I ran across a great article by Hank Giesecke at the following location: Harbingers Article. The article was good at reviewing the history of our nation and the current pathetic status of our culture and the silence of the church on the great moral and spiritual issues of our day.

However, his recommendations to “have any chance of restoring our Judeo-Christian moral foundation” circle back to rely on the status quo for solutions. If I may, I’d like to critique the solutions and offer my own recommendations:

Giesecke recommendation 1:

“The church needs to find out the belief system of its pastors. The church is “paying the freight”; it deserves honesty here. If the pastors are Biblically solid, then maybe organize teams to research the Biblical Truths that accompany the issues, thereby helping equip the pastors to “equip the saints.””

My response:

“The Church” is the target of his criticism. How is it we can expect effective solutions from the source of the problem? Giesecke accurately pointed out the abysmal statistics that indicate a departure from the Bible in favor of money and facility. Also, who exactly is going to determine the “belief system” of pastors? Seminaries? These are the same institutions that propagate the corrupt model he speaks of.

Some denominations supposedly have accountability built in to keep their churches on the doctrinal straight and narrow. But this only works if the denominational leadership itself is biblically sound, willing to take necessary steps and if churches in the denomination remain subordinate to the denomination. The statistics quoted may indicate biblical accountability is not working.

Individual churches may be too corrupted to make internal changes. In my experience, church leadership is composed of like minded people that remain in their own paradigm. Leaders in churches are not typically chosen on the basis of calling and biblical requirements because of the fact that church leadership is less biblically based. So this becomes a self reinforcing problem.

If the broader statistics quoted are reflected at the local level of individual churches, it may be too much to expect that anything will change, particularly if the focus remains money, attendance, and facility. Sadly, the measure of success pastors and elder boards use are more oriented to western measures of church growth rather than biblical ones. Thus, opportunities for real change are not likely.

Regarding the formation of teams to research biblical truths that accompany issues, we don’t need protracted investigation of issues that yield watered down consensus based reports. We need courageous, godly, biblically informed action. Now.

Giesecke goes on to say “The bottom line is the pastors MUST step forward and boldly equip the church to go forth, speak the truth no matter the cost, and be engaged (lights) with the culture. If the pastor can’t, or won’t, step up, then he needs to be dismissed, and the church either find a pastor who will equip the saints or take another path. The time for decisive action is now!”

The reality is pastors are NOT stepping up, NOT equipping the saints, and NOT being held accountable by the “yes” men of the elder boards. Elder boards don’t want to rock the boat just as much as the pastors don’t want to rock the boat so how can any progress be made?

Giesecke recommendation 2:

“Form house churches as parents are forming home schools. Build your own community of committed believers. Maybe rotate the preaching of the word among the elected elders. Maybe use recordings of preachers speaking on the issues.”

My response:

Amen brother! Well, partially…The basic ideas of forming homes churches is spot on. The church never should have departed the model of hyper local, small churches. This is the only framework provided in the New Testament. The whole resource intensive, seminary based, church growth model is alien to the scriptures.

The notion of rotating preaching among elected elders implies a larger, formal church which may not be necessary in a home church setting. I see a home church as no more than six to eight like minded people. When attendance gets to 10-12 people, a split should happen, which means a primary goal of a home church is to mentor the next home church leader. At this stage of the end times in which we operate, there should not be a goal to form a traditional western church from a growing home church.

So how does a home church approach teaching of the Word? In Bible studies I’ve been part of in the past, there is leadership but often others take on the responsibility for teaching. Even new believers. This helps them immensely. Believe it or not, it’s ok to make mistakes. But under proper guidance and gentle correction and encouragement from the small group leader, growth occurs. Huge growth. Not in numbers of people but in depth of maturity in the faith of those who are committed.

There should be no problem rotating teaching responsibility between members who want to try teaching, as long as the leader of the home church is biblically literate and willing to correct and train others in responsible teaching of the word.

Using recorded teachings, in my opinion, weakens the home church model which should be self sustaining in every way, to include teaching. Also if home churches listen to recorded teachings of other preachers, doesn’t this run the risk of propagating the problem? Poor, irrelevant preaching and reticence to address pressing issues in the culture were identified in the article as a problem.

Built into the notion of relying on the status quo for teaching at the home church level is an underlying false assumption that the people in the pews are incapable of understanding and teaching God’s Word. My only response to that is the terrible results over the past 50-75 years and the horrible state of the church today delivered by the professionals. How could amateurs in home churches do any worse?

A primary motivation for doing home church is to break away from the corrupt model. If a home church is going to stay connected to that model then what’s the point? I can see some value in fellowship with others but the point is to move towards a more biblically grounded world view. We’ve already established the larger church has departed from the Bible as the only source for faith, salvation, and morals. Home churches are the only hope of reclaiming it for the few of us that are committed to that purpose.

Giesecke recommendation 3:

“Tie in with churches that are boldly preaching the Word and Biblically standing up. Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills (CA) and Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel (VA) are two excellent resources, among others, that your house church can watch and be equipped with.”

I disagree. This recommendation literally circles back to the root problem of the failed paradigm. With all respect to these men, they are part of the mega church problem. Mega churches are the epitome of the current western church failed model. Its failure is evidenced by its focus on the material: money, expensive seminary degrees, books, speaking engagements, Alaskan cruises, trips to the holy land, huge facility, huge staff, huge payroll, etc.

Mark my words: this model will soon collapse under its own weight. The day is coming for this model in which its voracious appetite for cash will go unmet. That day is coming soon. For the sake of the mission, the time of the paradigm driving seminaries, super star pastors and mega churches must come to an end.

My recommendation:

Form home churches that are independent and self sustaining in every respect. Home churches are 100% biblical and capable of everything required of our mission from the Lord. The apostles were unpaid amateurs who were well trained in a small group environment. That’s right, the wildly effective church of the first century was led by an unpaid small group. They were called, chosen, and spirit filled, but not paid. That is our heritage; not the unscriptural model we now have.

Are you sitting frustrated in the pews feeling like there is nowhere you can go that teaches, trains, and equips so that YOU can serve the Lord? Would you like to know what’s really going on through the prophetic lens of scripture? Tired of handing out church bulletins at the door? That’s not God’s plan for your life. His plan requires boldness, courage, faith, endurance.

It is time to recover the supernatural home church model of the Bible.