What makes a certain food your favorite food? 1. You like its taste. 2. It satisfies your hunger. 3. It has all the vitamines and nutrients that you need for good health.
What makes a certain church right for you? 1. You like its taste. 2. It satisfies your spiritual hunger. 3. It has all the doctrines and teachings you need for spiritual health.
Hartford Institute for Religious Research says that there were 217 denominations listed in the 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. But there may well be other groups that function as a denomination but do not regard themselves as such. These all denominational groups claim to best represent what God wants for His people. Christianity Today reported that worldwide: According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are approximately 41,000 Christian denominations and organizations in the world. This statistic takes into consideration cultural distinctions of denominations in different countries, so there is overlapping of many denominations.
But even with only 217, that’s quite a smorgasbord of choices, is it not? We also see that within a given name brand or denomination, there are a variety of distinctions that are noticeable and sometimes even stark in contrast.
Division within the church is not new. Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1:10-13)
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
God’s word nowhere supports the idea of denominational division in the body of Christ. Does that mean that all churches are good and equally acceptable to God? Not at all!
God’s word clearly supports unity, but that unity must be founded on Jesus Christ and His teachings, not on whatever feels good or tastes good or appeals to my fleshly nature or excuses my sinful desires. Church unity in Christ is based on following the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the scriptures.
Listen to Galatians 1:6-12
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Then Paul gives this assurance:
11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Church people must seek God! His gospel, His grace, His glory.
Romans 16:17-19
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Church people must seek God! His purpose, His pattern, His peace.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
4 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Church people must seek God! His testimony, His teaching, His truth.
Jesus said: Matthew 7: 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Church people must seek God! His word, His will, His way.
Jesus prayed for the church: John 17: 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Church people must seek God! His prayer, His plea, His plan.
Where do you see denominationalism in Jesus’ prayer? It’s not there. Name brand Christianity is not God’s will for His people. While it is true that divisions do exist among those who call on the same Christ, read the same scriptures, and seek the same eternal hope of heaven, we must never come to peace with division. If those who are in denominations around us are just fine as they are, we have no right to exist as a separate group from them. If they believe and practice teachings that are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and are doing so in ignorance but sincerity of faith, and you know it, you have an obligation to bring it to their attention! If I or anyone else in this church are practicing teachings that are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you know it, are you not responsible to say so?
There are sincere followers of Christ who need to know the way of Christ more correctly, such as Apollos in Acts 18:24-26
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Do you know anyone like that? Will you not share the way of God with them?
But there are also false teachers described in the scriptures that work to destroy the church. The scriptures speak of them not as men of sincerity, but as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They go about not building up the body, but dividing and destroying it!
Listen to a couple of passages that describe these false teachers: 2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Jude 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
How do you deal with such as these? God’s word teaches us to beware of them and to avoid them. Jude tells us: 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Church people must seek God! His mission, His message, His mercy.
The gospel of Jesus Christ calls everyone to be saved from this corrupt generation. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that God created us to be like him, that we have fallen short of God’s glory into sin, but God’s love and grace have been poured out in an amazing sacrifice so that we can be saved from sin to live in and with Him now and forever. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son was given to come here and die a cruel death on a cross so that your sins and mine could be atoned for and we could receive mercy and pardon for sins. Jesus paid it all. All who believe in Him and repent of sin, confess Him as Son of God, submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior may be baptized in His name for forgiveness of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and hope of eternal life.
Church people must seek God! His gospel, His grace, His glory.
