The Necessity of the House Church
By Dr. Ken Matto
Acts 2:46 (KJV) And they, continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat
with gladness and singleness of heart,
It seems we have come to a time in church history when
the organized church has come to a point where the great majority of them have
stopped bringing the truth from the Bible and have lowered themselves to become
fanciful political entities and also they have become entertainment centers.
When I speak about political entities, I speak of the fact that the majority of
pre-tribulation churches have become nothing but war mongering assemblies in
favor of bombing every country into rubble for the purpose of protecting their
rogue idol called Israel. All one has to do is listen to the poison that someone
like John Hagee spews. That man does not know the true Gospel. The political
nation of Israel was never prophesied to become a nation according to the
Scriptures. The truth is that they lost their rights to the land as the
Scriptures teach. That is just one aspect of this phenomenon called Israel
which most churches have idolized and made it the center of their teachings. If
one truly studies this issue, it would never be taught in a true church because
it would have been found out to be a false teaching better yet a heretical
teaching. The true Israel which is taught in the New Testament is the body of
believers.
The second problem with most churches today is that
they have become entertainment centers. With their full bands and the pastor
dressing like a putrid slob, they no longer teach the true Gospel because it is
absent from these entertainment centers. People go into a church and cannot even
identify what bible version is being used because they are so watered down and
false. There is only story telling from the pulpit because of an unqualified
pastor who chose to go to seminary and start a church so he doesn’t have to go
to a regular job. These false pastors choose their cronies to be elders so their
position is locked up and they never have to worry about being tossed out.
Instead, those who bring the truth from the Scriptures are the ones tossed out.
These are just two problems with the modern church
that has become pandemic in the Christian community. I live in an area where
there are about 15 churches and not one of them brings about a true Gospel. In
fact, one Episcopal church in the area has an annual event of blessing
motorcycles and bicycles. What a pathetic show of ignorance. No wonder there is
no Gospel being preached in these churches. The first denomination to be formed
was the Moravians in 1457, then others followed such as Presbyterians, Baptists,
etc. It seems the day of the organized church has come to an end and it is time
once again to follow the biblical standard of meeting in houses. There are major
advantages about meeting in houses and I wish to bring to light some of the
advantages of attending a house church over an organized church. Now let me be
clear, there are still some churches out there which are still faithful to the
word of God and continue to bring the truth but they are far and few in between
and getting scarcer by the week. This is why I would advocate the formation of
house churches and I give a number of reasons why I do.
Control of Sermon Topics
How many times when one goes to a church they
hear only a story or they hear all about Israel and not the true one found in
the Bible. In a house church, one can control the topics of what is preached.
Instead of these Hollywood prophecy sermons you can aim at true Gospel growth.
Now with the internet, we have access to thousands of good sermons through sites
like www.sermonaudio.com where you can
set your computer up and place some speakers around and have your choice of
quality sermons for free. You can also have a member of the house church bring
the message each week so you have the choice of listening to a sermon on line or
having a member bring the message. This will insure that good teaching will be
available each week.
Donations Collected can be Properly
Distributed
Part of the weekly service can be a collection of
funds and instead of the money going into a black hole in a church, especially
for big salaries and benefits, they can be designated for the work of missions.
One week they can be sent to, for example, World Missionary Press, and the next
week they can be sent to Trans World Radio, the following week to Africa Inland
Mission, or a single mission can be decided upon and it can be supported every
week. One person can gather up the funds and forward them to the mission. It
would also not be wrong to give a few dollars to the one hosting the church in
their house, especially in winter when extra heat must be used to warm a large
room or in summer when air conditioning is used.
Control Bible Versions
If there is one judgment upon the churches, it is the
confusion or as my friend Will Kinney puts it, “Bible Babble Buffet.” The host
of the house church can insist that everyone use the King James Bible so there
is no question as to what is being taught. One of the most confusing thing in
the churches is the multiple versions used in every assembly which causes
nothing but confusion and causes the people to lose their place in understanding
of what is being preached. All these churches with their pastors push these
modern versions because they claim they are better but the people are being sold
a bill of goods and unfortunately they willingly accept these false claims of
the modernist. God has something to say about modernism. Jeremiah 6:16 (KJV)
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, We will not walk therein. Jeremiah 6:16 speaks about the old
paths which is the good way that will help you find rest for your souls. It is
the old paths that we are to seek, not the modern paths because the modern paths
have shown to be utmost failures. The old King James Bible is where the power
and stability is for a godly Christian walk.
Control Unwanted Subjects
Instead of having to sit through nonsensical messages
from the pulpit, the house church can remove those subjects which do not
engender growth and replace them with meaty subjects that can cause Christian
growth, which is what the church is supposed to be aiming for for all its
people. It is not about the pastor’s ability to tell stories, it is about
growing the Christian in the fear and nurture of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
(KJV) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Control the Size of The Gathering
There is a great advantage of having a small
congregation because everyone would actually be able to know each other. A group
can be limited to 10 or 20, depending on the size of the house available. If you
look at these mega churches like Joel Osteen’s which house over 43,000 people or
North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia under Andy Stanley which has
about 30,000. Can you really have any intimate fellowship in a group that size?
