Public thoughts about the definitions, structures, and roles of Christian assemblies.
Joined February 2025
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Beyond the Building retweeted
For people still straw manning this:
The reason why it should not be surprising that the body that shared meals with each other was the healthy body, and the others were not, was because every christian need to both minister to the whole body and be ministered to by the whole body - and it must be born out of love and devotion to one another.
If your gathering revolves around 1 giant mouth you don't have a body you just have 1 giant mouth. You don't have love or devotion to one another, you have love and devotion for this one mouth. The more talented the mouth, the more true this is.
Those who think the key to growing into spiritual maturity is finding the right mouth who delivers the best monologues are confused. That is a sure path to an unbalanced anemia. A church that is built up is so because all are devoted to building one another up in love and devotion.
The two most unhealthy churches I was ever a part of were the two with the deepest, most accurate expositional sermons.
The healthiest church I ever was a part of the "pastor" had a stroke, was socially awkward and I rarely knew what he was trying to say. But we all ate a meal together every sunday.
If this is surprising to you or goes against what your theology would predict, possibly your theology isn't as sharp as you assume.
Beyond the Building retweeted
It's not new, but I still wonder if we realize how much the models of corporate America have influenced church leadership/growth, and how utterly opposed they are to the NT model.
Beyond the Building retweeted
Ever considered going to a house church? Here are some reasons they appeal to a growing number of people...what would you add or are curious about? Let's talk! Here are 30 reasons people consider going to a house church.
youtu.be/_asV9J7LTOk
Beyond the Building retweeted
I'm starting a long thread on church order, which I will be adding to as I work through Life in His Body, but this line in chapter one is probably the most important exhortation in the book.
Beyond the Building retweeted
What happens when a home church gets too large for the living room?
This video gives a strategy for multiplying that keeps things healthy and minimizes the harm of breaking up groups to form new groups.
We don't do the classic, split the small group 50/50...that rarely went well. You built a successful small group only to split it up. Not so with home church. There is a better way that once you see the approach, it will make all kinds of sense!
Here to you! Would love to hear your feedback - youtu.be/fchKSBc8bZs
Beyond the Building retweeted
In the NT, preaching was proclamation to the lost - not a weekly lecture to the flock.
The church devoted itself to mutual edification, teaching, exhortation, & participation - not a one-man pulpit performance.
The modern sermon-centered model is post-biblical, not apostolic.
Beyond the Building retweeted
House churches under a local, wider, umbrella (for accountability) will be the only way to cleanse the mess we’ve made by using entertainment “corporations” to gather the body—and then we call these corporations Church.
Money needs to go.
And house fellowship and the family model for the edification, discipleship, accountability, and growth of the Body. Just like in Acts.
Beyond the Building retweeted
The early church didn’t have preachers or celebrity pastors who stood up and spoke the whole time.
It had a network of elders and deacons who were there to serve and facilitate. Meetings were for fellowship and discussion. Everyone participated.
This idea that a man should elevate himself above a group of people and speak as everyone watches him lends itself to these problems.
He begins to see himself as “the ministry”
Every criticism of him is a demonic attack against the ministry.
His judgements are “more sound” than others.
This is why Jesus said leadership is service. Not authority and “ruling over” others. A man elevated above others is a target and now prone to the sin of pride
Bring back churches in homes
This quoted post is unavailable.
Beyond the Building retweeted
I wouldn't be surprised if our tradition of preaching from the pulpit is actually part of the reason that so many Christians are not reading the Bible for themselves.
Beyond the Building retweeted
Congregational singing is important for our gatherings, but the New Testament doesn’t call that “worship.”
Nope, not nada …
Just ain’t there.
Rather, the New Testament says that living lives of obedient submission and sacrificial service to God …
Is true worship.
When we say that singing and music are “worship,” however, rather than teach what worship truly is under the New Covenant …
We often end up with carnal churches and carnal people seeking a Sunday morning “worship experience” rather than living holy lives in humble obedience and service to God.
So let’s encourage one another by joyfully singing God’s praises congregationally together when we gather, as the New Testament commands …
While also learning to walk in true worship the rest of the week.
Because when all is said and done, the terminology of the New Testament never tells us to gather for a “worship service” …
But to gather for mutually building up each other so we can live lives of service, 24/7.
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“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship [literally, ritual temple prostration in obedient submission] the Father… God is spirit, and those who worship him [ritual temple prostration in obedient submission] must worship [ritual temple prostration in obedient submission] in spirit and truth.’” John 4:21 & 24
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship [literally, ritual temple burnt sacrifice]. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:1-2
Beyond the Building retweeted
Was Jesus low-church or high-church?
51%Low-church
20%High-church
29%😡
588 votes • Final results Beyond the Building retweeted
We have neither. We have no stage, because worship and remembrance are not entertainment.
We have no altar because the once and for all sacrifice of Christ is complete—cannot be repeated.
We have the Lord's table. We remember the finished work of Christ that brought us peace.
Beyond the Building retweeted
Hot take: too many pastors not enough lay elders.
We’ve turned “ministry” into a professional vocation.
Beyond the Building retweeted
3/3 Robert Banks, Paul's Idea of Community: "The purpose of Christian gathering is primarily for the growth and edification of their members through their meals and ministry to one another. Meeting centered around eating a meal and exercising ministry for one another’s benefit.”
Beyond the Building retweeted
Semantics are REALLY important on this.
LOTS of problems come out of considering the building as “Church”
This quoted post is unavailable.
Beyond the Building retweeted
1/2
"The centrality of love [in Paul's view of freedom] does mean, however, that freedom is experienced not only as the content of the Christian life but also as the process that determines its texture.
[From "Paul's Idea of Community", Robert Banks,
ref. Gal 5:13–23, 1 Cor 13]