So much of christianity purports to follow the model of practical faith set forth in the New Testament, and yet practical christianity looks nothing like the assembly of believers in the New Testament–it far more resembles the pagan worship of that day. Because the Father’s Sabbaths were never altered or abolished, the New Testament believers continued honoring His weekly Sabbath according to His clear will about it in the scriptures.
He said that His weekly Sabbath was to be a day of rest and “holy convocation,” which simply means “assembly” or “rehearsal” (Leviticus 23:3). It is a time for believers to rehearse together for eternity, when all of Yah’s people will dwell with one another in perfect fellowship. And, the New Testament believers did that on Yah’s ordained day, which is the seventh day—His Sabbath. THAT is “the Lord’s day” each week.
The pagans had temples throughout their cities. Believers had none, for they knew that Yah does not dwell in houses built by human hands. They knew that THEY were “the Lord’s house.” Each week, the called out assembly remembered the Sabbath, and would gather together in their homes. Many christians mistake the apostles going out and preaching to the lost EVERY DAY as being the assembling of the ekklesia. The New Testament believers fellowshipped in their homes on the Sabbath (seventh day of the week), and many of them went out and preached to the lost every day.
They did not have “church” services. There were no choir numbers, there was no passing the plates, and they most definitely never had any invitations or altar calls. They studied the scriptures and bore one another’s burdens. They built up their knowledge and understanding so that THEY could evangelize the lost by going TO THEM.
They didn’t hold hands with the world by designing programs to bring unbelievers into fellowship with them (which is spiritually prohibited), but rather edified their own understanding to bring the lost to knowledge of the truth, and then, those who believed were brought into the gatherings in their homes and discipled (taught).
They were hated by the world—to the point of persecution and death. The world would NEVER have tolerated them having their own buildings proclaiming themselves to be open for business. They were intent on one thing, and one thing only: being Yah’s people, and standing strong for the Gospel of Messiah Yahoshua, their Bridegroom.
No, the “church” doesn’t look anything like the ekklesia of the New Testament, but is a counterfeit of her.
For more information: Messiah’s Bride Is Not the “Church”