Supplemental Notes:

The Once and Future Church

Home Fellowships

Why is the divorce rate among Christians no better than among unbelievers? What is really meant by Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain? If you are not presently involved in a small, weekly Bible study group, we strongly encourage you to find one and give it a try. You will be in for a truly life-changing surprise. If you cant find one, start one! Its easierand more rewardingthan you can imagine. And we are here to help you. Page 12003 Koinonia House Inc.

The Once and Future Church

Home Fellowships
The Regeneration Gap
Over 2,000 churches planted per week. 150 million (1974) to 650 million (1998). Silent exodus of people slipping out the back doors almost unnoticed. Attracted but not contained; Interested but not inserted into fellowship; Harvested but not gathered; Touched but not transformed; Looked in briefly but were disappointed in what they saw

As a persecuted church, it was the only safe way to meet.

A Theatre of Miracles
Sovereign ways: To make wine out of water; To make donkeys talk; To make water flow from a rock; To part the sea (on several occasions); To use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary ends.

Back to Basics
The Churchthe secret and powerful Society o f the Redeemed: A place where people can literally see the Body of Christ. Not simply briefly touched by an abbreviated gospel of an evangelistic Blitzkrieg of short duration. A return to NT simplicity and authenticity. No models: let the Spirit lead as He wills

Caveats
Candor without malice. Critical Assessments. Historical Reality: Hegel, Santyana Decision Theory: Not a zero-sum game; A mixed strategy is best. Roles for each variety of fellowship. The ideal of networked cells.

Prophetic Foundations
Biblical Illiteracy Extant: Allegorical myths. The centerpiece of Israel and her destiny. The imminent return of Christ. The Pagan Fallacies: Evolutionary myths. Denial of absolutesRelativism.

The Way It All Started

A group of 12 alongside a seashore. The birth of the church at Pentecost was in a house (Acts 2:2). The early church met in houses: Acts 2:46; 5:42; 8:3; 9:11; 12:12; 16:40; 18:7; 20:20; 21:8; Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; 1 Tim 5:13-14; and Philemon 1:2. Page 2

Advantages of Small Groups

Disciplined multiplication (mitosis). Free of growth barriers. Page 3

More are involved participants. Personal transformation & accountability. More effective for new Christians. Solves the leadership crisis. More Biblical. Persecution-proof structure. More efficient: lower cost.

Historical Review
31 B.C. - A.D. 14: Augustus; Christ born in his reign. A.D. 37: Tiberius; Christ crucified in his reign. 37-41: Caligula; unsuccessful attempt at desecration of Temple. 41-54: Claudius. 54-68: Nero; persecutions, blaming his burning of Rome on Christians; executed Paul. 68-69: Galba. 69: Otho, Vitelius.

192-284: Barrack Emperors; appointed by army, Civil War. 193-211: Septimius Severus. 218-222: Caracalla; tolerated Christianity. 218-222: Elagabalus. 222-235: Alexander Severus; favorable to Christianity. 235 238: Maximin. 244-249: Phillips; very favorable to Christianity. 249-251: Decius; persecuted Christians furiously. 253-260: Valerian. 260-268: Galienus; favored Christians. 270-275: Aurelian. 284-305: Diocletian; persecuted Christians furiously, most severely; systematically attempted to abolish all by tortuous death. Catacombs of Rome: hundreds of miles, 2-7 million graves.

Nicolaitanes
Nicolas, one of the 7 deacons (Acts 6:5). Later influenced by Greek dualism, Developed the clergical doctrine (Rev 2:6). Nikao, conquer, above others. Laity, the common people. Thus, the clergy: Two letters of Clement of Rome (~A.D. 100). Letters of Ignatius of Antioch (110-117). Elevation of the bishop to the autocratic head of the local church.

Historical Review
69-79: Vespasian; destroyed Jerusalem. 79-81: Titus. 81-96: Domitian; brief but violent, 1000s slain; John banished to Patmos. 98-117: Trajan; sought to uphold the laws, Christianity regarded illegal; formalities of emperor worship. 117-138: Hadrian. 138-161: Antoninus Pius: Bar Kochba revolt; Aelia Capitolina replaces Jerusalem.

Pergamy
220: Origen introduces infant baptism. 312: Constantine adopts Christianity. 325: Edit of Toleration: state-endorsed religion. 380: House churches outlawed. 431: Council of Ephesus: Mary worshiped as the Mother of God. Page 5

The Decline
161-180: Marcus Aurelius; Most severe since Nero; peak of Roman power. 180-192: Commodus. Page 4

 440: Leo the Great named Bishop of Rome. 445: Valentian confirmed as Spiritual leader of the Western Empire. 500: Common priestly dress code. 565: Justinian: state-ordained church. 607: Boniface III: 1st Pope of Catholic Church. 709: Kissing Popes foot begins.

1700: Huguenots. Claude Brousson publicly executed before 10,000.

