Acts 19 How did they do it

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Acts 19How did they do it?

• Greg Morscher
• Xenos Christian Fellowship
• November 27th, 2005

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How did the early church take off and sustain the
explosive growth?

• They had Paul
• but, he was there for no more than a few years
  in a given city?
• The example of the Ephesian church
• Rented School of Tyrranus Acts 199
• 1000s of people Acts 1919 Huge movement
  throughout city
• Huge movement outward from city
• No mass advertising, no technology, no huge
  budget, no transfer growth

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They had the
House Churches
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Pauls letters

• Col. 415 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea
  and also Nympha and the church that is in her
  house.
• Philemon 11-2 To Philemon and to the church in
  your house (Colosse)
• 1 Cor. 1619 The churches of Asia greet you.
  Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord,
  with the church that is in their house. (Corinth)
• Romans 163-5 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow
  workers in Christ Jesus also greet the church
  that is in their house (Rome)
• Romans 1623 Gaius, host to me and to the whole
  church, greets you (Corinth)

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Pauls example

• Acts 1640 They went out of the prison and
  entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the
  brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
  (Phillipi)
• Acts 2020 how I did not shrink from declaring to
  you anything that was profitable, and teaching
  you publicly and from house to house, (Ephesus)

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But, Not Pauls invention

• Acts 113-14 When they had entered the city, they
  went up to the upper room where they were
  staying... These all with one mind were
  continually devoting themselves to prayer
  (Jerusalem)
• Acts 21-2 When the day of Pentecost had come,
  they were all together in one place. And suddenly
  there came from heaven a noise like a violent
  rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where
  they were sitting.
• Acts 246 Day by day continuing with one mind in
  the temple, and breaking bread from house to
  house, they were taking their meals together with
  gladness and sincerity of heart,
• Acts 83 But Saul began ravaging the church,
  entering house after house, and dragging off men
  and women, he would put them in prison.

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Practical application of a simple truth

• Acts 1724 "The God who made the world and all
  things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and
  earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands
  
• 1 Cor. 316 Do you not know that you are a temple
  of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
• Romans 124-6 For just as we have many members in
  one body and all the members do not have the same
  function, so we, who are many, are one body in
  Christ, and individually members one of another.
  Since we have gifts that differ according to the
  grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them
  accordingly

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The Way They Were (1st Cent.)

• No church buildings in 1st century church
• Large meetings were for outreach and equipping
• House churches were for doing ministry
• House churches were for corporate worship, not
  large meetings (1 Cor 14)

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The Way It Changed (Middle Ages onwards)

• Clergy-Laity
• Churches became grand architectural wonders
• Focus of church experience is found in worship
  experience
• Ministry of church is performed by pastor and
  staff

Discounts role of average Christian need for
interactive meetings need for spiritual
gifting need for community Fosters Big Meeting
point of view
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We think the early church had it right and is
valid today!We need to be the Body of Christ!

• Organic Living
• Relational
• Growing in quality and quantity
• Self-replicating
• Natural leadership
• Underground
• No huge mass marketing campaigns
• Focus on small communities
• Flexibile

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