Church Membership - I love the Church of The Nazarene.
Do I believe that we are the only true church? No!
Do I believe that we have every doctrine interpreted with 100% accuracy as the Lord intended? No!
Am I a peace with and in agreement with how the Church of The Nazarene interprets the Bible? Yes.
If we are in disagreement with the Word of God would we be humble enough to admit it and receive correction by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God? I hope so!
Unity in the church is not only important, it is the desire of the Lord Himself!
Let me give you an example of church disunity …
Here is a true story about the Presbyterian church splits in the little town of Centerville, Ga., — population of around 5,000 people. It all started with one original Presbyterian church that had an internal conflict around 1911 over whether to take up the offering before or after the sermon. The splitting-off church became the “Centerville Reformed Presbyterian Church.” Just four years later another church split occurred over whether to have flowers in the sanctuary or not. The church that split off was renamed “Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church of Centerville.”
A total of seven more splits happened between 1915 and 1929 over various issues, and by 1931 the latest addition was named “Third Westminster Trinity Covenant Presbyterian Reformed Church of Centerville.” More church splits occurred between 1931 and 1975 over the conservative/liberal bifurcation within that denomination.
Since 1975 a few more church splits over various issues has brought the total number of church splits in that one town for that one denomination to 48 — apparently a record. The last one was over whether or not it was a violation of the Sabbath Day to check your email on your personal computer. The church split over that “issue” — some folks left the Second Street First Ninth Westminster Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church and renamed their new church:
“The Presbyterian Totally Reformed Covenantal Westminsterian Sabbatarian Regulative Credo-Communionist A Millennial Presuppositional Church of Centerville.”
I’m not making this up folks, the truth is often stranger than fiction. A teaching elder (Paul Davis) in the PTRCWSRCCAPCC was quoted as saying “I think we’ve finally got it right now, we have a church with 100 percent doctrinal purity. We’re up to 6 people on Sundays now — I know that numbers are not important, but we’re hoping to grow a little more.”
We laugh at this but it really should make us cry!
What is the cure for this? Well, let’s take a look in God’s Holy Word!
Ephesians 3:14 - 4:16 (to be read from the Bible with the congregation reading along - as you read along - expound on various aspects of what the text is revealing and how it impacts the church - this of course is high-level and digging deep into the text could take weeks. I did this without really referencing other passages and it took about 15 minutes. The awesome exaltation of the Lord at the end of Ch. 13 was also used as the benediction at the end of the service.
Examples of some things I brought out can be found at the end of the sermon.)
What an awesome description of the church, the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head of the church.
That is BEAUTIFUL!
At various times we have been asked by church leaders to submit a five year goal for Crossroads and to tell you the truth I usually write something down and send it in but my hearts not in it.
If they were to ask what my goals really were for Crossroads they would be:
1) To know Christ better, personally and as a church family
2) To know more and more of the Word of God, personally and as a church family
3) To walk faithfully in the path set before me according to the Word of God and the guidance of His Holy Spirit, personally and as a church family
4) To grow in love for the Lord and others, personally and as a church family
There is a saying attributed to D. L. Moody but it actually did not originate with him but with an evangelist named Henry Varley.
This is an accounting of that discussion:
During the afternoon of the day of conference Mr. Moody asked me to join him in the vestry of the Baptist Church. We were alone, and he recalled the night’s meeting at Willow Park and our conversation the following morning.
“Do you remember your words?” Moody asked.
Varney replied, “I well remember our interview, but I do not recall any special utterance.”
“Don’t you remember saying, ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to Him?’ ”
“Not the actual sentence,” he replied.
“Ah,” said Mr. Moody, “those were the words sent to my soul, through you, from the Living God. As I crossed the wide Atlantic, the boards of the deck of the vessel were engraved with them, and when I reached Chicago, the very paving stones seemed marked with ‘Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.’ Under the power of those words I have come back to England, and I felt that I must not let more time pass until I let you know how God had used your words to my inmost soul.”
That, without reserve, is my prayer for my life and for Crossroads Church of The Nazarene that we would be a church filled with disciples of Christ who are fully consecrated to Him!
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Examples of thoughts that could be brought out of the text …
Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
One body - the church, the body of believers (we know this from the context)
In this one sentence we see the Holy Trinity.
The one body has one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one Lord, one God.
We know that the one Lord, Jesus Christ came to earth to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin; so that we might have a spiritual rebirth, so that we might be born again.
But, that great salvation is continued through Jesus as the head of the church by His activity within the church.
Ephesians 4:11 NIV
“So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers …”
After Jesus ascended to the Father and the Holy Spirit was given He chose to enlist some to carry on His work in different positions within the church just as we have witnessed today; that the Lord has spoken to the heart of Linda to become a pastor/teacher in some capacity. Even she is not certain at this time what path that will exactly take but that is what walking by faith is all about!
So, why did Jesus give these gifts to the church?
Ephesians 4:12a NIV
“To equip His people for works of service …”
“To equip His people for works of service …” This is important we do not become His people by doing works of service. We become His people by placing our faith and trust in Jesus. When we genuinely place our faith and trust in Jesus for salvation we establish a relationship with Him and we grow to love Him out of our thankfulness. That thankfulness and love motivates us to serve Him by serving others. Out of those works of service flows a reaction which is …
Ephesians 4:12b-13 NIV
“… so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
“One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always.“ - A. W. Tozer
So, what is the requirement for this “unity in the faith?”
What do we as humans think is necessary for unity?
Compromise?
Someone giving in to someone else?
Some churches have experience quarrels about music; the style, what instruments are used, hymnals vs. projection, etc.
Some churches have experienced division over the exact way in which Jesus will return. Will He return pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post tribulation? Will there be a rapture like many believe or will it unfold in a way we could not see beforehand?
Some churches have fought over whether a church should have pews or chairs?
Some churches have even had knockdown, drag out fights over the color of the carpet in the church.
The unified church that is truly unified in Christ has taken its eyes off from itself and the eyes of the church are transfixed on Jesus; to know Him better, to seek His will, to serve Him with all of their hearts!
If Jesus is our focus, if Christ-likeness is our goal, if submission to the Lord and His Holy Word is our spiritual attitude we will, if we are, “be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Then what will happen?
Ephesians 4:14-16 NIV
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
“From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
