Quote:
Originally Posted by n david
This is the trinitarian, non new birth believing house church you left recently, yes?
I've attended a house church before, for about a year. We enjoyed meeting there. We also enjoy our congregation and the services we currently attend.
The fact that you would rather be in a discussion where you can talk doesn't mean congregational services are unBiblical.
|
I'm trying to explain something that is on a very thin line. I'm not saying that "congregational services" are unbiblical in and of themselves. What I'm saying is that much of what comprises what we call "congregational services" in modern times is unbiblical. The sermon is largely based on Aristotelian rhetoric. I believe it was Finney who brought the "altar call" into popularity. The congregational structure centered upon a single pastor was largely developed by Calvinists. The white collar, robes, etc. found in many "Apostolic" churches in various organizations are unbiblical. Tithing, while "biblical", isn't a NT mandate. The tiny "wafer" and "thimble" of grape juice was a Catholic innovation that replaced the Lord's Supper (which was all a part of the agape feast). Steeples are straight up pagan phallic symbols. I could go on and on and on.
The point isn't that larger services are sin or unbiblical. It's primarily all the human innovations that have come along with it. The smoke machines, concert lights, etc..
The point is that any fellowship that doesn't permit the small group ministry described as the primary mode of gathering in Scripture is unbiblical, and many of the components of congregational services as we know them today are not found in Scripture.
The most "biblical" house church network I've known was Apex, A Network of Community Churches. They are Reformed in their doctrine, though they welcomed non-Reformed members into the "discussion", which led to several of the house churches being Arminian in doctrine. While I'm not fan of their doctrine, their structure of the church was far more in line with the Bible than most churches I've seen. They were composed of over 70 house churches. Besides the house churches, they own a rather large campus in Centerville, Ohio. Two services were held on Sundays at the campus. The mid-week services was a "Bible Study". All services at the campus were seen as supplemental to the house church network. In fact, it was more like a hub to keep the house churches united in vision, doctrine, and to aid in soul winning.
The way the soul winning worked was most of the campus services were tailored to accommodate the guest. It was a rather contemporary service with contemporary worship music and expository preaching. Those interested in the network, or invited by members would typically first attend the campus services. Those who felt like making Apex their church home were then put into contact with house church elders leading house churches in their area. They were encouraged to visit these house churches and attend midweek gatherings with a house church family.
So, the house churches are much like care groups. Only with care groups, most authority is centralized in the Senior Pastor. In a house church network, the majority of authority, teaching, discipline, and study takes place in connection to the house church and the elders presiding over a given house church. Baptisms, the Lord's Supper, and spiritual guidance, and discipline are all handled at the house church level. The Sr. Pastor might visit a given house church on occasion. If a person feels the counsel or guidance of a house church elder isn't serving them well, they can schedule a meeting with the Sr. Pastor. And if a situation is such that the house church elders feel the Sr. Pastor should be involved, they can schedule a meeting with the Sr. Pastor for the member.
So, it isn't that only gathering in a house is right. It's that house churches were typically a part of the network of a city wide "church" in biblical times. A lone house church without oversight or a network isn't ideal, and shouldn't be in the wilderness alone for too long. If it is a startup, that's one thing. But becoming united with a larger network or a larger body is necessary for healthy growth.
House churches are a really big deal here at Apex.
http://www.apexcommunity.org/house-church
Linear Mode
