. Yes, not legislative