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COLLECTIVE ACTION
In order for a local church to fully realize its potential in functioning as a
collective unit, its members need to understand the principles of collective
action.
Contrary to the thinking of many, local churches in the first century were
more than mere assemblies of saints.
COLLECTIVE
ACTION
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 ELEMENTS OF COLLECTIVE ACTION
 COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 CLOSING OBSERVATIONS
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
• Collective – “Of or derived from a number of persons taken or acting
together”
• Collective Unit – “A number of persons taken or acting together”
• Collective Action – The end result of “a number of persons…acting
together”
ELEMENTS OF COLLECTIVE ACTION:
•
•
•
•
A number of persons to act together
Agreement as to what is to be done
Common oversight
A pooling of resources and/or abilities
A number of persons to act together
For in fact the body is not one member but many.
(1 Cor. 12:14)
Then those who gladly received his word were
baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
were added to them. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41-42)
Agreement as to what is to be done
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
(Amos 3:3)
Common oversight
Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Cor.
14:40)
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the
elders of the church.... Therefore take heed to
yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the
church of God which He purchased with His own
blood. (Acts 20:17,28)
Common oversight
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a
fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ,
and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you,
serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,
not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords
over those entrusted to you, but being examples to
the flock. (1 Peter 5:1-3)
A pooling of resources
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay
something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that
there be no collections when I come. (1 Cor. 16:2)
A pooling of abilities
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work
of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till
we all come to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and
fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may
grow up in all things into Him who is the head—
Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit...
together by what every joint supplies, according to
the effective working by which every part does its
share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of
itself in love. (Eph. 4:11-16)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace
that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us
prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us
use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with
liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows
mercy, with cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6-8)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is to be done by all saints in an assembly
1. Singing
...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord. (Eph. 5:19)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col. 3:16)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is to be done by all saints in an assembly
1. Singing
2. Eating Lord’s Supper
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples
came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart
the next day, spoke to them and continued his
message until midnight. (Acts 20:7)
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you,
since you come together not for the better but for the
worse. For first of all, when you come together as a
church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and
in part I believe it. For there must also be factions
among you, that those who are approved may be
recognized among you. Therefore when you come
together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's
Supper.
For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of
others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What!
Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do
you despise the church of God and shame those who
have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise
you in this? I do not praise you.
For I received from the Lord that which I also
delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same
night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when
He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take,
eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also
took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the...
...new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you
eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death till He comes.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup
of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of
the cup. (1 Cor. 11:17-28)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is to be done by all saints in an assembly
1. Singing
2. Eating Lord’s Supper
3. Giving
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay
something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that
there be no collections when I come. (1 Cor. 16:2)
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his
heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a
cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:6,7)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is to be done by all saints in an assembly
1. Singing
2. Eating Lord’s Supper
3. Giving
4. Praying
So, when he had considered this, he came to the
house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname
was Mark, where many were gathered together
praying. (Acts 12:12)
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were
listening to them. (Acts 16:25)
When we had come to the end of those days, we
departed and went on our way; and they all
accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were
out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and
prayed. (Acts 21:5)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is to be done by all saints in an assembly
1. Singing
2. Eating Lord’s Supper
3. Giving
4. Praying
5. Studying God’s word
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and
in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
These were more fair-minded than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find
out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done by all in an assembly
1. Singing
2. Eating Lord’s Supper
3. Giving
4. Praying
5. Studying God’s word
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through a representative
1. Praying - through the one who leads in prayer
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit,
and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing
with the spirit, and I will also sing with the
understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit,
how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed
say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does
not understand what you say? For you indeed give
thanks well, but the other is not edified. (1 Cor.
14:15-17)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through a representative
1. Praying - through the one who leads in prayer
2. Preaching/Teaching - through the preacher, and/or class teachers
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work
of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
(Eph. 4:11-12)
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples
came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart
the next day, spoke to them and continued his
message until midnight. (Acts 20:7)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through a representative
1. Praying - through the one who leads in prayer
2. Preaching/Teaching - through the local preacher and class teachers
3. Delivering an impenitent sinner to Satan – through the one who
makes the announcement
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality
among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even
named among the Gentiles--that a man has his
father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not
rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might
be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as
absent in body but present in spirit, have already
judged (as though I were present) him who has so
done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when you are gathered together, along with
my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the
flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:1-5)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through expenditures
1. Paying for facilities and/or utilities
And let us consider one another in order to stir up
love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as you
see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10:24-25)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through expenditures
1. Paying for facilities and/or utilities
2. Supporting local preacher and/or distant preacher
Even so the Lord has commanded that those who
preach the gospel should live from the gospel. (1 Cor.
9:14)
I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to
minister to you. And when I was present with you, and
in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the
brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in
everything I kept myself from being burdensome to
you, and so I will keep myself. (2 Cor. 11:8-9)
COLLECTIVE ACTION OF A CHURCH
 That which is done through expenditures
1. Paying for facilities and/or utilities
2. Supporting preacher
3. Helping needy saints
Now all who believed were together, and had all things
in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and
divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts
2:44-45)
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one
heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of
the things he possessed was his own, but they had all
things in common. And with great power the apostles
gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there
anyone among them who lacked; for all who were
possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought
the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid
them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to
each as anyone had need. (Acts 4:32-35)
COLLECTIVE ACTION
 CLOSING OBSERVATIONS:
• “Whether to use the singular or plural form of verbs and pronouns
with collective nouns depends on the meaning intended.”
• When the collective noun means the group taken as a whole, it
takes a singular form of the verb or pronoun.”
If any believing man or woman has widows, let them
relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened,
that it may relieve those who are really widows. (1 Tim.
5:16)
COLLECTIVE ACTION
 CLOSING OBSERVATIONS:
• “Whether to use the singular or plural form of verbs and pronouns
with collective nouns depends on the meaning intended.
• When the collective noun means the group taken as a whole, it
takes a singular form of the verb or pronoun.”
• “When it means the individuals of the group, it takes the plural
verb or pronoun.”
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a
great persecution arose against the church which was
at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout
the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the
apostles. (Acts 8:1)
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering
every house, and dragging off men and women,
committing them to prison. Therefore those who were
scattered went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts
8:3-4)