Some excerpts (amongst a big number of historical illustrations, and a
frank appraisal of revival today)

ALL Churches BEGIN with the Word of God, and something of a work of God
the Holy Spirit, but as with Israel in the OT, Deut 8:7-20, etc. any
measure of success exposes them to increasing pride, self-assertion,
complacency, and reliance on human and worldly gift, power, wisdom, and
expediency.  A system is built up that develops its own identity, and
carries on under its own impetus, with less and less direct reliance on,
and obedience to the Lord and His Word.  As the enthusiastically
religious Pharisees "Improved" the OT Law, so enthusiastically religious
Churchmen have all too often "Improved" the simplicity of what the Lord
in the NT indicated He wanted His Church to be.  Each of the three
basically different types of systems can be neatly summed up in a
Scripture from Matthew 23 that each ignores at its peril.

(a.) "CALL NO MAN FATHER," Mt 23:9

(b.) "BE NOT CALLED RABBI / MASTER." Mt 23:8,10.

(c.)  "ALL BROTHERS" under the Fatherhood of God and the Lordship of
Christ, Mt 23:8.  Those who grasped this ideal, formed simple
non-denominational Bible-obeying Fellowships.  The "Brethren" movement
of the mid 19th Century is an example of those who abandoned clerical
titles to meet simply as "Brothers."  This revived the form of the NT
local Church as a congregation of those born again by the Word of God,
and the Spirit of God, and continuing to live individually and
congregationally in direct dependence on them.  And, recognising as
brothers and sisters, all those the proclamation of the Word of God, and
the work of the Holy Spirit, had added invisibly to the Church, Acts
2:47; 1 Cor 12:13, in whatever visible church setting they might be
found.

This directed attention away from Church buildings, organisations, and
hierarchies, to Jesus Christ Himself - "One LORD."  Away from Church
creeds, catechisms, confessions, and prayer-book to the Bible - "One
Faith."  And away from admission by baptism to rival church spheres, by
human agents, to that of 1 Cor 12:13 - "One Baptism," Eph 4:5.  This and
an enthusiastic proclamation of Jn 3:16, was a blessing directly to
many, and indirectly to many more through the boost it gave to many
non-denominational Christian organisations.

...While thanking God for everything of His truth and Godly practice
that has been handed down to us, each generation NEEDS TO SEEK TO HEAR
GOD'S VOICE AFRESH.  To "FIND IT WRITTEN," and go out in obedient faith
to do it - whatever those in the past have done.

To live in temporary shelters, would be great fun for the children, like
a camping holiday, and a wonderful chance to teach them the history of
God's dealings with their ancestors.  This could help parents to clarify
their own faith and confidence in / commitment to God.

But, David, Solomon, and others hadn't - so why bother?  Wasn't it
presumptuous to try to be better than the great ones of the past?  They
were a long way down the path of history from Moses - weak, poor..

ALL THOSE ARGUMENTS were used against Darby, Groves, Muller, and the
other "Brethren," who "Found it Written," that Christian Believers
should gather in simplicity - No Robed Priest, altar, special building
or formal ritual.  Just ordinary saved sinners, seated around an
ordinary table, with ordinary bread and wine on it, reading and teaching
God's Word, praying and praising, in ordinary language, with
congregational singing.  Yet it was the LORD's Table, and they desired
to receive at it all those that the Lord had received, and to share with
them all they had found written in Mat 18:20; 23:7-12; 26:26-29; Jn
20:19-20; Acts 2:44-47; Rom 15:1-7; 1 Cor 11;23-28; 14:26; Heb 4:9-16,
etc.

We gather on the basis of the Lord in the Midst being the only Head of
the Church, obedience to His Written Word our rule, trying to be
sensitive to the needs of the local Church Body as a whole, and
responsible to look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  In doing this it
would be ridiculous to imagine that we're GODLIER or BETTER than Luther,
Wesley, etc. who didn't so gather.  It's simply that, like those in
Nehemiah's time, having found it so written in God's Word we acknowledge
our responsibility to attempt to do what He has said, in spite of our
conscious weakness.  And we're glad to be hearing God's Word, and DOING
it.  God's WHOLE Word was treated as FRESH, GOOD NEWS, then.

So it was, 150 years ago, in a world where denominational loyalty, proud
religious tradition, assumed God-ordained approval of the Status Quo.
The joy of Jn 3:16; 1 Th 4:13-18, and Heb 10:12; 1 Jn 1:8-9; 3 Jn 7-8,
moved them to proclaim these far and wide.  But only as a fresh harvest
of converts is won to the Lord in each generation, to experience the
living word of the living God, can revival persist.