Why House Church?

God’s greatest desire!

Gwyn and i are involved in two house churches - the food is great - we’re looking to get in a third to help cut our weekly grocery bill. :-)

We’re part of the new house church at the Karaban’s and we park at the church to help reduce parking in their driveway but it requires us to walk past the neighbors creatures next door. Ya know they talk to you? I was thinking we could put up sign that says:

Jesus said “ You will know them by their lawn” :-)

House church, Small groups, community groups, care groups, whatever you wish to call them - they often have similar objectives BUT with just different names.

How many of you are currently in a house church or have ever been in one?

The reason we have them today is because there are real benefits to being in one.

I’d like to point out just a few of the benefits this morning.

...first a few practical benefits and then a spiritual benefit....

When we think about being in a House church, we often think about some of the practical benefits. Many of those benefits include activities that help each other and support those in need.

The “one another” passages that we see in the New Testament help us to see some of the practical benefits that can take place best within a house church setting.

(Remember, these NT verses were written actually to house churches. (the small group of Christians from a town who met at someone’s home)

Looking at some of the ”one another” verses we see:

“A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, ... Jn 13:34

be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Rom 12:10

Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:2

Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, . Rom 15:17

putting up with one another and forgiving one another. Col 3:13

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, 1 Thess 5:11

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another,  James 5:16

We could say that, strong family relationships are created in a healthy house church setting.

(Remember, these verses were written to some of the very first house churches)

*This responsibility that we have towards one another is to be the new normal of our new life in Christ. These benefits establish a new family environment that is loving, wholesome, pure, encouraging, caring, supportive, forgiving, rich in acceptance, and prayer.

Who wouldn't want to be involved in a family like this?

Yet, maybe some of you may have been in a group that was supposed to be like this - but it simply was not. And maybe it has soured you.

I understand that - but don’t give up on it.

BTW - you can “do” house church each week, just like you can “do” church each week.

Making the ‘doing of church most important. That is called “religion”.

We’re not after “doing” church - we are after “being” church.

In the same way, it’s not “doing” house church that is important - but rather “being” house church is most important.

So, these “one another” passages are just a few of the practical benefits that come with being in a healthy House Church.

***

This is obvious to most of us… so what I’d like to address for a moment is the spiritual benefit of House church that is often overlooked.

Let me explain - what I am referring to.

We know that in Genesis we were created to be “in relationship” with the Lord. That’s why we were created. It was His desire for us to enjoy Him and to honor Him as the LORD, to walk with Him and enjoy His presence. “The Garden Life”

But we chose to disobey Him and as a result - we embraced our selfish desires and were banished from the garden. ( BTW: Romans tell us that we would have done the same because we too are sinners). We suffer the consequences of our sin ever since.

But God’s desire never changed - He created us “for relationship’ and His desire for that - has always remained.

What changed was - us. We sinned and fell into a world that was far from what He originally desired.

Even through the fall - The Lords desire has remained the same. He still wants to be a part of our lives. To walk together and for us to enjoy His presence.

The Problem is: we live far from Him in a world that is run by Satan and filled with sin. God is so much more HOLY than we can imagine and we are so much more sinful than we realize - there exists an impossible chasm to bridge for us to meet with Him.

SO,

But make no mistake God’s love for us has never waivered. Nor has his desire to manifest (to show) Himself to us.

As a matter of fact if you have ever started reading through the OLD TESTAMENT and have gotten as far as the book of Leviticus - you probably thought - “all these required sacrifices:

sacrifices for the peace offering.

sacrifices for the grain offering

sacrifices for the sins of the people

sacrifices for the priests

what to sacrifice, how much to sacrifice, who needs to sacrifice

it’s painful reading all those rules and regulations!

AND If you happen to make it through the book you have a huge sigh of relief - overwhelmed with the weight and responsibility of all the details.

That was me - until I read something that changed my whole outlook on the book - in Leviticus 9:6 “Then Moses said, “This is the word that Yahweh commanded you to do so that the glory of Yahweh might appear to you.””

He wanted to bridge the chasm to show himself to His people.

From creation, through the fall in the Garden, through the days of the Exodus HE has desired to show His glory to be with His people.

In the years of wanderings in the desert, into the period of conquest under Joshua, WE remained His greatest desire.

Throughout the period of Judges, the divided kingdom, exile and return,

Through the 400 silent years between the OT and NT His desire still did not change.

It was visible when He lovingly sent His Son to redeem mankind and it did not change when the church was born and His Spirit was poured out!

His desire did not change throughout this Church age which we presently enjoy and it will not change as we read what is yet to come in the book of Revelation.

It is the greatest desire of God’s. To be in Relationship with those he loves! What could be worth more if the God of creation - loves us so that He sent His Son to save us and His spirit to help us.

EVEN TODAY - He still wants to show Himself through the church!

Let me “work out” this truth a little further for us.

Leviticus 9:6 “Then Moses said, “This is the word that Yahweh commanded you to do so that the glory of Yahweh might appear to you.””

He shows His glory to us - through creation:

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.”

‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, Sidon, and I display my glory in the midst of you, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I execute my judgments, and I will show myself holy within it. Ezek 28:22

He shows His glory to us - through Christ

And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

This beginning of signs Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. John 2:11

He shows His glory to us - through house church.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Cor 3:16 NLT

New International Version (2011) Chapter 3

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

New International Version (2011) Chapter 4

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards