Are We Wrong Because We Don't Teach House to House Like Others Do?

Text: Acts 5:42; Matthew 28:18–20
Series: Sermons 2001 Rewritten
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository

Learning Objectives

1. Explain what Acts means when it describes teaching “from house to house.”
2. Show that house-to-house teaching is a good and biblical method, but not the only authorized method.
3. Distinguish between the command to teach and the expedient methods used to carry out that command.
4. Answer the claim that one group has the truth simply because it uses a particular evangelistic method.
5. Press Christians to stop hiding behind method debates while neglecting the duty to teach the lost.

Thesis

House-to-house teaching is a biblical and useful method, but the command of Christ is to take the gospel to the lost, and Scripture authorizes many lawful methods for carrying out that command.

Introduction.

1. The question before us is simple: are we wrong because we do not teach “house to house” exactly like some religious groups do? a. Some have treated one method of teaching as if it were the mark of the true church. b. Some imply that because they knock doors in an organized way, they must have the truth. c. Some then accuse others of being wrong because they do not use that exact same method.
2. The question must be answered by Scripture, not by pressure. a. We should not despise house-to-house teaching. b. We should not bind house-to-house teaching as the only authorized method. c. We must not confuse a method with the message.
3. Scripture shows Christians teaching in many settings. a. Publicly. b. Privately. c. In homes, synagogues, riversides, roads, courtrooms, marketplaces, and rented places.
4. The real failure is not failing to copy another group’s method. a. The real failure is refusing to teach at all. b. The real failure is having the gospel and keeping it silent. c. The real failure is arguing about methods while souls remain untaught.

I. House-to-House Teaching Is a Good and Biblical Method.

A. The early Christians taught from house to house.

1. Acts 5:42 says, “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” a. The apostles did not hide the message. b. They taught publicly in the temple. c. They also taught privately from house to house.
2. The text shows zeal. a. They taught every day. b. They taught despite opposition. c. They taught Jesus as the Christ.
3. House-to-house teaching should not be mocked. a. It is biblical. b. It is personal. c. It gives opportunity for direct study, questions, and patient instruction.

B. Paul used both public and private teaching.

1. Acts 20:20 says Paul taught “publicly and from house to house.” a. Paul did not choose only one setting. b. He taught wherever the work required. c. He held back nothing that was profitable.
2. Acts 20:21 says he solemnly testified of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. a. The method served the message. b. The message was not house-to-house work itself. c. The message was repentance and faith in Christ.
3. The church should learn from Paul’s flexibility. a. Use the home when the home is useful. b. Use public teaching when public teaching is useful. c. Use any lawful method that actually serves the gospel.

C. Homes have always been useful places for spiritual teaching.

1. The Old Testament shows teaching in ordinary life. a. Deuteronomy 6:6–7 commands God’s words to be taught diligently to children. b. Israel was to speak of them when sitting in the house. c. Spiritual teaching was not locked inside a formal assembly.
2. The New Testament shows homes used for teaching and fellowship. a. Cornelius gathered relatives and close friends in his house to hear Peter in Acts 10. b. Lydia’s household was taught and baptized in Acts 16. c. The Philippian jailer heard the word with his household in Acts 16.
3. The application is plain. a. Open homes can become open doors for the gospel. b. Kitchen tables can become places of conversion. c. Living rooms can become places where Scripture is opened and souls are corrected.

II. House-to-House Teaching Was Not the Only Method Used in Scripture.

A. Jesus taught in many settings.

1. Jesus taught from a mountain. a. Matthew 5:1 says He went up on the mountain, sat down, and taught His disciples. b. That setting gave us the Sermon on the Mount. c. The authority was not in the location, but in the Lord’s teaching.
2. Jesus taught from a boat. a. Luke 5:3 says He got into a boat and taught the multitudes from there. b. The boat was an expedient place from which to address the crowd. c. No one has the right to bind “boat teaching” as the required method.
3. Jesus taught in private conversations. a. He taught Nicodemus in John 3. b. He taught the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. c. The Lord used the moment before Him to press truth.

B. The apostles and evangelists taught in many settings.

1. Philip taught the Ethiopian while traveling. a. Acts 8 shows Philip joining the chariot. b. He began from Isaiah 53 and preached Jesus. c. The result was baptism when they came to water.
2. Paul taught women by the riverside. a. Acts 16:13–15 records Paul speaking to women gathered there. b. Lydia listened. c. The Lord opened her heart, and she and her household were baptized.
3. Paul preached in public places. a. Acts 17 records Paul reasoning in the synagogue and marketplace. b. Acts 17 also shows him speaking at the Areopagus. c. Public reasoning was a lawful and useful method.

C. Paul taught rulers while imprisoned.

1. Acts 24 shows Paul reasoning before Felix. a. He spoke about righteousness. b. He spoke about self-control. c. He spoke about judgment to come.
2. Acts 26 shows Paul preaching Christ before Agrippa. a. He testified from Moses and the Prophets. b. He preached the suffering and resurrection of Christ. c. Agrippa understood that Paul was persuading him to become a Christian.
3. These examples answer the method-only argument. a. Paul was not going house to house in chains. b. He was still preaching the gospel. c. The authority was in the command to teach and the truth being taught.

