A Church in the House
Restoring daily worship to the Christian Household
-Matthew Henry; edited by Scott Brown
Matthew Henry (1662-1714); English non-conformist Pastor and Bible commentator; an emblem of faithful father hood.
Introduction
“A Church in the House, a Sermon concerning Family- Religion”
Sermon begins with 1 Cori: 16:19-“The Churches in A’sia salute you. A-qui’la and Pris-cil’la salute you much in the Lord, with the Church that is in their house.” and illuminates the importance of Spiritual life at home.
He shows fathers, in very specific ways how to make their houses, little churches.
Importance of Henry’s sermon for our time
Henry’s household like ‘gates of heaven’ where parents governed all family life by the Word of God.
Ref: Page14
A Church in the House kind of message promises to expand our vision beyond our thinking of our own era and fortify us with timeless principles that the Great Designer has established.
The contents and potency of a man’s vision of home life == =>crack house or godless house or lukewarm house or a household of God.
Holy Scriptures and Ref: for connections between Christian homes & Church
- Beauty of a Christian home: loving direction of the head of the household (father)
- Fathers: functions as: prophets, priests and kings
- Home : is a type of church
- Christ is the head of the church; & husband head of wife: Eph: 5
- Children are trained; & church they are equipped: Eph:4 &6
- Church is charged to deliver the whole counsel of God: Acts 20
- Home life meant to be saturated with God’s Word: Deut:6
Ref: page 17
*Good Mentor for Matthew Henry: Philip Henry his father; Matthew used his father’s hand written notes of expositions to teach his own children at home. Made O.T & N.T Bible Commentaries.
(George Whitefield and Charles Spurgeon used his commentaries.)
Practical helps for Spiritual disciplines at home
The simplicity of his methods are worth to consider.
“His piety at home, embraced the whole compass of relative religion; he was an example to be believers’ not only as a husband, a father, and master; but also as a son, a son-in law, a brother, and a friend.”
Ref: pages: 19-20
- Beautiful Home life: he drew from the great well of Holy Scriptures
- God-centered home life: took every opportunity to breathe the joy of the Lord into it.
Baptismal Covenant signed at 1686 by him and his daughters
“I take God the Father to be my chiefest good and Highest end. I take God the Son to be my Prince and Savior. I take God the Holy Ghost to be my sanctifier; teacher, guide, and comforter. I take the Word of God to be my rule in all my actions. And the people of God to be my people in all conditions. And this I do deliberately, sincerely, and freely for ever.”
Creating this kind of home life is one of the greatest difficulties for heads of households today, particularly as everything in modern life seems to work against it. I hope this sermon will help the fathers in their journey to be like the Heavenly Father.
Written by Scott T. Brown
Chapter 1
Here the Reformation must Begin
-With the Church that is in their House: 1 Cor. 16:19
-Nymphas had a Church in his house: Rom: 16:5
- Brethren in La-od-i-ce’a and Nymphas; Church in their house: Col: 4:15
-Apph’i-a and Archip’pus; fellow soldier; Church in their house: Philemon: v2
Questions to our Hearts.
1. Is Spiritual life flourishing or withering in our house?
“Is it upon the throne or underfoot in your home?”
Ref: page24
2. Here the Transformation must Begin
“Salt must be cast into the springs, and then the waters would be healed.”
Reminder
*Rev: 3:3 “Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.”
Recommended Lesson
That the families of Christians should be little churches.
OR
That wherever we have a house, God should have a church in it.
Ref:page:25-26
3. Families are little Churches
“Families were the primitive churches of the Old Testament, before men began to call upon the name of the Lord..” Public religious assemblies, which always ought to have the preference.”
“The Lord loves the Gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”-Paslm87:2
4. A Church in the house does not usurp the office of the church
“We must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, under excuse of exhorting one another daily at home.”
Ref: page27
Chapter 2
What does it mean to have a church in the house?
- Sacred Societies: families
1. Devoted to God
2. Employed for Him
• Churches are societies devoted to God
- Called out of the world- God has set them apart for Himself.
Ref: Ex: 19:6: 1Pet:2:9
Houses Consecrated to God
- Houses must be churches
- All our interests: relations; possessions
{All that the servant had was his master’s for ever}
Ref: Gen: 12:5; God called Abram out of Ur of Chaldees. Put themselves and their all under a Divine conduct and government.
Even little families can be churches.
