The Church Fractured: A Fresh Call to Unity

By Finis Cavender

With 1,500 churches and denominations in the United States, the church is fragmented. Jesus calls us to be one, even as He and God are one. This is a great challenge, because we now go our separate ways in a peaceful coexistence. We can unify, not on all of the details that define each church or denomination, but on the simple commands Jesus gave us. Even the Jews had four sects at the time of Jesus, but they were all Jews and at least agreed on the Torah. If we can agree on a few commandments, we will have taken one giant step toward enjoying unity, even as Jesus enjoyed being one with the Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449758059

Finis Cavender

I am a scientist by profession and have taught in major universities, Christian colleges, and public schools. I have served as a teacher and elder in the church for forty years. Having lived and worked in Texas, New York, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, I have seen the fragmentation of the church in all of these regions. In reading the Bible, the call is for unity, but I see that many churches and denominations are firmly divided and maintaining a sort of peaceful co-existence. While this bothers me, I know it must pain God, who would gather us together as a hen gathers her chicks. I live near Tyler, in East Texas, and attempt to enjoy every blessing God sends my way. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, three godly sons, and nine grandchildren to enjoy.

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Copyright © 2012 by Finis Cavender

Author Credits: My wife Jeanie for her patience and support. Kelly Cavender, Nelda Wilcox, Gary North, Tom Graham, Roy Verner, and Greg Swango for editorial comments.

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Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-5804-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5806-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5805-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012911591

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/18/2012

Contents

The Ugly Truth

About Division Within Christendom

The Spread

of Religious Division

Christianity

In The US Since 1945

The Dim Possibility of Unity

Jesus and His Mission Statement

Unity Based

on the New Testament

Making Disciples

Life in Perspective

Disciples, Discipline,

and the Christian Walk

Humility, Servanthood,

and the Narrow Path

The Apostles and Simplifying The Conversion Process

The Story of Jesus

The Conversion Process

Finding Salvation

Preparing for God’s Kingdom

Making Disciples/

Becoming A Disciple

Faith and Its Consequences

Reactions to Faith

Dying to Self

Answering the Call

How Does My Spirit Grow?

BAPTISM

The History of Baptism1

Ceremonial Baptism

Required Mikveh Baptisms

Baptism of Proselytes

New Covenant Baptism

Immersion In Water

Baptism in the New Kingdom

Baptism by the Spirit

Metamorphosis

Baptism:

Forgiveness, New Birth,

and Regeneration

Growing to Maturity

Life in the Kingdom

Stand, Walk, Run!

Learning to Study the Bible

Seeing Heaven as Home

A Commitment to Unity

Children of God

Maintaining Our Focus

Endnotes

Section I

The Ugly Truth

About Division Within Christendom

Chapter 1

The Spread

of Religious Division

When you tune your car so that it’s running smoothly, you may think it is very efficient. In reality, most car engines have a thermal efficiency of only 25 to 30 percent. This means 70 to 75 percent of the energy derived from fuel is wasted as heat not available for productive work. This wasted energy represents a scientific term called entropy. Left to itself, entropy would eventually destroy the universe.

Entropy is also described as going from an organized state to a state of disarray, as in the combustion of gasoline to produce water and carbon dioxide. The molecules of gasoline are oxidized to form the simple byproducts of carbon dioxide and water. Energy from the sun is required to generate the fuel again.

The concept of entropy can be applied to any area where efficiency is a consideration. We can talk of the efficiency of our government or a farming operation or a manufacturing plant. Modern accounting practices help CEOs and financial officers develop their bottom line, a measure of efficiency.

If we think of religion based on the Bible as having the purpose of bringing order out of the chaos of human lives, then how efficient is this endeavor? A church that follows the Bible should be the perfect organization, because it was founded by the perfect Savior, has the perfect message, and offers the perfect reward. We might say then that, on paper, the church should operate very efficiently.

Unfortunately, the church is not operating efficiently. If there is spiritual entropy, we may be in deeper trouble than we think! With 1500+ denominations within the US, the church is fractured and in disarray. The sad part is that people do not seem to care. Having operated like this for many generations, we are blinded to the fact that religious division is all around us. Unity, as called for by Jesus (John 17:22-23), is for all of Christendom, not just our congregation or among a few other congregations that we agree with.

