Preface

It was my thought, for a number of years, that the Church, as practiced, is not very Biblical. It has been my intention to study the Word of God, especially the New Testament, to discover how the church should be organized, structured, and what its function should be. My intent was to include only ideas from the Bible, and not incorporate tradition into this study. The study has been undertaken through my reading, through reading with my family, and through “home churching”. I originally thought the church would end up varying considerably from what we had known in the past, I just had no idea how much.
A “church” is a small body of people who gather together to do the things of God. There is little evidence that the church was ever intentioned to meet in any form, but in small groups. This was done in order to study the Word of God, and do the things listed in this guide. At times the entire church in the area will meet together in a public place for public praise, worship, and for feasts.
It is not the intention of this study to quote verses from the Word of God. Only you can study the Word and to see if this guide is confirmed by the Word of God. It is not written to debate on the merits of what God has shown. You read, you pray, you study, and then you take action. All of the writing in this booklet can be confirmed in the Bible.

I believe that although this has not been the model, of the church, for years, it will soon be again, as the end of the age comes.

Introduction

When someone says to you “Let’s go to church”, what does that mean to you? Does it mean to go to a building where there are people of similar beliefs? Does it mean to send your children to Sunday school? Does it involve listening to a sermon? For most of my Christian walk, all of the above was how I defined church.
Now when someone says to me “Let’s go to church”, they are saying to me: “Let’s sit down and study the Word of God. Let’s together know more about Jesus.” I do not look at going to church as something possible-as I do not need to go anywhere. Jesus said to us: “Wherever two or more are gathered together, in my name, there I will be also” He is saying that the “church” is not a building, but a time together with Him, and two or more people. You need fellowship and Him-that’s all. No building, no pastor, no tithes, no music, no programs, no sermon. Nothing but two people and Jesus. He is the Word of God, and He wants us to learn more of Him. He even said that He would teach us. He sent His Holy Spirit to guide our understanding of Him. As we study the Word, we study the Truths of the Word.
Over the years, a Sunday “service” has came to consist of 3-4 main parts. First there is the worship. That consists mainly of scripted music, led by a “worship team”.
Next there is the sermon. That is usually given by the “pastor”. Hopefully the sermon expounds on the Bible, but in many churches it is what is on the mind of the pastor-and that might not be God’s Word.
Churches always need to have a collection of tithes and offerings. There are salaries to pay, and a building to keep up.

In some churches, there is a time of prayer. Now contrast that with the Church of God that meets in homes. In most home churches there might, and there might not be, a time of worship. If there is, though, it is more than singing. It would consist of all that God says about worshipping Him. Then there is a time of studying His Word. That might be led by a teacher, or by more than one person, but always under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The learning of the Word would consist of a time for questions and answers. There is time of fellowship that would consist of food taken together. Most often, there is a time of prayer. Awareness is made, and offerings are taken, for the poor, the widows, the orphans. Home churches also help those that are involved in God’s work, and have a need; although most teachers, pastors, and preachers have a secular job, in addition to their calling.
If you are interested in knowing more, please call the Christian Home Church Network at 402-238-2443. (The Christian Home Church Network does not solicit, nor accept donations)
In order to start a fellowship, which meets in your home, invite fellow Christians over, and study what God would have you to do. It is all in His Word. Read it.


Through reading the Word of God, He has revealed that the Church Of God:

First of all, should be a place to learn about Jesus. He walked the face of the earth for thirty-three years, and He was the “Word made flesh”. In other words, He was the Word of God, walking around. He gave Himself to us. He taught his disciples. He lived what He taught. We need to study Him, and learn all we can, so that we can be like Him, and live like He wants us to. We need to learn of the laws of God, and how He wants us to behave. We need to be able to discern the truth from the false teachings. We need to be able to discern the false and the false teachers among us.
The church is a gathering of believers. Unbelievers need to become born-again, before coming to God’s Church. Therefore, we need to be obedient to God and preach the Good News, outside of the church, so that those that are not believers will come to know Him.

