What It Means to Be a Christian
Acts 11:19-26
Verse 26c “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
The US News reported on a poll taken in America. People across America were asked the question? “Are you a Christian?” 86% said, “Yes I am.”
If you asked the same people what it means to be a Christian? You would get a variety of different answers.
“I’m a Christian because I live in Christian America.” “I’m a Christian because I attend Church on Christmas and Easter.” “I’m a Christian because I’m basically a good person.” “I’m a Christian because I don’t rob banks or kill people.”
The disciples in Antioch of Syria were the first disciples to be called Christians. Besides Acts 11:26 the term “Christian” is only used in two others places in the New Testament, Acts 26:28 (King Agrippa said to the Apostle Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian) and I Peter 4:16, (Peter wrote: “If any man suffer as a Christian, being persecuted by the world for carrying that name, let him not be ashamed.”
Acts 11:19-26 – Disciples in Antioch preached the good news of Jesus not only to Jews but also to Gentiles and great numbers of people believes and became followers of the risen Lord Jesus. The news of the revival reached the mother church in Jerusalem and Barnabas was sent to Antioch to help follow up new believers. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he realized he needed help so he traveled to Tarsus and brought Paul to team up with him in a teaching and training ministry in Antioch. They served a year in Antioch.
Acts 13 we see the results of a dynamic church located in Antioch. Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. The church was made up of Jews and Gentiles from several cultural backgrounds. As they worshiped and fasted the Holy Spirit gave clear direction that their two teaching evangelists, Barnabas and Paul were to take the good news of the Gospel to other cities in the Roman Empire. The church laid their hands on them and sent them off as Missionaries.
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Before followers of Jesus were called Christians they were called disciples.
What does it mean to be a Christian? It means different things to different people.
Nicodemus
Ask Nicodemus, “What does it mean to be a Christian.” Nicodemus would said, “I am a devout Jew and I keep the Law.” He was a Pharisee, a part of the high society and nobility of Jerusalem.
The name Pharisee means “the separated one”, and the Pharisees were those who had separated themselves from all ordinary life in order to keep every detail of the law of Moses, as worked out over the centuries by the Scribes.
The goal in life for Nicodemus was the formal observance of religion, not a spiritual walk with God, but a holier-than-thou attitude.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. “Rabbi, please tell me. I am a ruler. I am an educated man. I am a religious man. But Rabbi, I have this void in my heart and I am a broken man. I need to have something in my life that will transform my evil to good, darkness to light, haste to love, ugliness to beauty, stinginess to generosity, sin to salvation. Rabbi, please tell me. What is it that I need? Nicodemus . . . Whether educated or uneducated, Jew or Gentile, black or white, rich or poor, powerful or week, blue blood or blue-collar, religious or sinner – You must be born again.
The example of Nicodemus makes it clear that a disciple of Jesus, a Christian, has experienced a “spiritual birth.” You may be a good moral person. You have done nothing deserving to spend time in jail. You pay your takes and do your best to keep the laws of the land. The crucial questions: “Have you been born again.” Have your said, “Yes” to Jesus who is the Christ and Messiah, the Son of God.
Wealthy Young Man
Ask a wealthy young man. (Matthew 19:16-22.) The rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus said, “Keep the commandments.” “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, honor your father and mother, do not lie, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said he had obeyed all the commandments, what else did he need to do? Jesus, said, “Surrender all your wealth to me by giving to the poor and come follow me.”
Note the question of the rich young man. “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
If “doing” something was all that was needed then surely wealth could assure him of eternal life. Jesus made it clear that there is nothing a person can do to earn the title of being a Disciple/Christian. A disciple/Christian follows Jesus regardless of the cost. The important question this morning is this: “Are you following Jesus and obeying His teachings?”
Samaritan Woman
Ask the Samaritan Woman that Jesus talked to in John’s Gospel chapter 4, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus or a Christian?” She would probably answer. “I don’t have a clue.” “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The Samaritan woman would have about as much knowledge about being a disciple of Jesus as the Osmand family on Television. I watched a news magazine interview the Osmands and saw several minutes of their real life interactions. I watched a family with no moral disciplines. The Osmand family is typical of many American familes where God is only acknowledged in swear words.” Ask the Osmands what it means to be a Christian and they would answer: “We don’t know and I don’t care. Mind your own business.”
The Samaritan woman and the Osmands represent the majority of Americans in America. God is not relevant. A couple weeks ago I was talking to an older couple in the community. She is 85 and he is 80. When I tried to talk to them about their spiritual life and faith in God they quickly changed the subject. God is not relevant to them even in the final phase of their lives they have no need for God. They have spent most of their life working and doing good things but have made no preparation for life after death.
When we talk about becoming a Disciple of Jesus. We must make a decision to first of all to take Jesus at His Word.
To be a Christian is to Know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.
A Christian is a “Christ One.” A true authentic Christian believes and puts his life on the line that Jesus alone is the way to God. People without an understanding of God’s Word or those who know the Bible but reject its teachings, want to believe that all roads lead to heaven.
All roads don’t lead to the same place. When I was in London, England for the first time I drove around for four hours and never got to the place I was trying to find. I saw signs to the Wimboldon Tennis Park but I never found it. For the entire time I was in London I was lost. After four hours I was thankful to get out of London and back on the Motorway to Northern England where I had appointments with other FM pastors. I needed a better road map. I needed a tour guide.
The Bible is your road map in life and Jesus is your tour guide.
You may say that people who believe that Jesus is the only way to God are narrow minded, bigoted, and snobbish in their views.
Remember Jesus is the one that claimed that He alone was the way to God. You either receive what Jesus said as truth or reject what Jesus said. John 14:6, Jesus declared: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
If Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, and He is, then there is no reason to doubt this truth.