As with any human endeavor, however, it is much easier to establish a business, government, or church than it is to keep it running as intended. This fact is because these entities involve humans who have free will, use their imagination, and prefer modest pride above humility—all of which makes the operation less efficient. Many entrepreneurs have founded thriving businesses only to see them fail within a couple of years. While it is exciting to start something new, it is often tediously boring to keep it going year after year after year.

A common problem within the church is the desire to improve the basic workings of the church. Questions such as, How can we make worship services more exciting or appealing? or even Can we minimize the requirements for salvation? can be thought of as ways to make the church more efficient. Such questions and their answers often lead to a change in the church’s bottom line from seeking the lost to a morbid interest in numbers. An increase in number of members allows for more staff, programs, and recognition within the community. It also allows for higher salaries, larger and more comfortable buildings, and greater and more spectacular productions. While some would call this progress, others might call it a devaluation of the church that Jesus established.

A story was told of an elderly teacher who specialized in English history. She was frugal as a teacher and, when she retired, she booked a trip to England. She enjoyed her trip immensely. One morning she was on a guided tour of Westminster Abbey, and the guide pompously said, The Queen sits here; the Prime Minister sits there, and so on and so forth. The teacher raised her hand, and the guide asked, What is it, Madam? She asked, Has anyone been saved here recently? The guide, a bit befuddled, asked, I beg your pardon? She repeated, Has anyone been saved here recently? The guide had no answer for her, and so he went on with the tour. Isn’t a major focus of the church the saving of souls? Nearly everyone has an idea of how the church should function, but few attempt to see the church through the eyes of God. The purpose for any church based on the New Testament should be to preach and teach the gospel of Christ in hopes that some turn their lives to follow Jesus.

Unfortunately—or fortunately depending upon your view—the church has moved into the entertainment business. Far more energy is spent making everyone feel excited and comfortable than on being convicted of pride and other sins in life.

One must be careful with entertainment, because this is what led Aaron to make the golden calf (Ex. 32:1-4). God has given us the framework for the church, and altering a doctrine in what seems to be a minor way may produce a surprising result. Anyone watching must have been surprised when Nadab and Abihu offered the strange fire to God (Lev. 10:1).

To keep an organization going, leadership must plan the work and then work the plan. When it’s done correctly, the business thrives for years, such as McDonald’s or Macy’s. Few congregations maintain their enthusiasm and numbers over time without dramatic changes creeping into their programs. Churches, or at least individual congregations, face some of the same dilemmas that businesses face. Do we stay in this neighborhood even though it is becoming a dangerous neighborhood? Who can we choose as our leader to recover from financial or spiritual disaster? Some have adapted and done very well; others have either moved, dwindled in number, or stopped serving anyone but themselves.

What would Jesus do? This question became quite popular, especially among teens in the 1990’s. While the question was a good one, few ever went to the Bible to find the answers. Instead, it became a rather arrogant question, implying that the one asking knew what Jesus would do. We must remember that, on many occasions, the disciples were astonished at what Jesus did, and they were with Him constantly for three years.

Allow me to share with you a story about lifesaving stations.

The Lifesaving Station

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occurred, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea and, with no thought for themselves, went out day and night, tirelessly searching for the lost. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little lifesaving station grew.

Some members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely, because they used it as sort of a club.

Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in this club’s decorations, and there was a miniature lifeboat in the room where the club initiations were held.

About this time, a large ship wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick. The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of a shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities because they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted that lifesaving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were finally voted down and told that, if they wanted to save the lives of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. They did.

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old one. It evolved into a club, and so yet another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.

While this is most likely a contrived story, I first read a version of it in the early 1970s, and the author is unknown. It was said to have been found on the inside back cover of a nineteenth-century hymnal in a Baltimore church. The story vividly describes what can happen over time as a congregation grows from a determined few to an affluent group. Does this really happen? Unfortunately, it does! In fact, there are many ways that a congregation can lose its focus on Jesus and his message. Poor leadership, departure from biblical truths, and severe temptation are among those influences. Loss of focus is usually the beginning of a downward spiral of separation from God by not obeying the instructions found in the Bible. Such spirals often start with plans or programs formulated with the best of intentions.

While Jesus warned about false teachers, He also gave us warnings about apostasy.

Matthew 24:10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 "Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

Luke 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

Based on these two verses, it’s a wonder the church is here at all! Are we living out the demise of the New Testament church? Hosea the prophet tells us why the Israelites failed. This may be the same reason why churches and lifesaving stations continue to fail.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your