Predenominational Christianity - Getting Back to Christ's Church

In today’s episode, we step back before denominational lines and religious traditions to explore a powerful question: What did the original church look like before human divisions began?

 Together, we’ll journey into the pages of the New Testament to discover the simplicity, unity, and beauty of predenominational Christianity, the faith revealed by Christ and preached by the apostles.

 If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to simply follow Jesus according to Scripture alone, this episode is for you.

 So grab your Bible, quiet your heart, and let’s walk with our Master.

I invite you to follow our podcast and share it with others as together we walk with our Master.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello friends. Welcome to Walking with Our Master. I'm your host, Dave Leighton. Whether you're starting your morning or winding down your evening, let's take a few moments to center our hearts on some thoughts about what really matters. In a world filled with denominations, religious traditions, and countless church identities, many sincere people ask, which church is right? But perhaps the better question is this. What church existed before all of these denominations? Well today we're taking a journey back before religious division, beyond human creeds, and before man made institutions to discover the church Jesus Himself established, the same church we read about in the New Testament. This is our look at predenominational faith. When Jesus said in Matthew 16, verse 18, I will build my church, he was not promising to establish thousands of religious groups with different doctrines. He spoke of one church. Paul later affirmed this in Ephesians 4 4. He said there is one body and one spirit. And then in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 22 and 23, Paul tells us clearly that this one body is the church. Before there were denominations, before church councils, before reformations, before modern religious structures, Christ's church already existed. It was established by the Savior, purchased by His blood, and revealed through divine truth. This matters because it reminds us that God's design comes first. Too often religious history is approached by asking which modern church we should choose. But Scripture calls us to something even greater, returning to the original. The goal is to belong to what Christ established from the beginning. Well to understand Christ's church, we go to its beginning. In Acts chapter two, after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Peter preached the first gospel message on Pentecost. He boldly declared that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. The people were convicted. Acts 2.37 says now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. And they asked the most important question anyone can ask, Brothers, what shall we do? Well, Peter's answer was not denominational. It was not man-made tradition. It was God's plan. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. Well that day about 3,000 souls obeyed. And here is the life-changing part. Acts 247 says, And the Lord added to their numbers day by day those who were being saved. Did you hear that? The Lord added them. They did not join a denomination. They did not vote on a church affiliation. They obeyed the gospel, and Christ added them to his body. The same gospel that saved the people in Acts saves us today. God's pattern is beautifully consistent. We hear the word, we believe in Christ, we repent of sin, and we confess Jesus as Lord, and we are baptized into Christ. And when that happens according to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 13, for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body. Salvation is not merely about forgiveness, it's also about placement. God saves us and places us into Christ's body, the church, his church. This means becoming a Christian is about being transformed by Christ and added by Him to the same family as Peter, Paul, John, and the earliest believers. Now let's be clear, this is not about arrogance. It is not about claiming exclusive human superiority. It is about humble restoration. It's also about asking, can we simply be what the first Christians were? Can we follow the same gospel? Can we honor the same authority? And can we belong to the same body? Well the answer is yes. Pre-denominational faith is about getting back spiritually. We get back to Christ as the only head, we get back to Scripture as the only guide, and we get back to salvation as God revealed it, and we get back to unity built upon truth. When we strip away human innovations and return to God's Word, we find something beautiful. Christianity in its purest form is still possible. Imagine standing beside the apostle Paul and asking, Well, what church do you belong to? He would not name a denomination founded centuries later. He belonged to Christ. Imagine asking Peter or John or Lydia. Their answer would be the same. We are just Christians, members of Christ's body, added by the Lord. That same promise remains for us. The church Jesus built did not disappear. Truth has no expiration date upon it, and the gospel does not change. And this is powerful. You and I can belong to that same body today. And it's not through man's inventions or through denominational divisions, simply through Christ's saving plan. So today here's the question. Are we following Christ's original pattern or have we settled for religious systems that were built later? Walking with our master calls us to return. We return to truth, simplicity, and to Christ. Because before denominations divided, Jesus was united. Before creeds complicated things, the gospel was clear. And before man made religion multiplied, the Lord added the saved to his church, and he still does. Well this week, I challenge you to read all of chapter two, read it slowly, notice the message, notice the question and response, and notice the result. And then ask yourself, am I simply following Jesus according to his word? Because true hope is not found in religious confusion. True hope is found in Christ, his salvation, and his church. Well, friends, thank you for listening today as together we walk with our Master. Please join us again next week as we continue seeking truth, growing in faith, and getting back to what really matters.