Foolish Preaching About The Church -- III.
Many people cannot think of the church of Christ, except in the denominational and sectarian sense. The religious world is divided into so many different religious institutions that people have great difficulty in understanding the Scriptural meaning of "church." These denominations were here when we were born, and many people cannot realize that sectarianism is not the religion that was established by Jesus Christ. People have been exposed to the idea that all these denominations are children of God so long they accept it without question. In each of these denominations people claim to be children of God, but none of them will claim that they are the entire body that Jesus built. They claim there are other children of God in other denominations. They can think of the church only in terms of denominationalism. When they look at the church of Christ, they can think of it only in the terms of denominationalism.
Jesus Christ said he would build His church. (Matt. 16:18.) He did not promise to build his churches, but his church. Jesus did not promise to build denominations. He never intended for his body to be divided into sectarian institutions.
On Pentecost (Acts 2), the church was established. Peter's sermon is recorded, and three thousand obeyed the gospel that day. In Acts 2:47 we find that the Lord "added to the church daily such as should be saved."
I want you to think about that expression for a little while. It indicates that Jesus had established the church, which he had promised to build. After Pentecost, we read that the church grew by leaps and bounds. Soon the number of men came to be five thousand, plus the women. Still the Lord was adding "to the church daily such as should be saved." The Lord added the saved to the church each day. He did it the first day; he did it the second. He did it the next week. He did it the next year. He did it the next five hundred years. He did it the next thousand years. He still does it today. The Lord adds "to the church daily such as should be saved." He never added one individual to a denomination. He adds people to the church.
People can be added to the Lord's church, and never join a denomination. A denomination claims to be a unit larger than a local congregation and smaller than the entire body of Christ. For instance, the Lutheran Church is a denomination. It is composed of more than one local congregation, but the Lutherans believe there are other children of God in other denominations. Most people look at the church through such colored glasses. They think one must be in a denomination, or he is "unchurched. But, that is not necessarily so. One may be a member of the body of Christ, and never "join" any denomination. He can be a member of the body of Christ, and nothing more. He can be a Christian, and only a Christian.
Many people have never heard of such a thing. In these modern days it is not enough to simply say, "I am a Christian." If somebody asks you what your religion is, it is not enough to tell him you are a Christian. He wants to know with what branch you are affiliated. If you tell him you are connected with no "branch church," but are interested in glorifying God in the name of Christ, he will usually persist, asking, "But, what church do you belong to?" or "What denomination do you belong to?" You then reply that you belong to the church of Christ. He wants to know, "which one?" You tell him you are a member of the only one Christ has, and he will be amazed. He will probably think you are some crazy fanatic. He has been fed with the diet of sectarianism so long that he can't digest the idea of there being only one church, and the possibility of being only Christian. He has had his religion seasoned with denominationalism so long that he thinks a person must have some prefix to describe what kind of Christian he is. He is accustomed to the idea of "Methodist Christian," "Presbyterian Christian," etc., and has never entertained the idea of being a Christian and only a Christian.
Suppose we were to have a union meeting, with all the denominations in town participating. All would agree to dismiss sectarianism during the course of this meeting. The preacher would preach Christ and him crucified. People would be told what the Bible teaches sinners to do to be saved. The meeting would be a great success with four hundred converts. After the meeting had closed, the people would be given their choice as to which religious group they wished to join. One hundred would join the Baptists. Another one hundred would join the Methodists. And another one hundred would join the Presbyterians. The remaining one hundred decided to search the New Testament, and found neither of the three denominations mentioned in the Bible. They searched, and could not find the name of a single other denomination described there. But, they did read in Acts 2:97 that the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. They come to the conclusion that they must have already been added to the Lord's church. Since the Lord promised it, they can be assured of that. Now, suppose they all decide to join no denomination, but simply take the Bible as their guide in all religious affairs. There they are — all one hundred of them. What denomination do they comprise? They are no denomination. They are simply a congregation of the saints. They can call themselves "Christians." They need no prefix to describe what kind of Christians they are. They are Christians and only Christians. They are not this kind of Christian, or some other kind of Christian. They are Christians only. They compose no denomination, nor any part of a denomination. They can worship God according to the teachings of the New Testament. They can organize their congregation according to the New Testament. They can live the Christian life, and serve God diligently while they live, and die and spend eternity with God.
That is what the church of Christ is. The church of Christ in your community is composed of individuals who have heard the same gospel that was preached by the apostles. They have believed in Jesus Christ with all of their hearts. They have repented and been baptized for the remission of their sins, exactly as the Bible teaches. The Lord has added them to his church, like he has been doing ever since that Pentecost day nearly two thousand years ago. They call themselves "Christians," and only that. They wear no human names, accept no human creed, and worship God after the pattern of the early church. The church of Christ is not a denomination, but is simply the people of God who have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son.
The members of the church of Christ wear no human names. As congregations, we are content to wear the names describing God's family, as recorded in the Bible. We refer to the church as the "church of Christ," or the "church of God," or the "church of the firstborn," or as the "body of Christ," or as the "kingdom of God," or by any of the other descriptive phrases found in the Bible. We have no sectarian name, and need none. As individuals we wear the name that was divinely given. In Acts 11:26, we find that the disciples first began to wear the name, "Christian," at Antioch. Paul tried to make a "Christian" out of Agrippa. Peter said if we suffer as a "Christian" let us not be ashamed, but glorify God in that worthy name. In wearing the name of Christ, we honor him. Such is not sectarianism.
The church of Christ is not denominational in faith. The Bible teaches that faith "comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17.) We recognize no other source of faith, and strive to "speak as do the oracles of God." We have no human creeds to crystallize our faith into some sectarian pattern. We strive to sneak where the Bible speaks and to remain completely silent where the Bible is silent. God's. Word completely furnishes us unto every good work. His divine power has granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
The church of Christ is not denominational in teaching the plan of salvation. We" teach exactly what the Bible teaches. We teach people to believe in Christ. We teach people, to repent of their sins. We teach people to confess their faith in Christ. We teach people to be baptized for the remission of their sins. No person ever obeyed the Bible way and became a member of some denomination.
The church of Christ is not denominational in worship. We meet on the first day of every week, as we find the disciples did in Acts 20:7. We observe the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week in memory of the death of our Saviour on the cross. They did it in Bible days. We sing, as the Bible teaches us to do. We pray as did the early church. We teach the Word of God (or preach the gospel) as they did. We lay by in store, as the Bible teaches. Nobody ever followed this Bible plan of worship in a denomination.
The church of Christ is not a denomination. We realize that denominationalism is contrary to the prayer that Jesus uttered. (Jno. 17:20-21.) He prayed for unity. Denominationalism is divided, and thanks God for religious division. Sectarian prayers are not compatible with the prayer of our Lord.
Would you like to be a Christian, and only a Christian? Why don't you forsake sectarianism, and obey the simple gospel of Christ? Let God add you to His church. Worship with others of like precious faith. Finally, you can have the hope of a heavenly home after this life is over.