House Church Talk - The Local Church -- my 2 cents

[Tim Poole]

Romans 16:1-16  basically says "Greet those that meet in different locations
with different people" I see unity but meeting in different locations. I
cant understand why anyone wants to make a dogmatic judgment that if you are
not with my group you are not legit. I think the real issue is Spiritual
pride and elitism. This can raise its ugly head up in any group. I have seen
this take on many forms from the externals. Pick a subject, we are better
because.....

We don't wear makeup and cover our heads.
We don't meet in church buildings.
We don't _______ fill in the blanks.

Every group that has external markers expect you to eventually conform to
the group standards. Is this the Holy Spirit or group pressure?  Balance is
basically defined by the group rather than personal revelation.

" To his own master he stands or falls ". I only have a small perspective of
the Lord revealed by revelation which is what I walk in. I have realized the
Kingdom of god is a very small seed "Jesus and him crucified". Don't want to
preach anything else. I got tired of Jesus + ______ fill in the blank. We
all see through a glass darkly or in other words we are all deceived in some
area. I really don't have a clue why some people do what they do, but love
covers over a multitude of sins. It's good that we can all embrace one
another around the Lord. Someone said "In essentials unity, in non
essentials liberty, In all things charity." In Christ, Tim



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Thomas_Shou at trendmicro.com>
To: <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 7:29 PM
Subject: House Church Talk -  The Local Church -- my 2 cents


> Dear saints, I wrote this (see below) a while back ago and still hold to
this vision of the local church, one local expression of His Body in each
city comprised of ALL believers there, those meeting at home and not. Yes,
the term is NOT in the Scriptures, but examples abound everywhere! MOST
importantly I have learned these years, is that the raising up of such a
beautiful, singular expression of His church Body in each locale MUST be the
work of His Spirit among his local children, and so must the gathering of
those whom He has placed a vision/desire to just Be the church where they
live. That said, the woeful truth and practice of most local believers where
I am, incl my family : ( ... is that such a vision, conviction, boldness to
BE the church where you are is a rare indeed....and those local, nearest to
us, are NOT meeting with us : ( -- there's even a little chinese church bldg
rt next door to us.....just yesterday my younger bro who goes to vineyard
asked me when are!
>  you gonna break down and join the local vineyard.... the reality of what
the Lord has done in the past is actually those quite afar have been more
than willing to get in their cars and drive great distances to meet with us
because they hunger for the spiritual food and reality and freedom among us!
> Bottom line, meeting this way is certainly NOT some form/wineskin we dare
impose on God's children from outside; if His Spirit is not IN it -- working
in the INSIDE invisibly and unseen in the hearts of those He gathers/builds
together to Be His church, it is a lifeless/formulaic shell. See a LIVE
example below of His work in villages in China! When His Spirit authors the
work, no price is too high for the obedient.
> -Thomas meeting as the Ekklesia in Palo Alto, CA
>
> " I think when we talk about defining "locale" when meeting in our various
homes as the one local church/expression of the Lord's Body in that locale,
it is important that we don't become too legalistic about defining "locale",
such as excluding others who are not in our specific locale or those who do
not share the so-called "local(e) ground" vision or truth with us! How
damaging this practice is! The vision and practice of meeting as local
churches as we see in the NT should Always promote unity & love among ALL
His people and we should Always make EVERY effort to keep the inherent unity
of His Spirit in the bond of peace. ( Eph 4) If our practice is causing just
the opposite among the Body - disunity, division, elitist/closed in-grown
communities - then we must soberly re-examine our vision and practice before
the Lord!
> That being said, I personally believe that just as we simply meet around
our risen Lord in our homes and house2house as our local church life grows,
I believe that we should be equally simple and uncomplicated in our faith
about simply meeting from city to city, as the church in each city -- as we
see clearly in the NT. The city unit should be our local boundary or
"locale", as long as its possible. Why complicate the boundary of
locality/locale practiced by the early saints? Even if the city is a huge
metropolis like LA, SF, why can't we meet simply from house 2 house as
hundreds of interrelated house meetings (NOT indep "house churches" - that
would cause the Body to be even more divided faster than ever before!!! ) in
that large city, like the large local churches in Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth,
etc.
> The exception to city as "locale" would be in rural areas like in PRC,
where there may be no nearby cities per se, but villages, small towns,
hamlets, etc. In those cases, all the redeemed could meet as the church in
that town, village, etc. That seems to be such a natural work of the Sp
among His Body wherever His people are gathered.
> I will conclude with a story of how I met a young 3-self pastor/farmer (!)
who secretly would go to visit a circuit of village churches in rural Yunnan
each year, ministering to them. Once a month, these village churches would
gather for a larger region-wide mtg celebration! All these local village
churches were simply raised up by the work of native missionaries like
himself or foreign missionaries many years earlier! I was excited to see a
real indigenous Sp-led example of the local (village) church model there. It
was such a natural or supernatural work of His Sp there! And these churches
had no direct relationship with the "Little Flock" and Nee's teachings.....I
Jn 2:27
> HC saints, are there any of you out there whose HC has grown, meeting
house2 house, and has a vision and desire to practice simply meeting as a
city-wide local church there?? Love to hear your feedback and stories!"
> -Brother Thomas
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