Persecutions Continue
4th Century: Canonized by the State. Independent fellowships outlawed and persecuted. Reformation: Soteriology (Salvation) reformed. Other erroneous traditions retained. Protestant leadership continues to persecute deviant groups adhering to Biblical doctrines.

State Churches
786: Worship of images and relics develops. 850: Use of holy water begins. 995: Canonization of dead Saints. 998: Fasting on Fridays and before Lent. 1070: Celibacy of the priesthood instituted. 1090: Prayer beads adopted from paganism. 1184: Inquisition begins: Jews, witches, etc. 1254: Pope Innocence IV officially establishes Inquisition. 1190: Sale of indulgences. 1215: Transubstantiation of water and wine. 1229: Reading the Bible forbidden to laymen. 1414: Communion cup forbidden to lay people. 1439: Doctrine of Purgatory decreed. 1492: Jews outlawed in Spain. Columbus sails. 1545: Tradition granted equal authority with Bible.

Protestant Reactions
Anabaptists: 1535-1546: 30,000 killed. Labadies Converticle Brotherhoods. The Priscillians. The Bogomilians. Petrobusians. Patarenians. Waldensians. Lollards. et al.

The Reformation
1517: Luthers 95 Theses. Zwingli, Melanchton, Calvin, John Knox, and others 1526: Reversions to traditional forms of services (vs. Anabaptists). 1530: All lay pastors teaching publicly are to be killed. Schwenckfeld outlawed; disciples jailed. 1600: 40 translations from the Latin Bible. Page 6

Wesley Revival
Directed Growth & Discipleship: Trial BandPrevenient Grace; provisional seekers; 4-6 people, weekly, with a leader (2-3 months). Member of the United Society & Class MeetingConvincing Grace (Mind); 12-36 people (2 years). Band MeetingConverting Grace (Will); 48 people, separated, all born-again. Page 7

Select Band: (Heart); Spirit-filled (Rom 5:5; Gal 3:28) Mature Christians. 1768: after 30 years: 40 circuits; 27,341 members. By 1800: 1 of 30 Englishmen.

Accountability; management by hearsay. The Objective Function.

Korean Fellowships
Organized by profession. Special invitation only.

The Rock: San Diego, CA

Everyone in Sunday Church is in a Small Group (6-12). Small Groups meet weekly with their Facilitator. Pray, hold themselves accountable, and discuss sermon notes. When Small Group grows beyond 12, it is forced to split into two. In its first two years, the Rock has grown to over 4,000.

An Explosion Toward the Past: Back to the Future

A Personal Discovery. A Modern Trend of Hope. The Persecuted Church. Then. Now. As an Impact for You!

The Congregational Church

A building (Cathedral, or Church). A special day (Sunday). A professional leadership (priest, clergyman, pastor). A special service, performed for the people: (ceremonies, interpretations, motivation). A way to maintain itself (tithes and offerings). Bill Beckham, The Second Reformation

The Home Fellowship: A Global Trend

The True Church
A supernatural invention. Endowed with immortality. The means to disciple each other. Transfer of Jesus life to each other. Turns: Atheists to Apostles; Policewomen into prophetesses; Terrorists into teachers; Plumbers into pastors; Elders into evangelists.

The Life Cycle of Churches

People-oriented pastor. Pulpit-oriented pastor. Property-oriented pastorate. Gideon: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Power-oriented pastorate. Return of the Nicolaitanes. Politically driven decay. Page 8

Theses
A way of life, not a series of meetings: The Way (Acts 18:26). Page 9

 No such thing as a house of God. God does not live in temples made by human hands. Chewing gum in the sanctuary! vs. Sanctuaries are chewing gum! No bureaucratic clergy in the NT. No clerical mediators (1 Tim 2:5). Nicolaitanes were adoptions from pagan religions. Line vs. staff: overhead or productive?

Koinonia
Fellowship, communication, communion, sharing and participating with someone. It cannot be organized: it must be led by the Spirit to bear meaningful fruit. We can revisit the open, organic styles of the NT, instead of being limited to the structured approach canonized by the state in the 4th century

Alternatives
The Mega-Church. The Local Congregational Church. The Small Study Group: Cells sponsored by the local church. Home Fellowships. Home Churches.

Finding the Right One

Neighborhood groups. Professional groups. Start Your Own! Its easy. God will surprise you He always rewards the diligent. Staying ahead a week at a time isnt hard. Well help you

Some Issues
Mission Alternatives: Evangelism. Discipleship. Leadership: Prepared Teachers. Discussion Facilitators.

