I am going to begin a series of posts detailing what I learned in 2005. They are going to come in no particular order. In my first article I would like to outline some of my problems with the current home church movement.
The biggest challenge I have to much of the home church teaching is that it is a reaction instead of foundational.
The Gospel is unchanging. It does not adapt to popular culture. It is our job to make popular culture adapt to the Gospel. And in fact much of what we see in modern churches is amiss. But the answer is not to change the gospel to address these current short comings. It is to preach the unchanging Gospel. The Gospel has the power, not our arguments.
Much of what I read in the house church movement is so clearly tainted by bitterness and judgment that it must be thoroughly deboned before chewing.
I recently read an interview with an author whose book details what he calls the pagan origin of the local church. The crux of the interview attacked preaching. One point made was,
“It (Preaching) was delivered on special occasions in order to deal with specific problems.”
You would have to surmise that preaching is only associated with problems. (You would also have to surmise that we could get to a place where there are no problems so preaching would not be necessary. Who would defend that any group of humans have gotten tot that point?) This is clearly false. Paul stated that he was ordained a preacher and an Apostle. Jesus told us to “preach the word.” This is not just to correct problems. It is because there is power in the preached Word of God.
“It is temporary. Regular preaching is designed to win the lost or equip the church. Once equipped, the members of the church minister one to another.”
Isn’t this the same argument that cessationists use regarding the gifts?
This is the same elitism that we saw (and still see) in much of the prophetic movement. There are two classes, the super spiritual who “get it” and then the rest of the peons.
The fact is that God is leading people to those greatly dysfunctional churches. People are receiving a call from God to be in leadership in those churches. God is sending people to seminary and bible college. You can debate WHY He is doing it but you cannot debate that He IS doing it. And I can assure you that He is not telling one group that modern church buildings need to all be bulldozed while abiding in many of those same buildings when the people join in fellowship there. Either He hates them or He does not.
Do you feel God is leading you to join or start a house church? God bless you! Go do it. Make disciples. Win the lost. Minister one to another. Be the Church! Attacking other Christians will not accomplish any of that.
The House Church movement has much to offer the Body and its influence will only grow. The message of the priesthood of the believer is a valid, vital one and needs to be preached. But to taint the message with past failures and prejudices only minimizes its effectiveness and delays its embrace.
P.S. Drop the pagan accusations. You sound like a bunch of jehovah’s witnesses.
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