Arminian Today

I believe that a time may soon come when we in the United States will face a major economic depression.  We cannot continue to spend money that we don’t have and expect that our financial situation can remain the same.  We are sitting on a ticking time bomb that is going to implode.  The national debt continues to sore as Congress continues to spend trillions of dollars that we simply do not have.  Were it not for the fact that the United States can print more money, we would be heading down the same economic road that many European nations are heading down.  Greece is just an example of what will happen if China should ever refuse to allow American dollars to be the standard for trading.

I think much good could come out of the United States facing an economic crisis.  First, it would force the Church to prayer.  The American Church is often found on her knees during crisis (see 9/11 for example) but we often do like the Israelites and quickly turn away during times of blessing.  I am not equating the people of the United States as godly.  I believe I live in a pagan nation full of sin.  I don’t expect us to turn the tide of sin through morality or through politics but only through the gospel.  I do believe that God has a remnant in this nation who are crying out to Him.  As in the days of Elijah, God has a faithful bride who seek Him (Romans 11:1-6).  Yet the American Church is asleep.  She is too busy with the business of being “the church” that souls are dying without Jesus.  We are asleep in the light.  We are not seeking God.  We are not hungry for revival.  We are like the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) who were rich and prosperous but in reality they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked (v. 17).  We think we are alive but are dead (Revelation 3:1).  If the United States economy collapsed, the Church would cry out to God.  He would be our source instead of Mammon (Matthew 6:24 NKJV).  Like the Israelites, the Church would pray (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Secondly, the clergy-laity system would hopefully collapse.  We would still have leaders but perhaps if professional Christians were forced to work instead of living off the “tithes” of the people, the Church would begin to see Ephesians 4:11-16 come to pass.  True elders would rise up who led by example and not by titles (Hebrews 13:7, 17).  The Church would have to take an Acts 4 approach to the Church in order to help each other survive.  This would force out the mindset that we pay one person to do “the ministry” while we laity work in the world.

Third, the seeker church would be gone.  What good is cool lights and hip sermons if in fact the basic needs are food, shelter, and survival?  The gospel would take root in the Church and not the drive to gain an audience to support paying bills or salaries.  The Church would have to look to the Lord and He would bless His people so that they could help the poor (Galatians 2:10) and not to get rich.

Fourth, competition among churches would decrease.  We would have to come together if we faced an economic collapse to survive.  We would need each other for the basics of life.  Denominations would be of no concern as we look to each other in the name of Jesus for prayer, support, and comfort.

Fifth, the prosperity gospel would decrease.  I am not convinced it would go away completely.  I think heresy thrives even under the worst conditions.  Yet I do believe that the empires of the prosperity gospel preachers would suffer greatly.  Their greed would be clearly seen as they would refuse to help anyone but their own.  For years they have been greedy but it would be clear when the economy collapses and they have nothing left but their own money.  They would hoard it up and seek to still gain more from hurting people even as they do now (Luke 12:13-21).

Sixth, the Bible would become precious to God’s people.  We would find comfort in our poverty as we look to the Scriptures for God’s help and God’s provision.  In death, we would find comfort that God has told us that death is defeated in Christ for His people (1 Corinthians 15:55-56).  The Scriptures would be our comfort and our manna from heaven as we would long to hear the voice of God in the midst of our suffering (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Lastly, the gospel would offer mankind the only lasting hope.  As people would see the collapse of the dollar, they would see that the United States is like any other nation and only temporary but the gospel is eternal.  The gospel alone brings true hope.  The gospel alone brings joy.  The gospel alone truly prepares people for eternity (Romans 8:18).  The true Church would rise up from the ashes of a collapsed America and would preach that Jesus is our only hope and only salvation.  Comfort is not found in money.  Comfort is not found in houses.  Comfort is not found in power.  Comfort is found only in repentance (Acts 3:19).  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of the hour that we need now and forever.  The gospel alone saves sinners (Romans 1:16-17).

