The Home-church model: An Old Apostolic Way

For six months, I have taught the Bible and the gospel of Christ in the homes of a number of saints who are disabled and cannot go out to church and in the homes of a brother whom I brought to the Lord many years ago. And I have also been preaching and teaching saints in my own home, as some saints seem to enjoy visiting with me.

Some weeks ago the Lord moved on me, and I said "We should start a Bible class at brother____'s house." I got up immediately and called him. When reaching the brother, he said, "I had said that to my wife just last week."

So we expanded our ministry to this brother who was willing to reason the word with me--there are not many willing to discuss the word for fear their shortcomings are revealed. I had other weekly ministries, having been requested at other homes. And as I went, I began to recognize a growing movement that is emerging right before my eyes. It is a new but really an old thing that God is doing. [Jer. 6:16] For that new thing is not new at all, other than for its newness during these times of modernity. It is an old apostolic method of churching: churches in the home and from house to house. [Acts 2:46]

As you may well know, there is ample biblical support for such a model, and under the present conditions of apostate Christianity in many churches and mega-churches, who knows, this home-church model may well be a remedy God is using among those who want to get away from much of the form of godliness, without its power. [2Tim. 3:5]

The Bible shows us that there were several church models in the New Testament days. There was the Jerusalem model, where most of the apostles of Christ initially resided. This model had the saints with all things in common. [Acts 2:45] Yes, that was an occasion for Ananias and Sapphira to attempt to lie to God about their possessions* and their giving of those possessions. [Acts 2:46; 5]

There was also the home model that sprang up in Asia and in and around Jerusalem. This was the Aquila and Priscilla model, which was almost on the same order as the Nymphas's home-church model. [Acts 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15] The distinction between these models seems to have been the dominance of Priscilla the wife in the Aquila and Priscilla model as opposed to that of Nymphas--she may have been unmarried; that is unclear. [It is unclear to me and others whether Nymphas was a male or female.] Paul had personally taught Aquila and Priscilla, and they worked closely as a team. So Paul never fails to mention both of them when citing their church and their contributions to the ministry of Christ.

This model produced and refined an excellent minister, namely, Apollos, who was shaped and sharpened by Aquila and Priscilla. They fished him out of the synagogue and taught him the word of God more perfectly, bringing him to salvation. [Acts 18] It is not clear how many others they preached and taught the word to.

Also, Paul himself had a church in the home, as he was housed-imprisoned by the Romans for some years; there he received many who came to learn the way of God and to learn it more perfectly.

The other church model was also a Jerusalem model, but in this model they went from house to house; they lingered not at any one house, but moved from house to house. [Acts 2:46] This model takes away dominance from any one person, as it goes from place to place. And it also takes away the burden from one house and shares it among them all. This method will take away from anyone requesting an offering, which is one of the biggest problems of some of the institutional churches. [ Tithe Giving?]

As I thought about this current trend toward home-churches, I began to see some of the current benefits and how home-churches maybe able to help cut back on some of the corruption in many church institutions**. Many ministers have justified the corrupt state of many churches. Indeed, it is one of the favorite arguments posed by ministers to justify the existence and continuity of corruption in the church. It generally goes this way: "There was always corruption in the church and there always will be. Look at Ananias and Sapphira; look at Simon the sorcerer; they were in the early church. So corruption and wicked men will always be in anything and you have to live with them."

Sin need never receive justification for its existence, especially by ministers. And in an attempt to justify sin, the above argument is widely asserted and seems practical, even reasonable to some, but it lacks the fact that the first church corruption and wickedness was exposed and killed out immediately! Today, wickedness goes on in many churches and it is not negatively exposed; it is not killed out; it, instead, is allowed to exist as if it is normal--that is tolerance, and that tolerance of wickedness and sin has fostered a belief in many that sin has its place in the church; furthermore, it has given a certain boldness to wicked men to assert that sin will always be there. But the sin-filled church is not one Jesus is to returning for! [Eph. 5:27] And you should not deceive yourself into thinking that you can linger among sinful people in those types of churches [for they will always justify themselves in sin] and be unpolluted by sin. The scriptures cries out for us to separate ourselves for those who are sinners yet call themselves brothers--one way or another we must separate ourselves: leave them or cause them to be separated from the congregation. [2 Cor. 6:17] The scripture asks, "Can two walk together save the agree?"

Today there are various denominations and nondenominational churches that are large and many are mega-churches. And many of these institutional churches have become dens of sin and iniquity, with leaders that cause the people to err. [Isa. 9:16] And many unsaved leaders will not leave the church and go out into the world to act out their unsaved lives; for them churches have become their source of income, their source of self-esteem, and the ideal place for them to peddle their trade of iniquity and deceit, albeit in the name of God. [Isa. 4]

Once upon a time sinners who backslide into sin were so afraid of God that they would leave the church to carry out their sin. Today, however, backslidden sinners have become so bold that they remain in the church and remain in sin. These are often ministers who self-deceive themselves and deceive others by making the word of God of no effect to them. And they construct an interpretation of God's word that allows them and those follow them to call themselves saved.

I have seen gross sin in many churches, regardless of their denomination--Evangelical, Holiness, Baptist, Catholic, etc. And most of that sin emanates from the pulpits and spreads throughout the pews. [Isa. 9:16; Joel 2:15-17] Many poor congregants think that if ministers are sinning and still claiming salvation, maybe we can be saved and still engage in sin. My dear brothers and sisters, please do not accept that lie! You cannot live in sin and be a child of God. He that sins is of the devil, not God.[1 John 3:8]

God is resurrecting a church model long ago abandoned, but now a useful tool in fighting some forms of church and leadership corruption. Home churches are that model.

Please note, I am not preaching against the institutional church model, unless that church is corrupt. Then, I am saying that you have an alternative and an obligation to correct the problem or exit the assembly. I suggest, however, that you first confront the problem you have at the leadership level and then take it to the whole church. We have too long failed to confront liars and evil doers in the church because they were pastors, ministers, or church pillars. However, Paul did not fail to confront Peter, a pillar in the church, when Peter was wrong. [Mat. 18: 15-17; Gal. 2:14]

Today, there are many small assemblies growing up in homes, and they are often the result of entrenched church ministers and church leadership who are administering God's house with the confusion and chaos they administer their own homes. That needs to be confronted with the word, if we are to save some of these untoward ministers.

We need to challenge these ministers to bring small bible classes and prayer meetings into their own homes. Maybe were they to bring a bible study and prayer assembly of saints into their homes, these ministries may well bring a calming and sanctifying spirit to those homes.

I am now only observing these small bible and prayer assemblies that are transpiring to see where God is leading. For I know that there is death in the pot, as if were, of many of the institutional churches that needs cleaning out. And the home-church model, clearly an apostolic model, may be a way God is using to stop that death that is in many of these churches. [2 Kings 4:40]

I will be examining this model and concept in other sermons later on.

_________
*That possessions dilemma was present then, and today it has become epidemic in many American churches. It got Ananias and Sapphira killed then directly by God, and it is getting many killed today yet they do not know it. The love of money has become mind-numbing among too many Christians and non-Christians in America, a nation that places property values above the value of the lives of people and above God's word.

**Churches that are free-standing and incorporated by the state as tax deductible entities with boards and all the requirements of state regulations mandated by law.

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