LESS IS MORE! MORE IS BETTER!

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Home church  can be a model for modern missions                  THE FISH GATE-PART 13 Coming to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem city there were some people who were Zealous about the fish gate and repaired it in 3-4 verses of Nehemiah reflects the attitude of Church of Thessalonica involving in witnessing everywhere. The early church "For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing"(I Thess 1:8). The church of Thessalonica should become the role model for all the churches in the world to reach out for Christ in every place. “Go ye into all worlds and preach the good news to all creation. Home church growth in China  The Lord told His disciples to follow Him so they will be made of fishers of men. To follow the Lord is a primary commandment. Are we following the Lord in every day of our life? Following his mandates explained in the Bible then only you can win souls.There is a saying “action speaks louder than voice” is all true when referring to personal evangelism. The unbeliever says, “Show me: then I’ll listen to what you say!” (James 2:14-16).Our lifestyle must match our high calling in Christ, is it any wonder the unbeliever turns away and thinks;”If this is a sample of Christianity,I want no part of it!” When everyone follows the Lord every home will become a home church. The church growth of the early church developed on the basis of Home church wherein every 10-15 people gathered in a house. As for me and my house For most Jews the concept of household was considered sacred whether how humble or extravagant it might have been.During Christ and apostolic era when the new testament church began the household church took prominence.There were many People came to believe in Christ with their household and thus the concept of Household church has begun. Home church slow and steadily wins Cornelius household church was quite large and made it convenient for him being an officer to invite all of the members plus his  relatives  and close friends to hear Peter explain the Gospel (Acts 10:7,24).All of Lydia household became believers (Acts 16:15).There was Phillipian jailer household (Acts 16:31-34).If a family was affluent, their “house-hold Church” included servants, employees and possibly slaves even.The early christian worked hard to maintain the sanctity of the house hold.They set their activities in individual homes whenever it was possible(Acts 2:46).There was household of stephanas (I Cor1:16).The household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim4:19).Thus the household church continued for centuries and still exists in many forms around the world resulting the rapid growth of the church.Dear reader is your home has become the centre of evangelism. If you follow the Lord with all your heart with all your mind and soul & spirit you convert your home to be the place for witnessing and worshipping. And also to be a soul winner, we must follow the Lord’s example. To reach people where there is poverty, suffering, ailments and need of hope. Nations blessed by Home church The impact of early church in the form of Home church is a vital theory for the development of church growth around the world.Especially in countries like India it is rudimentary concept for the expansion of the kingdom of God.Many times we think we are doing less by comparing the mega events of Christendom and may fall into the temptation of doing less for God.But think that among 30 million Christians in India start a home church which means doing less for doing more for the kingdom of God,the results will be marvelous.30 million x winning minimum 3-10 people for household because the church consists of people where 2 or 3 gather in the name of Jesus:"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matt 18:20). Missional Home church In keeping view of the theory of home church we cannot rule out the effect of megachurch or massive church but each one have to develop in our ministry activity as per our call by God both has to go together.Whatever we do we should do it for the glory of God.The concept of the doing more by doing less is based on the early home church growth if followed by every devoted believer  at present time a great revival in home church movement will take place around the world.30 million x 3 = 90 million, 30 million x 10= 300 million souls this is approximate estimation the unofficial christian population may be around 40-50 million approximately. The impact of home church has been explained by pastors like Dave Browning  Deliberate Simplicity How the Church Does More by Doing Less  By Dave Browning Christ the King Community Church held its first worship service on Sunday evening, Deliberate simplicity role model of early church April 4, 1999, in Mount Vernon, Washington. In May of that year, CTK began to hold morning services, going to two services in September and three services the following February. During its first year, Christ the King of Skagit Valley grew at a rate of 12 percent a month to an average of over 500 people per week, with a high attendance of 763. By the end of CTK’s first year, thirty-eight small groups were convening weekly in Jesus’ name for friendship, growth, encouragement, and outreach.- Highlight Loc. 141-45 Deliberate Simplicity 6 Key Components 1. Minimality: Keep It Simple. 2. Intentionality: Keep It Missional. 3. Reality: Keep It Real. 4. Multility: Keep It Cellular. mul•til•i•ty n: a commitment to multiples of some thing, instead of a larger version of that thing Multility contends that more is better than bigger. - Highlight Loc. 1677-79 2-3 in the name of Jesus-Matt 18:20 5. Velocity: Keep It Moving. 