Different Churches?

Two billion people on earth profess to be Christian. In other words, nearly every third person believes he is following Jesus Christ and the Bible.  Dominant in Western nations, Christianity is the world’s most popular religion, appearing in all sorts of shapes, sizes, varieties and flavors.  Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions, described the world of Christianity this way: “From the majestic pontifical High Mass in St. Peter’s to the quiet simplicity of a Quaker meeting; from the intellectual sophistication of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the moving simplicity of spirituals such as ‘Lord, I want to be a Christian,’ from St. Paul’s in London, the parish Church of Great Britain, to Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta—all this is Christianity.” Was he correct? Is this the picture of true Christianity?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different churches around? Have you ever thought to yourself, “Is this what Jesus meant when He said, ‘I will build my Church’?” Also “What is the difference between these churches?” or which one is the exact continuation of the original first-century Church?”

If you are a spiritual person, then your beliefs are important to you. Your faith is probably the central part of your life. Have you ever examined the traditional view of Christianity? Have you actually compared it to the Bible? Or do you simply assume that the church that you attend is correct?  I am fortunate to have always had very forward thinking Christians around me. They taught me to not to take the answers to these questions lightly.

Would an early Christian be able to tell you what Christianity would look like in 2,000 years? Certainly not. I think they would be a little surprised to see all of the different churches around too. The one thing that has remained the same over all of those year is God's word, the Bible. Since the Bible is the very foundation of Christianity, it clearly holds all of the answers.

So why are there so many different groups today calling themselves Christian? The simplest answer is that they all teach different things. If they taught the same doctrines, then they would be united as one true church. The book of Acts begins with the birth of the New Testament Church. Therefore, this would be the place to begin. Notice how the Church was described after 3,000 people were baptized in one day, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” Acts 2:4

Why is this significant? The two most defining features of God’s Church are evident: steadfast continuation in (1) the apostles’ doctrine (teachings), and (2) fellowship. Then, after verse 43 explains that the fear of God was apparent in “every soul,” verse 44 adds, “…all that believed were together.” Verse 46 also says that they continued to be of “one accord (in agreement),” meeting together “daily” in various houses in “singleness of heart.”  The Church that God designed was unified! Not divided in varying and disagreeing groups all calling themselves Christian.

This is the kind of stuff that I have been reading in the book of Acts and looking to see in the local church. Tomorrow I wanna talk about “One Church or Many”

til then,
dave