Most religious people fail to understand the importance of doctrinal matters.  It is generally believed that as long as a person has faith, doctrine does not matter.  This leads people to believe and teach different doctrines that are often contradictory.  It also leads to a lot of religious division that drives people away from Christ.  It is for this reason that Jesus wanted His disciples to be one (John 17:20-21).

That doctrine matters is clearly taught in the Word of God.  Souls are lost when they do not abide in the doctrine of Christ.

2 John 9 (NKJV)
⁹ Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

With this in mind, I want us to look at some important doctrinal truths this week as we wind down each night.  Let us begin with this important truth—Christ only has one church.

Matthew 16:18 (ESV)
¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

How many churches do you see in this passage?  Jesus did not say He was going to build many churches, did He?  Church is singular in this passage because that is all that Jesus planned to build.  More than one was not necessary.  This is clear when you come to understand what the church is.

The church is made up of all the saved.  The moment one obeys the gospel of Christ, they are added to the church and instantly saved.

Acts 2:47 (NKJV)
⁴⁷ Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Since all the saved are in the church, there does not need to be more than one.  It should be pointed out here that I am referring to the church in the universal sense.  This church began on the first day of Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, as recorded in Acts 2.   That there is only one of them is specifically emphasized by Paul.  He regularly referred to the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23; 2:16, 4:4,12, 16; 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 24).  Regarding the body of Christ, that is, the church, Paul tells us directly that there is only one.

Ephesians 4:4 (ESV)
⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

So, in a world filled with churches, the reality is that Christ only has one.  That is all that Jesus promised to build, and that is all that was established on the day of Pentecost.  It is our responsibility to find and become of part of the one body of Christ.

If you are looking for the Lord’s church, what are some things to look for in your search?  You can begin by looking at the name of the church.  In the Bible, since the church is the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:16), it wears His name.

Romans 16:16 (ESV)
¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

The word “church” is plural in this passage because Paul is referring to local churches of Christ, of which there are many, but they all wore the name of Christ.  I have often said, a church can have the right name and still be wrong, but a church cannot have the wrong name and be right.

Many other marks of identification help us find the New Testament church (time and place of establishment, organizational structure, doctrine, etc.), but the right name is a good starting place.  Why is this important?  Because salvation can only be found in the Lord’s church, and in a world filled with churches, He only has one.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.