Different Meetings (Part 2)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Wednesday February 13, 2008

Although the Bible never mentions a "church" meeting, it DOES mention churches that, when they DO meet, they meet at people's HOUSES!

Romans 16:3-5 (NIV)
3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5. Greet also the church THAT MEETS AT THEIR HOUSE. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

The day of Pentecost came when the earliest Christian church met in a HOUSE!

Acts 2:1,2 (NIV)
1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE SITTING.

The early church met to evangelize in the temple courts, but they had their other meetings in people's houses:

Acts 5:42 (NIV)
Day after day, in the temple courts and FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Saul located groups of believers to drag off to prison by going from HOUSE to HOUSE in his attempt to destroy the church:

Acts 8:3 (NIV)
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from HOUSE TO HOUSE, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

The Bible tells of a prayer meeting at the home of Mary the mother of Jesus:

Acts 12:12 (NIV)
12. When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.

There was a documented church meeting at the home of a woman named Lydia:

Acts 16:40 (NIV)
40. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Paul reminded the elders at the church of Ephesus that he TAUGHT them "from house to house".

Acts 20:20 (NIV)
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have TAUGHT you publicly and FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.

Paul also tells us that a church met in the home of a man named Nymphas:

Colossians 4:15
Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

So we see that there are many kinds of meetings, and throughout the New Testament, they always took place in people's homes except for evangelistic meetings.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word, which tells me so much about You. Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son, to pay the price for my sin. Thank You Father for being present with us when we meet together as believers.
In Jesus' Name, Amen

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