Jesus the Light 33 Church at Home
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart – 1 Pet.1:22
Then the people who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord gave attention and heard them. And in His presence there was written down in a book, a record of those who fear the Lord and esteem His Name.
They will be Mine, says the Lord Almighty, on the day
I prepare My special treasure – Mal.3:16,17
Christianity is a simple fellowship of love. It exists apart from institutions, programs, and denominations. People who love the Lord Jesus and one another make up the church. Believers themselves are the church, not buildings.
No building has ever been recognized in the Bible as being the church. Acts 7:48,49: “The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the footstool of My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord.”
For the first 250 years of the church’s life, there were no buildings called church that Christians met in. No sanctuaries, cathedrals, or church buildings were built or used for religious gatherings. It was forbidden by Roman law.
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ met with severe persecution from its earliest days, first from the Jews and then from the Roman government. No church buildings were constructed because it was illegal, foolish, and unsafe to do so.
Yet Christians, because of their fear of God and love for one another, met together regularly and often. They bore “one anothers burdens and so fulfilled the law of Christ” – Gal.6:3. Heb.10:24,25 says they considered “how to stir each other up to love and good deeds, by not forsaking their own assembling together, but rather encouraging one another.”
From the very beginning of the church in Acts 2:42: “they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.” They loved truth, loved each other, loved Christ, and prayed for many. That’s how the church began, and how the church should continue.
Acts 2:44,45: “Those who had believed were together and were sharing their possessions with all, as anyone might have need.” Love abounded in their sincere affection and care for one another. This is what the Lord Jesus builds in His church: loving fellowship of mutual caring and encouragement.
The Temple of the Jews in Jerusalem was never a “church” building. It was the Jew’s temple and the scene of immediate persecution by the Jews against the Christians. It was not a church. It was a den of thieves from where hatred continued against those who were like the very Christ the Jews so recently crucified.
Very soon, after repeatedly arresting and imprisoning Peter and John, all the believers in Jerusalem were scattered by the persecution connected with the death of Stephen. Acts 8:1-3: “On that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered. And Saul [later named Paul] began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”
Saul did not enter the temple to arrest the believers, he entered the various private homes, for that is where the early church met for the first 250 years of its life. From the very day of the church’s birth, the believers continued day by day “breaking bread from house to house” – Acts 2:46. It was in a house that the Lord Jesus first broke bread with His disciples [Mt.26:18].
A home is where the church met together and prayed for the imprisoned Peter. Acts 12:12 says, when Peter was released by the angel, “He went to the house of Mary, where many were gathered together and were praying.” The church in Philippi began in a home where 3 families met together. When released from prison in Acts 16:40, Paul and Silas “entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them.”
In Troas when the brethren gathered together on the first day of the week to remember the Lord in the communion, they met in a house [Acts 20:7,8]. In Ephesus, for 3 years, Paul taught the church “from house to house” – Acts 20:20.
Paul writes to the Roman brethren to greet Priscilla and Aquila and “the church that is in their house” – Rom.16:5. Everywhere this couple travelled, you could find a church in their home. 1 Cor.16:19: “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you with the church that is in their house.”
The brethren in Colossae are encouraged to greet “Nympha and the church that is in her house” – Col.4:15. Paul sends his regards to Philemon “and to the church in your house” – Phlm.1,2.
The believers in the NT met in homes, not in church buildings. The Lord Jesus knew this and began building His church without all the machinery, expense, and building projects that we think are so necessary. They are not.
We need none of these things to build up and encourage one another. None of those will fill our hearts with the love of God for one another. Even the simplest and poorest brethren among us can be a blessing to each other apart from all those things.
No spiritual graces and blessings are dependent upon buildings, reverends, and denominations. The biblical pattern of believers’ mutual participation by loving concern and admonition are actually discouraged by those things.
We are “members of one another” – Rom.12:5, not members of a building or denomination. Bricks and zinc do not love one another, only believers can do that. We are commanded to love one another, to build up one another, to care for one another, to serve one another: to bear one another’s burdens, to forgive each other, teach one another: to comfort and encourage one another, to pray for one another, and to fellowship with one another.
These are repeated commands for every Christian from the Word of God. Dear Listener, ask yourself seriously this question: Am I actually doing these things in the church meetings I attend in my denomination’s religious building?
Does meeting according to my church’s program actually allow these things to be done? Is there space there for you to obey these “one another” commands?
You do not need a Reverend’s presence or permission to love one another; Christ commands you to do that. You don’t need a church program to govern your caring for others and encouraging their hearts; the Word of God commands you to do that.
The time may come when you can no longer gather together in your church sanctuaries. What will you do then? Will you stop meeting with your brethren?
Let me introduce you to the church in Philippi as recorded in Acts 16. First, meet sister Lydia, a seller of cloth, whose heart the Lord opened. Then, here is our young sister out of whom a spirit of divination was cast. Last, greet our brother jailor, his wife, and children. This is the church in Philippi and they met in Lydia’s house. Go and do likewise.
Copyright Steve Phillips 2020