The website of this church shows captivating photos of their worship team, implying high energy and an edgy sound.
Consider these four discussion questions for Church #25:
1. Everyone wears an adhesive nametag, and we make our own nametags. At some churches members wear permanent nametags and guests use temporary ones, which single them out.
If your church uses nametags, how can you best embrace others? If you don’t use name tags, why not?
2. Friends invite us to sit with them. Though we don’t need this comforting gesture to feel welcome, a typical newcomer might appreciate it.
In what ways can you help a person feel more comfortable?
3. The worship team is far different than their website portrays. Instead of a high-energy, edgy worship band, there’s a laid-back team of two. I’m disappointed.
Is your website an accurate reflection of your services? If not, what do you need to change?
4. However, this discrepancy between website and reality may be because in a few months this church will cease their Sunday meetings.
They’ll relaunch with another church to form a new group, with a new name, and a renewed focus. Change is hard, but these people anticipate it.
How can your church better deal with change? How can you help?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Dr. Luke Describes 3 Characteristics of the Acts 4 Church
The book of Acts unfolds as an historical narrative of the early church, the activities of the first followers of Jesus and those who join them.
For the most part, Acts simply describes what happens, with little commentary and few instructions for proper conduct.
While we can look to Acts as a possible model for Christian community, we would be in error to treat it as a requirement for right behavior. In this way Acts can inform us today, but it doesn’t command us.
For example, if I wrote, “My church went to a baseball game after the service,” no one (I hope) would think I was saying that attending baseball games is prescriptive of Christian life.
No. It was merely descriptive of what one church did one time. We would never build our theology on a statement like that.
So it is with the book of Acts. Yet we can learn from it. Luke writes three things about that church:
Christian Unity
The Acts 4 church is of one heart and mind, just as Jesus prayed that we would be one (John 17:21). Their actions are consistent with Jesus’s prayer.
Jesus prayed it, and the early church does it. I hope unity describes every one and every congregation.
Community Minded
In the Acts 4 church, no one claims their possessions as their own. It isn’t my things and your things; it is our things. They have a group mentality and act in the community’s best interest.
While we might do well to hold our possessions loosely, notice that this isn’t a command. They just do it out of love.
Willing to Share
Last, the Acts 4 church shares everything they have. Not some things, not half, but all. This would be a hard thing for many in our first-world churches to do today but not so much in third-world congregations.
Again, this isn’t a command (and later on Peter confirms that sharing resources is optional, Acts 5:4); it is just a practice that happens at this moment of time in the early church.
While these three characteristics should inspire us to think and behave differently, and can provide a model for our gatherings and interactions, we need to remember that the Bible gives us no commands to pursue a communal-type church.
We can, but it’s one option. Of the three only unity rises as an expectation because Jesus yearns for it to be so.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
When I think of being punished, be it by God or people, I think in terms of things I do wrong. That is, doing things that I shouldn’t have done. Some people call this an “act of commission.” They are things I have committed.
However, there can also be consequences for not doing the things we should have done. This is an “act of omission.” They are things I didn’t do, even though I should have.
Jesus talks about acts of omission in a parable about the sheep and the goats. The goats were guilty, not of doing wrong, but of not doing what was right. Their failure was a failure to act.
Jesus even gives specific examples:
a failure to feed the hungry,
a failure to provide water to the thirsty,
a failure to show hospitality to the stranger,
a failure to give clothes to those in need, and
a failure to look after the sick and imprisoned.
Each of these are huge issues—and overwhelming—but enormity is not an excuse for inaction.
While one person can’t solve all of these issues—or even one of them—each person can do something to make a difference, be it simply to help one person who is hungry, thirsty, homeless, needy, or hurting.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
My parents taught me the proper posture for prayer: to fold your hands, close your eyes, and bow your head. These emerged as three steps I must take before I talked to God. I inferred that if I didn’t do all three, the Almighty would not hear me or answer my prayers.
This perspective is standard in church and permeates society. Most everyone, both the churched and unchurched, knows to close their eyes and bow their heads when someone else prays. And many also fold their hands.
Children with hands folded keep them from wayward action. This might prevent them from poking their sibling without their parents’ watchful eyes to stop them or popping food into their mouth before the meal’s blessing is complete.
Hands folded are hands not getting into trouble.
But I wonder if raised arms and open hands might be a preferred action.