6. Scalability: Keep It Expanding. Quotes From The Book In the Deliberately Simple church, the rules are: “Less is more, and more is better.” - Highlight Loc. 165-66 Doing less is doing more@home church The monetary requirements of building buildings and supporting pastors has been stifling and stalling the church. - Highlight Loc. 205-6 The early church was not about religion but about relationships … loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. - Highlight Loc. 239-40 Miller’s studies showed that people can handle only about seven pieces of information at any one time in their short-term memory. - Highlight Loc. 245-46 We’re not trying to impress them into the kingdom of God. We’re attempting to love them in. - Highlight Loc. 316 Unfortunately, many pastors are already experiencing diminishing returns (or burnout) from attempting too much. They are trapped in an old paradigm that says, “The onlyway to increase your productivity is to work harder or longer.” But pastors know intuitively that adding more to the list only accelerates their fatigue and demise. Only“super pastors” with extraordinary capacity for administration flourish in such a system. -Highlight Loc. 421-24 Deliberate simplicity by Pastor Dave We are finite. We have a limited amount of time and energy. In a sense, we are trying toachieve a high calling on a triple-A battery. - Highlight Loc. 469-70 Discipleship in North America has been complicated by the American educational system, an extensive scheme of levels, departments, courses, and grades (101, 201,etc.). Because of this, our inclination is to ask, “Have they taken the course?” The system Christ employed was more relational than informational. - Highlight Loc. 510-12 Worship is the way we stay centered. Small groups is the way we stay connected.Outreach is the way we stay concerned. - Highlight Loc. 537-38 Jesus not only did not stress excellence; he actually encouraged planned neglect, atleast with Martha. When her work got in the way of her worship, she was rebuked.Sometimes trying harder is nothing more than preventing God from working more.Sometimes an emphasis on excellence is just a product of unhealthy perfectionism. -Highlight Loc. 711-13 “You don’t need to hit a home run in your teaching each weekend. Just try to makecontact.” - Highlight Loc. 746-47 Sometimes progress means going backward. - Highlight Loc. 791-92 The greatest sin of the church today is not any sin of commission or sin of omission but the sin of no mission.- Highlight Loc. 872-73 The question, it seems to me, is this: is church a place you go to, or is church a place you go from?- Highlight Loc. 1124-25 Quotes From Others In The Book Church consultant Reggie McNeal states that “a growing number of people are leaving the institutional church for a new reason. They are not leaving because they have lost faith. They are leaving the church to preserve their faith.” - Highlight Loc. 217-1 We were 1-2 and we were running forty-seven plays on offense. I cut that to thirteen and we won four in a row. Lou Holtz, Football Coach. - Highlight Loc. 301-3 One of the things that made Wendy’s better was putting a limit on the number of ideas we would implement. Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy’s - Highlight Loc. 304-5 Verses In The Book Home based church in Acts 20:20 That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23 NLT Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely. Acts 2:46 CEV Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42 CEV www.deliberatesimplicity.com So dear readers, If you are doing less for God! You are doing more for God.If you are doing more for God then you are doing better for God.So less is more and more is better.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       (To be continued..........) Bibliography: http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/nehem3.htm  http://koti.phnet.fi/petripaavola/Jerusalemgatesspiritualmeaning.html  http://www.bible-exposition.co/spiritual_truths_from_the_gates_of_jerusalem_by_n_patel.  http://kzlam36.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/end-times-witnessing-rebuilding-your-fish-gate-why-are-men-made-like-fish-of-the-sea/  “What is reverse tithing” By Rick warren http://bigthink.com/ideas/3015  “Witnessing” by late Colonel Rb Thieme jr.pg1, 3-6, 25,  “The Divine outline of history Dispensations and the church” by late Colonel RB Thieme Jr Pg 75-76  http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/Historical/Nehemiah/Nehemiah03.1_32HopeGates.html  Today Handbook of Bible Times and Customs by William Coleman Page 13 of Bethany House publishers. Support raising by Author Steve Shadrach:http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/support-raising  http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/articledetail.asp?Article_ID=17  Living Waters from the River of Life by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.http://www.jimfeeney.org/livingwaters-riveroflife.html  The other Arab Spring by Thomas L.Friedman DC 9/4/2012.  What does the Arab world do when its water runs out? John Vidal The Observer, Sunday 20 February 2011Article history http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/20/arab-nations-water-running-ou  King fo Kings and Lord of Lords by late Col R.B.Thieme Jr Page;8,17,22,26,27  http://www.bild.org/philosophy/ParadigmPapers.html by Jeff Reed www.deliberatesimplicity.com by Dave Browning