Do I want this all to take place?  My flesh says no.  I enjoy my comforts.  I enjoy food and safety and my home.  I enjoy the freedom that we have.  I do know that only God’s kingdom is eternal and it will crush all others (Daniel 2:44).  I know that eternity is not about the United States.  It is all about Jesus and His kingdom.  Jesus is my Lord and my God and my heart and life belong to Him alone (Romans 10:9-10).  My duty is not to the United States but to the Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom.  A time may come when I may have to lay my life down for the gospel but so be it. I long to simply be faithful to Jesus until the end (2 Timothy 4:7-8).  Jesus said that we would not to fear but overcome (Revelation 2:10).  I want to be a overcomer through Jesus my Lord.  I want my passion to always be for Him no matter what I face in life.

I am all for calling the Church to repent.  Jesus did this as well in Revelation 2-3 when He called the seven churches to repent.  The New Testament epistles are basically calling the Church to sound doctrine, to avoid sin, and to rebuke and exhort.  A case in point is 1 Corinthians where Paul corrected many aspects of the Corinthian church that was corrupt in many areas.

With that in mind, let me state two things about those who feel that its their duty to call the Church at large to repentance.  I am familiar with “watchdog” ministries that seek to point out any and every heresy that they can find.  I agree with them in most aspects.  My only drawback is that from their writings it seems that the Church is doing nothing right.  Some of them will point to the churches of John MacArthur or even John Piper but for the most part, they spend their days critiquing the Church here and there and everywhere.  We do need them.  Don’t get me wrong.

But we must keep two things in mind.  First, even the New Testament Church needed correction.  The epistles demonstrate this.  From 1 Corinthians to James, the Church needed correction.  They were not perfect (Romans 3:23).  The only perfect one is Jesus who died for our sins (1 Peter 2:22).  All the Apostles and all the saints recorded in the New Testament were sinners saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:15).  They did not abide in sin (1 John 3:6-9) but they still lived in the flesh and needed correction from the Lord (Hebrews 12:4-11).

Secondly, I believe correction should be done in gentleness and respect (2 Timothy 2:24-26).  We are to rebuke (2 Timothy 4:2) but let us do so with a spirit of love and not hatred.  Many of the seeker churches pastors, I believe, do love God.  Some are in it for the money.  Some for the power.  Some for the fame.  But I do pray that some of them love God and just want to touch as many lives for the kingdom as possible.  I don’t agree with much of the seeker church but I do pray that the leaders love God and fear Him.  I do fear that they don’t listen to watchdog ministries and they tend to pat each other on the back but we all need correction.

I do believe we all need correction from time to time.  Oh how many times have I opened the Word of God only to have His Spirit correct me.  I was reading the book of Joel just two days ago and the Lord used the words of Joel to correct me.  I want to be close to Lord as I can be and I know that sin will separate me if I don’t allow His Spirit to convict me (Isaiah 59:2).  Praise God that His Spirit does convict (John 16:8-11)!  I need it.

We do need watchdog ministries.  I simply ask that they not be disrespectful or appear as “holier than thou” when dealing with people whom they disagree.  We Arminians and my Calvinist brethren could all do well to heed these words as well.

LIsten to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.
- Proverbs 19:20 (NASB) 

Statistics tell us that many of the young people now attending church while in high school will drop out of attending church when they head off to college.  You can read various approaches to why this is the case.  For the seeker churches, it’s because church is boring.  For the emergents, it’s because church is too doctrinal.  For the fundamentalist churches, it’s because the church was too liberal.  For the charismatics, the church lacked the presence of God.  For the reformed churches, the young people failed to be taught the doctrines of grace.  For the Arminian churches, the young people fell away from the faith.

On and on the analysis could go.  Let me give my two cents worth here at my lowly blog.

I read this morning from a liberal “Christian” blog about why the blogger feels young people are leaving the church.  He felt that the reason is hypocrisy.  Of course while saying that he was not “into politics,” he took aim at conservatives making church all about the Republican party and about how conservatives don’t care for the poor (which is a lie) and how the Church has made the enemy the world and thus turned the battle into an us versus them mentality.  But the blogger lacked much in his post.

1.  Satan

The liberal blogger never mentions Satan.  I don’t expect him too.  He probably doesn’t believe in Satan.  Satan would love that.  Satan is real.  Satan is called the “tempter” in Matthew 4:3.  In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read that the god of this world (Satan according to John 12:31) blinds the minds of unbelievers.  Satan does this to many people whether young people heading off to college or old people in their idolatry.

In Matthew 13:19 we read that the evil one comes and snatches away the seed of the Word.  I believe that Satan does this all the time.  He wants to destroy the Word of God that is in people’s hearts.  I have seen him do this many times to friends of mine who appeared to be walking with God and then Satan comes and snatches away the Word in their hearts.  They quickly fall away.

2.  False Conversions

How many people are sitting in evangelical churches week after week but are not true disciples of Jesus?  So many people are false converts.  They are lost.  They are dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1-3).  They do not love the truth of God (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).  They do not abide in Christ’s teachings (John 8:31-32; 2 John 9).  They are those in Matthew 7:21-23 or 13:20-21 who are not truly following Jesus.

So many young people have been raised on a Christless Christianity.  They have not heard the true gospel.  They have heard that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives.  They accept this and head off to a secular university full of false teachings and sin.  Because they have not heard the true gospel of God’s Law, His judgment, and His grace, they take their “positive and encouraging” Christianity into a university where they are hit with false ideology, temptation, and Christianity is mocked.  Like those in Matthew 13:21, they have no root in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7) and their “best life now” Christianity fails to keep them during the hour of temptation.  They succumb to their flesh and abide in sin (1 John 3:6-9).  They were raised on a false gospel that never preached the truth of God’s righteousness nor did they understand the truth of the cross.

3.  No Accountability

One of the drawbacks of the traditional church is that so many people gather together in edifices but never know each other by name, never interact with one another, and never truly apply the “one another” passages.  Because the traditional church has become a “show” instead of the Body of Christ, relationships are lacking.  When a young person heads off to college, they don’t come back to church because the show is old.  They are not truly saved because they never heard the true gospel and those who did were never held accountable through discipleship.  Yes they attended Sunday School but one on one discipleship was missing.

In the house church movement we strongly believe in accountability.  We are not a cult.  We will not be in all your business but we don’t want to help people maintain a real faith in Jesus that is always growing.  When we put our hands to the plow, we must not look back (Luke 9:57-62).  We want to help people fight to keep their faith in Christ (Hebrews 3:12-13).  We all face temptation at various levels but we all need to help each other overcome sin (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).  When was the last time you saw James 5:16 applied?  When was the last time you saw church discipline in operation at all?  People fall through the cracks in the traditional church all the time (unless they are big givers to the church and then they are missed) but in the house churches, we should care for one another deeply and pray for one another to overcome sin and temptation.  A young person should feel comfortable confessing their struggles with their brothers and sisters in Christ who understand the temptations of our flesh.

4.  Boredom

Lastly, the seeker church has set itself up for many to fall away because what you win them with is what you win them to.  In this case, teenagers come to your kicking church to jam to the latest worship fad songs but they never hear the hard gospel (Luke 14:25-35).  They never repent of their sins (Acts 2:38).  They come because a girl or guy is there they like.  They come because the young pastor is cool.  They come because it’s much better than the small church they came from.  Soon they are there not because of Jesus or His grace or the Word but because they are being entertained.

That gets old fast.  The bars near the college campuses are competing for the souls of teenagers too.  They offer what the seeker church offers and more.  Cool music.  Cool atmosphere.  Pretty girls.  And oh yes, beer.  The seeker church offers all these too but they try to disguise in religious tones and soon the young people are bored with your games.  It’s far easier to hit the bar scene, have some drinks, meet some guys or girls and fool around.  They find church boring.

The answer to this is not to become like the bars.  The answer to this is to preach true salvation and allow the Holy Spirit to convict of sin.  If we will stay faithful, preach the truth, He will save sinners.  The life above in the bars is empty.  The life above is defeating and hopeless.  We must preach the Law of God and show these young people their sins (Romans 7:7).  The answer is not to become a “bar church” but to preach the gospel.  The gospel will save sinners (Romans 1:16-17).  The gospel will deliver people from sin.  The gospel will draw sinners to the Savior (John 6:44).  Sin is fun for a season but we all fear death but praise God that we disciples of Jesus have the answer for that (Hebrews 2:14-15).  Jesus bore our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21) and we need to preach that truth on the rooftops of every building we can find.

Since I have been working for Golden State Foods, I have had possibly 4 Sunday’s off total.  I work every Sunday.  This means that I miss “church.”  Unlike most Southerners, I don’t get to go to church on Sunday.  Typically, my ekklesia will come later in the week as I met with a few people to pray, encourage each other, and study the Word (sometimes).  I rarely attend a traditional church on Sunday mornings or evenings.  It’s just not for me.  The Church is.  The show called church is not.

What bothers me is that I met so many people who go to church on Sunday mornings but ignore God the rest of the week.  They don’t pray.  They don’t intercede for the nations.  They don’t read and study the Word of God.  They don’t share their faith.  They don’t worship Jesus.  Instead they fill their lives with themselves or their families all week long.  They watch ungodliness on television and movies (hey it only has a few curse words in it, it’s not that bad) and they live as if God doesn’t even exist during the week.  But come Sunday, they put on their nice clothes and head off to the “house of God” where they will join in with others to watch the concert and hear the lecture.

As you can see, I am frustrated with that picture.  I see it repeated all the time.  I have seen good, strong disciples of Jesus who were passionate about seeking God, passionate about seeing the lost saved, settle into this lukewarm Christianity.  In my case, they left our fellowship to go to a more traditional, seeker-sentitive church and became just like the people there.  They quit praying.  They quit sharing the gospel with the lost (after all, it is a seeker sensitive church and one they can invite their friends to and not be embarrassed).  They stopped reading their Bible.  They became a shell of the people they use to be.  They begin to view myself and others like me as “too tough” and “legalists” instead of disciples of Jesus.

I am convinced that God calls us to be disciples of Jesus always.  God doesn’t want us to follow Jesus a little bit.  He doesn’t want us to follow Jesus when its convent to do so.  He calls us to be disciples all the time.  Jesus said that we were to take up our crosses daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23-25).  Are you doing this?  Do you daily follow Jesus?  Are you dying to self daily?  Are you seeking to focus on the eternal instead of the temporal (2 Corinthians 4:14-16)?  Are you serious about seeking God or is this a game to you?  When you read Luke 14:25-35, would that describe you?  Are you placing Jesus first and foremost in your life as your God?  Or have you replaced Him with idols (1 John 5:21)?  When you read 1 John 2:15-17, are you struggling with any of those sins?

The reality is that evangelicals have criticized Catholics for holding that Catholics receive grace for attending mass.  I find that evangelicals think that God honors them because they show up to a place called “church” on Sunday despite never seeking Him all week long?  They believe that they have done their duty to God by simply paying their “tithes” and listening to a sermon.  How wrong are we?  God wants all of us.  He doesn’t want our Sundays only.  He wants all of us.  We are to give Him our everything and He is to become our everything (Romans 6:15-23).  Notice Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13 where he says that he is forgetting what is behind (which were some good things religiously speaking) and is pressing on for what lies in front of him which is Jesus Christ (v. 14).  That is my passion as well.  I don’t want dead religion.  I don’t want typical Sunday worship.  I want more.  I want much more.  I want to be like Jesus in every way.  I want to follow Him completely.  I want Him to dominate my mind, my heart, and my soul (Mark 12:29-31).  I want Him to reign over my everything.  I want to die to self and follow Him forever.