I can guarantee you that if you attended a large church, you would rarely have
any true fellowship because no one knows anyone. They walk in and they walk out
and that is the extent of their commitment. If you have a group of 20 and it
starts to get bigger, then you can start another group in another home. It is
also easier to bring a guest if it is a small group because it is not an
overwhelming situation.
Control The Music
You no longer have to walk into a church and cover
your ears because the music is so loud and imitates Rock and Roll. Instead, you
may have a home which has a piano or someone may play another instrument which
may be used to accompany the music. Instead of having to sing all those mantra
charismatic songs, you can go back to the old paths and once again sing the old
hymns which minister to the spirit and not the flesh. The old hymns are packed
full of good biblical teaching which is so needed in the church today. Rock of
Ages, Amazing Grace, Channels Only, et al all bring the Gospel message in song.
No Ordination Necessary
Ordination is not a biblically based custom.
Ordination started by the Roman Catholic Institution and the Protestants saw it
and adopted the practice. Ordination keeps good preachers out of the pulpits and
keeps in the cronies. Many years ago I was told by the pastor of the church I
attended that I was not allowed to stand behind an eagle in the front of the
church which was a stand that had the Bible on it because I was not ordained.
What was going to happen? Was a lightning bolt going to hit me? Ordination just
continues to perpetuate the “good ole’ boys network.” It keeps a tight grip on
denominations and excludes those who are truly qualified to preach. The concept
of ordination creates a division in the church between the ordained and the
laity. There is no such thing as a super spiritual class of clergy which is
above the rest of the congregation. In a house church, one who is truly called
as a pastor can minister. The pastor is not a ruling office in the church. It is
a spiritual gift like that of helps or teachers. Ephesians 4:11 (KJV) And he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; Many denominational clergy arrogate to themselves the
title of pastor/teacher based on their erroneous understanding of Ephesians
4:11. That verse separates pastor and teacher as two different ministries. Now a
pastor is a teacher but that does not exclude others from being a teacher that
are not called to be a pastor. 1 Corinthians 12:28 (KJV) And God hath set
some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,
after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28 shows that teachers are a separate ministry
from pastors. Hebrews 5:12 (KJV) For when for the time ye ought to be
teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of
the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat. Hebrews 5:12 teaches us that when Christians mature, they ought to be
teachers. This verse alone tells us that there is not just “one” teacher in the
congregation, namely the pastor but there should be a multitude of teachers.
No Registration as a 501C3 Organization
There is another major advantage of having a house
church and that is no registration as a 501C3 entity. When a church
incorporates, they automatically become a state entity. In other words,
incorporation means that you are a state sponsored church and are subject to
government rules. This means that if a church wants to maintain its tax exempt
status, then they must teach and preach only what the government allows and if
they cross the line then they lose their tax exempt status. The reason why
churches have membership is because members are considered stockholders under
the laws of incorporation and are required for the church to maintain legal
status. It is no different than a corporation which issues stock. The reality is
that the government and that includes the IRS cannot legally touch the church
unless there are improprieties but the church is a protected entity under the
Constitution.
Bill of Rights - First Amendment -
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.
Congress is not allowed to respect any specific
religion in this country and if you notice, it also states that it cannot make
laws to prohibit the free exercise of religion which means that Christians are
allowed to practice their faith and the local authorities cannot stop them nor
prohibit them. If they make an attempt to do so, they are in violation of the
Constitution and are setting themselves up for a civil suit. So Christianity can
be practiced in a home or other place outside of the established church and
their buildings. What this means is that a house church is free to assemble
which is also a guarantee under the first amendment. It also states that freedom
of speech is guaranteed under the first amendment which means that a preacher or
teacher can teach whatever they want without the law condemning them. In a 501C3
church, the pastor is limited in what they are allowed to preach and because
most pastors are more concerned with their beloved tax exempt status, they will
not teach about the issues which especially affect the church. A house church
has a tremendous backing in the first amendment. For those who are concerned
about not being able to deduct what is given to the house church, answer this
question, Who is your benefactor, the IRS or God Almighty?
Keeps Out Unwanted Teachings Like Tongues
Another great aspect of house churches is that if a
person comes into the assembly and brings some type of false teaching, they can
be rebuked and rejected immediately without a meeting. The house church
environment can be kept purer than established churches since large churches
need a lot of donations to keep themselves afloat. So many churches tolerate
false teachings just to keep the money and the members flowing in.