Close Your Eyes
Keeping our eyes shut removes us from distraction, which helps us focus on God and the words of the prayer—at least in theory. This doesn’t work for me.
If I close my eyes when hearing a prayer made in public, I have one concern: what’s happening around me that I can’t see? This is especially true at restaurants. If I’m the one praying, I make it as short as possible to minimize my distress in not knowing what those moving about are doing. And when others pray, I silently implore them to finish fast. I seldom connect with or even hear these prayers.
My solution is to pray with eyes open. This works best for me.
Bow Your Heads
To lower our heads during prayer portrays reverence.
As a young child, I know one man in our church who did the opposite. During our minister’s congregational prayer each Sunday, this man raised his head, as if gazing toward heaven. I saw this as the ultimate sign of worship. I admired him for it.
How do I know this? Simple, I kept my eyes open during the prayer. But my parents didn’t know this because they kept theirs closed.
What Does the Bible Say?
Scripture never tells us to do any of these three physical acts before we pray.
When Jesus’s disciples asked them to teach them how the pray, he didn’t begin by saying to first fold your hands, close your eyes, and bow your heads (Luke 11:1-4). He simply began talking to Papa, “Our father . . .” (Matthew 6:9-13).
Notice that in both biblical accounts of Jesus giving his followers a prayer to emulate, there is not in “amen” at the end. This is another thing to contemplate as we reform our prayers.
The Intent of Prayer
The goal of prayer is communicating with God. Our physical carriage is not an issue. Our connection with our Creator is. Our words matter so much more than our physical positioning, like to fold your hands.
When we pray, we can fold our hands or raise our arms. We can close our eyes or keep them open. We can bow our heads, gaze towards heaven, or do neither.
When we pray, we should adopt whatever posture will best allow us to talk with God. This is the right way to pray.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
This church resulted when three dying congregations merged a quarter century ago, but with a worship team of teens brought in, today isn’t a normal gathering. I suspect it’s a more atypical church service.
Consider these four discussion questions about Church #24:
1. Most of the congregation are senior citizens, with few children. The sanctuary seats about four hundred, but it’s only one-fourth full.
If you have an aging congregation, what can you do to reverse the trend?
2. The absence of a cross is conspicuous. This isn’t an issue for me, but for many it is. The cross is a prime emblem of Christian faith, but we must remember it’s only a symbol.
What symbols are present or lacking in your church? What message might this convey?
3. Today’s sermon is about friendship. True friendship, the minister says, requires constancy, honesty, and wise counsel. Jesus is the ultimate friend.
How well do you do at being a true friend to others?
4. Both before and after this atypical church service, people thank us for visiting. Their conversations aren’t to share faith but to entice us back. They’re desperate to grow.
How do your efforts to grow your church come across? Are you willing to ask a visitor their thoughts to get a firsthand account?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
What Scripture Teaches About Meeting Together Is Far Different Than Our Sunday Services
We talked about three options for a house church gathering: duplicate a typical service, participate online, or just hang out. Each of these three approaches have their strengths and weaknesses.
However, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives us some ideas of what we could do for a house church (1 Corinthians 14:26-27). He gives five activities that could take place: singing, teaching, sharing a revelation, speaking in tongues, and giving an interpretation.
But before we dig into these five
areas, let’s look at some other key items first.
When You Gather
Paul says when you gather, not if you gather. This reminds us that getting together with other followers of Jesus should be a regular occurrence, not random (check out Hebrews 10:25).
This idea of meeting together can occur on Sunday morning or can happen at any other time. The Bible doesn’t command the day or the hour when we should meet, nor is the timing sacred. Gathering Sunday morning is merely a practice that developed over the centuries.
Each Person
Next, let’s look at the phrase that
precedes Paul’s list. He says, “each of you.” This means everyone should
participate. The idea of all those present taking part suggests an egalitarian
house church gathering, where everyone contributes, and everyone ministers to
each other.
This instruction removes the divide
between leader and follower, which happens in today’s church services. On a
typical Sunday morning a few people lead, while most people watch. This means
that a few people are active during church, while most sit as passive
observers, as if going to a concert or attending a lecture.
Five Actions for House Church Gatherings
Instead Paul wants everyone
involved, where each person can minister to one another. He lists five
activities that should take place in our house church gathering.
1. Sing a Song
When we meet together, we should
sing a hymn or share a song—likely more than one. This could mean playing a
musical instrument so that others can sing along. For those who can’t play an
instrument or lead others in singing, a modern-day option might be to play a
recording of a song. Anyone can do that.
