Monday, October 29, 2018
House ministry

Acts 20:20
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. (NIV 1984)

Inevitably, culture affects the way religion is practiced. In this regard, western culture has had a profound effect on Christian conduct and practice, not just in the west but around the world. And, given the technologies available to us today, there is little chance for any of that to change any time soon.

I was just invited to attend a workshop for live sound in worship. The workshop will focus on live sound engineers and sound technicians working in churches. I started out being cynical and looking for the spiritual gift or ministry of live sound engineer in the New Testament. I was joking of course, there is an absolute need for high-quality sound delivery in any venue where we assemble a large group of people to speak to them and engage them. Church does need high-quality sound.

However, there is an important matter to consider in all the emphasis on sound quality that involves more and more equipment, technology, and special training. This emphasis is on public ministry, particularly public ministry that involves well-rehearsed, sometimes professional, musicians and singers, followed by a gifted speaker, often of some renown.

People attend our churches which are designed to maximise the use of space so we end up sitting in rows looking at the back of the head of the person in front of us while someone looks at the back of our head. And then we are ordered to sit and stand and stand and sit; then lift our hands and wave our hands and clap our hands and the like.

Sometimes we are allowed to interact with other people, often in ways that are becoming more and more outside of the rules of today’s political and social correctness. We are instructed to touch five people and tell them something, and then slap three people and say I am an overcomer, or whatever.

There is definitely a place for public ministry, with or without the touching of your neighbour. However, we have developed this at the loss of the private house ministry. The pattern, left by Jesus and the disciples throughout the New Testament, is for public ministry, with all of its benefits, to be supported and coupled with private house to house ministry.

The apostles didn’t have church offices to schedule appointments with the members of the church, so they went to their homes. In the homes the impact was often profound, affecting not just the person to whom they came to minister or engage, but the entire household.

In our key verse today, the Apostle Paul is reminding the elders and leaders of the Ephesian churches that he was active in ministry both publicly and from house-to-house.

This house-to-house ministry was not a new thing that Paul had done. Look at Peter, on the day of Pentecost, after they were filed with the spirit, Peter preached publicly to a large group in the city and from among them three thousand people were saved, baptised, and added to the church. It must have been specular to hear and watch.

However, when it was time for the Gospel to break free from its Jewish shackles and into the Gentile world, it took place with Peter in the privacy of the living room of a Roman centurion. “The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.” Acts 10:24.

Peter was aware that what he was doing was against the culture of the time, his host knew it too. “He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.”” Acts 10:28

This event was spectacular too because Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Acts 10:47.

Over a year ago I had issued the Matthew Challenge to our church and then earlier this year in one of these devotionals (https://livingstones.gy/daily-devotionals/matthew-challenge/). The Matthew Challenge comes from the example of Jesus and Matthew. Matthew assembled his relatives, friends, and associates at his house and Jesus came to visit and provide ministry to those in need. “Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.” Luke 5:29

To be fair, there are many churches that have a Cell Group movement that encourages members to host weekly Bible Studies at their homes. We have to make a determined effort to use our homes as a place of ministry, and, those of us who are ministers, have to make a concerted effort to visit the homes of people to provide ministry.

We can see, from current trends, that the new frontier for growth will be in homes with families and friends gathered. The current and next generations are not finding faith in large events because they are not going to be attending our large events without Good reason. Relationship with God is good reason, and home is a great place to find that.

Think on these things:

1. Have you ever considered gathering your relatives, close friends, or co-workers to share your faith in Jesus with them and invite them to commit their lives to Him?
2. If you have your own home would you consider using your home as a place of worship and ministry from time to time or on a routine basis to reach people close to you, your family, or your community?
3. How does bringing people to your home versus meeting them in a public place fit with the culture of your community?

Prayer focus:

Let us pray today that we would have the courage to make our home a place where we share our faith in Jesus.

In His Grace

Pastor Alex