Woman at the Well

Woman at the Well

DENOMINATIONALISM -- Jesus gives us excellent training on how we should be dealing with variation in religion.

John 4:19-20 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

It seems that one of Satan’s favorite derailments in a conversation of spiritual things can be identified as denominationalism.

HOW DID JESUS HANDLE DENOMINATIONALISM

Basically, He ignored it.

Notice how he started building the bridge of communication:

1. Talked about the immediate and an immediate need He had: thirst.

2. He had information about her that was not obviously known: the GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE.

3. He ignored the immediate, obvious problem of sin because he could see beyond that sin.

4. He ignored the argument about which denomination is correct and rather looked to the future.

John 4:21-24 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Let’s take this language to today. "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither as a Lutheran, a Catholic, a Baptist, or an Assemblies of God. You various denominations all have a little bit of the whole, but salvation comes from a Jew named Jesus. And eventually you will all worship God in spirit and in truth"

Because when Messiah comes, he will teach us all things.

I AM HE

Jesus simply identified himself.

Job 19:25-27 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

IS DENOMINATIONALISM WRONG?

What did Paul teach?

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ....

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

Not only are there eyes and mouths and even ears, but there are armpits in the body. Is there a denomination that functions as an armpit in the body of Christ?

We are not supposed to treat "unpresentable" parts of the body in a contemptible way. I grew up in a denomination that insisted that unless they had a church in a community, there was no "Full Gospel" witness. Other denominations were not even saved. However scripture suggests that people to stay away from are those who claim to be within the fellowship but are sexually immoral. It is interesting that that denomination seems to have that problem in leadership. We should not treat the "armpit" denomination with contempt, but Paul says the immoral preacher...

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ...With such a man do not even eat .

This is not in reference to a needed part of the body of Christ that happens to be a little "unpresentable."

What do we spiritually have in common with our "armpit" neighbor? Can we talk about that -- in the future?. Do we know the future?