“The master of the family gives up all his right, title, and interest, in his house, and all that belongs to it, unto God…to be used by Him, and disposed by Him”
Here is a church in the House
- Baptism was ordained for the discipling of the nations: Matt: 28:19; Rev: 11:15
- Baptism households are discipled: Lydia’s and Jailor’s: Acts:16:15,33; & the Word was for all the families of Israel: Jer: 30:1
- Baptized families, that own their Baptism and adhere to it, and in their joint and relative capacity make profession of the Christian faith, may so far be called little churches.
Dedicating your Household to God
-Dedication of private houses; common practice: Deut: 20:5
-A Psalm or Song at the dedication of the house of David: Psalm 30
- Dedicating to the service and honor of God: so it would be a Bethel, a house of God; & not a Bethaven, a house of vanity and iniquity.
- Householder dedicates his house habitually and virtually: Gen: 28:22
- Gospel obedience and easy services; I own Him to be my land Lord, and I hold all from and under Him.
- Let Holiness to the Lord be written upon the house, according to the Word which God has spoken: Zech: 14: 20, 21
- Let me and mine be only, wholly, and for ever His.
The Dedication of your Homes
- Ref: page 33
- Ref: Psalm: 24:9; “Lift up your heads, O, ye gates…..King of Glory shall come in.”
- Bring the ark of the Lord into the tent you have pitched.
“Look upon your houses as temples for God, places for worship, and all your possessions as dedicated things, to be used for God’s honor, and not to be alienated or profaned.”
*Churches are societies employed for God
3 Things are necessary for maintaining a Church in the House
a. Keep up Family Doctrine.
-Not only Baptism, must dwell with your families as men of knowledge 1 Pet: 3:7; communicate your knowledge for the benefit of others.
- Read Scriptures and check if the family members understand!
- Each family member has a Bible; Book of the law is not a rarity as in the days of King Josiah.
“It is better to be without bread in your houses than without Bibles.”
-USE the Bibles at your Houses; Make a solemn reading of the Scripture a part of your daily worship in your families. Much to the honor of God and to your family’s edification.
“If you persist in the neglect of it, you may thank yourselves. The guilt will lie wholly at your own doors.” [Add the story of Muslim countries]
• This will equip you in the Word for every good work.
Matthew Henry recommends Psalms for devotion and Solomon’s Proverbs in our manner of life.
Reading the whole Bible
“When you only hear your children reading the Bible, they are tempted to look upon it as no more but a school book. But, when they hear you read it to them in a solemn, religious manner, it comes as it ought, with more authority.”- Matthew Henry
Reading other books
- Seasonable reading of other good books to profit.
You must catechize your children
- God directs us to:
- Deut: 6:7; “And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
- Keep up stated time for this service; because the enemy is working hard against it.
- Wisdom you need : not make it a burden, but a pleasure
- House: place where the trees of righteousness are reared and afterwards planted in the Courts of the Lord.
- Public catechizing will turn to little account without family catechizing.
[Labor of ministers for youth is difficult because masters of the families do not do their duty]
- Mothers are children’s best nurses; so also parents the best teachers.
[Solomon’s father was his tutor: Prov: 4:3-4; Solomon did not forget the lessons his mother has taught himProv; 31:1]
-Baptism: obligation upon them to live in the fear of the Lord;
For Parents: to bring them up in the fear of the Lord; follow the example of faithful Abraham: Gen: 18:19
Ref: page40
- The inheritance of the covenant of grace is forfeited if care is not taken with it to transmit the means of grace.
- Word of caution: God owns them, Ezek: 16:20
- Ref: page41
-Very young children are capable of honoring God
- Consider their purpose on earth: They should be praising God in this earth while we are praising Him in Heaven.
- Consider their purpose in Heaven:
Ref: page43-Read
- Make a consistent pattern: “Will it not be very sad, if through your carelessness and neglect your children should learn the ways of sin, and perish eventually in those ways.”- Matthew Henry
b. Keep up family worship
- Some ways tread in the steps of our faithful fathers like Abraham.
Ref: Gen: 21:33
- Wherever he pitched a tent, he built an altar for the Lord God: Gen:12:7; &13:4,18
Family- Prayer days
1. You ought to make family-acknowledgements of your dependence upon God and His providence, as you are a family.
- Give unto the Lord the glory and honor due unto Him; His government, His provision, and He is the owner of your family.
-Adore Him; covenant relationship with Him: Jer: 31:1; “ …you will be my people.”
-In Him all the families of the earth are blessed; Gen:12:3; by His hand and by His blood.
- Never set up a title to any of your enjoyments in competition with His.
2. You ought to make family- confessions of your sins against God.
-Confession of the sins of your house, as of Eli’s: 1Sam:13:14& the curse that follows” Zech: 5:4
-Read: page46
-The best families are those in which piety and love prevails most, yet in many things come short, and do enough every day to bring it to God at night.
