One statistic I have heard quoted many times is that since the Reformation in the 16th century 45,000 Protestant denominations have arisen. I have lost track of the times of have heard it said and then quoted as a source.
Today I watched a YouTube video by Ready to Harvest that talked about this and where the figures came from. It is quite interesting to see the original research and the methodology used to come to that number. You may be surprised to know the number is way smaller than 45,000, more closer to 300 main denominations.
Several years ago I was asked to speak to a small group of leaders on the topic of Christian Leadership. In this talk I was asked to share my top five thoughts. Here is a summary…
The talk emphasizes that Christian leadership extends beyond mere influence, highlighting the importance of a close relationship with God, a servant heart, and character integrity. Effective leaders must care for their community and commit to making disciples, following Jesus’ teachings to foster spiritual growth and fulfill the Great Commission in their ministry.
For communion today I want to read a few verses from 1 Corinthians 11. This is where the Apostle Paul tells the believers at Corinth to have the right attitude when taking communion. As they were a mix of cultures and different religions in the past they needed to focus on the right things when taking the Lord’s Supper.
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.” 25 In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people–an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this to remember Me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again. 27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
In this passage there are three main ideas.
1. A past remembrance – In verses 23-25 Paul repeated Jesus’ words when he said this is my body and my blood. It is a call for us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice and Jesus’ death on the cross for us. It is a reminder to focus on the One who paid the price for our sin. The One who died in our place to purchase eternal life for us all.
2. A present reflection – Verse 28 calls for us to examine ourselves. The people in Corinth were using the Lord’s Supper to fill up. Some were over eating, others were getting drunk. Paul called them to focus – on Jesus and their relationship with Him. As Christians, we can use this time to tell Jesus how thankful we are and how much we love Him. We can also use it examine ourselves and confess any things we have done wrong.
3. A future hope – In verse 26 it looks forward when it says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again”. Our great hope as Christians is Jesus coming back. He has gone to prepare a place for us. He is coming back so we can be with the Him forever.
So, as we take the bread and the cup this morning. Let us remember Jesus death for us. Let us examine ourselves. And let us look to the future with hope of the Lord’s return.
Over the last few year I have been talking to more and more people who are not physically or mentally able to attend church in person.
During these conversations I find out that they love God, read their Bible and pray every day, have attended church in the past, but are just not able to at the moment.
When talking to them I usually talk about how many churches are now online after covid. Of all the negatives of the shutdowns, this is one is a positive. More churches are now online.
During covid my wife and I watched a weekly service from a church in Perth. We chatted with the live chat and made connections with people. When the lockdown finished, we went to visit to say thanks. We found the online connections were there in person.
Now I encourage the people who go online and look on YouTube. You can usually find an online church service pretty quickly. Although you might have to watch a few services until you find the right one for you.
For me personally I really like online church. I like that I can worship God, pray with others, hear the Bible preached and be a part of an online community. One church that does it really well is Life.Church, the creators of the Bible app.
Each week they do an online church service especially for those who cannot attend. They do all the usual things that happen in church like prayer, worship and have a sermon. They also have ways of connecting in small groups online.
If you are interested you can check out their link here. Or you can try the church we attended online while in covid shutdown. If you are Catholic you can check out Mass for you at home. All three are on my links page too.
I was just looking online for some information about the YouVersion Bible app and I found this great resource on their website. It is called churchonlineplatform.com.
This great free resource allows churches or ministries to go live online and stream their church services. I just watched the introduction video and it looks really easy to set up and use.
Here is some information from their website…
“Through Church Online Platform, your church can reach right into living rooms, offices, communities, and hearts of people no matter where they are in the world … and no matter where they are with God.
Church Online Platform has the unique features you need to interact with attenders, build community, and help hurting people find Jesus. And they’re all included completely free of charge.
You’ll get the Platform, every feature, ongoing support, and upgrades for the life of the tool—because eternities are at stake.”
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