I challenge you to be a disciple of Jesus daily.  Seek Him with all that is in you.  Make Him your passion.  Talk about Him often.  Pray to Him often.  Worship Him continually.  Adore Him.  Bow before Him.  Preach His gospel to others.  Glorify Him in all that you say or do (Colossians 3:17).

Does the New Testament promote the idea of full-time elders (or pastors)?  I know of many of my friends on this blog and outside who not only hold that it does but also they are full-time pastors.  In almost all cases they applied for their pastorate like any other job complete with paperwork and interviews.  In fact, the modern pastorate often resembles a CEO of a company more than taking over a church of God.  In many cases the interviews are full of questions mainly about budgets, organization abilities, and of course, numbers.  Attendance is a big issue for institutional churches since they operate on budgets that must be met.  I know of one large church in my area that sent out their yearly budget that totaled over $7 million dollars.  Less than 3% of that was going to missions.  Most of that $7 million was salaries and their buildings.  Since numbers drive the institutional church, the potential pastor must show that they can produce large results through various ides and organization.  The masses have to be kept happy.

The house church is nothing near that.  First of all, we have no budget.  Each person can give their money to whatever they want.  We don’t want it.  We don’t need it.  Occasionally we might have a family who needs money or a church planter who needs funds but we don’t regularly need your money.  Second, we have no buildings to pay for.  We have no mortgage.  We have no bills.  We offer no work insurance.  We pay no taxes since we own nothing and receive nothing.  Third, we have no staff.  We don’t pay a pastor.  We don’t pay a youth pastor.  We don’t pay a music leader.  We have elders who led us but they are not paid.

So what do we want you to do with the money that God gives you?  We want you to do what He tells you to do with in the New Testament.  First, Jesus said to give to the poor (Matthew 6:2-4; Galatians 2:10).  Secondly, give to hurting Christians (Acts 4:34-35; 11:27-30; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).  Third, give to supporting apostles or church planters or missionaries (1 Corinthians 9:8-14; Philippians 4:10-20).  There is no biblical mandate in the New Testament to tithe to a local church to support their paying bills, salaries, etc.  Tithing is biblical but under the theocracy known as Israel.  We are not a theocracy.  Not once in the Epistles do the writers exhort God’s people to tithe.  If failing to tithe brings one under a curse (as some teach from Malachi 3:8-10) then surely the New Testament writers would want to keep us from that curse.  Sadly, those who teach this “cursed” view of Malachi 3:8-10 fail to show it this applies to Galatians 3:13.

Yet does the New Testament teach that there should be full-time elders?  In Acts 20 we have Paul holding a pastors conference (v. 17).  Paul the Apostle teaches these elders various things but one interesting thing that he says is in verse 35.  The words here are ascribed to Jesus although the Gospels do not contain them.  Using the words of Jesus, Paul tells the elders that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  Can you imagine hearing a prosperity preacher saying that to his TV audience today?  In fact, the thrust of Acts 20:33-35 is that Paul wants these elders to work and not seek money.  He point to his own example (Acts 18:1-4) as proof that he worked hard so that he could give his money to the weak (ESV).  In essence, Paul wanted these elders not to be full-time but to work so that they could give away their money.  What a radical concept for our time!