Alternative Start-ups
Video review and discussion: A topical documentary, with refreshments. Prophecy 101: four one-hour videos: What is Prophecy; Prophecy Past: Fulfilled; End-Time Prophecy: Summarized; Between Now and Then: Whats next? Learn the Bible in 24 Hours (3 semester hours degree credit)

Characteristics of Small Groups

Organic not organized; relational not formal. Persecution-proof structure: Matures under tears; Multiplies under pressure; Flourishes in the desert; Sees in the dark; Thrives on chaos Its only boast is the Lamb. Page 10

Hermeneutics: Theories of Interpretation

Stages Exegesis: Exposition: What does the text say? What does it mean? Page 11

 Homiletics: Impact on your walk. Handling Difficult Passages You dont have to take sides. Put Christ right in the middle and see what happens

Expositional Teaching
The Whole Counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter. Recognition of the systematic design of the composite whole. Every verse impacts, and is impacted by, every other verse. Every verse reveals something about Christ.

Instruction Demonstration Empirical Evaluation Confrontation and Consultation Revelation and Isolation Dedication Seeing Jesus as He really is Accountability (Danger) Compassion (Duty) Crucifixion (Dying) Resurrection (Destiny)

5-7 8-9 10 11-12 13 14-15 16-17 18 19-20 20-27 28

Accountability
Matthew 18 Procedures. The Most Painful Sin. The Role of Elders.

Hermeneutics
Levels Peshat Remez Drashah Sod PaRDeS Literal sense. Hints of something deeper. Homiletics, spiritual message. Mystical Conjectures. Mnemonic: Paradise.

Strange Resums
Moses was 80 years old and wanted for murder; Jacob was a schemer and con-artist; Elijah and Jeremiah both suffered from depression; Hosea couldnt keep his marriage together; Amos was a farmer with no ministry training; Peter tried to kill a man with his sword; John Mark was a quitter; Paul couldnt get along with his partner Barnabas, and couldnt stay out of prison.

Topical Teaching
Focuses on specific doctrines or problem areas. Can be hazardous: Extracted segments involve editing and biases. Can result in majoring on the minors. Long term values favor expositional approaches.

An Army of Nobodies: A Battle Cry for Ordinary Followers of Christ

Under persecution or celebrated on talk shows; Under unspeakable difficulties or walking on red carpets; Despised or adored; Ridiculed or consulted; Page 13

Matthew on Discipleship
Topics: Orientation Selection Page 12 Chapters: 1-3 4

Cheated or honored; Scorned or quoted; Tortured or pampered; With frequent flyer cards or walking barefoot; Unknown or known

Academic Credit
Learn The Bible in 24 Hours: 3 semester hours credit. Mentoring to graduate credit (Masters; Ph.D.) Louisiana Baptist University: Tyndale Seminary. Koinonia Institute. Without Him, we cant. Without us, He wont.

Storm Clouds on the Horizon

The Biblical Christian is becoming increasingly politically incorrect. The true church(es) will eventually be forced underground: The attack against them will be led by the liberal denominational churches. Leadership tools (Independent vs. Networked).

Dedication
To many friends and patient mentors, especially Pastor Ted Hax, Pastor Charles Schmitz, and William E. Biggs, whom God used to instill my early love for Gods Word; and Pastor Chuck Smith, Walter Martin, and Hal Lindsey, who patiently endured my growing pains. May whatever fruit which results be credited to their account.

A Persecution-Proof Spirit
Contemporary Christianity is simply too harmless and polite to be worth persecuting. Blessed are you when you are persecuted.

Bibliography
Beckham, William A., The Second Reformation, Touch Publications, PO Box 19888, Houston TX, 77224. Castillo, Metasalem Q, The Church in Thy House, Alliance Publishers, Manila, 1982. Fitts, Bob, The Church in the House, 5851 Kuakini Hwy, #107, Kaulua-Kona HI, 96740. Hadaway, C. Kirk, Stuart A. Wright and Francis M. DuBose, Home Cell Groups and House Churches, Broadman Press, Nashville TN, 1987. Icenogle, Gareth Weldon, Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An Integrative Approach, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove IL, 1994. Kreider, Larry, House to House, House to House Publications, Ephrata PA, 17522. Leypoldt, Martha M., Forty Ways to Teach in Groups, Judson Press, Valley Forge PA, 1967. Simson, Wolfgang , Houses That Change the World, (manuscript in publication), Focussuisse, Tannenstr. 3, 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

Computer Resources
Bible Software: Blue Letter Bible (Internet); eSword; Parsons: QuickVerse; Hermeneutica: BibleWorks; Logos: Libronix Library. Pocket PC: Laridian.

Our Challenge
We are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than in does about any other period in history including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea. Page 14

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Commentaries on Tape
Chuck Misslers Expositional Commentaries are now available from Koinonia House. Each volume consists of eight cassette tapes and includes notes, diagrams, and a comprehensive bibliography. Write for a complete list.

Monthly News Journal

Personal UPDATE, a monthly news journal highlighting the Biblical relevance of current events, is also available by writing:

Koinonia House
P.O. Box D Coeur dAlene, ID 83816-0347 1-800-KHOUSE-1 www.khouse.org
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