III. The Command Is to Teach; The Lawful Method May Vary.

A. Matthew 28:18–20 gives the command.

1. Jesus begins with authority. a. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” b. The mission rests on Christ’s authority. c. No man has authority to change the gospel or the terms of discipleship.
2. Jesus commands, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” a. The command requires movement toward the lost. b. The church must not sit silently while the world dies in sin. c. The gospel is for all nations.
3. Jesus states what making disciples includes. a. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. b. Teaching them to observe all that He commanded. c. Evangelism does not end with contact; it aims at obedient discipleship.

B. The command specifies the work, not one exclusive method.

1. “Go” does not specify only one mode of travel. a. One may walk. b. One may ride. c. One may drive, fly, write, call, or use any lawful means that carries out the command.
2. “Teach” does not specify only one location. a. One may teach in a home. b. One may teach in a building. c. One may teach at work, in a car, by correspondence, in public, online, or across a table.
3. This is generic authority properly understood. a. God specifies the thing to be done. b. Expedients may be used when they help carry out the authorized command. c. An expedient must not change the command, add another doctrine, or replace God’s pattern.

C. Scripture gives examples of lawful variety.

1. Public preaching is authorized by apostolic example. a. Acts 2 shows public preaching on Pentecost. b. Acts 17 shows public reasoning in Athens. c. Public teaching is not inferior because it is not house to house.
2. Private teaching is authorized by apostolic example. a. Acts 8 shows personal teaching in the chariot. b. Acts 18 shows Priscilla and Aquila explaining the way of God more accurately to Apollos. c. Private teaching is not optional when opportunity appears.
3. Written teaching is also part of apostolic work. a. Luke wrote an orderly account. b. Paul wrote letters to churches and individuals. c. The New Testament itself shows written instruction as a powerful means of teaching.

IV. The Church Must Not Bind One Method or Neglect the Mission.

A. Binding one method goes beyond Scripture.

1. Acts 5:42 does not say house-to-house is the only method. a. The same verse mentions temple teaching. b. Acts records other methods of teaching. c. A method used by the apostles must not be turned into the only method unless Scripture makes it exclusive.
2. Second John 9 warns against going beyond the doctrine of Christ. a. Binding where God has not bound is going beyond. b. Loosing where God has bound is also rebellion. c. Faith must stay with what Scripture actually teaches.
3. Matthew 15:9 warns against teaching human doctrines as divine requirements. a. Human methods may be useful. b. Human methods may even be wise. c. They become sinful when bound as though God required them exclusively.

B. Neglecting evangelism is also wrong.

1. First Corinthians 9:16 says, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” a. Paul felt obligation. b. He did not treat preaching as a hobby. c. He knew the gospel must be proclaimed.
2. Romans 1:14–16 shows Paul’s debt. a. He was under obligation to Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish. b. He was eager to preach the gospel. c. He was not ashamed of the gospel because it is God’s power for salvation.
3. The church must not hide behind method discussions. a. Some criticize door knocking but never teach anyone. b. Some praise personal work but never do it. c. Some defend evangelism in theory while remaining silent in practice.

C. The message matters more than the method.

1. A false message is still false even if delivered house to house. a. Zeal does not make error truth. b. Organization does not make doctrine sound. c. Persistence does not make a false gospel acceptable.
2. Galatians 1:8–9 warns against another gospel. a. Even an angel from heaven had no right to preach another gospel. b. The message must be measured by apostolic doctrine. c. A wrong gospel is cursed no matter how aggressively it is spread.
3. The church must teach the true gospel by every lawful means. a. Christ died for our sins. b. He was buried and raised. c. Sinners must hear, believe, repent, confess Christ, be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and live faithfully.

Application.

1. For the Christian who has been intimidated by method claims. a. Do not let anyone tell you one lawful method is the only mark of truth. b. Test the message by Scripture. c. Test the method by whether it lawfully carries out Christ’s command.
2. For the Christian who has neglected teaching. a. Do not use this sermon as an excuse to do nothing. b. House to house is not the only way, but silence is not faithfulness. c. Find lawful opportunities and use them.
3. For the congregation. a. Encourage public teaching. b. Encourage private studies. c. Encourage home Bible studies, written materials, online teaching, personal conversations, and every lawful effort to spread truth.
4. For parents and teachers. a. Teach children that evangelism is not limited to one program. b. Teach them that methods serve the message. c. Train them to speak the gospel clearly, not merely defend a tradition.

Conclusion.

1. House-to-house teaching is biblical and good. a. Acts 5:42 shows it. b. Acts 20:20 shows it. c. We should use it when we can.
2. House-to-house teaching is not the only authorized method. a. Jesus taught from mountains, boats, and private conversations. b. Philip taught in a chariot. c. Paul taught by riversides, in marketplaces, in synagogues, and before rulers.
3. The command is to teach the gospel. a. Christ gave the authority. b. Christ gave the mission. c. Christ defined discipleship.
4. The church must not bind where God has not bound, and must not neglect what God has commanded. a. Do not worship method. b. Do not excuse silence. c. Teach the lost the gospel of Christ.

Invitation.

1. Hear the word. a. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2. Believe Christ. a. John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
3. Repent. a. Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
4. Confess Christ. a. Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
5. Be baptized for the remission of sins. a. Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
6. Live faithfully. a. Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.

Word Study.

Scripture Interlock Table.