It could also mean—it probably does
means—launching into a song or chorus a cappella as the Holy Spirit leads. This
requires no preparation at all, just a willingness to listen to the direction
of God’s Spirit.
2. Teach a Lesson
The same approach applies for
giving a word of instruction. We don’t need to preach a half-hour to an
hour-long sermon. In this case less is more. We can often communicate much by
speaking little. Saying something concisely in thirty seconds may be more
meaningful than droning on for thirty minutes. Again, no preparation required.
And everyone present can do this.
All we need is a willingness to
share something that God taught us during the week, or that we learned through
studying Scripture. In addition, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to tell us what
to share during our meeting. It can build off what someone else has already
said, or it may be a new topic.
3. Share a Revelation
The idea of having a revelation to
share will seem normal to some and a bit mystical to others. Think of a
revelation as special knowledge that God has given to us. He could do this
through a writing we read or an action we observe. And it can be through Holy
Spirit insight. Regardless of the source of our revelation, Paul wants us to
share these perceptions with those gathered.
4. Speak in Tongues
The last two items on the list may,
or may not, be a comfortable activity in our group, depending on our practices
and comfort level. The first of these two items is speaking in tongues.
The Bible talks about speaking in
tongues, and Paul instructs the people in Corinth to do it. It’s biblical, and
we should consider this for our house church gathering. But it may be optional,
because Paul later says, if anyone speaks in tongues. This implies it’s
not a requirement. But he does say that if people speak in tongues, only a few
people should do it and then one at a time.
5. Interpret the Tongue
After someone speaks in an unknown
language, someone must interpret it. Implicitly, if no one can interpret the
message, then the person shouldn’t share it. After all, how can words that no
one understands build up the church?
Holy Spirit at Our House Church Gathering
Much of the activity for a house church gathering means listening to the Holy Spirit and responding as he directs. Implicit in this we will encounter times of silence—sometimes lengthy—as we wait and listen. Silence unnerves some people, so if this idea of waiting for God to speak is new to you, move forward with care as you build up the ability to sit, listen, and share. Hearing from the Holy Spirit, however, is central to our house church gathering.
Build Up the Church
To conclude his list of five items,
Paul says everything we do at a house church gathering must be for the purpose
of building up the church, to strengthen the faith and community of those
present. Doing or saying anything to elevate ourselves or draw attention to our
abilities benefits our ego. This detracts from the group.
Instead we should humble ourselves and do things for our common good. This will advance the kingdom of God and the good news of Jesus.
Read more about this in Peter’s thought-provoking book, Jesus’s Broken Church, available in e-book, audiobook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
John Baptizes with Water and Jesus Baptizes with the Holy Spirit
The third chapter in the book of Matthew focuses on John the Baptist and makes the transition to Jesus, the star of the rest of the book. This chapter also contains some teaching from John.
He quotes Isaiah and calls for the Jewish people to repent.
Then he tells us some information about himself in contrast to Jesus. He says Jesus is more powerful than he, and that he’s not even worthy to carry Jesus’s shoes (Matthew 3:11). Later on Matthew quotes Jesus as he talks about John.
Jesus says no man has ever lived who is greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). When we combine these two verses, we see John the Baptist as the most important man ever, yet he is nothing compared to Jesus.
Reading that John isn’t worthy to carry Jesus’s shoes has always grabbed my attention. However, this causes me to miss something more significant in this verse.
John says he is baptizing people with water to signify the repentance, that is, their sorrow for the wrongs they have done and their commitment to turn things around and make a fresh start.
Many churches treat baptism this way. This isn’t bad, but they could do better.
This is because John talks about a second type of baptism, it comes from Jesus. John says Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
We later see the Holy Spirit connected with fire, tongues of fire, in Acts 2:3–4, the baptism from Jesus.
Jesus’s baptism is a Holy Spirit baptism. Too many churches miss this in their sacrament of baptism. I don’t know why.
Perhaps it’s easier and less confronting to focus on the baptism of John the Baptist instead of the more confusing, risky, and powerful Holy Spirit baptism from Jesus.
It’s time we give more attention to Jesus’s Holy Spirit baptism and consider what it means to the way we understand our faith and apply it to our lives.
When we baptize people, we must baptize them with Holy Spirit fire.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Discern When to Be Satisfied with What You Have and When to Yearn for More
Though some of our world live in an environment of true need, most people have their daily needs met. Yet they aren’t satisfied with having their basic requirements covered. They want more. And the more that most people have, the more they want.
