OPEN: A mother looked out a window and saw Johnny playing church with their three kittens. He had them lined up and was preaching to them. The mother turned around to do some work.
A while later she heard meowing and scratching on the door. She went to the window and saw Johnny was BAPTIZING the kittens. She opened the window and said, "Johnny, stop that! You’ll drown those kittens.
Johnny looked at her and said with much conviction in his voice: "They shoulda had thought about that before they joined MY church."
APPLY: One of the oldest difficulties in Christendom has been this issue of who church belongs to. Whenever you hear people saying “this is MY church” - you know you’ve got a problem. Because people who use that phrase (“My Church”) have generally forgotten WHO their church really belongs to. And they become the most troublesome individuals to deal with because - since they believe it’s THEIR church - they believe it must be run according to THEIR agenda.
ILLUS: Several times now - while I’ve driven kids to JAM (our mid-week elementary youth group) - kids have asked “Do you own the church?” Many of them come from non-church backgrounds, and so the question isn’t all that unusual.
I answer “No… God owns the church.”
And the kids have the hardest time understanding that.
But this is an pivotal concept for all Christians to grasp:
– God owns the church
– ONLY He has the right to say how it is set up… and what we’re “called”
Here in Acts we’re told that “… the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 11:26
There were two intriguing things I learned about this verse at Bible College:
1st – The disciples were called “Christians”.
That word “Christian” literally means “Belonging to Christ”
2ndly – I learned that the disciples didn’t call themselves Christians… somebody else did that. Now, just reading the verse, you wouldn’t necessarily know who gave the disciples that name - but there have been certain scholars who have speculated that the name was intended as an insult by the Greeks or Romans of the city. (for example: John Gill)
I got to thinking about that, and that made no sense at all. If I intended to insult somebody I think I could come up with something a little more offensive than that. I mean, the whole purpose of an insult is to… offend people. How do you insult the followers of Christ… by calling them Christians? That makes no sense.
(pause…)
However, what I learned at Bible College was really neat. It appears that - in the Greek - the disciples weren’t labeled Christians by the Greeks or Romans. It seems more likely that they were named “Christians” by God Himself.
ILLUS: When the Bible speaks of someone or something being “called” something there are usually 2 different words Scripture uses. The first is the most common: the word “Kaleo”. It’s used nearly 150 times in the New Testament. For example in Luke 19:29 this Greek Word is used when we’re told that Jesus “…approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill CALLED the Mount of Olives …”
By contrast, Acts 11 uses a LESS common word – “chrematizo” (it’s only used 9 times in the Bible). And every time this Greek word occurs it’s used in combination with God. God “warns”… or God “reveals”… or God “admonishes”… or God simply “speaks”
If that’s true here in Act 11 that adds a whole new layer to this concept of us being “Christians”. It would imply that God has a special interest in what we’re called. It would mean that He WANTS US to have names that glorify our relationship with Jesus.
In fact, the Bible often describes the Church in the following terms:
· Church of GOD (Acts 20:28)
· Churches of CHRIST (Romans 16:16)
· Body of CHRIST (I Corinthians 12:27)
· House of GOD (Hebrews 10:21)
· And the Church of the FIRST BORN (Heb 12:23)
If you notice, each of these descriptive phrases glorifies the relationship of the church to the Father or the Son. These are names that God uses to describe His church. AND they are not denominational names. The Churches of Christ/Christian churches have long opposed - use of denominational names.
Now this gets to be a ticklish subject.
The term “denomination” simply means: “of a name”. And any church that calls itself any kind of a name could literally be referred to as a denomination.
But our objection has always been that many denominational names don’t point toward glorifying the Father or the Son.
· They either describe a distinctive practice of that denomination
· OR… they are names which point to a human teacher they admire.
For example… does anybody know why the Methodists are called Methodists? When they got started they had a distinctive “METHOD” – thus they were called Method-ists.
Now there’s another group called the “Free Methodists”. The Free Methodists got their name because, when they got started, many churches charged for their pews. If you wanted to sit in a specific spot in a church building… you had to pay for it. Certain Methodists didn’t like that idea, so they formed a denomination and they DIDN’T charge for their pews… thus the name “Free Methodists”.
