A Distinctive Church

A Distinctive Church

In Luke 11, as Jesus was teaching His disciples, a woman called out and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” (v. 27). This was intended to be a compliment, of course, but Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (v. 28).

As Christians, we often busy ourselves with evangelizing, preaching, teaching, clothing the poor, and feeding the hungry – but so do our friends in the denominational world. What sets us apart from them? The early church was known for its distinctiveness. Among other reasons, it was distinctive because:

  • It believed in a triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
  • It was founded by Jesus – the Son of God who died for the sins of mankind.
  • It commemorated Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection on the first day of each week.
  • It worshiped without instruments.
  • It heard and kept the Word of God.

Sadly, many congregations of the Lord’s church today are losing their distinctiveness. They are abandoning the true teachings of Jesus and His apostles in exchange for a larger membership and more acceptance from their religious neighbors. While their good deeds and “religious tolerance” may cause them to receive the praise of men, they will not receive the blessing of God, which is of much greater value.

In John 14:23-24, Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” If we love God and we want Him to bless us both now and in eternity, then we must be very diligent to keep His Word. Let’s continue to seek the old paths and walk in the good way (Jeremiah 6:16).

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