Home church  can be a model for modern missions 

                THE FISH GATE-PART 13

Coming to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem city there were some people who were Zealous about the fish gate and repaired it in 3-4 verses of Nehemiah reflects the attitude of Church of Thessalonica involving in witnessing everywhere.

The early church

"For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing"(I Thess 1:8).

The church of Thessalonica should become the role model for all the churches in the world to reach out for Christ in every place.

“Go ye into all worlds and preach the good news to all creation.

Home church growth in China

 The Lord told His disciples to follow Him so they will be made of fishers of men. To follow the Lord is a primary commandment. Are we following the Lord in every day of our life? Following his mandates explained in the Bible then only you can win souls.There is a saying “action speaks louder than voice” is all true when referring to personal evangelism. The unbeliever says, “Show me: then I’ll listen to what you say!” (James 2:14-16).Our lifestyle must match our high calling in Christ, is it any wonder the unbeliever turns away and thinks;”If this is a sample of Christianity,I want no part of it!” When everyone follows the Lord every home will become a home church. The church growth of the early church developed on the basis of Home church wherein every 10-15 people gathered in a house.

As for me and my house

For most Jews the concept of household was considered sacred whether how humble or extravagant it might have been.During Christ and apostolic era when the new testament church began the household church took prominence.There were many People came to believe in Christ with their household and thus the concept of Household church has begun.

Home church slow and steadily wins

Cornelius household church was quite large and made it convenient for him being an officer to invite all of the members plus his  relatives  and close friends to hear Peter explain the Gospel (Acts 10:7,24).All of Lydia household became believers (Acts 16:15).There was Phillipian jailer household (Acts 16:31-34).If a family was affluent, their “house-hold Church” included servants, employees and possibly slaves even.The early christian worked hard to maintain the sanctity of the house hold.They set their activities in individual homes whenever it was possible(Acts 2:46).There was household of stephanas (I Cor1:16).The household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim4:19).Thus the household church continued for centuries and still exists in many forms around the world resulting the rapid growth of the church.Dear reader is your home has become the centre of evangelism. If you follow the Lord with all your heart with all your mind and soul & spirit you convert your home to be the place for witnessing and worshipping. And also to be a soul winner, we must follow the Lord’s example. To reach people where there is poverty, suffering, ailments and need of hope.

Nations blessed by Home church

The impact of early church in the form of Home church is a vital theory for the development of church growth around the world.Especially in countries like India it is rudimentary concept for the expansion of the kingdom of God.Many times we think we are doing less by comparing the mega events of Christendom and may fall into the temptation of doing less for God.But think that among 30 million Christians in India start a home church which means doing less for doing more for the kingdom of God,the results will be marvelous.30 million x winning minimum 3-10 people for household because the church consists of people where 2 or 3 gather in the name of Jesus:"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matt 18:20).

Missional Home church

In keeping view of the theory of home church we cannot rule out the effect of megachurch or massive church but each one have to develop in our ministry activity as per our call by God both has to go together.Whatever we do we should do it for the glory of God.The concept of the doing more by doing less is based on the early home church growth if followed by every devoted believer  at present time a great revival in home church movement will take place around the world.30 million x 3 = 90 million, 30 million x 10= 300 million souls this is approximate estimation the unofficial christian population may be around 40-50 million approximately. The impact of home church has been explained by pastors like Dave Browning 

Deliberate Simplicity How the Church Does More by Doing Less 

By Dave Browning

Christ the King Community Church held its first worship service on Sunday evening,

Deliberate simplicity role model of early church

April 4, 1999, in Mount Vernon, Washington. In May of that year, CTK began to hold morning services, going to two services in September and three services the following February. During its first year, Christ the King of Skagit Valley grew at a rate of 12 percent a month to an average of over 500 people per week, with a high attendance of 763. By the end of CTK’s first year, thirty-eight small groups were convening weekly in Jesus’ name for friendship, growth, encouragement, and outreach.- Highlight Loc. 141-45

Deliberate Simplicity 6 Key Components

1. Minimality: Keep It Simple.

2. Intentionality: Keep It Missional.

3. Reality: Keep It Real.

4. Multility: Keep It Cellular.

mul•til•i•ty n: a commitment to multiples of some thing, instead of a larger version of

that thing Multility contends that more is better than bigger. - Highlight Loc. 1677-79

2-3 in the name of Jesus-Matt 18:20

5. Velocity: Keep It Moving.

6. Scalability: Keep It Expanding.

Quotes From The Book

In the Deliberately Simple church, the rules are: “Less is more, and more is better.” -