Second, the church should be a place to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. When Jesus left this earth as the “living” Word of God, He said He would send another to be with us. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible. We do not need scholars, writers, thinkers, or theologians to understand God. We need His Holy Spirit.
When God baptizes us in His Holy Spirit, we need to use the gifts He has given us. If we have the gift of speaking in tongues, we need to honor and give praise to God by not stifling this gift. Whatever gift God has given us, He has given it to us to use for His glory.

In addition, the Church of God should be:

A place to fellowship and share: God desires His people to come together to pray, share burdens, study His Word, and to help and support each other. He wishes His people to share love for each other. The church is a place where believers join together in regular attendance: Not out of obligation do believers come together, but in obedience and love for God, and out of love for each other.

A place to be thankful and to publicly acknowledge Him: A church is a place to testify to other believers about what God has done. God is a God of miracles, and as we experience them we need to be thankful and worship Him for His mighty works.

A place to break Bread, and share Wine together, and thereby commune with God: God gave us the last supper for a purpose, and that is, among other reasons, to bring us together to share in the Word (bread) and the Blood (life in Him) while fellowshipping and learning about Him, thru teaching and study. Communion with God is talking with Him. It is prayer, study, and fellowship, and sharing that communion with other believers. It is setting down at the table with other believers, and sharing bread and wine, as Jesus, in His Word directs.

A place to pray together: People need to gather to pray in the model of the “Our Father” We need to give God’s name praise and honor. We need to pray that God will help us to do on earth as it is in heaven. We need to pray for our daily needs, and we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins. We need to publicly acknowledge Him as the holder of the Kingdom, the Power, and as all the Glory there is. We need to praise His Holy name. We are commanded to pray for those that persecute us. We need to pray to have boards removed from our eyes. We need to pray for God to send forth harvesters. We need to pray to be able to love our enemies.

A place to send forth Harvesters: We need to become harvesters, as it is a command from God. As stated before, we need to preach to the lost. A church is a place to learn how to live, and be a light to the world, and to learn to let Jesus, the light of the world, shines through us. As we learn of Jesus, and what we are to do, we can be a light to the world, and fulfill God’s “great Commission” to go to the world and tell others of Him. This would fulfill God’s desire for us to love our enemies.


A place that publicly acknowledges Him and therefore often a place that brings persecution: A church is a place so radical that people of the world will hate it, because they hate God. When people hate God they hate those that acknowledge Him. He wishes us to even love our enemies.

A place to be of one mind together: As we study and learn more of what God wants from us, we will either fall away from Him, or draw closer. If we draw closer, we commune more and more with Him, and then with His people. We listen to God. We share communion together. We learn more and more of Jesus. We become more and more of one mind through communion. That is what God desires of His church.

A place to be baptized: God desires all new believers to be baptized before other believers, and before the world. This is done publicly, so the unsaved will recognize there is a God that will forgive them of their sins.

A place for feasts: We need to celebrate God, who He is, and what He has done for us. We need to be thankful, eager, waiting, and in anticipation of God, and His wonder.

A place for miracles, and healings: God promised that if we have faith in Him that He would heal us. He healed people, according to His Word, of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual problems. He healed the possessed, the insane and the sick. He did this to show His mercy, and to draw praise and glory to Himself. He asked us to have Faith in Him.

A place to share with those in need: He asks us to share with the needy. Not those in want of more, but for their daily needs.

A place to praise God: God has asked us to give Him first place in our lives. We are to praise and worship, and honor Him, in all we do. We need to learn and practice this in the church, and model it for our children. We need to bow before God and revere Him. We need to honor and praise God through knowing His Son (the Word). We need to kneel and worship Him. We need to draw close to Him, by avoiding the things of the world.

A place to prophesy: God has sent us prophets, and we need to listen to them, as they bring God’s revelations to us. We need to be able to discern true prophesy, by seeing if it comes to pass.

A place to enjoy the favor of all: We need to respect all of God’s people, and enjoy them.

A place to present gifts: We are told by God to give of what we gain. We need to give to the needy, the widows, and the orphans. We need to give to those God has asked us to give to, whether they be pastors, preachers, teachers, apostles, prophets, or evangelists. No one is to profit off of the Word of God, but we are commanded to give to those He asks us to give to