Acts 3 Peter and John are going into the temple at the time of prayer. A cripple man was at the gate of the temple. He had been cripple from birth. Someone had to carry him daily to the temple so he could beg for donations. As Peter and John walked by he begged for a donation. Peter said, “Look at us.” He looked at Peter and John expecting a donation but Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk. Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple court, walking and jumping, and praising God.”
Acts 4 tells how Religious leaders in the early church tried to stop the disciples from preaching the good news of the Gospel. Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin because they were teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. The religious leaders put Peter and John in jail. Many people heard and believed and 5,000 men believed.
The religious leaders questioned them and questioned them about the healing of the cripple man. “What power did they use to heal the man?” Peter said: “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”
Then Peter stated in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
World Religious Leaders say, “Follow me and I’ll show you how to find truth.” Jesus says, “I am truth.” Pilate had asked Jesus during his unjust trial, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37
Jesus claimed to be truth.
Other religious leaders tell people – “Follow me and I’ll show you the way to salvation.” Jesus declares, “I am the way to eternal life.” The Apostle John wrote: “He who has the Son has life, and he who has not the Son of God does not have life.” I John 5:12
Religious leaders tell people, “follow me and I’ll show you how to become enlightened.” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” Jesus is the true light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Religious leaders in the world tell people – “Follow me and I’ll show you many doors that lead to God.” Jesus said, “I am the door.”
Picture a house with no windows and only one door. There is only one way into the house – to open and go through the door.
The risen Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, a church that had a congregation of people that had grown cold and indifferent. The church had lost the spiritual fervor and fire of God. Jesus said: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm-neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Jesus gave the invitation to those lukewarm people and to people everywhere: “Behold, here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” Rev. 3:20
Jesus says to everyone that will listen – “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is the way to God. With Jesus you have hope.
Two different billboards were on display in a city. One read, “Go to Church, Find strength for your Life.” The other sign read: “Where there’s life there’s Budwiser.” These are the two primary approaches to life---one is from the outward to the inward and the other is from the inward to the outward. The Christian concept is coming to Jesus and letting him change you from the inside out.
Religions Teach “DO.”
You can put all the world religions together and you have no Savior. The Ba ha religion tried to harmonize all faiths and has a confusing mass of teachings.
All world religions live by one basic Credo – “DO.” To find and please God you must “do” something.”
- Go on a pilgrimage
- Give money to the poor
- Chant right words
- Us a Tibetan prayer wheel
- Go through a series of reincarnations
- Follow certain rules
The Christian Credo is “Done.” Your Christian faith is based on what Jesus has “done” for you on the Cross. Jesus died for you and by His grace he offers you forgiveness as a gift of God. God reaches out to you through His Son Jesus with love, grace and mercy. Only Jesus is qualified to offer atonement and forgiveness of sins.
When you examine the Old Testament you see the fingerprint of the Messiah fulfilled in Jesus. Of all the people who have ever lived only Jesus matches the fingerprint the Messiah. Peter Stoner, a University mathematician, writes in his book Science Speaks, the likelihood of any one person throughout history fulfilling forty-eight of the prophecies of the coming Messiah would be one change in ten to the 157th power.
May 11th Daily Bread gave the account of the conversion of Sundar Singh. He was an angry young man. After his mother died when he was 14 years old, he became a fierce opponent of Christianity in his northern India community. But then, in a dramatic conversion, he turned in faith to Jesus Christ. For the next 25 years he exerted a far-reaching, international influence.
Once he was visited by a professor of comparative religions from Europe. When the agnostic scholar asked Singh, “What have you found in Christianity that you did not find in your traditional religion?” Singh replied, “I found Jesus.” “Yes, I know,” the professor said impatiently. “But what particular teaching or doctrine did you find?” Singh simply repeated his answer, “I found Jesus.”
Sundar Singh later wrote, “When people ask me, “What made you a Christian?” I answer: “Christ himself made me a Christian.” When He revealed Himself to me, I saw His glory and was convinced that He was the living Christ.”
Many religious leaders have risen to greatness; only Jesus has risen from the dead.
You become a Disciple and Christian when you confess your sin, repent of your sin, and follow Jesus. People resist following Jesus because they want to go their own way.
A customer was shopping for a shirt. They say a sign on a shirt – shrink resistant. The customer asked the sales clerk what it meant – a shrink resistant shirt. The sales person answered: “What it means is that it will shrink but it doesn’t want to.” Many people know they need to confess their sins and follow Jesus but they don’t want to.
To confess your sin means you agree with God you are a sinner. You give up your self-sufficiency and say from the bottom of your heart: “Jesus be merciful to me a sinner.”
You repent of your sin when you are not only sorry for your disobedience but you turn around and follow Jesus and obey His teachings. The preaching of the Gospel is still the same as preached by Peter in the Early Church – “Repent and be baptized and turn form your sinful ways.” (Acts 2:38) By being baptized you are testifying that you just as the water washes over you so has the cleanings blood of Jesus taken away your sins. Baptism is an outward sign of what God has done in your heart. Water doesn’t save you.
When dry sinners are baptized they still come out of the water a wet sinners.
Jesus lovingly knocks at the door of your heart and asks you to open the door and invite Him in. Jesus wants to give you abundant life. He wants to give you eternal life. Without Jesus the Bible teaching is clear. To not accept Jesus is to be eternally separated from Him.
Invite Jesus in your heart and life. You will discover that:
Jesus is the way – the path to a lifetime of adventure, fulfillment, challenge, and purpose, even when you sacrifice or suffer for his sake.
Jesus is the truth – and he provides you with wisdom that works for your everyday life and the turbulent times as well.
Jesus is the life. He – and he alone – can give you confidence in your future, for all eternity.
What will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ the Messiah?