Highlight Loc. 165-66

Doing less is doing more@home church

• The monetary requirements of building buildings and supporting pastors has been stifling and stalling the church. - Highlight Loc. 205-6
• The early church was not about religion but about relationships … loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. - Highlight Loc. 239-40
• Miller’s studies showed that people can handle only about seven pieces of information at any one time in their short-term memory. - Highlight Loc. 245-46
• We’re not trying to impress them into the kingdom of God. We’re attempting to love them in. - Highlight Loc. 316
• Unfortunately, many pastors are already experiencing diminishing returns (or burnout) from attempting too much. They are trapped in an old paradigm that says, “The onlyway to increase your productivity is to work harder or longer.” But pastors know intuitively that adding more to the list only accelerates their fatigue and demise. Only“super pastors” with extraordinary capacity for administration flourish in such a system. -Highlight Loc. 421-24



Deliberate simplicity by Pastor Dave

• We are finite. We have a limited amount of time and energy. In a sense, we are trying toachieve a high calling on a triple-A battery. - Highlight Loc. 469-70
• Discipleship in North America has been complicated by the American educational system, an extensive scheme of levels, departments, courses, and grades (101, 201,etc.). Because of this, our inclination is to ask, “Have they taken the course?” The system Christ employed was more relational than informational. - Highlight Loc. 510-12
• Worship is the way we stay centered. Small groups is the way we stay connected.Outreach is the way we stay concerned. - Highlight Loc. 537-38
• Jesus not only did not stress excellence; he actually encouraged planned neglect, atleast with Martha. When her work got in the way of her worship, she was rebuked.Sometimes trying harder is nothing more than preventing God from working more.Sometimes an emphasis on excellence is just a product of unhealthy perfectionism. -Highlight Loc. 711-13
• “You don’t need to hit a home run in your teaching each weekend. Just try to makecontact.” - Highlight Loc. 746-47

• Sometimes progress means going backward. - Highlight Loc. 791-92
• The greatest sin of the church today is not any sin of commission or sin of omission but the sin of no mission.- Highlight Loc. 872-73
• The question, it seems to me, is this: is church a place you go to, or is church a place you go from?- Highlight Loc. 1124-25

Quotes From Others In The Book

• Church consultant Reggie McNeal states that “a growing number of people are leaving the institutional church for a new reason. They are not leaving because they have lost faith. They are leaving the church to preserve their faith.” - Highlight Loc. 217-1
• We were 1-2 and we were running forty-seven plays on offense. I cut that to thirteen and we won four in a row. Lou Holtz, Football Coach. - Highlight Loc. 301-3
• One of the things that made Wendy’s better was putting a limit on the number of ideas we would implement. Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy’s - Highlight Loc. 304-5

Verses In The Book

Home based church in Acts 20:20

That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23 NLT

Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different

homes and shared their food happily and freely. Acts 2:46 CEV

Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never

stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:42 CEV

www.deliberatesimplicity.com


So dear readers, If you are doing less for God! You are doing more for God.If you are doing more for God then you are doing better for God.So less is more and more is better.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      (To be continued..........)

Bibliography:

1. http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/nehem3.htm
2.  http://koti.phnet.fi/petripaavola/Jerusalemgatesspiritualmeaning.html 
3. http://www.bible-exposition.co/spiritual_truths_from_the_gates_of_jerusalem_by_n_patel. 
4. http://kzlam36.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/end-times-witnessing-rebuilding-your-fish-gate-why-are-men-made-like-fish-of-the-sea/ 
5. “What is reverse tithing” By Rick warren http://bigthink.com/ideas/3015 
6. “Witnessing” by late Colonel Rb Thieme jr.pg1, 3-6, 25, 
7. “The Divine outline of history Dispensations and the church” by late Colonel RB Thieme Jr Pg 75-76 
8. http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/Historical/Nehemiah/Nehemiah03.1_32HopeGates.html
9.  Today Handbook of Bible Times and Customs by William Coleman Page 13 of Bethany House publishers.
10. Support raising by Author Steve Shadrach:http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/support-raising 
11. http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/articledetail.asp?Article_ID=17
12.  Living Waters from the River of Life by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.http://www.jimfeeney.org/livingwaters-riveroflife.html
13.  The other Arab Spring by Thomas L.Friedman DC 9/4/2012. 
14. What does the Arab world do when its water runs out? John Vidal The Observer, Sunday 20 February 2011Article history http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/20/arab-nations-water-running-ou 
15. King fo Kings and Lord of Lords by late Col R.B.Thieme Jr Page;8,17,22,26,27 
16. http://www.bild.org/philosophy/ParadigmPapers.html by Jeff Reed
17. www.deliberatesimplicity.com by Dave Browning

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