Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Greetings...

The word church has morphed into definitions it was never intended.

Today the word church is typically defined as the “building wherein a religious group calling themselves Christians” come to meet.

Just do an “image google search” and see all the “buildings on display.”

Even Webster’s defines the word church as, “a building for public and especially.

Christian worship.”

(Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

(Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).)

Just do an “image google search” and see all the “buildings on display.”

Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

(Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).

This has led to the confusion that there are many “churches” in the world today.

Some go so far as to say there are thousands of churches across the world.

Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

(Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).

But is this true, does the Bible teach this, let’s look this morning.

Everyone here most likely knows this is not true but how do we go about proving it?

The only way to prove how many churches there are is to examine what the Bible says and the arguments made for “multiple churches.”

With that in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.

The Bible On The Church

Bible fact 1: The church is defined as singular.

The Bible declares there is one church.

Bible fact 2: The church has one leader.

The Bible plainly states Jesus is the leader of the church.

Bible fact 3: The church is one family.

The church is one family with relatives living all over the world.

Gal 3:26

Summery

The facts are clear, there is one church, with one leader, made up of one family.

So why do so many believe in denominationalism?

Arguments For Denominationalsim

The Vine & Branches argument.

The argument goes something like this...

“Jesus is the vine or body, also known as the “true church” and the branches are the denominational churches.”

Is this what the Bible teaches or says in ?

Actually Jesus teaches...

He is the Vine and the apostles, and those that follow their teachings, were the branches.

The branches had to “abide in Jesus & Jesus in them.”

I the branches were not “additional churches” but rather “the church” and if you could not be “the church” without abiding or obey Christ then this cannot be talking about denominationalism but rather the Head of the church Jesus and His body the church.

The “Many Members” argument.

The argument goes something like this...

“On the ranches of the west, cattle are given different brands, but they are still the same thing-cattle.

In like manner, the members of the various denominations have different designations but they are still the same thing - Christians.

Is this what the Bible teaches in ?

First, let’s examine the illogical nature of the argument before examining the context of .

Cattle branding is done to indicate which owner is in possession of the cattle.

Each owner brands the cattle with his particular brand that distinguishes his ownership from other owners.

Because denominations are branded differently this indicates they do not belong to the same owner.

Denominationalism does not teach against this as they all, for the most part, look back to a particular person that started their denomination.

Baptist: John Smyth

Methodist: John Wesley

Mormons: Joseph Smith

Pentecostal: Charles Fox Parham

Seventh Day Adventist: Ellen G. White; James White; Joseph Bates; J.N. Andrews

The point is the cattle branding argument is a non-starter because it disproves denominationalism instead of proving it.

The one church was bought with the blood of Christ and is branded with the name Christian.

1 Pt 1:

What about .

This passage, once again, is easy to determine if context is cared one iota.

The context is each individual’s miraculous gift in the church of Christ in Corinth and how it relates to that congregation.

Therefore, it isn’t talking about different churches and in fact Paul says so much in .

Summery

Denominationalism cannot stand up against scrutiny and has no proof text in the Bible.

In fact most of the founders and prominent denominational preachers decried denominationalism.

Martin Luther once said...

“I pray you to leave my name alone, and call not yourselves 'Lutherans,' but 'Christians.'

Who is Luther?

My doctrine is not mine.

I have not been crucified for anyone...let us call ourselves only 'Christians' after him from whom our doctrine comes.”

John Wesley once said...

“Would to God that all party names and unscriptural phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world were forgot; that we might all agree to sit down together as humble, loving disciples at the feet of a common Master, to hear his word, to imbibe his Spirit, and to transcribe his life into our own.”

Charles Spurgeon once said...

“I look forward with pleasure to the day when there will not be a Baptist living.

I hope they will soon be gone.

I hope the "Baptist" name will soon perish, but let Christ's name last forever.”

Conclusion

There is but one body and therefore one church which is the church of Christ.

All those that have obeyed the gospel of Christ have been branded by His name and no other.

Invitation