These people live with a materialistic outlook. They’re never satisfied with what they have. They always crave for more. This is the reality today in developed countries around the world. Regardless of what these people have, they’re not satisfied. Whatever they have isn’t enough; they’re always yearning for more, grasping for what they don’t have.
Material Contentment
Instead of always seeking for more, we should strive to be content with what we have. God has blessed us with material provisions. We should thank him for his gifts and not seek more. We must learn to be content with what we have.
In fact, an unrestrained drive to accumulate more money and more possessions emerges as a disrespect for God. It’s a slap in his face, effectively saying that what he’s given isn’t enough.
We must stop this. We must learn to enjoy what we have and be thankful for it. All we need is to have the basics of life covered. Everything else is a bonus.
With God’s help, we can learn to be content with what we have: the size of our bank account, our home, our car, our clothes, our possessions, the money in our pocket, and on and on.
Most people today live beyond their means. They’re one paycheck away from disaster. And a few people live at their means. This is a better perspective. My goal, however, is to live beneath my means, which gives me more opportunity to bless others.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set goals to make our life better. But it does mean we need to keep our ambitions in check. In the Bible, James gives us some commonsense advice to do this, crouching our plans with a caveat “If it’s the Lord’s will . . . ” (James 4:15).
Spiritual Contentment
There’s another element of commitment however, that we must address. It’s not our physical comforts, but our spiritual situation. We must never be content with that.
Yet most people are satisfied with their spiritual condition and their standing with God. Too many people are coasting their way toward heaven. And it’s sad for what they’re missing.
As for me, this is one area where I want more. When it comes to my relationship with God, what I have is not enough. I crave a deeper connection, greater supernatural insight, and a spiritual reality that I’ve so far just read about.
Conclusion
Each time I asked God for contentment with his tangible blessings—to protect me from a materialistic mindset—I’m quick to add a clarification. I also request from the Almighty that I’ll always desire more on a spiritual level. And that he will provide it.
May we be materially content and spiritually hungry.
Take a moment now, and thank God for what he’s given you.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
Last Sunday was their minister’s last day. Other area clergy have high respect for him. I wish I could have met him.
Consider these four discussion questions about Church #23:
1. Today ends their summer schedule with one contemporary service. Next week they’ll switch to their winter format with two services: one traditional and the other contemporary.
Had we known, we might have come next Sunday for a doubleheader.
If your church has seasonal schedules, why? How does this impact people who want to attend your service?
2. Like Church #8, the church’s youth programs are part of Young Life, a nondenominational youth ministry, which taps college students as leaders.
What programs do you have that might be more effective if you worked with existing, external ministries?
3. Throughout the service, a person mills about, occasionally sitting and sometimes murmuring. She appears homeless and acts mentally ill. Though I’m distracted, I’m pleased no one confronts her behavior or shoos her from God’s house.
How does your church treat those who don’t fit in or act strangely?
4. Afterward, two members confirm that their pastor prepared them to function without him. Though it’s their minister’s last day, they expect to do just fine after he leaves.
How well would your church function without a minister? How long could you keep it up?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
In the Bible, Dr. Luke notes that the gathering of folks who follow Jesus (aka, the church) enjoy the goodwill of all the people. In another place he records that all the people have a high regard for the church.
They had a great reputation. Perhaps that’s why they grow from a handful of people to several thousands in just a few months.
Imagine that. Everyone holding the church in high regard and with goodwill. The result is rapid growth.
If only that were the case today. Yes, some people on the outside respect the church, but society as a whole, holds a much different view. They hate us and criticize us.
They call us hypocrites and view us as filled with hate and always arguing. In large part, they’re right.
What happened? What went wrong over the past two thousand years? Here are four ideas to consider:
They Take Care of Their Own
The early church shares what they have with one another, and no one has any needs. (Notice the focus is on meeting needs, not fulfilling wants.)
They Don’t Ask For Money
The early church isn’t constantly asking for money and doesn’t take weekly offerings. The few times they do take a collection, it is to give away to those outside their community.
The Holy Spirit plays a leading role. He is prominent, in the book of Acts, leading the church and empowering its members.
We Need to Great Reputation
Today, the church does a poor job of caring for its own, is always taking offerings, forgets to help others, and relies on its own abilities instead of God.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
