There are thousands of denominations in the world, all of whom claim to be following the same Lord and living by the same Bible. The problem is they wear different names, teach different doctrines, and practice different works. People in the world are turned off by this and often reject God because of it. It is sad that so many people who think they are rejecting God, are just rejecting some false teaching or practice produced by a man-made church.

The truth is Jesus never built a denominational church. He only built one church, and it is the only place on earth where salvation can be found. This is not a popular truth, but it is the truth, nevertheless.

Luke wrote, “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). The same thing happens to every person who obeys the gospel of Christ—he or she is added to the church. This means that you can find all the saved in one place, that is, the church, making more than one unnecessary. This is in keeping with how many churches Jesus promised to build.

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Paul affirmed the singularity of the church in his inspired writings.

Ephesians 4:4 (NKJV)
⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

The body to which Paul refers is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). Since the church only has one head, there is logically only one body; and, since the body is the church, there is only one church. This is not an emotional argument. There is no bias in this conclusion. It is the clear teaching of the Word of God.

The challenge for everyone in the world today is to find the church that Jesus built. Fortunately, the Bible gives us direction. It tells us what to look for when searching for a church. It begins with a church wearing the name of Christ, rather than the name of a mere man (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

When you find a church wearing a scriptural name, then you should look at its organizational structure. Is it organized like the church of the New Testament with elders, deacons, and saints (Philippians 1:1), rather than a church that has just one pastor who is in charge, something that is unscriptural. If not, look for another church.

If the church you have found wears the name of Christ and is scripturally organized, you should then look at the work that it does. It should be doing the same work that the first century church did (Benevolence, edification, and evangelism), instead of simply being a church with the biggest gymnasium. Be aware that most churches have caved in to the social gospel, emphasizing fun and frolic more than the cross.

Finally, when you find a church with all these characteristics (right name, organization, and work), look at how they worship God when they come together. Jesus said we must worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24). This means that we must worship God with the right attitude and according to the pattern set forth in the New Testament. A church not doing that is not a church of which you should want to be a part, regardless of the social benefits it may offer.

There is only one church, and it is up to us to find it. When you look for it, make sure that the Bible is the only guide you use in your search. If you stick with the Bible, you will find a church that wears the right name, does the right work, is organized the right way, and worships according to truth. It will not be the most popular church in town, but it will be the church that belongs to Christ. That is the church of which you should want to be a member.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.