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Supplemental Notes:
The Once and
Future Church
Home Fellowships
Why is the divorce rate among Christians
no better than among unbelievers? What is
really meant by Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain?
If you are not presently involved in a small,
weekly Bible study group, we strongly en-
courage you to find one and give it a try.
You will be in for a truly life-changing sur-
prise. If you cant find one, start one! Its
easierand more rewardingthan you canimagine. And we are here to help you.
2003 Koinonia House Inc.
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The Once and Future ChurchHome Fellowships
The Regeneration Gap
Over 2,000 churches planted per week.
150 million (1974) to 650 million (1998).
Silent exodus of people slipping out the back
doors almost unnoticed.
Attracted but not contained;
Interested but not inserted into fellowship;
Harvested but not gathered;
Touched but not transformed;
Looked in briefly but were disappointed in
what they saw
Caveats
Candor without malice. Critical Assessments.
Historical Reality:
Hegel, Santyana
Decision Theory:
Not a zero-sum game;
A mixed strategy is best.
Roles for each variety of fellowship.
The ideal of networked cells.
The Way It All Started
A group of 12 alongside a seashore.
The birth of the church at Pentecost was in a
house (Acts 2:2).
The early church met in houses: Acts 2:46; 5:42;
8:3; 9:11; 12:12; 16:40; 18:7; 20:20; 21:8; Rom 16:5;1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; 1 Tim 5:13-14; and Philemon
1:2.
As a persecuted church, it was the only safe
way to meet.
A Theatre of Miracles
Sovereign ways:
To make wine out of water;
To make donkeys talk;
To make water flow from a rock;
To part the sea (on several occasions);
To use ordinary people to accomplish
extraordinary ends.
Back to Basics
The Churchthe secret and powerful Society
of the Redeemed:
A place where people can literally see the
Body of Christ.
Not simply briefly touched by an abbrevi-
ated gospel of an evangelistic Blitzkrieg of
short duration.
A return to NT simplicity and authenticity.
No models: let the Spirit lead as He wills
Prophetic Foundations
Biblical Illiteracy Extant:
Allegorical myths.
The centerpiece of Israel and her destiny.
The imminent return of Christ.
The Pagan Fallacies:
Evolutionary myths.
Denial of absolutesRelativism.
Advantages of Small Groups
Disciplined multiplication (mitosis).
Free of growth barriers.
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More are involved participants.
Personal transformation & accountability.
More effective for new Christians.
Solves the leadership crisis.
More Biblical. Persecution-proof structure.
More efficient: lower cost.
Historical Review
31 B.C. - A.D. 14: Augustus; Christ born in his
reign.
A.D. 37: Tiberius; Christ crucified in his reign.
37-41: Caligula; unsuccessful attempt at desecra-
tion of Temple.
41-54: Claudius.
54-68: Nero; persecutions, blaming his burning
of Rome on Christians; executed Paul.
68-69: Galba.
69: Otho, Vitelius.
Historical Review
69-79: Vespasian; destroyed Jerusalem.
79-81: Titus.
81-96: Domitian; brief but violent, 1000s slain;
John banished to Patmos.
98-117: Trajan; sought to uphold the laws,
Christianity regarded illegal; formalities of
emperor worship.
117-138: Hadrian.
138-161: Antoninus Pius: Bar Kochba revolt;
Aelia Capitolina replaces Jerusalem.
The Decline
161-180: Marcus Aurelius; Most severe since
Nero; peak of Roman power.
180-192: Commodus.
192-284: Barrack Emperors; appointed by army,
Civil War.
193-211: Septimius Severus.
218-222: Caracalla; tolerated Christianity.
218-222: Elagabalus. 222-235: Alexander Severus; favorable to Chris-
tianity.
235 238: Maximin.
244-249: Phillips; very favorable to Christianity.
249-251: Decius; persecuted Christians furiously.
253-260: Valerian.
260-268: Galienus; favored Christians.
