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What is a Christian? Acts 11:19-26
I. Intro
A. You ever see the "man on the street" interviews on TV?
1. There was a movie out several years ago called "Super Size Me."
2. It's a documentary about a guy who decided to eat nothing but food from McDonald's for 30 days.
3. Occasionally in the movie they have these "man on the street" type interviews.
4. They stopped people on the streets and asked them their opinion about food.
5. Some of the answers were very funny and some were very sad.
6. And none of them agreed with the other.
B. With these interviews if you ask 30 people their opinion on a subject you usually get 30 different answers.
1. Everybody's got their own opinion and they all think they are right.
2. It's really good when the questions have to do with politics.
3. Everybody's got an opinion about politics and politicians.
4. But not all of them are always right.
5. Sometimes none of them are right - at least that's my opinion!”
“II. What if you saw a "man on the street" interview asking this question "What is a Christian?"
A. What kind of answers and opinions do you think you might get?
1. I think you might get some doozies!
2. Here are a few I think you might hear.
B. A Christian is someone who believes in God.
1. I believe there is a God.
2. He or she is out there somewhere watching us.
3. There's a higher power and I believe there's a higher power.
4. A Christian is someone who believes there's a God.
C. A Christian is someone who tries to live a good life and treats other people right.
1They do the best they can.
2. Their good parts outweigh their bad parts.
3. They try and help other people occasionally.
4. They don't judge others.
5. A Christian is someone trying to live and let live.
D. A Christian is someone who has Christian parents or Christian spouses.
1. I'm a Christian by birth.
2. My parents are Christian and I'm their child.
3. I'm a Christian because my family is Christian.
4. It's kind of like a birthright I got it[...]”
“5. I'm a Christian because my family is Christian.
E. A Christian is someone who gives money to a church.
1. I like what the church does so I give them money to support them.”
“2. They have good causes and I'm a good person so I give my money to do good things.
3. I'm a Christian because I support the church financially.
F. A Christian is someone who's been baptized.
1. I've been dunked or sprinkled.
2. I've been through catechism I've been confirmed.
3. I've got certificates that attest to this.
4. I'm a Christian because I've done all the right stuff.
G. A Christian is someone who goes to church.
1. They may have somehow joined a church.
2. They have their names in a church record book somewhere.
3. I'm a Christian because I go to church.
H. Those are all opinions and answers you might get with a "man on the street" interview asking "What is a Christian?"
1. I've heard all of these answers before.
2. There are other answers you can throw in there too.
3. What I want us to do today is CONSIDER WHETHER THESE ARE GOOD ANSWERS.
4. Are these really the answer to "What is a Christian?"
III. To find an answer to the question "What is a Christian" we're going to see what the Bible says.
A. The Bible is the[...]”
“2. The Bible says it is God-inspired.
3. The Bible tells us that God speaks through its words.
4. So if there's a true definitive answer to "What is a Christian?" it ought to be in the God- inspired God-speaking Bible.
B. So let's go to the Bible and see if we can find an answer to the question: WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
1. Read ACTS 11:19-26.
Acts 11 : 19-26
19 # Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.
22 # Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch.
23 Who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
24For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul:
26 And when he had found him he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a
whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
IV. These three paragraphs tell us about Christians in the ancient town of Antioch.
A. Verse 26 says that people were first called "Christians" in Antioch.
1. So if these people were Christians maybe their story can answer our question.
2. Can we look at the experience of these people and find out what made them Christians?
3. Can what made them Christians be the same thing that can make us a Christian?
4. I believe it can.
V. What makes a Christian?
A. They heard the good news about the Lord Jesus (v.20).
1. What is the good news about Jesus Christ?
a. Well you have to start with some bad news.
b. The bad news is that all human beings are on God's bad side[...]”
“c. God has let us know what the right way is the holy way is to live.
d. We are to live like God wants us to live because He is God.
e. He knows what's best for us to live lives with meaning and purpose. f. But we have all failed to live like God wants us to.
g. We have intentionally disobeyed God.
h. This is called sin.
i. The Bible says "The wages of sin is death."
j. The bad news is we're sinners and under a death sentence.
2. God holds us accountable for our sin.
a. But He loves us so much that He has given us a way to come out from under the death sentence.
b. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to bear the punishment for our sin.
c. Jesus took our death sentence and gave Himself.
d. The Good News is that we can be forgiven of our sins in Jesus Christ.
e. We can be made right with God through Jesus Christ.
f. We can live not only now but also forever with God because of Jesus Christ.
3. They believed (v.21).
a. What did they believe?
b. They believed the Good News about the Lord Jesus Christ.
c. They[...]”
“the Good News.
e. They absorbed it they trusted in Him.
f. God's hand was with them.
g. God was working in their hearts to see the truth to accept the truth to believe in the truth.
B. When we hear the Good News we have a choice.
1. The Bible says that God draws us to Him.
2. He works in our hearts and removes the blinders the veil.
3. As He works we hear the Good news and we have a choice.
4. We can choose to believe or we can choose to walk away.
5. Do you believe?
6. Is God opening your eyes to the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ?
7. Then believe! Then trust!
C. They turned to the Lord (v.21).
1. When you turn you start heading in a different direction.
2. The Biblical word "REPENT" means to turn from the direction you are going and turn to God.
3. Repenting has to do with owning up to the truth of who we are and where we are headed.
4. Repenting is admitting to God that we're going the wrong way.
5. Repenting is turning our life in the[...]”
“6. When we hear the Good News.
7. When in our hearts we believe in Jesus Christ.”
“8. When we come to that point when we see the love of God for us we will want to change the direction of our lives.
9. We will turn from a self-centered life to a God-centered life.
D. They experienced the grace of God (v.23).
1. Grace is getting what you don't deserve.
2. We've rightfully earned the death sentence because we lived without God and against God.
3. But God offers us grace not getting what we deserve.
4. When we turn to Jesus we will experience the grace of God.
5. Not only His grace delivering us from eternal death but also His grace to live right now!
E. They became disciples (v.26).
1. Disciples are followers: followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. When we believe trust and turn to Jesus by His grace we're to follow Him.
3. We're to develop a personal relationship with Him.
VI. So we've answered the question "WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
A. The follow up question is this.
1. ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN?”
