Strangely enough for this traditional little church, the more The Well pursued the house church idea, the less “sacred” everything became. The congregation members seemed to go from “Don’t you dare get rid of the plastic flowers in the sanctuary” to “Let’s change it all.”
But…we were not without opposition yet again.
Even respected Southern Baptist pastors from other churches issued their warnings. “Don’t do it!” said some. Others even went as far as to tell me this move was “not Biblical.” They asked how I expected to evangelize the masses if I did not have a place for them to “mass” to.
To be honest, I did not have a good answer for them. And yet…I could not shake the hand on my back that seemed to be gently guiding me forward.
Such resistance can easily shake a person off course, especially when godly men and women are the ones voicing their skepticism. Sometimes, the questions even come from dearly loved family members and close friends! So how have you handled opposition? How do you answer people’s questions about your course of action when you’re inching forward in faith?
When I face opposition I always do two things: 1. I continue to seek the heart of God with no motive or agenda of my own. I try to get my heart in such a state that His purpose and plan is all I desire. 2. As I seek His Word, I am reminded of this passage where Paul says: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would no be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
Our highest calling as His children is to know Him in a real and personal way! Keep on my friend in the work He has called you!
Jeff King
Franklin, NC
By: Jeff King on June 10, 2009
at 12:31 PM
I’ve had similar experiences. I resolved to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the very word given to me by God, and used the Bible as my plumb-line. From what you posted, your experience is similar to mine and so are the “words of advice”. And that’s just it: advice and opinions.
Of all the “advice” and “opinions”, not one person could say that the Holy Spirit specifically gave a word of knowledge or revelation or illumination by the Holy Spirit. By their own words, their opinion was simply their intuition.
But once I was sure that the word I received was from God, I just stuck with it. But I was blessed that others had received the same confirmation through their prayer time.
BTW, I lead a house-church so I have some idea of what you are experiencing.
By: m@ on June 10, 2009
at 12:37 PM
Thank you for the postings. I appreciate them, as I have recently found myself questioning all the structures that hinder (people from being disciples). I’m very drawn to the house church concept,and I’ll continue to read your posts with interest.
By: Kathy Bradley on June 14, 2009
at 1:23 AM