270-275: Aurelian.
284-305: Diocletian; persecuted Christians furi-
ously, most severely; systematically attempted
to abolish all by tortuous death.
Catacombs of Rome: hundreds of miles, 2-7
million graves.
Nicolaitanes
Nicolas, one of the 7 deacons (Acts 6:5).
Later influenced by Greek dualism,
Developed the clergical doctrine (Rev 2:6).
Nikao, conquer, above others.
Laity, the common people.
Thus, the clergy:
Two letters of Clement of Rome (~A.D. 100).
Letters of Ignatius of Antioch (110-117).
Elevation of the bishop to the autocratic head of
the local church.
Pergamy
220: Origen introduces infant baptism.
312: Constantine adopts Christianity. 325: Edit of Toleration: state-endorsed religion.
380: House churches outlawed.
431: Council of Ephesus: Mary worshiped as the
Mother of God.
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440: Leo the Great named Bishop of Rome.
445: Valentian confirmed as Spiritual leader of
the Western Empire.
500: Common priestly dress code.
565: Justinian: state-ordained church. 607: Boniface III: 1st Pope of Catholic Church.
709: Kissing Popes foot begins.
State Churches
786: Worship of images and relics develops.
850: Use of holy water begins.
995: Canonization of dead Saints.
998: Fasting on Fridays and before Lent.
1070: Celibacy of the priesthood instituted.
1090: Prayer beads adopted from paganism.
1184: Inquisition begins: Jews, witches, etc.
1254: Pope Innocence IV officially establishes
Inquisition.
1190: Sale of indulgences.
1215: Transubstantiation of water and wine. 1229: Reading the Bible forbidden to laymen.
1414: Communion cup forbidden to lay people.
1439: Doctrine of Purgatory decreed.
1492: Jews outlawed in Spain. Columbus sails.
1545: Tradition granted equal authority with
Bible.
The Reformation
1517: Luthers 95 Theses.
Zwingli, Melanchton, Calvin, John Knox,
and others
1526: Reversions to traditional forms of ser-
vices (vs. Anabaptists).
1530: All lay pastors teaching publicly are tobe killed.
Schwenckfeld outlawed; disciples jailed.
1600: 40 translations from the Latin Bible.
1700: Huguenots.
Claude Brousson publicly executed before
10,000.
Persecutions Continue
4th Century: Canonized by the State.
Independent fellowships outlawed and persecuted.
Reformation:
Soteriology (Salvation) reformed.
Other erroneous traditions retained.
Protestant leadership continues to persecute
deviant groups adhering to Biblical doctrines.
Protestant Reactions
Anabaptists:
1535-1546: 30,000 killed.
Labadies Converticle Brotherhoods.
The Priscillians. The Bogomilians.
Petrobusians.
Patarenians.
Waldensians.
Lollards.
et al.
Wesley Revival
Directed Growth & Discipleship:
Trial BandPrevenient Grace; provisional
seekers; 4-6 people, weekly, with a leader
(2-3 months).
Member of the United Society & Class
MeetingConvincing Grace (Mind); 12-36
people (2 years). Band MeetingConverting Grace (Will); 4-
8 people, separated, all born-again.
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Select Band: (Heart); Spirit-filled (Rom 5:5;
Gal 3:28) Mature Christians.
1768: after 30 years: 40 circuits; 27,341 mem-
bers. By 1800: 1 of 30 Englishmen.
The Rock: San Diego, CA
Everyone in Sunday Church is in a Small
Group (6-12).
Small Groups meet weekly with their Facilita-
tor.
Pray, hold themselves accountable, and dis-
cuss sermon notes.
When Small Group grows beyond 12, it is
forced to split into two.
In its first two years, the Rock has grown to
over 4,000.
The Congregational Church
A building (Cathedral, or Church).
A special day (Sunday).
A professional leadership (priest, clergyman,
pastor).
A special service, performed for the people: (cer-
emonies, interpretations, motivation).
