11. Sheltering Roof
Church has been for so many of us an unsafe place in our experience. This is not the house of God. A sheltering roof is the pattern of safety and protection. How do we make Church a safe place?We discover, then, that Revelation 12:10-11 is not just setting before us who we ourselves overcome the evil one, as Much Afraid, trusting utterly in Jesus. Rather, it is also speaking of us together as Christ providing the protection from the evil who accuses our brethren.
No consciousness of sins must begin with ourselves, but it becomes the sheltering roof of God's house when we see no consciousness of sins towards one another and towards all.
Yet we have an enemy. And this enemy would insert himself, not only into the consciousness of each one of us, but also into the practical difficulties of people with utterly differing ideas trying to walk together.
The pattern of home called "sheltering roof" gives us the profound answers to the "Promised Land" of Christ filled with difficulty.
Lesson 11.1 Safety and Protection first compares the den of thieves as we have so often known church to be with the House of Prayer that is our Father's dwelling place. Then, the lesson compares the points from the pattern "sheltering roof" with the points of truth out from Revelation 12:10-11.
Lesson 11.2 Spiritual Warfare places our "wrestling" against the evil one inside of the context of Christian Community.
Lesson 11.3 Building Shelter is the first look at the governance of the community, the regular gathering together of all the adults to discuss how we should walk in harmony together.