House Church Connect grew out of a vision started with the Main Street Church of Christ (Photos) in Birmingham Al. From our wonderful group of Christians came simple, New Testament-type house churches that work together to help families start churches in their own homes. Each church meets for worship at a time that fits the schedule of that family and whoever that family has over to their home to worship with them. Most families meet on Sundays but we have several families that meet during the week. (When are we supposed to observe the Lord's Supper?)
To increase encouragement, we Connect with each other by way of an online application, mainly Zoom or Skype. When any congregation can't connect with us online, they still carry out worship in their house church.
Start Your House-Church
To increase encouragement, we Connect with each other by way of an online application, mainly Zoom or Skype. When any congregation can't connect with us online, they still carry out worship in their house church.
Start Your House-Church
House Churches,
It's What The Early Church Did
It's What The Early Church Did
"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."
Acts 2:46
Acts 2:46
House Churches in the Bible
How many times have you ever asked yourself, "I wonder if there were house-churches in the Bible?" Probably never. Because of the current religious environment created over many years, most people assume there have always been church buildings, but this is not the case. The bible is filled with examples of early Christians having churches in their homes without the use of church buildings.
Early Christians went from house to house and had a great deal of fellowship when they came together.
Preachers in the early church were not in the habit of standing up in front of the audience in a theater style gathering. They went from house to house, teaching in house, dining with Christians, and talking about Jesus. Even. after the apostle Paul was converted, he continued the same thing. Paul would say, "I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house."
Most of the early preacher's public preaching came when opportunities arose like when Peter and John healed a lame man in Acts 3. The man who was healed was so excited that he went into the Temple "walking, leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:8) After seeing what took place, notice what verses 11 and 12 say:
Peter did have an established time or location set but rather he took the opportunity to teach publicly when it arose.
Here are other verses that support house churches:
Early Christians went from house to house and had a great deal of fellowship when they came together.
- Acts 2:46 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."
Preachers in the early church were not in the habit of standing up in front of the audience in a theater style gathering. They went from house to house, teaching in house, dining with Christians, and talking about Jesus. Even. after the apostle Paul was converted, he continued the same thing. Paul would say, "I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house."
- Acts 5:42 "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."
Most of the early preacher's public preaching came when opportunities arose like when Peter and John healed a lame man in Acts 3. The man who was healed was so excited that he went into the Temple "walking, leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:8) After seeing what took place, notice what verses 11 and 12 say:
- "Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people..."
Peter did have an established time or location set but rather he took the opportunity to teach publicly when it arose.
Here are other verses that support house churches:
- Romans 16:3, 5 "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus... Likewise greet the church that is in their house."
- Colossians 4:15 "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house."
Why Were There House Churches In the Bible?
Why Christians met in homes in the Bible or why Christians chose to build buildings after Bible times to meet in is not the relevant question.
The relevant question is does God allow either and the answer to that is God doesn't care about where or in what structure we meet.
Jesus made this clear in John 4. Our Lord was having a conversation with a Samaritan woman. In this exchange, she inquired about the proper location to worship God. She said, "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
Jesus answer was, "The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father."
Jesus' point was that location does not matter; buildings do not matter. All that matters is that you worship God in "Spirit and in Truth." (John 4:24)
You have the freedom to choose a church in your home or a church that meets in a building.
Start Your House-Church
The relevant question is does God allow either and the answer to that is God doesn't care about where or in what structure we meet.
Jesus made this clear in John 4. Our Lord was having a conversation with a Samaritan woman. In this exchange, she inquired about the proper location to worship God. She said, "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
Jesus answer was, "The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father."
Jesus' point was that location does not matter; buildings do not matter. All that matters is that you worship God in "Spirit and in Truth." (John 4:24)
You have the freedom to choose a church in your home or a church that meets in a building.
Start Your House-Church
But Shouldn't I Gather With The Church?
The Bible presents the church in two ways:
The universal church is the spiritual body of Christ. Local churches or local congregations who meet in a building or in houses throughout the world are part of the universal or spiritual body of Christ.
When your local congregation meets, whether in a building or in your house, you are gathering with the church, locally and universally, because you are gathering with other Christians. Paul was in a different location when he wrote to the local church in Corinth but he told them that when they took communion in their location and he took communion in his location, they all "Partook of ONE bread." (1 Corinthians 10:17)
The only reason Paul could say this is because when you gather with other Christians, no matter where you are, you are gathering with the Universal, Spiritual church everywhere. As long as you are gathering to worship God in spirit and truth, it does not matter where you gather, it matters that you gather.
Christians should never "forsake the gathering of themselves together." (Hebrews 10:25)
- The Universal church which is the Spiritual body
- The Local Congregation or Local Church which is the physical body
The universal church is the spiritual body of Christ. Local churches or local congregations who meet in a building or in houses throughout the world are part of the universal or spiritual body of Christ.
When your local congregation meets, whether in a building or in your house, you are gathering with the church, locally and universally, because you are gathering with other Christians. Paul was in a different location when he wrote to the local church in Corinth but he told them that when they took communion in their location and he took communion in his location, they all "Partook of ONE bread." (1 Corinthians 10:17)
The only reason Paul could say this is because when you gather with other Christians, no matter where you are, you are gathering with the Universal, Spiritual church everywhere. As long as you are gathering to worship God in spirit and truth, it does not matter where you gather, it matters that you gather.
Christians should never "forsake the gathering of themselves together." (Hebrews 10:25)
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Copyright @ www.myfaithonly.com March 26th 2022
