One Bible -- So Many Churches!
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: Why are there so many different denominations?
There are so many different churches believing so many different things and some of them are quite eccentric. It started early on in Paul's day with the churches going different directions. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Paul criticizes the divisions in the early church and suggests that we should be united in our faith. Again, in Ephesians 4:1-6, he encourages unity saying that there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one God. And again, in Galatians 1:6-9, Paul claims there is only one gospel to proclaim, but some are preaching "another gospel." I believe the great variety of churches and beliefs represent a scandal for Christianity. We find ourselves unable to cooperate or present a united witness to the world. We are so estranged over our beliefs that we cannot have a fellowship together. Clergy have to have different social groups, unable even to eat together. The July 20, 2002, news carried a story concerning a denomination that suspended one of its clergy for participating in an interfaith service for families of those killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center. We should be actively engaged in learning about one another and what we can do to grow closer in our faith. Yet, little or nothing is being done. We must start with the reasons we are so divided. Among others they would include:
a. Biblical interpretation. The problem begins here. Most of our differences stem from how we perceive the Bible. Some understand the Bible to be infallible, perfect, dictated by God and needing to be protected from any change or challenges. This generally means that scripture should be taken literally. Others believe scripture was written by fallible human beings, contains some contradictions and errors, and should be interpreted in different ways: myth, history, figuratively, literally, and some of it as uncertain.
b. Self perception. Those who see scripture as perfect will usually view themselves as having the only true understanding or interpretation. They tend to see their church as the only true church, while all others are seriously mistaken in their faith. On the other hand, those who find the Bible fallible will also believe they have a theology containing both some truth and some mistaken notions. This necessitates a constant effort to gain greater understanding. They are more likely to be tolerant towards others with different doctrines, recognizing them as sisters and brothers in Christ. They will say no one has the corner on the truth.
c. Major ministry. The first group described -- those who see the Bible as perfect and think they are the exclusive keepers of the truth -- generally see their task as saving the world which translates into winning souls over to "their way." Nothing is as important as winning people for Christ. The second group -- those who know they do not have all the truth -- have a propensity to see their ministry in terms of serving people and trying to create a better world for all of us to live in. Neither group would be pleased with these descriptions of themselves however much such descriptions may be general in nature.
We are not so easily divided into categories as the above suggests and we all have our inconsistencies, however we usually gravitate towards two general stances regarding our faith and Bible interpretation. As impossible as it seems, dialogue among Christians of different views is necessary. As long as it doesn't happen, the splintered nature of our church will continue to suffer irreparable damage in its witness and ministry.
There are so many different churches believing so many different things and some of them are quite eccentric. It started early on in Paul's day with the churches going different directions. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Paul criticizes the divisions in the early church and suggests that we should be united in our faith. Again, in Ephesians 4:1-6, he encourages unity saying that there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one God. And again, in Galatians 1:6-9, Paul claims there is only one gospel to proclaim, but some are preaching "another gospel." I believe the great variety of churches and beliefs represent a scandal for Christianity. We find ourselves unable to cooperate or present a united witness to the world. We are so estranged over our beliefs that we cannot have a fellowship together. Clergy have to have different social groups, unable even to eat together. The July 20, 2002, news carried a story concerning a denomination that suspended one of its clergy for participating in an interfaith service for families of those killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center. We should be actively engaged in learning about one another and what we can do to grow closer in our faith. Yet, little or nothing is being done. We must start with the reasons we are so divided. Among others they would include:
a. Biblical interpretation. The problem begins here. Most of our differences stem from how we perceive the Bible. Some understand the Bible to be infallible, perfect, dictated by God and needing to be protected from any change or challenges. This generally means that scripture should be taken literally. Others believe scripture was written by fallible human beings, contains some contradictions and errors, and should be interpreted in different ways: myth, history, figuratively, literally, and some of it as uncertain.
b. Self perception. Those who see scripture as perfect will usually view themselves as having the only true understanding or interpretation. They tend to see their church as the only true church, while all others are seriously mistaken in their faith. On the other hand, those who find the Bible fallible will also believe they have a theology containing both some truth and some mistaken notions. This necessitates a constant effort to gain greater understanding. They are more likely to be tolerant towards others with different doctrines, recognizing them as sisters and brothers in Christ. They will say no one has the corner on the truth.
c. Major ministry. The first group described -- those who see the Bible as perfect and think they are the exclusive keepers of the truth -- generally see their task as saving the world which translates into winning souls over to "their way." Nothing is as important as winning people for Christ. The second group -- those who know they do not have all the truth -- have a propensity to see their ministry in terms of serving people and trying to create a better world for all of us to live in. Neither group would be pleased with these descriptions of themselves however much such descriptions may be general in nature.
We are not so easily divided into categories as the above suggests and we all have our inconsistencies, however we usually gravitate towards two general stances regarding our faith and Bible interpretation. As impossible as it seems, dialogue among Christians of different views is necessary. As long as it doesn't happen, the splintered nature of our church will continue to suffer irreparable damage in its witness and ministry.
