It Happened At Home

By Pastor Bob Dohring

Brothers and sisters, I have good news: You don’t have to do everything the hard way. Permit me to share with you some words of wisdom so that you may learn from other people’s mistakes ... ours.

When my wife Janey and I were first sent out to take over the church in Clifton, Arizona in 1997, we were excited and blessed. We were passionate and devoted to the work that God had presented us with, so the ministry came first, hands down. Janey and I poured our energies into the work, but, I blew it!

During the five years we were there, we never took a family vacation, and this error threw our lives out of balance. Then came the double bogie. We felt God calling us to pioneer in the Los Angeles area. We jumped at the chance, packed our things, and left Clifton with that same excitement we felt five years before.

But, hold on and back up the truck. What we didn’t factor in was that it was also our oldest daughter’s senior year in high school. As a result, she faced a tsunami of insecurities as the new kid at school in the Los Angeles area. Saying “God will provide; God’s grace will meet the needs of my kids,” while undeniably true, does not divert the avalanche of uncertainties that a 17-year-old girl faces as a fish-out-of-water senior. The lack of sensitivity on my behalf was bad judgment. We could have easily waited nine more months until she graduated. This, too, was an error.

In our last marriage retreat, Pastor Bill Neil said “a marriage should not be child oriented.” This is powerfully true. But we would do well to consider this truth in the light of personal and family balance. Marriage and ministry can neither be child oriented nor child absent. Ministry at any level must be family inclusive. The fundamental family unit must find a balance alongside ministry. The home must not be lost as part of some perceived spiritual compromise.

Perhaps the most powerful ministry anyone can have is in and inclusive of the home. This is an area often overlooked, yet clearly present as we observe ministry in the Bible. We have discovered that all ministry flows from the local body of believers, which is the Church. What we do not want to overlook is that the local body is made up of families.

I will go even further and say it can be argued that the foundation of family is an inherent doctrine of Scripture, evident in holy matrimony, family, and the ministry of the home, and that salvation is uniquely linked to the family structure.

Let’s look at a list of things that tie family to salvation:

Noah and his sons built the ark. “You and all your house come into the ark” (Genesis 7:1). Abram and his family came into the land of Caanan (Genesis 11:31). As a side note, we have a very interesting concept here: Abraham and Sarah raised one boy in the fear of the Lord (Genesis 17:19) and, in turn, that man and his wife (Isaac and Rebekah) raised two boys to continue the heritage of God (Genesis 25:26).

Jesse presented all of his sons before the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel16:11). Esther and Mordecai, a family unit, intervened to save the Jews (Esther 4:14). This brings us to the pinnacle of history with the genealogy of Jesus Himself. The first chapter of Matthew and the third chapter of Luke both record Jesus’ family tree. Too often the reader only focuses on these genealogies in order to find validation that Jesus is the Christ.

However, look at the obvious! Presented in the pages of Scripture is Jesus’ family history. We arrive at the New Testament through generations of families, as down through the ages each man, in his turn, took a wife and fathered children. Our Jesus is the result of God’s plan working through families. This is a profound concept.

There are 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus. Have you ever wondered what will happen in your lineage 42 generations from now? Have you ever thought about the fact that your family existed 42 generations before you arrived?

Now let’s look at the natural flow of Spirit-filled ministry through the home. Jesus began His ministry at someone’s house. In fact, it was at a wedding, where He changed water into wine (John 2:11). I am in awe that He did not start His ministry at the Temple in Jerusalem; nor did He start it with an audience before the Sanhedrin; neither did He appear before Herod to present Himself as Messiah.

In a strange twist, it was in the synagogues (the local churches) that He was often discouraged from revealing His ministry, while in homes, He was most often welcomed.

Consider all the miracles that happened at home:

A girl was raised from the dead.

A centurion’s servant was healed from a deadly illness.

A paralytic was healed after being lowered through the roof.

Peter’s mother-in-law was healed from a fever.

A tax collector named Zaccheus found salvation while sharing dinner with Jesus in his home.

A Canaanite girl was freed from demon possession.

Peter was supernaturally released from prison through a prayer meeting at John Mark’s home.

The gentiles received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the home of Cornelius.

Saul received his sight and began his discipleship at the home of one named Judas.

Paul finishes the book of Romans greeting Priscilla and Aquila and the church in their home.

In 1 Corinthians Paul makes note that the house of Stephanas was the “firstfruits” of Achaia.

There is a clear pattern developing here. It is no wonder that many pioneer churches start in the living room of someone’s home!

Now let’s turn our attention to the source of encouragement presented before you and me: our home!

Our home??

You might think your home is a mess; maybe you are embarrassed to have people come over to your home. But, wait! Back up! Let’s look at the real situation your home was in prior to Jesus coming into your life.

Jack Daniel’s was never embarrassed. Anheuser Busch was never embarrassed. José Cuervo or the Medellin cartel never hesitated to make themselves at home and brought along their friends. Suddenly we sound like the sinner that says, “When I get my act together, then I will come to church.”

When was the last time you laid hands on the walls of your house and spoke a blessing over your home? How about your kids? Have you laid hands on them at home recently to speak a blessing upon them? Your house is a refuge! Your home is a sanctuary! Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Many times I would come home to our condo in California and find Janey in our living room doing the Chicken Dance with ten or twelve neighborhood children in our living room. She would then take time to pray with them. Every one of those kids came to church.

We were packing up our condo to sell it and come back to Tucson for redirection when I brought a homeless man home from work to live with us. He was bound by alcoholism and lying. He got delivered from both and served God!

I want to encourage you to contend for the faith; to seek, save, and send right in your own home! Speak encouragement inside your house. Speak aloud the words of faith within the walls of your home. Maybe you think Not my house. My house holds no potential for the Gospel. No, no, no! Brother! Sister! Don’t ever underestimate your humble home!

“See the potential your home has for Jesus! Open the eyes of faith and act upon that potential.”

Mark 1:29 tells us what Jesus did after church: “And immediately after they had come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And at evening, when the sun set, they brought all those who were diseased to Him, and those who had been demon-possessed.

Remember: It happened at home.