Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Romans 16:5
Oh how the stories of the early church fire my soul! Christians didn’t have church buildings like we do now, they went ‘house to house’ and most often the “church” meetings were in homes of believers of The Way. Maybe they understood Paul’s saying that the “house of God” was now within each believer.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19
We don’t go TO church, we ARE the church. The very Presence of God indwells us via the Holy Spirit! Do you recognize Him within you? I get so encouraged when I talk with my brothers in Christ, for our conversation always drift into the things of God and what we are challenged with in our spiritual lives. That’s CHURCH!!! Church to me isn’t a theater experience where you shuffle in and shuffle out while sitting still and just listening. Church is being CONNECTED to those Body parts that HELP you in learning how to do what God has created each of us uniquely to do! I LOVE my brothers and sisters which are also the Body of Christ and working towards being all that they were created to be in Christ. It’s SO good to be connected and fellowship with them. These connections really don’t happen in what we grew up knowing was “Church”. But now I know. Now I understand. Those deep meaningful conversations ARE where Jesus is in our midst!
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20
THAT is the House of the Lord! Not some 4 walled building with a stage, and theater like seating. The House of the Lord is in the close knit loving relationships of true friends in Christ! I wish more people understood this! The House of the Lord is LIVING, not an inanimate constructed building!
Peter said ..
As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5
The meeting house may burn down but the Church didn’t burn down! WE carry His living Presence! We have ‘church’ all over the place. In the coffee house, in the gym, in the barn, in someone’s living room or around their dining table — the Church of the Lord thrives! Don’t think that building is anything BUT a building, for it will be eventually become dust — BUT the REAL Church is ETERNAL!! Do you have ‘Church’ everyday with those that you love? When you come together do you come with all sorts of things to share and give? Do you look forward in sharing what the Lord has been sharing with you? Does your Church have time for you for that? I think more CHURCH happens before and after the ‘service’ than in the ‘service’.
I no longer need the ritual of the liturgy of the “Church service”, but I crave the fellowship with the Body that are connected to me ALL the more! As I have gotten older I understand how precious real spiritual conversations are .. and needed between friends. A ‘theater experience’ no longer does it for me – when trying to connect with other members of the Body, I need close, lively, conversation with lots of questions!
What’s your Church experience like? Do you have deep conversations and ask a lot of questions? Are you being equipped by all five gifts Jesus gave to you so that you would know what real mature spirituality is? Are allowed to ask them questions? And have dialogues with them? What are those ‘gifts’?
And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Ephesians 4:11-14
Whew! Paul has such long sentences! But there is SO much in there. Do you personally know who are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers in your fellowship? Do you get to ask each of them questions? To sit and really listen to their hearts and garner from their unique God given giftings? Oh that we would lose the religious pompous fake righteousness we see so often with people when they are entering the “*House of GOD*”. *sarcasm*
While were at it …let’s lose our self-righteousness too! Let’s just come to LOVE on one another in His Presence! He is preparing a pretty big party for us… you know. 😉
Ask the Holy Spirit what ‘gifts’ He has given to you but you have not recognized them yet.