3. You ought to offer up family thanksgivings for the blessings which you, with your families, receive from God.
- For the hedge of protection around you and your household: Job: 1:10
- Defense upon every dwelling place of Mt. Zion: Isa: 4:5
[Safe from employments, heath, provision, fruit of your hands, peace, comfort, good relationship with family members and no disaster- end of the day-give thanks] Psalm: 118:15
- God has known you above all the families of the earth: May His mercy endures for ever.
4. You ought to present your family petitions for the mercy and grace which your families stand in need of.
- There are family cares, comforts, & crosses- stand before the mercy seat.
[Benefit: you are modeling to your children and their belief grows]
-* You travail in birth again till you see Christ formed in them and you pray for them—I personally like this.
- Warning to parents: Do not give to your children what is just and equal if they do not pray with you; they are given in your hands for God’s sovereign purposes. Col: 4:1-2
a. Prayer for family temptations: Worldliness, neglect of religious duties, family discord, mutual jealousies, distrust, discontent and so on…
b. Seeking family-blessings:
- God has promised, seek in prayer: 2 Tim: 1:16; Psalm: 133:1-3; 2Sam:6:20
5. You ought to make family-intercessions for others also.
- Neighborhood, friendships, and acquaintances you became interested in.
- Families in distant places; Missionaries
- Public peace: for our native land & its prosperity; supplication for our leaders: 1 Tim: 2:2, 8
- Churches abroad, around persecuted church and for the families.
- Rule: Whatever is the matter of care let it be a matter of our prayer.
Singing together as a family
-In daily worship and on Sabbath worship- use Psalms
C. Family Discipline
- Head of the household rules the house with the fear of the Lord; Josh: 24:15*
- Only those who have clean hands and pure hearts are accounted as the generations who seek God: Psalm: 24:4, 6
-Those who pretend to seek God, actually mocks Him; Isa: 58:2
- The authority God has given you over your children use it for God’s honor and for His work.
- Bless your household: Psalm: 101; carefully watch over those who are under your charge and remember you have to give an account one day.
Encourage every thing that is good and praise-worthy in your children and servants
1. “When you see any thing that is hopeful and promising in your family ……you should therefore do your best to encourage it.” – Now I praise You: 1 Cori: 11:2
- Always hold them in the bond of love; the great Shepherd gathers the lambs in His arms!!
2. Discourage everything that is evil in your children and servants
- Use your authority for the preventing of sin, and suppressing every root of bitterness. Pride and passion, strife and contention, idleness and intemperance, lying and cheating- must rebuke.
- Put it away from your tabernacle; Job:22:23; In the government of your families may you be more jealous for God’s honor, than for your authority and interest, and show yourself displeased at that which is an offensive to God, than at that which is only an affront or damage to yourselves. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
- Drive away angry countenance all that evil communication which corrupts good manners. May your houses be habituations of righteousness, and sin may never find shelter in them.
Chapter 3
The Motives to persuade you to turn your houses into churches
1. Families as little churches- God will be there. “When two or three are gathered in My name…..”
King David desires that very much. Psalm 101:2
Ref: Read page60
Rev: 3:20; Eze: 44:30; Psalm: 33:3
- Gives your family more comforts and crosses are bearable and houses become beautiful dwelling places in this earth.
- Furnish them for His entrance: Good Shunamite invited prophet Elisha: 2 Kings 4;10
- Keep up for God a throne and an altar:
a. From throne He gives the law.
b. From the altar we honor and glorify God
- The secret of God shall be in your tabernacle as it was with Job; (Job: 29:4), as it is with the righteous (Psalm: 25:14; Prov: 3:32, 33)
2. God can make your little house church to a little Sanctuary!
-God will be to you as a Sanctuary, a defense for His glory; Ezek: 11:16; Zec: 2:5; Job: 1:10; Isa: 4:5; Psalm: 27:4&5.
- Almighty God your refuge and protection: Psalm: 91:1, 5
- Insure your houses by this best policy; the way of safety; Psalm 121
- Fear not I am your shield: Gen: 15:1
- Wisdom herself given her word for it; Prov: 1:33
3. If God does not have a place in your house, it is to be feared that Satan will have a seat there!
- Angel of the church at Pergamos: Rev: 2:13; where Satan’s seat is! and that was his affliction! Irreligion and immorality.
- If the unclean spirit, find the house in this sense empty, empty of good, though it be swept and garnished, he takes to himself seven spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there.
