The Church and Leadership

This is part of an email that came from a friend...

I got so excited the other day reading "Authority in Prayer" by Dutch Sheets. I read the most interesting thing that I believe is confirmation for this ministry.

He speaks about the scripture in Mat 16:18-19 where he says "Upon this rock I will build my Church". When Jesus used this word in Greek (ekklesia) the disciples weren hindered by our contemporary preconceived ideas as to what that meant. Church is far different from ekklesia as it was back then. To us it is a local congregation of Christians who meet and worship and what not but back then ekklesia was: (get this it is so exciting) an assembly of people set apart to govern the affairs of a state or nation- in essence, a parliament or congress.

To the Romans it meant a group of people sent into a conquered region to alter the culture until it became like Rome. Realizing this was the ideal way to control their empire, they infiltrated government, social structure, language, school etc., until the people talked, thought and acted like Romans. When Jesus said he would build his church, he was without question speaking of a body of believers that would legislate spiritually for Him extending his government rule over the earth.

Tim again: So... What do you think??