by Brett Jacobsen

 

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

 

The four pillars of Christian life

Unlike most of the modern church-growth books and seminars, we are not concerned with growing churches or producing replicable formulas, nor fancy programs. Our aim is to uncover biblical principles for every day victory in every believer’s life, thus producing victory and growth in God’s kingdom.

Again, the early church provides a clear heavenly ‘blueprint’, not just because they produced great eternal fruit, but because they were working from the kingdom of heaven modeled by Jesus.

There were four key principles that the early-church saints at Jerusalem “continued steadfastly [proskartereo – to persevere, be constantly diligent with]” in. These were: “the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) These four principles are equally important, even though prayer and the Word seem like they should be superior. Truth is, you can be the most “spiritual person” around, living a life in the Word and prayer, but if you neglect, or even place a lower priority on ‘covenant relationships’ and ‘gospel community’, then you are all the more carnal for it.

Apostles’ doctrine – In one sense this is speaking of simply being constant in the logos Word of God: the Bible, as the apostles’ doctrine was: (A.) preaching the kingdom of heaven from the Old Testament and (B.) teaching the new covenant realities of the kingdom of heaven, which is where the New Testament documents came from.

It is also true that they continued to receive ongoing teaching, direction and reproof from the apostles they were connected with. Remember, the jurisdiction of apostles’ authority is mostly in the realm of assuring that the saints are building on the right foundation, which is why their example and doctrinal foundation is so important.

Fellowship – To be honest, this is one of two of these principles I placed an inferior estimation upon; that is until I realized what it really meant. This “fellowship” comes from the word koinonia which means partnership and participation. The word gives us a picture of the strong, participatory covenant relationships which the early church modeled quite well, albeit often with surrounding persecution forcing the issue.

Not settling for church attendance, we ought to grow up and pursue real, fruitful, godly relationships with those the Lord has placed around our lives, as this is far more beneficial. Jesus said He would give to those who gave up their natural lifestyle: brothers, sisters, mothers and children (spiritual ones, of course). (Mark 10:29-30) All these various spheres of spiritual relationship will prove to be fruitful to us and them if we are constantly diligent with them.

Rather than passing the test of being a member of a shallow institutional ‘church family’, let us mature in His love in order to have ones around us that we love, like Jonathan and David did, “as [our] own soul.” (1 Sam 18:1) 

Breaking bread – This was the other principle that I didn’t give much credit to, as my ignorance prevailed for a season. Shortly, we will examine the biblical picture of “breaking bread”, but for now, we must at least re-evaluate its significance in our every day life in the kingdom of heaven. Besides the powerful aspect of covenant remembrance, which is clearly a central focus with “breaking bread”, there is the equally powerful principle of ‘strong spirituality’ mixed in with ‘everyday, natural life’. The underlying focus of this “love feast”, as the early church called it, was to bring the awareness and presence of Christ into every meal-time, thus making the believers more aware of His presence throughout all aspects of life.

Prayers – We have already looked at the essentiality of prayer and worship in the day-to-day lives of every believer, so I’ll be brief. “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING”! (1 Thess 5:17)

So, if a Christian remains constantly diligent with:

• Living in the Word, including accountability to true apostolic teaching and oversight
• Open and real participatory covenant relationships
• True kingdom community, sharing in the lives of others, especially around covenant meals
• Zealous, God centered prayer and worship

then what need is there for ‘church attendance’? In fact, church attendance can only hinder a believer from experiencing a fuller measure of God’s goodness, which is exactly what is produced by a spiritually-biotic environment.

The church at home

The church goes house to house and beyond

Not only is there no such thing as a church, there is no such thing as a house church.

I don’t actually go to a house church; I gather with other believers from house to house, to park, to beach, even to restaurants, etc. It would be all too easy to find ourselves, as some do, going through the same institutional motions in homes instead of “churches”.

We should not be setting up churches, even if they are small and technically in the correct biblical venue: homes. We ought to be organically joining ourselves together in true gospel community, forming relationally based spiritual nucleus families that meet wherever the Spirit leads on that particular day. Moving around, meeting in different peoples’ homes, who are part of the spiritual family, can be conducive to this cause.

It’s not just houses that God would have us get together in for times of communion. Back-yards, parks, beaches and other places can be utilised at times, as these can sometimes produce different opportunities (like EVANGELISM). Paul tells us that God “makes manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Cor 2:14) So then, why hide the saints away, when He clearly wants us out there “in every place” with “the savor of His knowledge”? Obviously we wouldn’t have a special ‘praying in tongues meeting’ in certain environments, as we need to “walk in wisdom toward them that are without.” (Col 4:5)

Some have used the following scriptures to warrant having a church. In truth, these scriptures don’t justify having a church, but they do show the place for some public gatherings; possibly some larger ones too:

At Jerusalem
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:42)

At Ephesus
And how I kept back nothing that was profitable to you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, (Acts 20:20)

Both of these venues (the temple court & Ephesus) are open public places, not to be viewed as a church building. We have previously mentioned that the temple gatherings were in Solomon’s porch, which was like a public mall.

Digesting dialogue

“If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house…” (2 John 10)

It is evident from scriptures like this that teaching, and dialogue in the Word, happened mostly in peoples’ homes. What is also clear is that everybody was able to have input in the teachings and gospel discussions. The Corinthians were told:

How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to edifying. (1 Cor 14:26)

Notice that it says “every one of you”, not just the special ‘clergy’. It is absurd to think that a meeting with 50 to 1000-plus people could accomplish anything like what the bible commands us to do, when we “come together.” Meeting predominantly in homes is the only way we are going to allow the saints to significantly mature past the napios stage of being spoon fed, to huios maturity and beyond into teleios completeness. We need to make the change from stage-based Monarchical-monologue to daily life where the saints are digesting dialogue.