A way to maintain itself (tithes and offerings).
Bill Beckham,The Second Reformation
The Life Cycle of Churches
People-oriented pastor.
Pulpit-oriented pastor.
Property-oriented pastorate.
Gideon: Snatching defeat from the jaws of
victory. Power-oriented pastorate.
Return of the Nicolaitanes.
Politically driven decay.
Accountability; management by hearsay.
The Objective Function.
Korean Fellowships
Organized by profession.
Special invitation only.
An Explosion Toward the Past:
Back to the Future
A Personal Discovery.
A Modern Trend of Hope.
The Persecuted Church.
Then.
Now.
As an Impact for You!
The Home Fellowship:
A Global Trend
The True Church
A supernatural invention.
Endowed with immortality.
The means to disciple each other.
Transfer of Jesus life to each other.
Turns:
Atheists to Apostles;
Policewomen into prophetesses;
Terrorists into teachers;
Plumbers into pastors;
Elders into evangelists.
Theses
A way of life, not a series of meetings:
The Way (Acts 18:26).
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No such thing as a house of God.
God does not live in temples made by
human hands.
Chewing gum in the sanctuary! vs .
Sanctuaries are chewing gum! No bureaucratic clergy in the NT.
No clerical mediators (1 Tim 2:5).
Nicolaitanes were adoptions from pagan
religions.
Line vs. staff: overhead or productive?
Alternatives
The Mega-Church.
The Local Congregational Church.
The Small Study Group:
Cells sponsored by the local church.
Home Fellowships.
Home Churches.
Some Issues
Mission Alternatives:
Evangelism.
Discipleship.
Leadership:
Prepared Teachers.
Discussion Facilitators.
Characteristics of Small Groups
Organic not organized; relational not formal.
Persecution-proof structure:
Matures under tears;
Multiplies under pressure;
Flourishes in the desert; Sees in the dark;
Thrives on chaos
Its only boast is the Lamb.
Koinonia
Fellowship, communication, communion, shar-
ing and participating with someone.
It cannot be organized: it must be led by theSpirit to bear meaningful fruit.
We can revisit the open, organic styles of the
NT, instead of being limited to the structured
approach canonized by the state in the 4 th cen-
tury
Finding the Right One
Neighborhood groups.
Professional groups.
Start Your Own!
Its easy.
God will surprise you
He always rewards the diligent.
Staying ahead a week at a time isnt hard.
Well help you
Alternative Start-ups
Video review and discussion:
A topical documentary, with refreshments.
Prophecy 101: four one-hour videos:
What is Prophecy;
Prophecy Past: Fulfilled;
End-Time Prophecy: Summarized;
Between Now and Then: Whats next?
Learn the Bible in 24 Hours
(3 semester hours degree credit)
Hermeneutics: Theories of Interpretation
Stages
Exegesis: What does the text say?
Exposition: What does it mean?
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Homiletics: Impact on your walk.
Handling Difficult Passages
You dont have to take sides.
Put Christ right in the middle and see what
happens
Expositional Teaching
The Whole Counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter.
Recognition of the systematic design of the com-
posite whole.
Every verse impacts, and is impacted by,
every other verse.
Every verse reveals something about Christ.
Hermeneutics
Levels
Peshat Literal sense.
Remez Hints of something deeper.
Drashah Homiletics, spiritual message.
Sod Mystical Conjectures.
PaRDeS Mnemonic: Paradise.
Topical Teaching
Focuses on specific doctrines or problem areas.
Can be hazardous:
Extracted segments involve editing and
biases.
Can result in majoring on the minors.
Long term values favor expositional approaches.
Matthew on Discipleship
Topics: Chapters:
Orientation 1-3
Selection 4
Instruction 5-7
Demonstration 8-9
Empirical Evaluation 10
Confrontation and Consultation 11-12
Revelation and Isolation 13 Dedication 14-15
Seeing Jesus as He really is 16-17
Accountability (Danger) 18
Compassion (Duty) 19-20
Crucifixion (Dying) 20-27
Resurrection (Destiny) 28
Accountability
Matthew 18 Procedures.
