48 Jesus replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 Pointing to his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
(Matthew 12:48-50 NIV)
“You are members of God’s family.”
(Ephesians 2:19 NLT)
God says that church is a family. However, in my early days as a big church goer, what God said about the church seemed symbolic and unrealistic. It is not until I got involved with a house church, did I understand what God had said about the church was real and practical. In early churches, Christians regularly gather for worship in private homes.Rotating from house to house, they worshiped God together and devoted themselves to the fellowship and to taking care of each other. (Acts 2:46, Romans 16:5, Philemon 1:2. Colonssians 4:1, 1 Corinthians 16:19).
In this house church, a spiritual birth was experienced, and the newborn soul was nurtured and raised with care. Early church Christians took care of God’s family “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children” and like “a father deals with his own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7 NIV).
Christians like Aquila and Priscilla turned their houses into churches wherever they went, and became pastors in these small house churches. They set up and served the house churches with the money they earned using their skills. Early church Christians saw and learned what it meant to be a spiritual father in these house churches. They considered it natural to grow and become a spiritual father. They hoped to become God’s fellow workers who carry the heart of God (1 John 2:13-14). These house churches were the driving force that shaped early churches for their intended purpose.
The Bible teaches us that Mokjang should be a small church of its own. Mokjang is the house church. What makes the family truthful is not blood but faith. For the same reason, faith is what makes Mokjang a true house church. I pray that in 2021 we hold onto our faith, pray and put into action with obedience that we can turn our Mokjangs into house churches.
From pastor, JiWon Choi