Feed my Sheep

Do you love me? . . . Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

I read recently that by some accounts there are anywhere from 1,000 to over 33,000 Christian denominations! That is a very sobering number. One article said there really are just about 200 and the rest are nuances on these basic 200.

Whatever the number it is certainly more than Jesus had in mind.

We are called to follow Jesus, not a denomination.

There are certainly bedrock principles of Christianity we must agree on, but I wonder how many different theological differences Jesus would be concerned with if he were to walk with us today. Salvation is really a simple concept – do we believe we are sinners with no way to redeem ourselves? Do we accept that Jesus died for our sins as the ONLY way for that redemption to be possible? Have we accepted Him as our personal Lord and Savior?

From there, the journey now turns into discipleship. We may well disagree with a brother about what a particular theological point is, but does it separate us from a common love of Christ? Do we disagree about Jesus? If we are in agreement about Him, there is much should be able to discuss and debate without division.

I’m not saying we don’t examine another theology to see how it lines up with Christ but are we requiring more of them than Jesus? We all have a church we enjoy attending and there are some that don’t “fit” with us and to an extent that is fine. We all have our favorite restaurants, but they all nourish even if it’s food you don’t like but someone else does.

This doesn’t mean that we fall into a “anything goes” standpoint, or do we look down on sin just because other are saying it’s not wrong – there are Biblical Truths that Jesus taught and we are to have the Word as our standard to live by, but what came to me today is I imagine there are many dividing theological principles that shouldn’t be a point of separation.

Denominations were likely one of satans earliest victories – If he isn’t able to ruin our salvation, he can turn brother against brother and make us ineffective as far as expanding the Kingdom by keeping us busy debating this point or that point, while all around us people are in need of salvation not indoctrination.

Here is how Oswald Chambers put it: “Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. “