There has been a false concept throughout Christendom that causes the majority of saints to ‘shut up and listen’ while the leaders preach, prophesy and basically, bring the God-stuff with them. One passage of scripture that seems, at first glance, to promote this type of spectator sermonizing is the, so-called, all night preach of Paul’s:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached [dialegomai] to them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber [huperoion], where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching [dialegomai], he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked [homileo] a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. (Acts 20:7-11)

A truer perspective becomes apparent with just a little bit of digging around. Where it says that “Paul preached to them” and “Paul was long preaching”, the word dialegomai is used. This is where we get our word ‘dialogue’ from, which shows the conversational nature of this “preaching.” Paul was not preaching them to death, as some people quite inaccurately assert, he was teaching, while allowing input and questions from all those present.

It is also noteworthy that they “came together to break bread”, that it was the huperoion – (higher part of a house) where they “were gathered together”, and that after Paul took care of momentarily-dead Eutychus, he broke bread, ate, and “talked” (homileo – conversed, communed) “till break of day.”

You need teaching!

Some, loan-ranger extremists misrepresent John the apostle, as they say “you need not that any man teach you”, as if it meant that we don’t need teaching. (1 John 2:27) It is a biblical fact that Jesus “gave some, teachers” to the body, and that for a good reason: to teach us. (Eph 4:11) What John was actually alluding to, is the fact that, if there were not another person around to teach you, you would still be fine, as “the […] anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth.” The Holy Spirit is the best teacher there is; He can and will teach you personally, but He will also teach through gifted leaders, as well as any believer who is amenable to His prompting, having His Word in their heart and mind.

Teaching gifts, like that of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are needed to circulate amongst the communities of believers, to teach and equip them. They are not supposed to dominate the get-togethers; they should provoke the other believers to participate as the Spirit leads. These teaching ministries are an integral part of New Testament church community, not to be disregarded.

The FIRST supper, blueprint

The ‘last supper’, with Jesus and His disciples, would be more correctly called the first supper, as it was presented by Jesus as a model for continual practice. It may have been the last true Passover meal, as Jesus Himself was the fulfillment thereof, but it is evident that Jesus intended for His people to “do […] as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:25)

Remember that the early believers were “continuing daily with one accord […] breaking bread from house to house,” they “did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” (Acts 2:46) They gathered “daily” at each others homes for a meal which was centered on Christ; this included the covenantal elements of “bread” and “fruit of the vine.” (Matt 26:26-29) This was the ‘main meeting’ of the early church, though really, it was not a meeting at all, according to modern meeting paradigms. The end-time church that will walk in a more mature version of the fullness of Christ, will also meet predominantly in this fashion.

Breaking bread from house to house is the heavenly model of assembling together, which can be applied to real life, out there where the humans are. When we assemble together in homes with other believers to have a covenant meal, while participating in one another’s lives, teaching and exhorting each other by the Spirit, with a heart of worship and prayer; we invite Christ into our homes and lives. It is in this environment that everyday Christians (that means all of us) can and will be equipped to spread this ‘gospel life’ throughout our neighbourhoods and beyond.

Paul’s rebuke towards the Corinthian believers was not because they were “eating and drinking with sin in their life” as many preachers mistakenly proclaim. It was because they were straying a little, while walking the fine line between true covenant meals, and carnal banqueting. He said “When you come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one takes before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” (1 Cor 11:20-21) It is in this context that he said “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” (27) Quite simply, the unworthy manner of eating the Lord’s Supper is to treat it as a standard meal rather than a covenant meal: a spiritual assemblage in one accord with the saints. So, although we don’t “go to church” or “have church”, because everyday ‘we are the church’, we still ought to have specific get-togethers: communion gatherings.

His conclusion was: “Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together [sunerchomai – convene, assemble] to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that you come not together to condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” (33-34)

This shows how informal and down to earth these gathering were, while also revealing the risk of imbalance, becoming too relaxed, void of spiritual atmosphere. This New Testament style of assembling can be done every day with every meal, as long as we centre it on Christ. The principle of communion though, can be applied to every minute of every day, as we centre our normal life activities on Christ, inviting Him to join us and those around us, saved, and not yet so.

The presence of God

It is in this very, covenantal-meal environment that the Spirit of God desires to manifest His reality and presence. It was Jesus who said “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20) God’s greatest vehicle for taking the gospel to our communities and to the ends of the earth is ‘spiritual families’ that bring Jesus’ presence into everyday life. When we are living in the presence of God daily, through this manner of New Testament expression, we become ready and available for God to reproduce this environment into other people’s lives and homes.

Paul, while teaching the Corinthians how to have order in their get-togethers, said that “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” (1 Cor 12:7) When the saints are gathered together in His name, preferably around a covenant meal, they are to be poised to allow the Spirit of God to manifest and express Himself in whatever capacity, through whomever He pleases. If we learn to be yielded to the working of the Holy Spirit amidst a house full of brothers and sisters, we have a hope of being used by God in unbelievers’ homes, as well as the streets, workplaces, schools etc.

 

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 10th, 2006 at 6:49 pm and is filed under Biblical Leadership, Brett Jacobsen's teachings, Church Structure, House to house community, Living Christianity, Prayer / Worship, Reformation/ Revival. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.