The other places we find the issue of money and elders is 1 Corinthians 9.  1 Corinthians 9 is not really about elders however.  In fact, elders are not found at all in 1 or 2 Corinthians.  Given how important the modern pastorate is in most churches, you would think that Paul the Apostle would address the elders to correct the troubles at Corinth.  He never does.  He expects the Spirit of God to lead His Church and for the people of God to obey the Spirit who leads them.  Not once in Corinthians does Paul address any leaders.  In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul deals with missionaries receiving money for preaching the gospel.  In verses 8-14 he makes the clear point that those who preach the gospel should live off the gospel.  Yet then Paul turns around and says that he has not done this despite his right to do so.  He tells the Corinthians that he didn’t want to be a stumbling block to them (vv. 15-18).  Paul could have asked for money but he gave up his right so that he could preach the gospel without hinderance.  In Acts 18:1-4 we find that Paul worked as a tent maker while preaching the gospel in Corinth.  He willfully gave up his rights to being paid so that he could work hard, give away his money, and preach the gospel.  How many modern pastors are doing that?

The final place we find elders and money is in 1 Timothy 5:17-18.  A couple of points are in order.  First, verse 17 does not use the word “money.”  I believe many read into verse 17 way too much about “double honor” as to teach that elders should be paid double what they would earn outside of the church.  The word “honor” here does not denote money.  The word is never used in the New Testament as a substitute for the word money.  Yet I have no trouble with honoring an elder who leads with much grace and ability in teaching the Word of God.  This honor can come in various ways including giving them money.  I don’t think we should isolate this verse and make it teach only money but we can give money to elders who fit this picture of verse 17.  Yet I don’t see in this verse that it teaches that elders should receive a regular salary.  Gifts?  Yes.  Salary?  No.  There is a big difference.

Frankly, I am weary of paying an elder very often since this could lead to one elder being exalted above others and can lead to this elder becoming a typical CEO type pastor only in a house church setting.  The plurality of leaders in the house church (Titus 1:5) helps to offset one elder dominating the others.  It also helps because elders are gifted in various ways other than teaching.  A full-time elder also would have a hard time fulfilling Acts 20:35 if in fact their income comes from the house church.

Lastly, if a house church is large enough to support a full-time elder, they are probably too large.  It’s time to split that house church.  House churches are strong because of personal relationships with one another.  This can’t happen if the house church is too large.  I recommend that house churches be no larger than a living room.  If everyone can comfortably be in a living room to worship God, pray, sing, eat, etc. then that is perfect.  Keep in mind that elders are to be among the people of God and not over them (1 Peter 5:1-4).

Hard work is something that we are scarred of in the West.  We need not be.  How wonderful it is to work hard and then to take our money and give it away to the kingdom of God through the poor, hurting disciples, or missionaries.  We are not to hoard up our funds but to give them away (Matthew 6:19-21).  Our treasure is not this world or money but the Lord Himself.  He is our delight and our reward.

One of the most common arguments I hear from traditional (or institutional) churches is that house churches are opposed to leadership.  One blogger put it this way, “House churches want to play church instead of being the church.”  Traditional churches pride themselves on their clergy-laity division, that they have leaders in place whereas it is assumed that house churches oppose any thought of a leader telling them what to do.

Well this is partly true.  First of all we hold that Jesus is the head of His Church.  As did the New Testament.  As do all evangelical churches.  Colossians 1:18 says, “He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything” (NASB).  Ephesians 1:22 echoes the same thought.  Jesus is the head of His Church.  Not a pastor.  Not a pope.  Not a priest.  Not any flesh but only Jesus is Lord over His Church.  Therefore it is true that we in the house church movement oppose someone telling disciples what to do or think since Jesus is the Lord of His Church.  We need to heed the words of Christ as found in the Scriptures above the creeds and confessions of human beings.  We believe that leaders in the church are not to lord it over others faith but be examples of true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:1-5).

The ironic thing about reading the New Testament is that you find not a lot of information about leaders in the church.  Only one letter in the New Testament even addresses the leaders from the outset and that is Philippians (1:1).  All of the New Testament letters are addressed to the saints when it would be assumed by modern traditional churches that leaders would first be addressed since the professional clergy set the tone for the local church.  The clergy set the agenda, the vision, the purpose, etc. for the local church.  This is not the case with the New Testament.

