There are several hundred denominations in the world today, all of whom claim to be following the same Lord and living by the same Bible. The problem is they all wear different names, teach different doctrines, and practice different works. People in the world are turned off by this and tend to reject God and the Bible. It is sad that so many people who think they are rejecting God, are in reality really only rejecting some false teaching or practice produced by a man-made church. This is one of the problems with denominationalism.

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.

The church does not save, it is the saved. 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). You should look for a church (local church) that is 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. You should look for a church that does the same work that the the first century church did (Benevolence, edification, and evangelism), instead of a church with the biggest gymnasium.

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 to find it. If you stick with the Bible, you will find a church that wears the right name, does the right work, and is organized the right way. It will not be the most popular church in town, but it will be the church that belongs to Christ. That’s the truth!

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