Guest Author - Cathy Brownfield
It’s a matter of faith and trust. You have a belief system that is formed from your experiences, your exposure to the beliefs of the people in your environment—now, and when you were a child growing up, searching for something stable and constant to believe in when times were difficult.
An interesting series of sermons is being delivered at our church, the Beaver Street Church of Christ. I have to share the gist of them with you.
In March 2006 Nancy Grace invited a Baptist minister to discuss the Church of Christ. The gentleman defined it as a “cult” or “sect” that was created 150 years ago by Alexander Campbell. But that information was incorrect.
Mack Lyon, known for his television program, “In Search of the Lord’s Way,” was asked to refute the statements. And he did, I’m told. I also have been told that “The Church of Christ” title is for tax purposes only. The actual title is the church (lower case c) of Christ, showing ownership by the Lord. The churches of Christ are not a denomination but grew from the first century Christian church, a body of people who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head of the church, He purchased it with his blood, and therefore owns it.
When we think “church” we need to think “people.” God didn’t break things down into a couple of thousand denominations, each with a designated spot in Heaven. When we hear the word, believe it, repent (change for the good) and are baptized, God adds us to His church. (Refer to Acts 2:38.) The bottom line is not that we obeyed man’s interpretation of God and His church but that we obeyed God’s mandates…did we obey God?
The Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus. One asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment?”
Jesus answered, “The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul and all of your mind. The second is like it: love your neighbor. You can read this at Matthew 22:34-40.
As far as I know, all churches teach that God is love, God is good. The church of God is the people of God. The people of God are the body of Christ. The building where God’s people meet is simply that, a building. The church is the people who choose to follow Christ who is the Way, the door to the reunion of the Creator and the created.
God is love. God is good. His church is not a 150-year-old cult or sect. It is the church that was created at Pentecost in the first century. The churches (lower case c) of Christ study the scriptures found in the Holy Bible, the inspired Word of God.
May you and I be blessed with God’s truth and light.
