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Whenever I tell people about house churches they have a hard time understanding what I mean. Our minds are so programmed to the typical religious service that most try to transfer that religious meeting into the houses. Unfortunately many do just that when trying to move into house church and they end up with the same religious rituals only now they are practiced in the house instead of a cathedral. If we are going to move into a New Testament Church meeting we not only have to change where we meet, but also, how we meet. Let me share with you the key dynamics of the New Testament House Church meeting.  (more…)

Why do Christians go to buildings, sit in rows, and watch one person preach? Is this biblical or just traditional? These are a few of the questions that I began to ask some years back. When I began to seek the answers first Biblically then historically, I put aside my traditional mind set and began to seek truth. Let me show you what I discovered. 

The Beginning of the Church 

In the book of Acts 1:4-8, Jesus gave His disciples a commandment to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He told them specifically in verse 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”  

In Acts 2:1-4, the day of Pentecost came and the promise was fulfilled as the disciples were wonderfully baptized with the Holy Spirit. This powerful event is what birthed the church age.  

In Acts 2:41-47, we get our first insight into the habits of the early church. They were daily in the temple and daily in houses. The most interesting fact is that they would not leave Jerusalem. They were addicted to the temple. 

In Acts chapters 6-8, the Bible records the martyrdom of Stephen the deacon. In chapter 8:1 the Bible says, “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.” It took an outbreak of persecution to cause the church to obey what Jesus had commanded in Acts 1:8, the persecution forced them to go to Judea and to Samaria. I believe this persecution was a judgment from God against the church for their refusal to go to Judea and Samaria. It is interesting to note that the apostles still did not leave Jerusalem. This is further evidence of how addicted to tradition even the most devoted can be.  

After Acts 8, we have no Biblical evidence that the church worshiped at the temple or in synagogues. They certainly preached Christ there but it is not where the church assembled. As a matter of fact, the overwhelming Biblical evidence is that the church met in homes from Acts 8 until A.D. 317. (more…)