The Fractured Church by Bill Sizemore

The Fractured Church by Bill Sizemore

Jesus prayed that all who believe in Him would be perfectly one, just as He and the Father are one.

About the The Book

There are literally tens of thousands of Christian denominations in the world today. A visitor to a typical city will find churches scattered all over the landscape, all with different names and doctrinal beliefs, each proclaiming to the world just how divided Christians truly are.

Who are those people attending all those other churches, the ones you pass by on your way to your church? If they are perhaps fellow believers, do you somehow need them or can you get along just fine without them? Where did all of those denominations come from anyway? Who started them and why? Are denominations scriptural, or do they somehow contradict the will of God merely by existing? Is it possible that some church divisions are justifiable, or even necessary? Will Jesus Christ return for a deeply divided church, or does He have a plan to end our divisions before He returns?

Back Cover of Book Author Bill Sizemore, a former Bible college professor, addresses these challenging issues head on in The Fractured Church, a book that is easily the boldest discussion to date of the topic of church unity.

Jesus prayed that all who believe in Him would be perfectly one, just as He and the Father are one. The apostle Paul wrote that Christians were not to be divided, but were to maintain the unity of the faith, speaking the same things and being of the same mind and judgment. Is such a thing really possible, or are our fallen natures and the power of all those denominational giants simply too much to overcome?

Somewhere in the middle of reading The Fractured Church you will find yourself deeply stirred and believing, perhaps for the first time, that genuine church unity is not only possible, but inevitable. All in all, The Fractured Church is one powerful read!

Table of Content

Chapter 1 - Out of the mouths of babes

An American family faces some tough questions on its way to church

Chapter 2 - Tossed to and fro like children

The contemporary church shows every sign of spiritual immaturity

Chapter 3 - What this book is not about

This is not a book about Christians getting along better

Chapter 4 - What the Bible says about unity and division

The key scriptural passages regarding unity and division

Chapter 5 - Paul returns to Corinth

Go with Apostle Paul on an imaginary journey to a modern day Corinth,
where Paul encounters what he would find in almost any city in the
western world today

Chapter 6 - Will God answer the prayer of Jesus?

Have we failed to recognize the power of Christ's prayer for oneness?
Does our disunity keep the world from believing our message?

Chapter 7 - Tower of Babel

God reveals the most powerful force on the planet

Chapter 8 - How the early church was structured

Things do not have to be done the way we do them today

Chapter 9 - Church history - a long record of division

Two thousand years of church history as it relates to division
Charts showing how the major denominations divided

Chapter 10 - Parting company

The root causes of disunity and dissension
The corrupting effect of denominational names
Modern day church councils

Chapter 11 - When disputes never divided

There were times when disputes were handled differently and successfully

Chapter 12 - Obstacles to church unity

Examining the major misconceptions regarding the need for unity

Chapter 13 - God's big picture - Will Christ return for a divided church?

How incomplete views of the end times hinder church unity
The stature of the fullness of Christ

Chapter 14 - Denominations and the nature of God

Why God cannot look with favor on denominations

Chapter 15 - Were denominations stepping stones?

Some denominations have accomplished good things

Chapter 16 - What about all those buildings?

The church's fixation on buildings and its ongoing real estate wars

Chapter 17 - Visible unity and disunity - 220

Is unity meaningful if it cannot be seen by us and the world?

Chapter 18 - Denominational doctrines, by what authority?

Do denominations have the authority to create doctrines or articles of faith?
Is it sufficient for churches to agree only on the essentials?

Chapter 19 - Churches that are not really churches

Drawing a line between Christain and non-Christain churches
Churches that have rejected the essentials of the Gospel
What about Mormans and Jehavah's Witnesses?

Chapter 20 - Calls to unity

Many have recognised that denominations are unscriptual.
When independant churches are denominations of one.

Chapter 21 - Doctrine versus Truth

Doctrines cannot divide Christians without holding a place too high.

Chapter 22 - Some of the worse sermons ever preached

There are sermons that should never be preached.
Is it possible to be too proud of the home team?

Chapter 23 - The Catholic challenge

The unique challenges the Catholic Church poses.
Is unity between Protestants and Catholics possible?

Chapter 24 - Revival or persecution?

Will unity come by way of repentance and revival - or the hard way?
Great Revivals of past days - are we due for another?

Chapter 25 - "Plain ole Christians"

Dropping the labels and brand names and just being Christians.
What should we be doing now?

Epilogue and website information

Purchase the Book

John 17, LLC
P.O. Box 5418
Salem, OR 97304
Customer service: 541-892-8050

Book Price: $15.99
Shipping: $3.99

Please call for special quantity orders or overseas orders. Shipping costs are more for overseas orders.

Refund Policy
If a book is returned unopened or if a customer is unsatisfied with the book and it is returned within 14 days we issue a full refund (minus shipping costs).