Rejects Unqualified Pastors
Many years ago if a person believed they had the call
to the pastoral ministry, instead of going to seminary right away, they would
join with the pastor of their church and begin to do some of the pastoral duties
as a trainee. It would be during this time that a person would come to know if
they have the calling or not. Today’s seminaries do not even ask the person if
they have been called and how they came to believe they had been called. All one
needs to get into Bible college and seminary is a checkbook. If you can afford
to pay your way, you will be accepted and this method has created many
unqualified pastors who are getting into it so they do not have to go to work in
a 9 to 5 job. I personally know a man who didn’t feel like working in a regular
job so he came to the elders of a church I attended and told them he got the
call and it cost the church $21,000. It’s funny, I didn’t know that God called
unbelievers to the ministry. Psalm 50:16-17 (KJV) But unto the wicked God
saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take
my covenant in thy mouth? {17} Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my
words behind thee. As you can read in Psalm 50:16-17, God does not have
good things to ask and say to unbelievers who attempt to preach. By the way, as
far as I know, that man is still unsaved. The house church has the ability to
guard its teaching ministry very closely and to reject anyone who brings
unbiblical teachings. It is a shame that many people sit in churches each Sunday
listening to the blathering of unqualified pastors who try to work their way
into people’s hearts with cute stories that lack any biblical substance.
No Church Bosses
In most churches there are some who are church bosses
and nothing happens without their permission. Most of the time these people are
the wealthier ones and have high positions in corporations thinking that gives
them the right to carry their position into the church. You know the reality is
that if a person is a Vice President of a company, once they walk out the door
at 5 PM, they are no longer VP of anything. Their authority is limited to the
company and they are just regular citizens outside that corporate environment. I
have been in churches where elders have become church bosses and everyone had to
walk on eggshells around them. 3 John 9 (KJV) I wrote unto the church: but
Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
In 3 John 9 we read about a church boss named Diotrephes and what the Scripture
reveals about him is what it reveals about all church bosses and they want to
have the preeminence among the people. In other words, they want to be something
in the people’s sight. The house church can eliminate someone with this type of
attitude. That is not to say that there is no biblical disciplines but the one
with a superior attitude needs to be quashed.
Remaining Biblical Is Easier
Have you ever been in a church where the congregation
votes on something which is perfectly laid out in the Scriptures? What about
denominations voting on women elders or pastors? Recently some denominations had
voted on whether to allow sodomites to hold pastoral positions in churches.
Sodomy is an abomination unto the Lord and the denominations are voting on such
things? This is what happens when the Bible is tossed aside and political
correctness takes its place. If a denomination rejects the sodomite pastors,
then they can lose their tax exempt status if a law suit is brought on that
denomination by one of the “tolerant” sodomites. So instead of facing that
dilemma, they will just allow them into the pulpits. In a house church, a
sodomite can visit but he cannot teach or preach plus he cannot bring a law suit
since the house church is not a vassal of the state through incorporation. A
house church is free to preach what they want on any subject matter under the
first amendment. State churches have surrendered their first amendment rights
through incorporation.
Meetings Can Be Moved If Needed
Unlike a church building, the house church meeting can
be moved. If a host family is going on vacation or there is sickness, then the
assembly can be moved to another home or location. This is a good aspect of
house churches. In fact, the house church can meet at someone’s home for a month
and then at another’s home for a month. This means that one home will not be the
only one hosting and can allow the responsibility to be shared by others with
homes.
Small Groups Promote Intimacy
Another aspect of small house churches is the fact
that you can actually get to know the people you are worshipping with and this
results in closer friendships, so when someone goes through hard times, they can
actually call on someone for help without having to introduce themselves. Try
building an intimate assembly in a church of 25,000, it will not happen. I have
visited churches where not one person even spoke with me and this is also the
testimony of others I have spoken with. In a house church, you will be part of
the small congregation immediately and by the time you leave, you will think you
have known everyone for 10 years. Spiritual intimacy makes you want to return
the next week.
Summary
The advent of mega-churches and the influx of false
teachings which has attacked Christianity and caused the churches to become weak
is only one reason why Christians need to consider house churches. The majority
of churches have become dangerous places for the true Christian. What I mean by
that is the poisonous doctrines and teachings which spew from the pulpit and are
held by those in the congregation are a detriment to the true Christian. The
mainline churches have failed and are no longer bringing true teachings except
for a very few and far in between. Christians need to escape that ungodly
environment or they may become influenced by the false teachers and their
teachings. The New Testament church met in homes and they were a lot stronger
than what we have today. It is time once again for us to seek the old paths and
reject the modern paths. With so much satanic teachings and shenanigans being
brought into and happily accepted by the church, it is time for true Christians
to leave that environment and start house churches where people can come and
grow. It is not even a question of convenience but it is a question of
necessity. 1 Corinthians 9:16 (KJV) For though I preach the gospel, I have
nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I
preach not the gospel!
Romans 16:5 (KJV) Likewise greet the church that is in
their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia
unto Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:19 (KJV) The churches of Asia salute
you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is
in their house.
Colossians 4:15 (KJV) Salute the brethren which are in
Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
Philemon 2 (KJV) And to our beloved Apphia, and
Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
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