by Mario Vega
At present we have become accustomed to divide our lives between spiritual and secular aspects–a totally unknown division from the teachings of the Scripture.
Within this logic, we build buildings to worship Jesus while we go on to live in our houses. In this way, we set the separation between what we now call the secular and spiritual life. Spiritual life becomes the visits made to the worship center while the secular life is everything else that is done outside that building.
The first century churches were not like that. The church of ACTS owned no personal property. Rather they used houses of Christians. In this way, the church was vitally linked to what was considered the center of life: home.
Returning the church to the houses is an important step to the understanding of the truth that Jesus should be at the center of our lives on a permanent basis. He must be the Lord of our entire lives–not just a few hours per week.
Has working with cells helped you to live out this truth?
Mario
In Spanish:
De regreso a las casas.
En la actualidad nos hemos acostumbrado a dividir nuestra vida entre aspectos espirituales y seculares. Una división totalmente ajena a las enseñanzas de las Escrituras.
Dentro de esa lógica, construimos edificios de culto para Jesús en tanto que nos vamos a vivir a nuestras casas. De esa manera establecemos la separación entre lo que ahora llamamos la vida espiritual y la secular. La vida espiritual son las visitas que se hacen al edificio de culto en tanto que la vida secular es todo lo demás que se hace fuera de ese edificio.
En la iglesia de los primeros siglos no era as. La iglesia no tena edificios para el culto sino que utilizaba las casas de los cristianos. As, la iglesia estaba unida vitalmente con lo que se consideraba el centro de la vida: el hogar.
El regresar la iglesia a las casas es un importante paso en la comprensión de la verdad que Jesús debe estar en el centro de nuestras vidas de manera permanente. No podemos escabullirnos de él ni hacer nada que escape a su incumbencia. Él es el Señor de nuestra vida y no de un par de horas a la semana.
¿Le ha ayudado el trabajar con células a vivir esa verdad?
Cell ministry certainly does push one in the house to house ministry direction. However, many have viewed cells as a way to provide what is missing from the big, building centered ministry vs. it being the church in action and the big building activities supporting what goes in the homes.
It’s great to read that you make this distinction though and clearly understand the mission God has given you.
Excellent! In our homes, we are who we are. We can’t hide who we are. All of our bad habits & attitudes are out there to be seen by everyone in our families. In some building on Sunday, we put on a mask & cover up the real us. We come to see the show on the stage. The Body of Christ has suffered for too long to the mindset of “we want a king/superstar/performer/etc. like our secular/naturally-minded neighbors”. How was your service?? Translation: How was the show? Was the performance up to your expectations??
Programs & buildings promote the need for lots of money & professionals to make the church work. If we keep going into that whole, well, the Muslims will overtake us. It’s time to get serious about the Kingdom of God & helping His Body live together & minister to one another.And then reachout to their neighbors with the love of Christ in their heart.
Mario, what a usefule insight about buildings enforcing a spiritual-secular divide.
In Africa, we do not think so much about the spiritual and the secular. We view all of life as spiritual.
However, we make a big distinction between the ritually clean and unclean. Chapels and mosques remain clean places, whereas our houses suffer uncleanness because of the natural activities that occur there.
Thus, my hut, my room, my home remain apart from acceptable places in which to honour God, say prayers, recite Scripture…
Can any of your readers help me think through this challenge?
Galen