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W
HY SHOULD
there
be a C hurch?
What is its corn–
rni ss ion - its
work? How would you recog–
nize its rnission ?
A Divided Christianity
Today, many denominat ions makc
up the Christian world. Some prac–
tice baptism by immersion in
water. Others just "sprinkle" or
pour water on the head of baptis–
mal candidates. Some churches
kecp what they cal! the " Lord's
Supper" every Sunday morning.
Others observe this custom once a
month, sorne quarterly or only once
ayear.
They all vary in their forms of
church government. T hey a re
divided over the quest ions of crc–
ation and theistic evolution.
Most churches observe Sunday
as their day of worship. A few
observe the Sabbath from Friday
sunset t<? Saturday sunset.
Churches, too, are called by vari–
ous kinds of names. More impor–
tant, the various churches of this
world have
di.fferent concepts of
God.
God, to sorne, is a fi erce autocrat
who punishes sinners in an ever–
burning hell fire. Others think of
September 1983
•
y
e
Does God have his Church
somewhere on earth
today doing his Work ?
Are there identifying signs
by which you may
recognize that Work?
by
Roderick C. Meredith
God as simply the " divine spark"
that somehow started all life but
has little todo with everyday events
and could care less about our life–
styles. Yet thesc d iffering churches
all call themselves "Christ ian" –
use the name of Christ.
Is Christ the author of this chaos
of denominations?
The Church Jesus Built
J esus asked his d isciples, " Whom
do men say that 1 the Son of man
am?" Sorne said John the Bapt ist,
others Elijah or one of the prophets
(see Mattbew 16: 13- 14).
But Peter answered, "Thou ar t
the Christ, the Son of the living
God."
Thereafter J esus stated: "Thou
art Peter , and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of
hell shall not prevai l against it"
(verse 18).
J esus here said plainly that he
would
build a ch urch- which sim–
ply meant in the Greek Ianguage a
called- out group or crowd of
people. J es us ca ll e d it "my"
C hurch- not just
any
group or
crowd or church.
Throughout the New Testament,
God clearly indicates-over and
over-that
h is
people,
his
C hurch,
wou ld be
sma/1
in number during
this age and often persecuted. He
said, " Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you.... l f the world
hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you. l f ye were of
the world, the world would lovc his
own: but because ye are not of the
world, but 1 have chosen you out of
the world , therefore the world
hateth you" (J ohn 15: 16, 18-1 9) .
Wherever they are, it is obvious
that God's true people do
NOT
fit
into t his world and its politics. For
Jesus continued, " lf they have per–
secuted me, thcy will also persecute
you . .. " (verse 20) . And Jesus
called his people the
" little jlock"
(Luke 12:32) .
Again, J esus said, "Enter ye in
at the st rait gate: for wide is the
gate, and broad is the way, that
leadetb to dest ruction, and many
t here be which go in thercat:
7