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Originally Posted by Amanah
Why isn't the model of leadership proposed in the opening posts more prevalent?
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It's hard to say how prevalent it is. There are a lot of un-networked independent assemblies that meet in homes (I do not like the phrase "house church", and try never to use it).
Or, even if they are, they may be pretty low under the radar.
Otherwise, the model I have attempted to propose is or can be incredibly difficult to maintain. It cuts across the grain of what is normative to the Gentile mind and worldview, an insight the Lord Jesus made clear to us in the Gospels.
Additionally, almost everyone is familiar with "church" as American pastime and construct. It's very common to roll with whatever has already been established, monolithically, in nearly every metropolis, city, town, village and hamlet. The normative, current church model is dominant, and has been so for a very long time. It's one of the least questioned hallmarks of the Medieval Age.
Only in the last 10-20 years, with the advent of the Internet, has the world of ideas truly been as close as one's fingertips. That includes differing ecclesiastical ideas of what a church should look like, how it should be structured, or in what way it's supposed to operate. I think therefore, that the prevalence will increase as we move forward.
Additionally, if the model I have tried to articulate here in some small way, really is something worth working toward, worth being defined as something the Lord Jesus personally wants for His Body to adopt, then a completely different consideration needs to be addressed, and that is, one of divine providence and timing.
Just as Jesus had many things to teach His Apostles, but knew they were not ready, I submit that there might yet be many things Jesus has yet to teach the Apostolic Church, but it's not ready. That can be true of any truth our Savior wants to bring forward, not just this. So, maybe it's true, here, too?
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Most of those who are leading in this proposed model are those who were saved in the traditional church model, are gifted elders and able to lead a home fellowship.
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Agreed, however, there is a certain frame of mind, a type of recalibration or period of adjustment, that may be necessary. It depends case by case. We all are molded into certain things, and grow into those molds, internalizing them, associating them with things like our salvation, and etc.
Breaking free from a mold is or at least can be, incredibly challenging. Consider what Jesus had to do to Saul of Tarsus. Now, it may not be as dramatic as the Damascus Road, but the principle there, of what it can take, or how long it might take to really manifest, plus the inherent costs involved (a man stands the chance of losing everything and everyone, in some cases) show the potential difficulty in making such a transition.
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A majority of the home church fellowships are charismatic, or Hebrew roots, or in some way not Apostolic. It does not seem viable for the majority of people.
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I don't know the statistics enough to say what the majority of home church fellowships are like, or how each might define or align themselves theologically, but certainly there are advantages and disadvantages, the same with any other model of church structure. And navigating those waters can be tricky for many because those are waters not routinely sailed. Some simply won't, or can't, take the journey.
Conversely, if the "house church" model was all that someone ever knew, and he or she decided to transition to a more mainstream or current model, it could be just as hard or scary.
Ultimately, the anchor of the soul is what matters. Being anchored in Christ, being full of the Holy Spirit, walking in charity, being merciful to all, maintaining integrity, being humble, all the hallmarks of Biblical Christianity, will give the person all they need to find their way into God's perfect will, no matter the model or place of fellowship.
Like Esaias wrote, we just have to be willing to do whatever He tells us to do, no matter what, never losing the desire to be a part of God's family, the church, in whatever form it's currently taking. As long as it still belongs to Him, things will work out all right.