https://odb.org/2024/07/14/better-together-3
Unity is probably one of those rather elusive concepts for the universal church of Christ as there is not a single body governing Christians except for the Roman Catholic church. Thus slightly less than half of the world’s Christian population are fragmentalised into various denominations and thousands and thousands of smaller independent churches. The latter can be as small as a single church. For example, my local church, White Fields Assembly of Seremban (WFA), has two broadly independent congregations, English and Chinese, although we exist as a single legal entity. We are closely affiliated but no longer part of the larger Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) church in Kuala Lumpur. Even in Malaysia, there are probably hundreds of churches like WFA – what more in the world?
Thus, in the whole world, whether the underground home churches in China or the various churches in West, or the many churches in Indonesia or Singapore or the UK or the States, churches have developed into clusters of communities that could relate to one another better in terms of language, socio-economic status, upbringing and so they congregate together to serve one another’s social and spiritual needs. Ostensibly, as believers, we appear to be disunited, but is it really true that we are not united just because we are not under a single body because we are fundamentally under Christ as the Head of the universal church? Also, churches are, by nature, open door organisations. Everyone is welcomed. Thus, a church in Ipoh and, for that matter, in Bangkok will not bar you from worshipping with their congregation even though you are actually from another congregation in Seremban. Recently, at the invitation of a brother, I visited an FGA satellite church in PJ, and I felt at home immediately because the setup was very similar to our WFA in Seremban, including its idiosyncrasies!
The message today is that there is no doubt that unity of the body will strengthen our outreach and evangelistic efforts to let as many as possible to hear the Gospel before Christ returns. So long as we are not competing for members and preach Christ to whoever wants to listen, the disunity that we are talking about may well be illusionary. I believe nowadays, fewer and fewer churches are trumpeting their better virtues to attract migratory believers from other churches because, in the end, people need to socially fit into a congregation in order to stay and serve. Mega churches have superior numbers and resources but are likely more impersonal and will usually struggle to notice and engage with people who are dropping by week in and week out. When you are one in a crowd of a thousand, few will notice you.
Have a blessed Sunday worship service, everyone! Be blessed as we come together in one voice wherever we are, in whatever timezones we are, to praise and worship the LORD and celebrate His goodnees in our lives! All glory be unto the Lamb of God, and may the Holy Spirit fill us with supernatural power from above! May the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 