God wanted the Israelites to make a sanctuary according to His pattern so that He could dwell among them.

We have to ask ourselves:  Is today’s Traditional Church God’s pattern or man’s pattern? Where do our traditions come from?

And, does the pattern matter? Could a man-made pattern hinder the indwelling of God among His people?

What is the pattern of the New Testament church Jesus died to give us? And how do we get back to it?

Traditional Church:  You get your family up, dressed, and there in attendance, to sit and listen to one man give a prepared sermon. The orchestrated experience can often feel void of the true Spirit of God.

You can think you’re plugged into Christ, but still feel like you’re drowning, failing, and lost because you’re really just plugged into a man-made structure, doing the motions. Wrongly thinking “This is faith. This pleases God.”

There’s little repentance and little life.

The man-made structure has so many blinded and hindered; and it’s suffocating the faith of its members.

I used to come home from church exhausted from all the effort it took. I had checked my Christian duty off the list, but still felt so hungry. I longed to link arms with other people who loved God and do life together, outside of the structured gathering.

I questioned: “Is this IT?”

The answer is: NO! It’s not even close to “it.”

Our family has found the light and love of home church. No structure. No program. No production. Just people who love Jesus joining our lives together in one accord to worship God. Fellowship. Accountability. Discipleship. Prayer. Rapid spiritual growth.

There’s a deep spiritual thirst being quenched by the presence of His Spirit in our midst.

We rotate through the members’ homes. We are all a functioning part of the whole. We pray. We read His Word. Everyone shares and participates. We enjoy a meal. We linger in the joy of fellowship. We are finding our voice and finding our gifting.

The presence of His Spirit nourishes a deep place of hunger in our soul.

It’s about relationships. I have been a part of Traditional Church for 15 years. I understand how one can still feel lonely even when surrounded by a crowd. I loved the people in these churches, but the relationships never were to the depth or heat that house church allows.

We need to walk out your faith in close fellowship with other believers. We need to sharpen one another, encourage one another, challenge one another. We need the heat of the true Body in order to burn hot.

We NEED the Body of Christ! In our life. In our home. We need to be an active part – working, edifying, and encouraging. We need the Body, and the Body needs us.

Within the building walls of Traditional Church, how deep does the fellowship go? How much accountability is there? How much light? Is there any true transparency? Any deep discipleship? Are you discovering your spiritual gifting and what part you play in the Body of Christ? Are you being equipped?

I am grieved to think of the “church hurt” that keeps people from true faith. I am grieved at the elevated pastors who fall and cause thousands to turn away. I am grieved at all of the people who felt drawn to God, who did “the motions” but fell away because they had no one to walk with. I am grieved at the starving flock. I’m grieved at the lonely people sitting in a church. I am grieved at the people who unknowingly sit in their bitterness and sin because they never hear about repentance and holiness. And I am grieved that there are those who don’t know there’s MORE.

It’s time we allow the light of fellowship to drive out darkness. Time that we get back to a structure that quenches the thirst He’s placed in us. That causes a personal revival. That joins us together with other living stones so we can become a dwelling place of His Spirit. A structure that equips us to be His prepared Bride He’s coming back for. A structure that pleases Him so He can dwell in our midst.

If you want to learn more about the New Testament biblical pattern of church, look at www.HouseChurchesUSA.com.  There’s free books, podcast teachings, and video teachings.

Find your group, discover true love and family, and let’s get back to God’s pattern so He can dwell among us.