One Church, Two Church, Three Church, Four

As I have driven through towns across America, one thing that stands out more than any other to me is the number of buildings that says, _________________ Church.  There are countless buildings that have one name or another that represent some kind of church.  Why so many?  Why so many different names?  Why so many different beliefs? 

 

Why is it that on Sunday, we scatter to our “own” particular choice of “Church” and when the worship gatherings are over, we meet our friends and family at a local restaurant to each lunch together?   The restaurant is the one thing that we seem to be able to agree upon.

I’ve often wondered what God thinks about us as we pull out of our driveways to go to our chosen place of worship because we have a dislike or a disagreement of all the other churches we pass along the way. 

Is it possible that Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17 is one prayer we have chosen to ignore because we are bent on having it our way?  Jesus’ prayer was meant for those in 2015, too.   Jesus prayed:  “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.  “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. “ (NLT)

Is it possible that we’ve become so comfortable with our passed down theology that we’ve never given much thought to studying what the Scriptures really says about what has been believed?  Knowing truth and handling it is vital for seekers of a better life.  The marquees on our buildings never portray what is being taught in the classrooms or in the lobbies or from the stages of our churches.  The Apostle Paul told Timothy to ensure that truth is handled correctly.  False teaching was rampant and Timothy needed to deal with it.  Paul wrote to Timothy and said in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (NIV)

If a seeker of a better life were driving through our town, where would they find it?  On the corner of where I am the minister, there are four different types of churches, styles of worship, and views of theology.  What would the seeker of a better life learn if she visited all four of us?

Have we gotten so far away from what the first believers where like in Acts 2:42-47 when the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe…All the believers were together and had everything in common…Every day they continued to meet together with glad and sincere hearts…praising God and enjoying favor of ALL the people….” (Acts 2:42-47)  For the seeker wanting to know about a better life in Christ, where would she find it?  How would she know what church to go to?  Would she become confused and frustrated?  Does our town look like Acts 2:42-47?   Do we seek to better understand Scripture the way God intended it or just accept what has been passed down from one generation to another?

We’ve also gotten the notion that if one does not like one style of church, start your own or go to another place.  In our county alone, there are over a hundred churches.   Why?  Is it that we can’t get along?  Is it that we disagree with the teachings of one particular church?  Is it that one is too big or too small?  Or, is it because we want it our own way?

Jesus prayed for unity, not division.  Jesus' desire is for us to be one, not divided.  The early believers were able to worship daily.  They didn’t go their separate ways and they didn’t say, “when your church is over, meet me at our usual restaurant?  They were together.  Strong.  Committed.  Devoted.  United. 

May we reach out to each other and rightly handle truth by resolving our differences and unite as God intended for it to be.

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian