As I have mentioned before I grew up in church and have had a wide range of church affiliations. It did not take long for me to understand if I was to make it in the church world there were a few things you just avoided talking about.
Christianity is a wide sweeping word in today’s culture. It seems just about everyone that is affiliated with a church is called a Christian. I feel that the very meaning of Christian is lost and misunderstood, because of how it is used today. Now, it may not be my place to determine who is a Christian or who is not, I think their fruit should bear that out. I don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to determine what makes a person a Christian. In my own opinion from my understanding what makes a Christian is a born again believer of God and His Son Jesus the Messiah, who follows the example of Jesus’ own life and teachings.
As I learn from the Bible, history, churches, and current events, I find there are so many things that divide us rather than bind us. I know that there are things that I nor would I expect anyone to compromise on. I will not spend a whole lot of time on that right now. I do however believe that ones understanding of God and His son Jesus are the very cornerstone of our faith and spiritual growth. There are a few other things I feel very strongly about and maybe later I will talk about those.
What I want to talk about is the many things that divide us in the body of Christ that I feel should not. It just seems today we want to pick at the little things and let them divide us rather to stand in unity in the things we agree on. Then what is lost is the integrity of the message to those who need it. Let me put it this way. If you where to listen to many of today’s personalities and some leaders they think all Christians are crazy. They watch us fight among ourselves and disagree over scriptures, showing hatred toward any who disagree with us. The so many churches seem to reject anyone that thinks differently. Is this what God had intended when He birthed the Church of Jesus the Christ. What did Jesus tell his followers? (John 13:34-35 NIV) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. {35} By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Christianity today is divided into denominations, which I feel is not what God wanted when he began His church. I feel God still is not in the divisions of men. Of coarse this is nothing new in our history. The writers of the New Testament had to deal with divisions. Many a church today are in existence because of divisions.
(Rom NIV) 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.
(1 Cor NIV) 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.
(1 Cor NIV) In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
I know this may be my own opinion and who am I, but I feel we are spending to much time on things that may not really matter to our eternity. Then on matters that are important we hammer so much on them we forget the real measage of the Kingdom. Then what is lost is real growth in people who do believe but need real answers to life troubles and how does what they believe help them overcome in day to day struggles.
At the core of our faith is the knowledge of God and Jesus His son, and all that that intells. Jesus the perfect man, sacerfice and first born of the reserection, elevated to the right hand of God, and will return. Upon this we build our faith and grow in the Lord.
(2 Pet 1:1-9 NIV) Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: {2} Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. {3} His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. {4} Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. {5} For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; {6} and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; {7} and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. {8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Now with the things that divide us let me make a small list and see if they are really worth fighting over. Should we be able to talk about them? Yes. Should we be showing hatred or refusing to hear others? No! If our message is lost it is lost to those who need it and are perishing. Like I have already mentioned we cannot compromise on the cornerstone of our faith, but that does not give me the right to treat others as I have been treated. The rest I am willing to talk about it. I may not change my mind on some things, but I want to still be loved and also keep my heart right toward you and before God.Below is the list of many of the things that divide us today.
Communion: How it is taken and how often. Do we use juice or wine, are we worthy or unworthy? As a pastor I have been confronted many times with this when people would come to join our church. Then I have watched churches divide or fellowships fall apart over this very thing. I don’t want to make any issues here, but I do believe in it and think I have a clear understanding. Yet, I do not want to fight over this one.
(Rom 14:19-21 NIV) Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. {20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. {21} It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
Baptism: Dunk or sprinkle. What words should be spoken, Matt. 28.19 or Acts 2.38. I do believe in baptism, it is a testimony of ones’ confession. The debate I have seen over the years has been astounding to me. I remember a time when I was traveling with an evangelist (I was 18). We were ministering at an oneness church for a week and the evangelist was Trinitarian, he just did not talk about what he believed. One night they were having baptisms and before the service a church elder was sitting in the office with us. He turned to us and talked about baptism and mad a statement I think just to see what we would say. “You know those trinity people if they don’t get baptized right they are all going to hell”. We both just shook our heads and changed the subject, and the man left. I will never for get what the evangelist said to me. “I guess the pastor thinks this is the greatest revival they ever had, seen many miracles this week and souls saved, all by a man who’s going to hell, only if he knew”.
For the sake of time I will make a quick list of many other things of some may even seem silly but they are issues to some. We will cover some of them over the next few weeks
Wars, strong drink, how we dress, jewelry, makeup, hair, moral issues, divorce, race, prosperity, faith, the end times, grace, music, structure of service, Sabbath services, festivals, traditions, hell, heaven, Bible translations, death, the law, tithes, tongues, spiritual manifestations. There may be many other smaller issues I have missed. What I have seen over the years is the hatred and ugly words given through disagreement over many of these things.
There are those things I feel the Bible is very clear about and I have shared a few of these already. Like tithes I feel it is not an eternal issue, so I feel it is not worth fighting over. If one wants to follow the law in their giving so be it, just don’t get angry with me if I don’t. I promise you I will not get angry at you if you do, but can we talk about it, and if I cannot change your mind about it I will still love you and encourage you to seek for truth in God’s word.
As I have heard a friend of mine say many a time let’s keep the main thing the main thing. Let’s work on things that edify and build up the body of Christ not divide. Let’s build upon the cornerstone of our faith and help each other to overcome in our daily struggles. Let the love of God shine through our hearts and lives. Let the world see there is hope and peace in Jesus not division. Read I Cor 12, where Paul talks about the body. Read the following scriptures and lets talk some more.
(Rom 14:1 NIV) Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
(2 Tim 2:23-26 NIV) Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. {24} And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. {25} Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, {26} and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
(Titus 3:9-11 NIV) But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. {10} Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. {11} You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
(1 Cor -24 NKJV) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. {24} Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being.
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