Presbyterian are named for the fact they have Presbyters (based upon their organizational structure that is based upon “Presbyters”… another Greek name for Elders)
Episcopalians are named for the fact that they have Episcopases - or something like that. (Their name is also based upon another Greek word that describes the role of Elders in the church)
Each of these Denominations is named for a practice that is distinctive to them, and there’s nothing technically wrong with those names… except they focus more on that distinctive practice than on the name of Jesus.
Now there are other denominations that are named for people they admire
Lutherans are named for???? (Martin Luther – a brave Catholic priest who tried to reform the Catholic church).
Wesleyans are named for??? (John Wesley – a very dedicated and powerful preacher back in the 1800s)
Baptists (depending on which group you’re talking to) will tell you they are named either for the fact that they baptize by immersion or that they’re named after John the Baptist.
Again those denominational distinctions point to specific individuals… but not to Christ. As valuable and insightful as these folks were, they didn’t die for us. Only Jesus did that.
When our brotherhood got started, many of its founders came to see these man-made denominational names as one of the chief causes of divisiveness in Christendom.
ILLUS: You can see this divisiveness if you asked one of your friends or co-workers that following question: “Are you a Christian?”
Often they’ll respond: “I’m a Methodist”, or “I’m a Presbyterian.”
If that’s how they respond (and many will) you’ll notice they didn’t answer your question. You asked whether they were Christians… and they told you what FLAVOR they were.
For the most part, these people have no idea what is distinctive about their particular group or denomination… all they know is that they belong to this group or that group. It’s part of what creates the divisiveness in Christendom.
ILLUS: Thomas Campbell (one of the founders of our brotherhood) was a preacher for the “Old Light, Anti-burger, Seceder Presbyterian Church”. That’s quite a mouthful.
For every Old Light - there was a New light
For every Anti-burgher – there was a Pro-burgher and so on.
As a result, the Presbyterian church of his day was divided into a number of factions and was so contentious that they wouldn’t even sit down to eat communion together. This divisiveness greatly disturbed him.
ILLUS: About 15 years earlier (in 1793) several Methodist churches rebelled against the Methodist Episcopal form of government brought from England and they formed “The Republican Methodist Church.” Soon they formed a group of several thousand members.
Representatives from various congregations met in August of 1794 in Surry County VA to make decisions as to how they would be governed and what they would be called. Since they had left the Methodist Church, they no longer wanted to be known as Methodists and they could hardly go around calling one another Republicans.
So at one point during their meetings, a preacher named Rice Haggard stood up and he held a copy of the New Testament in His hand and said, "Brothers, THIS is a sufficient rule of faith and practice, and by it we are told that the disciples were called Christians, and I move that henceforth and forever, the followers of Christ be known as Christians simply"
The motion was carried and from that time on they were simply called Christians. Their Church, as a result, was called the Christian Church. (The Stone-Campbell Movement by Leroy Garrett p. 80.)
The result of these decisions and actions by the early churches and founders of our brotherhood led to the development of certain mottos such as:
· “No name but the divine (Christ) ”
· And “We’re not the only Christians but we intend to be Christians only”
What that last motto means is: we believe there ARE Christians in other groups and other denominations but WE ourselves have no intention being called anything other than Christians.
NOW that’s not always the way it work out. There are times when we get so caught up in this principle/ideal that we shut people out. But that IS what our motto maintains. Our original intention was to hold up this ideal – of unity in the name of Jesus – as a rallying cry to other believers in other groups.
ILLUS: A preacher named Timothy Smith once did an experiment in his large congregation:
“I need your cooperation for a moment: I want you to think about how you were raised, about your religious background. Let’s see how many different denominational groups we have represented here.
I am going to call out a certain background and you call it out back to me.
· If I call out “Methodist” - you come from a Methodist background say Methodist out loud
· if you don’t have a church background/ or don’t know, when I say “don’t know” you repeat that.