- Terrible stories told about houses haunted by ‘Devil’- Rioting, drunkenness reign, swearing and cursing are the language of the house, OR more spiritual wickedness of pride, malice, covetousness and deceit have the ascendant- may truly be haunted by the ‘Devil.’ Rev: 18:2
- Effectual antidote against Satan’s poison- ‘keep sin out of your house; keep up religion in the house.
Ref: Gen: 20:11
-There is hope: Keep up prayer; struggle between Christ and Belial in your house?, and the insults of sin and Satan are daring and threatening?, as long as Christ keeps the field, and the weapons of warfare are made use of, we can hope the enemy will lose ground!
4. A church in the house will make you very comfortable
- A constant communion with the gracious God.
- Devotions! Family worships! Our delights! – the most valuable of our family comforts!
- Improves family relationships, and love among members of the family, communion of saints: Psalm 133:1-2
- Makes the family affairs successful: Psalm: 90:17; 112:8
- It will be a house of prayer- wheel pf prayer!; in times of sickness, death, and sorrow! And even before they come!!
5. It is a good legacy and will be a good inheritance
- A family altar a best support your children ever have; one day they will be praising God for you; and praising God in this earth when you are praising God in heaven.
- It is a true ‘legacy’. “ Gen:50:24
- Pass it on; Psalm: 78:6; and religion may become an heirloom in our families.
- A good man leaves an inheritance to his children; and the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
6. It contributes very much to the prosperity of the church of God in the nation.
- We desire true Christianity and serious godliness with power
- Every one build up the ruins of Jerusalem; Jer: 3:10
- Work of God will be easier, if we are taught in our own homes.
- Praying family: Public prayer will be more affectionate and successful.
Ref: page 72
- Your family will be a blessing in the neighborhood and in the community.
Chapter 4
Exhortations for applying these things
1. Those Masters of families who neglected this family religion- are persuaded to set up, taking authority. First set up Christ upon the throne of your hearts, and then set up a church for Christ in your house!!
Ref: Acts: 16:14-15; Story of Lydia, in the N.T
[Tonight? Or tomorrow?!] Do not despise to begin a new custom if it is a good custom. Begin a new custom, especially if it is a duty demanded in Scriptures.
- Do as well as you can
Do not bury your talents!
2. Those who have started and let it off, revive it.
- You are so eager in your worldly pursuits that you have neither hearts nor time for religious services. Remember your ‘First Love’?
“I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.”- Hosea: 2:7
- Repair the Altar of the Lord: Cleanse the sanctuary; put away the strange gods…. That has gained possession of your heart and house.
“Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there.” Gen: 35:1
3. Those who are negligent are called to more Zeal and constancy
- Like church of Laodicea, neither hot nor cold?
- Make a business of your family religion and not a by-business. Let it be your delight, and pleasure and not a task or drudgery.
- Not slothful, it is a business for God and your souls; be fervent in the spirit and serve the Lord!
4. Those who have a church, be very careful to adorn and beautify it in their manner of life
Read: Page83
- Be not Christians upon your knees and Jews in your shops!
- Teach through your behavior to others, to be humble, patient, sober and temperate, loving and peaceable, just and honor.
Those who are not won by Word will be won by your behavior.
5. Those who want to go into the world to set up churches let them set up at their houses first.
- Do not let God’s house lay waste: Haggai: 1:2, 4
6. In all your travels you take the church in your house along with you.
- Church in their house: Rom: 16:5; example: Abraham in O.T; Aquila and Priscilla in N.T; Paul wrote Epistles at various places, Corinth, Ephesus and so on…
- Men pray every where: 1Tim:2:8
- When you are in your city houses, let not the business of them crowd out your family religion. Do not let the diversions of your country houses indispose your minds to those serious exercises.
7. Let inferior relations help to promote religion in the families where they are.
- Keep up the life of religion in your hearts.
- Let your lives be a credit to good education for people around you.
8. Solitary people that are not set in families, have churches in their closets.
- When every man repaired the wall of Jerusalem over against his own house, we read of one that repaired over against his chamber: Neh: 3:30
- exhort one another: Heb: 3: 13; apply to yourself.
9. Those that are to choose a settlement consult the welfare of their souls in the choice.
- Do not be unequally yoked; Prov: 14:1
- Go with those with whom God is! Zec: 8:23
- When you choose habituation do not be like Lot: Gen: 13:11, 13
- Ref: Psalm: 119:72
10. Religious families, make use of this opportunity to encourage others, and make friendships.
- Communion of churches: is beauty and strength.
11. House churches, flourishing have comfort.
- Are your houses on earth, God’s houses?
God’s house will be your house one-day! “In My Fathers’ house there are many mansions.” John:14:1,2
