One of the most common criticisms of the
Christian Church is that there are so many different kinds of church groups and
they all seem to be fighting each other. In fact, some people say Christians
are more interested in fighting each other than Satan. From the point of view
of those looking in from the outside of the Church, Christians have already
lost the battle. How can we talk about the benefits of being a follower of
Jesus Christ when we can’t even get along with each other?
Researchers say that there are more than
20,000 different Christian denominations throughout the world. Each one, of
course, claims to teach the truth about Biblical Christianity. Which leads to
another question: With so many churches all disagreeing about what the Bible
says and means, can anyone be sure about what it actually does say?
These questions are all very uncomfortable
and we Christians tend to ignore them. But that’s like trying to sweep an
elephant under the rug. Not everyone who asks the tough questions about the
differences in churches is cynical. Some people are honestly looking into
Christianity and they deserve clear answers to their questions, even if in
answering those questions we Christians may feel uneasy.
This Saturday evening (6:00 pm) and Sunday
morning (10:00 am) we’re going to confront the reality of the vast diversity of
churches. We’re going to ask questions like, “Are the differences between
churches important enough that we form separate denominations?” “Should we all
just forget our differences and form one big church body?” Even though we may
not feel completely satisfied with the answers for all our questions, we will force
ourselves to compare what we think is important in the Church with what the
Bible says are its most pressing priorities.
