Who's in Charge?

By Paula Williamson guest writer

Who is in Charge?

The Authority and Responsibility of the Ekklesia

Have you ever been in a situation where leadership was unclear or suddenly absent? When no one takes responsibility disputes rise, conflict escalates and chaos follows.

In the church the head is never absent. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head, and His people live under His authority. He gave His church the authority to act on His behalf in this world.

It Is Written

MATTHEW 16: 1 8 -19 And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”

The Church vs Ekklesia?

In the year 1611 King James changed the word Ekklesia in the Bible, to the word, church, limiting it to a building or a place of worship. In the original text, Ekklesia refers to the Kingdom of God’s governing body on the earth. In the scripture above, we, the governing body of Christ, are given the keys, the authority of the kingdom of heaven. When the owner of a car gives you the keys, you have that person’s permission to drive the car. How are we doing?

Prayer

Lord, we haven’t and aren’t doing a very good job representing You or the Kingdom of Heaven. We haven’t been responsible with the keys and authority You have given us. Most of us don’t even know what holding the keys means. We have made your church into something that does not even resemble Your church in the book of Acts. We are sorry. Would You intervene in our hearts and lives and cause the real Ekklesia to arise in this world? We need Your help. What a mess we have made. Your word says if we need wisdom we can ask and You will give us a bountiful supply. Lord, we need Your wisdom to take our rightful position. We pray for those in authority over us, and ask for Your Kingdom to come,

and Your will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Takeaway

We are stewards of the King, entrusted with His authority to represent His Kingdom on the earth.