Scripture
3But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. 4But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Acts 8:3-4
Observation
Before Saul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus his goal was to take the Christian Church down. He used all of his considerable resources, his relational connections with local synagogues and his strategic planning to do what he considered “the Lord’s work.” These verses reveal an important truth about the early Church. In order to destroy the church brick by brick Saul had to go house to house because there were no buildings that could house this rapidly growing movement. No matter how hard he tried persecution was just fuel on the fire because you can’t catch the wind. The Church wasn’t an address. How do you stop something that is everywhere every day? “And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:42). It’s interesting to contrast the Holy Spirit speaking to everyone and through everyone everywhere in Acts with the Old Testament version of meeting with God which was largely reserved for a select spiritual few in a single location: “8Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. 9As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses.” (Ex. 33:8-9). The people watched while Moses met with God. The Spirit came to one location for one person and that one person heard the Lord for the people. This is NOT the New Testament model where God poured out His Spirit on All! Where everyone can meet with God from their homes and lead the people in their circles of influence. Of course there’s still leadership through the five offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher, but those offices are there to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-16) where they wake work and worship throughout the week. This is the movement God started in Acts 2. It’s not about one person or personality, but every person. Not about one house or location but every house. (e.g., the house of Mary, mother of Mark, in Acts 12:12).
Application
So, how did the Church become so centralized? How did we come to resemble the Tent of Meeting model described in the Old Testament instead of the House to House model described in the New Testament? It wasn’t until 300 years after the birth of the Church in Acts that Church became generally identified with a building and location. In 313 AD Emperor Constantine made Christianity the legal religion throughout the Roman world and the Church began the practice of corporate ownership of property. The Church leadership helped everyone through organizational and spiritual leadership to remain as one and move in unity from house to house. There were, of course, always larger group gatherings so it’s no an issue of either/or, but both/and. With the COVID-19 Pandemic permanently changing people’s gathering habits it seems that now, more than ever, the Church will get big by going small. At The Father’s House we are positioning ourselves to truly serve our Community Builders in these days. We truly believe this an opportunity to equip and release the priesthood of the saints to connect the reality of Christ to every person in our every day lives. The Holy Spirit is moving through every person willing to step out in faith to shepherd their circle of influence.
Prayer
This morning You have filled me with expectation Lord. The first vision You put in my heart when we were called to serve as pastors at The Fathers House was simply: The Fathers House in Every House. I had no idea how important this directive would be. You are doing something new and powerful and I wan’t be a part of it! I pray a covering over our current Community Builders, over the two families that are praying about starting a House Church and over the many that will be stirred by your Spirit to do the same this year! I pray for Holy Spirit boldness over each Christ follower where they wake, work, and worship. Just as the persecution of the Church in the first Century propelled the growth of the Church from house to house I see You using this Pandemic to do the same. You are building Your Church by building Your people to do Your work outside of buildings! The Church getting outside of the church in order to be The Church!
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