The Eternal Purpose Track

Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life together

Class Overview

Many Christians still view church as a place you go to on Sunday, a service you sit through for 2 hours with music and a message, or an organization that preaches the gospel and helps the poor. But from God’s perspective, the church of Jesus Christ is meant to be an organic expression of Christ’s indwelling life, as the individual parts of His body function together in related coordination. The church is meant to be a spiritual organism, not an institutional corporation. The church is God’s people, not a building. The church is meant to function from the inside out rather than the outside in. The church is a gathering of those who have Christ’s indwelling life. Together, the individual parts function interdependently to represent Christ fully and completely in a given city. This class, Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life together, looks at God’s eternal purpose of the church, with the goal of helping us learn to live by Christ’s indwelling life individually and corporately. As a result, we will then function as in interdependent body in divine order, so that together, we can become a mature and complete representation of Christ in a given city and throughout the earth.

1 – The New Testament Church

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, August 4, 2019

The church of Jesus Christ is meant to be an organic expression of Christ’s indwelling life, as the individual parts of the body function together in related coordination, to represent Christ in a particular city.

2 – One New Man

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, August 11, 2019

This message looks in detail at Ephesians 3:3-11 and dives into God’s purpose for the corporate man that runs from Genesis to Revelation.

3 – Grow Up

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, August 18, 2019

There is another Jesus being preached today in the nations and this leading to a great falling away from the faith. This message contrasts the real Jesus with the Jesus imposters that have been welcomed and worshiped in many churches.

4 – Grow Up, Part 2

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, August 25, 2019

This message looks at how offense and familiarity keep us immature. These are like rocks and weeds in our garden that prevent the seed of Christ in us from growing to full maturity.

5 – Grow Up, Part 3

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, September 8, 2019

Those who neglect the invitation to marry God’s Son do so because they are pursuing their own self-centered destiny. To be the Lamb’s wife, we must take His wedding invitation with divine seriousness.

6 – A Body Functioning in Divine Order

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, September 15, 2019

The body is meant to freely express the indwelling life of Christ in divine order. This message looks at principles for divine order in an open and participatory meeting.

7 – A Body Functioning in Divine Order, Part 2

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, September 29, 2019

This message looks at the need for developing a shepherd’s heart for the people we speak to on behalf of the Lord. We are called to speak the truth in love, caring deeply about the people to whom we speak.

8 – A Body Functioning in Divine Order, Part 3

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, October 6, 2019

This message looks at the importance of the corporate gathering, how our expression of the Spirit should seek to build up the local body, how being planted in a local church results in spiritual growth, and that we are accountable for whatever we express corporately.

9 – Consumer Christianity

Class: Ekklesia: Expressing Christ’s life togetherSunday, October 20, 2019

The church has become sedated and passive by a form of spiritual consumerism that is not found in the New Testament. This message looks at the challenge of consumer Christianity and identifies four areas that identify whether one is a consumer Christian.

Bryan Kessler

Vice President

Bryan Kessler is the senior pastor of Restoration Life Church in Marietta, Georgia and the Vice President of Lifeschool International. He spends much of his time writing and teaching about topics related to God’s eternal purpose, the bride of Christ, the overcomers, the way of the cross, and the fullness of Christ.