We need to train our church members to do church in everyday life, transforming our local and society. But instead our focus on Sunday Church at a central building is creating “Sunday Christians” who just attend church.
“Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.” (Rom 16:5)
1.Acts doesn’t have much church structure
The book of Acts doesn’t have a focus on meeting in church buildings because church is you and me not buildings. The believers instead met in houses or the Temple. Stephen is accused of speaking against the Temple (6:7) and he doesn’t deny it but clarifies it: “God does not live in houses made by man” (7:48). Eventually the Temple was destroyed. So believers just met up in houses for the next 200 years!
2.Why did the Early Church meet in houses?
Because the focus is more relational with those who you know that live near you. It is a loose structure that allows for organic growth.
It’s also easy to reproduce. You just need to disciple new leaders and they can then start a work based at their house in their locality. You don’t even need a car!
Paul used it as his missionary model:
“When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.” (Acts 16:15).
3.So where does growth happen?
Most of the action and growth of the Church in Acts doesn’t happen at the Temple or at designated meetings. It’s all organic, led by the Spirit and happens on the street, at people’s homes (not necessarily at church meetings), in the market place etc NOT inside the 4 walls of a church building.
E.g. Peter heals the paralytic on the way to the Temple, Paul meets Lydia at the prayer place at the river.
4.The problem with church buildings
The problem with maintaining a church building and Sunday focussed church model is that it’s inflexible, expensive and doesn’t allow for the spontaneous outside the church where most of life is. Also it trains our next leaders to build church in exactly the same way, and when they plant churches in other nations, a model that requires a lot of money and maintenance, that hinders reproduction and growth.
Conclusion
God wants a loose structure, based in the homes of believers (except when persecution doesn’t permit) that allows for organic growth and that is flexible enough to adapt. The Holy Spirit likes “messy church”. This is the church structure for growth.