The Most Painful Sin.
The Role of Elders.
Strange Resums
Moses was 80 years old and wanted for murder;
Jacob was a schemer and con-artist;
Elijah and Jeremiah both suffered from depres-
sion;
Hosea couldnt keep his marriage together;
Amos was a farmer with no ministry training;
Peter tried to kill a man with his sword;
John Mark was a quitter;
Paul couldnt get along with his partner
Barnabas, and couldnt stay out of prison.
An Army of Nobodies: A Battle Cry for
Ordinary Followers of Christ
Under persecution or celebrated on talk shows;
Under unspeakable difficulties or walking on redcarpets;
Despised or adored;
Ridiculed or consulted;
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Cheated or honored;
Scorned or quoted;
Tortured or pampered;
With frequent flyer cards or walking barefoot;
Unknown or known
Storm Clouds on the Horizon
The Biblical Christian is becoming increasingly
politically incorrect.
The true church(es) will eventually be forced
underground:
The attack against them will be led by the
liberal denominational churches.
Leadership tools (Independent vs. Networked).
A Persecution-Proof Spirit
Contemporary Christianity is simply too harm-
less and polite to be worth persecuting.
Blessed are you when you are persecuted.
Computer Resources
Bible Software:
Blue Letter Bible (Internet);
eSword;
Parsons: QuickVerse;
Hermeneutica: BibleWorks;
Logos: Libronix Library.
Pocket PC: Laridian.
Our Challenge
We are being plunged into a period of time about
which the Bible says more than in does about anyother period in history including the time when
Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed
the mountains of Judea.
Academic Credit
Learn The Bible in 24 Hours:
3 semester hours credit.
Mentoring to graduate credit (Masters; Ph.D.)
Louisiana Baptist University:
Tyndale Seminary.
Koinonia Institute.
Without Him, we cant. Without us, He wont.
Dedication
To many friends and patient mentors, especially
Pastor Ted Hax, Pastor Charles Schmitz, and Will-
iam E. Biggs, whom God used to instill my early
love for Gods Word; and Pastor Chuck Smith,
Walter Martin, and Hal Lindsey, who patiently en-
dured my growing pains. May whatever fruit which
results be credited to their account.
Bibliography
Beckham, William A., The Second Reformation, Touch Publica-tions, PO Box 19888, Houston TX, 77224.
Castillo, Metasalem Q, The Church in Thy House, Alliance
Publishers, Manila, 1982.
Fitts, Bob, The Church in the House, 5851 Kuakini Hwy, #107,
Kaulua-Kona HI, 96740.
Hadaway, C. Kirk, Stuart A. Wright and Francis M. DuBose,Home
Cell Groups and House Churches, Broadman Press, Nashville
TN, 1987.
Icenogle, Gareth Weldon, Biblical Foundations for Small Group
Ministry: An Integrative Approach, InterVarsity Press, DownersGrove IL, 1994.
Kreider, Larry, House to House, House to House Publications,
Ephrata PA, 17522.
Leypoldt, Martha M., Forty Ways to Teach in Groups, JudsonPress, Valley Forge PA, 1967.
Simson, Wolfgang ,Houses That Change the World, (manuscript in
publication), Focussuisse, Tannenstr. 3, 8200 Schaffhausen,
Switzerland.
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Commentaries on Tape
Chuck Misslers Expositional Commentar-
ies are now available from Koinonia House.
Each volume consists of eight cassette tapes
and includes notes, diagrams, and a compre-hensive bibliography. Write for a complete
list.
Monthly News Journal
PersonalUPDATE, a monthly news journal high-
lighting the Biblical relevance of current
events, is also available by writing:
Koinonia HouseP.O. Box D
Coeur dAlene, ID83816-0347
1-800-KHOUSE-1
www.khouse.org