Okay, let’s try it: “Methodist… Baptist… Presbyterian… Episcopal… Catholic… Don’t know… Church of God… Lutheran… Christian Church.
Now, I’m sure I’ve missed some, that’s okay. When I count to 3, I want you to call out your background - regardless of what it is.
1-2-3. (they all shouted out their various backgrounds)
Isn’t that an awful sound?
That is discord in the Church.
But now when I say Jesus - I want you to say it back to me. JESUS
Again, but softer this time.
What harmony.
You see the source of unity is not a denomination or a background, it’s a person.
"...when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself." (John 12:32 NLT)
It’s Jesus - and what he has done for us - that draws!
ILLUS: NOW, there are churches that have sensed the divisiveness of denominational names. Back in 2000, The Christian Standard informed us of a AP news report that said some churches were dropping any reference to a denominational affiliation from their names.
“These congregations revealed theological ties only after they had gotten the chance to make a good first impression on prospective members. For those of us who have long insisted that one need wear ‘no name but the divine,’ it is encouraging to see believers in Jesus wanting to drop labels and to be known just as Christians.”
The author concluded by saying: “A biblical name on the door does not necessarily mean that a church is ‘true to the Bible.’ It is, however a good place to start.” Christian Standard 2/20/2000 p. 3
And that IS encouraging.
Many Churches are beginning to realize the divisiveness of denominational names. But in the process of avoiding denominational names, there are many churches that have dropped all reference to Christ or God in their church names. A number of these churches have taken up the practice of calling themselves “community” churches.
They’re welcome to do that, but it makes me wonder if they find the name of Jesus offensive. Is Christ too divisive for their taste? Are they ashamed of the name of Jesus on their building?
You see, being a community church seems to imply that the church belongs to whom? (“the community”). But that’s the wrong message to send. And if they wear the name “community” because they’re afraid of offending somebody… what does that say to the world around us?
I am not ashamed of the name of Jesus.
I am not ashamed to wear the name Christian.
AND I don’t care if that offends somebody. Let them be offended.
Because the only way to draw people to Jesus is to lift up the name of Jesus. Philippians tells us:
“And being found in appearance as a man, (Jesus) humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11
It’s not at the name of a specific denomination…
It’s not at the description of a church’s unique traditions…
It’s not at the name of admired preacher or reformer…
It’s not at the name of our “community” or their “community”…
IT’S AT THE NAME OF Jesus that every knee shall bow.
So, frankly, that’s why His name is on our sign out front, and it ought to be on the front of every church across the nation.
CLOSE: Back in 1994, Dennis Lindsay the Principal of Springdale College in Great Britain gave the following speech at a “Unity Worship” with several other colleges from various denominational backgrounds. In it he described the plea of our brotherhood:
All of us, who trust in Jesus as the precious cornerstone and the foundation of God’s church, are all called Christians.
All of us who trust in Jesus share this same foundation, this same fundamental conviction and commitment, but we are not ALL called Fundamentalists.
We are committed to the unity and universality of Christ’s body: its catholicity but we are not ALL called Catholic.
We acknowledge that the church had its beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; but we are not ALL called Pentecostal.
We recognize the importance of the doctrine of baptism for the lives of individual Christians but we are not ALL called Baptists.
We are committed to the study and to the perpetuation of right and sound doctrine but we are not ALL called Orthodox.
We appreciate the important theological insights of great theologians, such as Luther & Wesley & Calvin, but we are not ALL called Lutherans, Wesleyans, Calvinists.
We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for all the peoples of the earth and so we seek to evangelize; but we are not ALL called Evangelicals.
We recognize God enabled various members of the body through the various gifts/or Charismata but we are not ALL called Charismatics.
Herein lies the key to Christian unity: not in the use - or even lack of - denominational names; but rather in the common foundation, the common cornerstone which sets the parameters for the structure as a whole and for every individual, living stone in the structure.
The unity has already been created by divine act.
The foundation which unifies Christians has already been laid for us: It is Jesus Christ and none other. This foundation is what makes us Christians any other foundation is non-Christian.
(Excerpts taken from an article Christian Standard 9/25/94)
