Get closer to Jesus, He is right here with you!

HOME CHURCH

There is a widespread feeling in the Body of Christ that something is seriously wrong with the modern church. If you believe that mediocrity is Lord, you are probably satisfied with the status quo.  But, if you honestly believe that Jesus is Lord, you may be seeking for something better than business-as-usual mediocrity.  There is something better – a return to real early church Christianity!

The Ten Benefits
of Attending a Christian Fellowship that Meets in a Home

1.Home Church is a return to the exclusive Headship of Christ. Center stage is reserved for     Jesus, not the pastor.  The Holy Spirit is the leader – not man.  It never operates by the          clergy. It never operates by the clique, for the clique. Home Church belongs to God alone;      a Kingdom of functioning priests (all equal) who serve under the Headship of His Son.

2.Home Church promotes real spiritual growth because it eliminates the one-man show.             Every believer has the opportunity to be an active participant. Every ministry is recognized     and every gift is manifested, so every believer can be edified. Home Church is the fully           functioning priesthood, not the church spectator sport which has produced passive and             perpetually dependent spiritual infants.

3.Home Church is a return to authentic caring and sharing Book of Acts Christianity. It             promotes real face-to-face fellowship and intimate family life and support, not the                     superficial, impersonal, institutional phony stuff.

4.Home Church is where every believer can receive real acceptance, honor, and                        encouragement.

5.Home Church promotes real unity. It never operates above, beyond, or independently of its   individual members.  It acknowledges the royal priesthood of all believers.

6.Home Church seeks to manifest the fullness of Christ. This occurs when all of His Body           functions together as the active priesthood that God intended. It's about growing in Christ       together. Not just showing up and playing church together.

7.Home Church acknowledges elders and overseers, but rejects all man-made church                   hierarchy.  This includes the office of senior pastor, the clergy/laity division, paid clergy,          ordination and denominations.

8.Home Church is about enjoying our freedom in Christ.

9.Home Church is dedicated to the welfare and care of the individual, not to the promotion of      the Church. It just quietly and reverently promotes God's Kingdom.

10.Home Church is a return to scriptural simplicity; simple love and simple fellowship.  The         early church was the simple church. The early church was the glorious church.  The early         church was the Home Church.

What is the outcome then, brethren?  When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.  Let all things be done for edification!
1 Corinthians 14:26

Recommended Reading

"Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola
"Rethinking the Wineskin" by Frank Viola

WHAT WENT WRONG
WITH THE MODERN CHURCH?

There is a growing realization today that most of our church practices are out of order. Real church is about real fellowship – sharing the incomparable life and love of Jesus. The New Testament encourages group participation; however most of what you and I experience every Sunday morning is not group participation but institutional domination. Everything we do is programmed, regulated and controlled. All religious institutions function the same way. They operate above, beyond, and independent of their individual members. They claim they are the real churches. But they are wrong. I am the Church, You are the Church. We are the Church. Joining one of these institutions is not a biblical mandate because we can't join something we already belong to.

Most Sunday morning services offer no real fellowship. We are required to sit and silently stare at the back of someone's head. We are permitted to speak on our way in, and on our way out, but that's it. These services are not about real fellowship, real acceptance, real love, real caring, or real sharing. It's not about the people, it's all about the program. We have reduced the Church to the status of a one-man show and a spectator sport.

In the modern church we exalt the mighty name of "pastor". We say we don't, but we do. Pastors love center-stage, and they have created worldly kingdoms for themselves. In men we trust! The end result: We do not hear what the Spirit says to the church. We hear what the pastor says about the Spirit. How do we hear the voice of God? Most Christians never hear the voice of God. Most Christians never become overcomers. Most Christians never even talk about Jesus.

Real church is about body ministry and real inclusion.

Everyone is accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
Everyone is a righteous new creation. (II Corinthians 5:17-21)
Everyone is encouraged to minister. (Romans 12:1-21)
Everyone is encouraged to prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:31)
Everyone is encouraged to function as a priest. (1 Peter 2:9)
Everyone is encouraged to use their spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:1-31)
Everyone in encouraged to contribute. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

When everyone contributes, everyone grows... everyone feels wanted and needed... everyone has real fellowship... everyone has an opportunity to hear what the Spirit says... everyone can experience the real fullness of Christ... everyone has the opportunity to be encouraged and comforted... and everyone feels like a first-class Christian.

Recommended Reading

One mans journey to find freedom from religious bondage, and discover real joy in Jesus