House Church Talk - Purposeful Church/WWW CHURCH

[Bruce Woodford]

Dear brothers and sisters,

Recently God has been deeply challenging and expanding my thinking about how 
His church functions and I've been enjoying His church in situations way 
"outside of the box" of my former thoughts about "church".    Is it really 
true that church, interactive ministry, edification, exhortation, 
encouragemnent and eating of the Lord's supper can take place WHENEVER, 
WHEREVER and with any saint WHOEVER  they may be (ANY PLACE, ANY TIME. and 
with ANY ONE of the people of God)?

Is it God's purpose revealed in scripture:
- that His new covenant people should edify and exhort each other in 
PARTICULAR PLACES (consecrated buildings or ordinary homes)?
- that His new covenant people, when they gather,  should be ministered to 
by a PARTICULAR KIND  (a consecrated priestly class)?
- that His new covenant people should edify and exhort each other on a  
PARTICULAR DAY ( a consecrated day of  the week)?

If any of these things are true, what scriptures would teach them?

OR is it God's purpose revealed in scripture:
- that His new covenant people should edify and exhort each other WHEREVER 
two or more of them are together in His name? (At home, on the street, in 
restaurants or cafeterias, on planes, trains buses,  in markets, gymnasiums, 
lecture halls, factories etc)  Mat thew 18:20;  Heb.10:24,25; Ephesians 5:16
- that His new covenant people be a functioning, ministering, sacrificing 
priethood, WHOEVER they are?  Rom.12:1,2;  I Peter 2:4-10;  I Peter 4:10,11
- that His new covenant people should edify and exhort each other WHENEVER 
they are together?
    Heb.10:24,25 and Heb.3:13

God's old covenant people were very definitely called to gather, sacifice 
and observe holy days in particular places, on particular days and to look 
to a particular priesthood to carry out the priestly functions among them.   
Following similar patterns and mindsets, most believers today (including 
many outside of "institutional churches") continue to cling to one or more 
of these features.

But  I would suggest that believers who are walking in new covenant liberty 
are walking in the conscious acknowledgment and enjoyment of  edification 
and exhortation of  WWW  CHURCH!
In others words,  they anticipate being part of a functioning church 
gathering WHENEVER  and  WHEREVER  they encounter other saints, WHOEVER they 
may be! (Any time, any place and with any one of their brothers and sisters 
in the Lord!)

By way of contrast, is it not true that whenever we are walking (consciously 
or inconsciously) in bondage to religious systems or in friendship with this 
world,    we will be WASTING time that could be invested for eternity,  
WANDERING with no vision and missing out on many divine appointments for 
ministry because we are conformed to this WORLD and its' ways?

I'm pondering these things and would welcome your thoughts and interaction!

Your brother in Christ,
Bruce Woodford

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