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House-Church Movement. Heretical movement decries any perceived tradition Regular day of meeting Order of services Blind to own rituals “I [Frank Viola] have participated in such meetings for the last nineteen years .”. House-Church Movement. Our actions are biblically based
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House-Church Movement • Heretical movement decries • any perceived tradition • Regular day of meeting • Order of services • Blind to own rituals • “I [Frank Viola] have participated in such meetings for the last nineteen years.”
House-Church Movement • Our actions are biblically based • Command: Meet on first day, • 1 Cor. 16:1, 2 • Judgment: time of day • By the Lord’s authority, Mt. 7:21-23
House-Church Movement Methodists & Moody “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement Use of Elizabethan English “Many contemporary pastors still pray in this outdated language —even though it has been a dead dialect for four hundred years!” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Use of Elizabethan English • Influence of King James Version • Strive about words, 2 Tim. 2:23 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Invitation at End of Services “The ‘anxious bench’ was located in the front where preachers stood on an elevated platform. It was there that both sinners and needy saints were called forward to receive the minister’s prayers….” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Invitation at End of Services “Finney’s method was to ask those who wished to be saved to stand up and come forward. Finney made this method so popular that ‘after 1835, it was an indispensable fixture of modern revivals.’” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Invitation at End of Services • Peter used it, Acts 2:37, 38; 3:19, 20 • Stephen could not, Acts 7:51-54 • No better time for call to obedience, • Mt. 25:14-30 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Invitation at End of Services “As far as modern pragmatism goes, Christians should decide for themselves whether a particular practice is of the Holy Spirit or if it is mere human ingenuity at work. We leave such judgments to the individual reader.” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Invitation at End of Services • My judgment: “organic” church is heretical • John endorsed invitation, Rev. 22:17 • Jesus too, Mt. 11:28-30 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Evangelism “Pretribulation dispensationalism gave rise to the idea that Christians must act quickly to save as many souls as possible before the world ends. With the founding of the Student Volunteer Movement by John Mott in 1888, a related idea sprang forth: ‘The evangelization of the world in one generation.’” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Evangelism “The ‘in one generation’ watchword still lives and breathes in the church today. Yet it does not map well with the mind-set of the first-century Christians who did not appear to be pressured into trying to get the entire world saved in one generation.” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Evangelism • They did, Col. 1:23 • Not pressured, compelled, Phil. 3:12 • Each generation responsible • Lord’s view, Mk. 16:15 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Evangelism • Disciples’ action, Acts 8, 9, 10, 16; • 1 Thes. 1 • HCM dislikes labor & confrontation • Of evangelism • Promotes vomiting, Rev. 3:15, 16 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Evangelism “The apostles stayed in Jerusalem for many years before they went…They were in no hurry to evangelize the world. Equally, the church in Jerusalem did not evangelize anyone for the first four years of its life. They, too, were in no hurry to evangelize the world…” Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Evangelism • Disciples forced out of Jerusalem… • …BECAUSE of their evangelism • Acts 3:1-26; 4:1-21; 5:17-42 • Acts 6:7-14; 7:54-60; 8:1-5 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement • Evangelism • Emotionalism of Premillennialism wrong • Still labor because of pending Judgment • Mk. 13:32-37 • Bible exhortations • Rom. 13:11-14; Mt. 9:35-38; Lk. 10:1-12 Methodists & Moody
House-Church Movement Order of Worship “…all Protestant traditions share the same unbiblical features in their order of worship.” “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement • Order of Worship • We are not Protestant, Acts 11:26 • Prove we are • Do what Bible says, Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 14:15 “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement HCM sees our worship as dull “…absolutely no room for anyone to give a word of exhortation, share an insight, start or introduce a song, or spontaneously lead a prayer. You are forced to be a muted, staid pewholder!” and “…it encourages passivity.” “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement HCM sees our worship as dull “…for many Christians, the Sunday morning service is shamefully boring.” “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement • HCM sees our worship as dull • Says who? • Same true of Jewish worship (Jesus) • Is assembly for our amusement? • Introduce X-treme worship? “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement HCM sees our worship as dull “The New Testament never links sitting through an ossified ritual that we mislabel ‘church’ as having anything to do with spiritual transformation. We grow by functioning, not by passively watching and listening.” “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement • HCM sees our worship as dull • Fraction of Christian life in assemblies • Gifts exercised elsewhere, Rom. 12:4-8 • Taking notes, thinking not passive, • Psa. 119:15, 27, 48, 148; 1 Tim. 4:15 • Thinking is hard work, Rom. 12:1, 2 “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement HCM sees our worship as dull “Let’s suppose the authors of this book attend your church service. And let’s suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ puts something on our hearts to share with the rest of His body. Would we have the freedom to do so spontaneously?” “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement • HCM sees our worship as dull • The Lord put something on my heart… • …and on paper, 2 Jn. 10, 11 • “Laid” on the elders’ hearts, Titus 1:9-11 “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement HCM sees our worship as dull “Let’s suppose the authors of this book attend your church service. And let’s suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ puts something on our hearts to share with the rest of His body. Would we have the freedom to do so spontaneously?” NOT A CHANCE! “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement Methodists & Moody “Protestant” Practices
House-Church Movement • Heretical movement decries • any perceived tradition • Regular day of meeting • Order of services • Blind to own rituals • “I [Frank Viola] have participated in such meetings for the last nineteen years.”
House-Church Movement • Our actions are biblically based • Command: Meet on first day, • 1 Cor. 16:1, 2 • Judgment: time of day • By the Lord’s authority, Mt. 7:21-23