First, I believe that a "church" is not the house of God. As it says in Acts:
Act 7:48-50 NKJV "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: (49) 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL. WHAT HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME? SAYS THE LORD, OR WHAT IS THE PLACE OF MY REST? (50) HAS MY HAND NOT MADE ALL THESE THINGS?'
Act 17:24-26 NKJV God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. (25) Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. (26) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
It is our bodies that are the temple as it says in 1 Corinthians,
1Co 6:19 NKJV Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Something else you can ask yourself, why do people get all dressed up and drive their most expensive car to "church"? To try and justify themselves among the others there? Have you ever wondered why the preacher is raised above everyone else? Consider this verse in Luke.
Luk 16:15 NKJV And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
And lastly, Jesus, said, that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he is there. It doesn't say two or more or 30-40000. Two or three.
Mat 18:20 NKJV For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
My main reason for attending a home church is because I like the fact that all are free to participate in the message, and not just the pastor. We do have worship, but it's more along the lines of letting people choose what song they want to sing and all of us joining in. And for the message, everyone takes turns reading a few verses from whatever passage of the Bible is being discussed, and later we all talk about what we read and how we apply it to our daily lives. Another thing that I've noticed, is that in the smaller setting, people are more willing to be open about their struggles that they are facing/have faced, than in a traditional church setting. Again, this is just my experience, and some of you might have different reasons for being part of a house church
My main reason for attending a home church is because I like the fact that all are free to participate in the message, and not just the pastor. We do have worship, but it's more along the lines of letting people choose what song they want to sing and all of us joining in. And for the message, everyone takes turns reading a few verses from whatever passage of the Bible is being discussed, and later we all talk about what we read and how we apply it to our daily lives. Another thing that I've noticed, is that in the smaller setting, people are more willing to be open about their struggles that they are facing/have faced, than in a traditional church setting. Again, this is just my experience, and some of you might have different reasons for being part of a house church
You have given excellent reasons for why the house church (which was how the early church met) is an excellent model for the church function today.
This is what I Cor. 14:26 states ought to happen when the church meets: "What then brothers [and sisters]? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up" (ESV).
Does your house church allow for the full range of manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit?
I have found the few house churches that I have visited to be very light on biblical teaching. I consider that the gift of pastor/teacher is an important one in the body of Christ (see Eph. 4:11-12). I think that the gift of teaching in an atmosphere of interaction and application in the house/cell church is a wonderful opportunity to be edified and to grow in Christ.
I prayed to receive Christ as I was about to fall asleep in my "rack" while in the Navy. The first gathering of believers with whom I attended was initiated by me, after asking the captain if I could hold a "service" on the flight deck.
The Christian groups that initially befriended me, while in port, for the purpose of assembly, all met in homes.
When all the newness of our born again experiences wore off, things settled into dull routines. Folks split up into pre-existing church buildings, while home meetings pretty much ceased.
Owning or paying for a church demands more money for things such as utilities, repairs and extended building programs. When things are simpler, there are seldom building programs.
A place of worship should not be a place of business, which is the case with any building that requires an administration. This, I believe, is often when the temptation emerges to preach what is known as "the prosperity doctrine," as well as other related errors.
When all the newness of our born again experiences wore off, things settled into dull routines. Folks split up into pre-existing church buildings, while home meetings pretty much ceased.
We have examples in the NT where the early church met in houses. In Acts 20:20, It is stated concerning the apostle Paul, "I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to house." (ESV).
The benefits of a small group as in a house church is that it enables this kind of ministry to take place: "What then brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up" (I Cor. 14:26 ESV).
When the Corinthian church gathered, something happened that was radically different from what is happening in much of the conventional church today. Today we see a public ministry of a handful of gifted people, while most of the church remains silent in ministry.
That is not the way God intended it. I Cor. 14:26 makes it clear that God expects "each one" to have an opportunity for ministry. Every member ministry is God's way, but that can't happen in a church gathering of 100 or 1,000 people. House or cell churches are ideal for God's people to be allowed to function in the gifts God has given them.
I consider that so much of what we see in evangelicalism (and liberalism) today is far removed from this every member ministry that is possible when the church gathers. "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (I Cor. 14:1).
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