AUGUST 31, 2025 | STEVE PIXLER
EXTRACT
THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS
1 Corinthians 16:15 (devoted to the ministry of the saints)
Ephesians 4:1–16 (fivefold ministry; the work of their ministry)
Acts 2:42, 47 (daily in the temple and from house to house)
THE RESTORATION OF THE OIKOS (HOUSEHOLD)
Acts 2:46 (daily, priestly, household-ly)
Ephesians 5-6 (family-of-God and human family symbiosis)
THE PURPOSE OF FREEDOM LIFE GROUPS
Empower the ministry of the saints
Restore the authority of the oikos
Lay the foundation for fully functioning house churches
Go to MYFREEDOMLIFE.COM/GROUPS to meet the hosts and sign up.
FULL NOTES
Today, we are continuing our series, THE TABLE: THE ACTS 2:42 EXPERIENCE.
Let’s talk today about THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS, the priestly ministry of all believers that happens around the table when we “take church home.”
There are two passages that speak about the ministry of the saints:
1 Corinthians 16:15 (ESV): 15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service (ministry, diakonian) of the saints.
Ephesians 4:1–16 (ESV): 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of THE CALLING to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to YOUR CALL— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But GRACE was given to each one of us according to the measure (metron) of Christ’s GIFT. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave GIFTS to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave the APOSTLES, the PROPHETS, the EVANGELISTS, the SHEPHERDS and TEACHERS, 12 to EQUIP the saints for THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is EQUIPPED, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The FIVEFOLD MINISTRY, as we often describe it, is called to “EQUIP the saints for the work of (their) ministry.”
What is the ministry of the saints?
It is the kingly-priestly-prophetic ministry of believers done FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE as the saints “devote themselves to the apostles’ TEACHING and the FELLOWSHIP (KOINONIA), to the BREAKING OF BREAD (COMMUNION) and the PRAYERS” (Acts 2:42).
Acts 2:46-47 shows the ministry of the saints in action:
Acts 2:46–47 (ESV): And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Evangelism)
In Acts 2:46, we see that the ministry of the saints is:
DAILY: “And day by day… (Life is liturgy)
PRIESTLY: “Attending the temple together” (priesthood of believers)
HOUSEHOLD-LY: “And breaking bread in their homes…” (restoration of the oikos, taking church home)
The ministry of the saints happens when we TAKE CHURCH HOME and restore the authority and government of the KINGDOM OIKOS. Our household then becomes the government seat of our KINGDOM METRON:
2 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV): 13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence (metron tou kanonos) God assigned to us, to reach even to you.
Every believer is a king-priest-prophet, and the palace-temple-shrine where you serve is your HOUSEHOLD (OIKOS).
Jesus designed his EKKLESIA to function authoritatively and governmentally in THREE DIMENSIONS:
THE MINISTRY TO THE MULTITUDE (FREEDOM LIFE SUNDAY)
THE MINISTRY OF THE FIVEFOLD (FREEDOM LIFE EQUIP)
THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS (FREEDOM LIFE GROUPS)
THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS is the strategic, Spirit-urged purpose of small groups (when they are done biblically). Indeed, groups, when done biblically, function as true HOUSE CHURCHES shepherded by elders and deacons ordained and overseen by apostolic authority.
This is why we are relaunching FREEDOM LIFE GROUPS. We are not just trying to emulate church programs or even create more “sociality” within the church. Our goal is to empower you as a believer to “take church home,” to recover and restore the kingdom authority of your household.
By gathering together with other believers in homes that have been opened as “proto-temples,” as “beta-version-kingdom-households,” we are calling on the power of heaven to stop the erosion of household authority, to halt the destruction of the family and to restore the body of Christ to its first and latter glory.
Sound ambitious? It is! But it is the ambition of Christ himself, who promised that he would build his church upon the rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail! (Matthew 16:18)
This is why I encourage you to sign up for Freedom Life Groups. I believe that Groups will be an R&D experiment where we ask Holy Spirit to empower and enact THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS.
Would you help me build this house by building our households? Would you prayerfully consider devoting one evening a week for eight weeks? If so, then sign up at myfreedomlife.com/groups.