Leadership is addressed in the New Testament.  Jesus spoke about leadership in Matthew 20:20-28 but He contrasts the worldly leadership that the Jews had seen with true servant leadership that He called for and demonstrated with His life and death (Mark 10:45).  Leadership is addressed in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9.  Ephesians 4:11 speaks of gifted people who God gives the Church but for a reason: to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (vv. 12-16) and not to pay someone else to do the work of the ministry.  Leaders are mentioned in Hebrews 13:7, 17 and 1 Peter 5:1-4.  Elders are mentioned in James 5:14.  You’ll notice how important elders were to the New Testament Church.  What you will not find is the idea of one professional pastor serving over a church with a deacon board or a group of elders helping the pastor lead the church.  The word pastor appears only in our English Bibles in Ephesians 4:11 and the ESV correctly translates it “shepherds.”  Jesus is the true shepherd of the flock of God (John 10:1-16; 1 Peter 2:25; Hebrews 13:20).

So what does leadership look like in a house church then?  First of all, we have elders.  A biblical house church should have a plurality of elders (Titus 1:5) who lead the house church.  Their purpose is not to be over the people of God but among the people of God (1 Peter 5:2).  The elders are to fit the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  The elders are not professional Christians although they could receive some money as a gift from time to time (1 Timothy 5:17-18).  No where does the New Testament call elders to abandon the “secular” for the “ministry.”  Elders are to lead by example and not as professionals who dominate the local church life (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

Secondly, leadership in the local house church is often consensus based.  In Acts 13:1-3 we see the Holy Spirit leading the church in Antioch and He does so through the people of God.  Notice that the people of God were seeking the Lord for Himself (v. 2) and it was during this time that the Spirit called Barnabas and Saul for a specific work (in this case to be apostles or sent ones; see verse 4).  The church didn’t quickly say okay but again they fasted and prayed to come to a consensus about this call.

In Acts 15 we find another example of consensus.  Here the church meets to debate the relationship between the Law of Moses and the grace of Christ.  The church comes to a consensus after much debate (Acts 15:22).

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is another example.  Here Paul is addressing an issue among the Corinthians about head coverings.  His point throughout these verses is that the church needs to come to consensus over this issue as he states in verse 16.

What this looks like on a practical level is that house churches often move slowly.  Unlike the traditional churches who vote on issues all the time and are building buildings and doing this or that, house churches are slow to act and instead seek God for His wisdom, to study Scripture, and to come to a consensus over issues.  Some issues are quickly solved while others must be handled with much prayer and wisdom from the Lord.  Keep this in mind, however, that Jesus is the Lord of His Church and He is faithful to His Church.  We need only to wait on Him and obey all that He has taught us (Matthew 28:20).  No matter the issue, Jesus should be the main focus and His glory is to our aim.

Lastly, the priesthood of the believers is vital to the local house church.  Each person can study the Scriptures and can speak for God (1 Peter 4:10-11).  All of us are called by God to glorify His name and to proclaim Him.  All of us can hear from God in His Word (John 8:47).  All of us have the Spirit of God living within us (Romans 8:9) and all of us can be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) and He is able to speak through us.  We should be open to all disciples of Jesus sharing from the Scriptures or giving a teaching since we are all priests unto the Lord (1 Peter 2:4-11) and all of us can give input into the kingdom of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:26).  Elders are not to be the only ones teaching the Bible.  Elders certainly are to keep the house church sound doctrinally (Titus 1:9; 2:1) but elders are not to dominate the house church meetings.

Leadership in the house church is important and should not be rejected.  God raises up elders to glorify His name through their passion and examples.  Elders are not to dominate the people of God nor are elders to be professional Christians but they are to serve as servant leaders of God’s saints.  We need godly leadership in the local church but what we don’t need is more of the CEO-type leadership that we find in the traditional churches.  Only Jesus is truly head of His Church.  Let us exalt Him for His leaders while He Himself is our true leader.