Why are there so many churches today with different beliefs and practices?
– Where did they all come from?
– Does God approve of such division and confusion? i.e., Does it really matter?
The church which Jesus built:
Matt. 16:16-18Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’. And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
1. Jesus would build His church (in the future).
2. It would be built upon the content of Peter’s confession: “Christ, the Son of the living God”.
3. It would always exist once it was built (so where is it today??).
When did Jesus built His church?
Well, we know it was in existence by the time of Acts 5 …
– Acts 5:11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
We also know that people were first added to it in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) in A.D. 30: – Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
Note 1Co. 12:13a For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, …
Col. 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Hos. 4:1-2 Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. 2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.
2. The danger of Bible ignorance in the home
Prov. 6:20-23 My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
3. The danger of Bible ignorance in the church
Heb. 5:11-14 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
• Such ignorance leads to a lack of discernment = knowing right and wrong (v. 14)!
o Sadly, people can then fall back into “situation ethics” (i.e., allowing circumstances to justify
breaking God’s commandments).
• Are we growing spiritually as we should? If so … o Eph. 4:14-15 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
4. The cure for Bible ignorance.
Jesus gave two important principles: • Mk. 4:24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. • Lk. 8:18 “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
