Good Morning! I'm your host Lonnie Wibberding, and you are listening to God Notes. A daily devotional podcast sent out from sunny Southern California.
Today is Thursday, January 4, 2024.
The topic today is one that is close to my heart, and strays a little bit from our normal format. But it is something I think we need to be talking about as Christians.
The overarching question I'd like to look at is: What is church?
Church as we know it has been disrupted with the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Oregon we are tentatively opening up again this weekend. And we may be shut down again, it just depends on what happens with this virus.
So what we have known as church may or may not be in the next few months. We are all waiting to find out.
Which brings up the important question, what is church anyway?
When we look at the Bible, especially the Books of Acts where the church was established, it's a different picture than if you or I walk into a standard church building today.
Today you would probably find a pulpit, and the chairs or pews arranged facing the front. If you sit down and stay, there will most likely be some kind of music. The music may be very different from one church to the next, but most likely it will be there in some form.
You will also, almost guaranteed, here some kind of sermon, or talk, or message from some kind of clergy figure.
There may be some other things mixed in, but these two are what most Americans think of when they think of a worship service. A sermon and music.
But for the early church, neither music or sermons were primary. They did sing songs, and someone did preach a sermon now and then on a special occasion. But these were not the big things.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love good music and good preaching. But what we have come to know as church isn’t the essence of New Testament church.
What drove the New Testament church were believers getting together in small groups in their homes. They gathered for fellowship, study, and prayer. And they seemed to eat to together, which seems like a good idea to me. In this setting people chose to became disciples of Jesus and grew as disciples of Jesus.
Jesus Himself chose to change the world by investing in 12 men – a small group. He could have called a hundred to be with him, but instead He called 12. By spending time in a small group He was able to mold these men into disciples. And they, through the power of the Holy Spirit, changed the world.
And this example of Jesus of making disciples in small groups is what the early church did. The big gatherings were for special occasions. The small gathering are what changed people.
Romans 16:5
“Please give my greetings to the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in the province of Asia.” ~ New Living Translation
Romans 16:23
“Gaius says hello to you. I am his guest, and the church meets here in his home. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does Quartus, a Christian brother.” ~ New Living Translation
1 Corinthians 16:19
“The churches here in the province of Asia greet you heartily in the Lord, along with Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings.” ~ New Living Translation
Colossians 4:15
“Please give my greetings to our Christian brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and those who meet in her house.” ~ New Living Translation
Philemon 1:1-3
“This letter is from Paul, … I am also writing to the church that meets in your house. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” ~ New Living Translation
The small group house church was a thing in the New Testament. In fact, it was the thing. It was church.
Even today there are countries where it is illegal to worship God as a Christian. What do Christians do? This very thing. Small groups of believers gather where they can and have church. It is the essence of church, and this is how the church survives in hard times.
Hard times are upon us, or at least weird times. We need to take a serious look at this friends.
If you are not part of a small group it may be time to prayerfully consider it. If there is not one around to join, why not start one and extend the reach of God’s church into your home?
May God Bless your day. We'll talk again tomorrow.