SERIES: “LESSONS FROM THE EARLY CHURCH”
TEXT: ACTS 11:19-30
TITLE: “A NEW NAME”
INTRODUCTION: A. What is in a name?
1. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks that very question:
a. “…that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”
b. The difficulty is that their families are feuding – the Montagues and the
Capulets
c. Romeo and Juliet are in love, but they can’t share their love publicly because of
the problems between their families
d. So, Juliet, in her famous balcony soliloquy, asks why they cannot forsake their
names and go on with their love for each other:
--“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father, and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”
2. Maybe you’ve heard this classic newspaper classified ad:
--LOST DOG - $50 REWARD. Black and tan dog of poodle and German
Shepherd descent. Flea-bitten. Left hind leg missing, bald in patches, blind in
one eye, left ear bitten off in dog fight. Answers to the name of “Lucky”.
3. Some of the worst names I know of belong to preachers
a. Maybe you remember the Baptist preacher/humorist who died in a plane crash
several years ago who was named Grady Nutt.
--He used to say, “I grew up in a Nutt house and now I run one.”
b. The minister at Lebanon Christian Church here in Lebanon, IN is named Harry
Pitts
c. But worst name of all time belongs to a now-deceased Christian church
preacher
1). Last name was O-D-O-R (Odor) like, “Whew!”
2). You’d probably have trouble with that last name even if you first name was
John, Bill, or George.
--People would still probably snicker
3). But this fellow’s first name made it even worse
--I-V-A-N Ivan Odor
4). We sometimes call ministers in our movement, “Brother”.
--It would make it hard to introduce yourself as “Brother Ivan Odor”,
especially if they said, “You sure do!”
B. When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we receive a “new
birth” and become “new creations”.
1. We get “new hearts”, sing a “new song, receive “new jobs”, and also get a “new
name.”
2. This “new name” is the name Christian
--It’s important to understand this name for several reasons:
a. It was given by God Himself
b. It was prophesied hundreds of years before it was ever used
c. Hear these two scripture verses:
1). Is. 56:5b – “God says, ‘I will give them an everlasting name that will not be
cut off.’”
2). Is. 62:2b – “You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD
will bestow.”
3. Our passage tonight shows us that this divinely promised and prophetically
delivered name was first used for those who followed Jesus Christ.
C. The divinely-given name is the name “Christian”
--It comes from the Greek word Christianos
1. The ending “-ian” designates “belonging to”
a. three ways in English language to show possession:
1). add “ ‘s ” – Plato’s philosophy
2). use “off” – Philosophy of Plato
3). add “-ian” – Platonian philosophy
b. Also, to show possession by Christ, we could say:
1). Christ’s people
2). People of Christ
3). Christian people
2. Our text also tells us that Christ’s people were “called Christians”
a. In the Greek, that word denotes relationship to a business or profession
b. Throughout history, many people were named by what business or profession
wherein they worked
--Cooper, Shoemaker, Smith, Baker, Tinker, Carpenter, etc.
3. Therefore, a Christian is one who belongs to Christ and is occupied in the
profession or business of Christ.
4. Tonight, I want us to look at the characteristics of these people who were called
Christians for the first time and make sure that these characteristics apply to our
lives if we claim to be a Christian.
I. COMMITMENT
--Luke has been describing what has been happening since the death of Stephen and the persecution that
followed. He tells about what happened to those who were scattered because of the persecution.
A. This dispersion of early Christians traveled as far as:
1. Phoenicia – Lebanon (N & W of Palestine)
2. Cyprus – island off the coast of Asia Minor and home of Barnabas
3. Antioch in Syria
a. Was the Roman capitol of Syria
b. Population of 500,000 people
c. considered 3rd greatest city in Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria
d. Famous for two things:
1). Chariot racing and the gambling that went with it
2). Temple of Daphne
--Located about 5minutes outside of town in the laurel groves. Priestesses were prostitutes and
their job was to nightly re-enact the Daphne-Apollo myth (Daphne supposedly a mortal
woman whom Apollo fell in love with. For her safety, she was turned into a laurel bush.)
The so-called worshipers would chase and catch the priestess prostitutes. The “morals of
Daphne” was an ancient phrase synonymous with loose morality.
B. It was the habit of the early church to carry the gospel wherever they went
1. At first, they only shared the gospel with other Jews
--vs. 19b
2. But after Peter’s learning experience in Chapt 10 with the conversion of Cornelius, the church began
preaching to Gentiles.
3. The word used in vs. 20 is euangelizo – “to evangelize; carry the good news”
4. The commitment on the part of the early Christians was to carry the message of Jesus to those who
were lost.
--They were committed to seeing the lost find Jesus!
II. CONVERSION
A. “conversion” – “to change; to turn around”
1. Closely tied to “repentance”
2. It was a term used of changing direction in your life
B. The commitment of the early church was talking about the good news of Jesus Christ to those who were
lost.
1. That commitment produced conversion in the lives of those who heard and obeyed
2. Rom. 10:14-15, 17 – “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can
they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone
preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful
are the feet of those who bring good news!" 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
3. As we shall see in our continuing study of the Book of Acts, the church at Antioch of Syria became
one of the most dynamic churches of the 1st century
--Sponsored Paul’s three missionary journeys and contributed to the conversion of many people in the
Roman Empire
III. COMFORT
A. One of the definition’s of “comfort” is “to aid or strengthen”
1. It was the practice of the Jerusalem church to check-up on evangelistic efforts outside of Jerusalem
a. Acts 8:14 – “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God,
they sent Peter and John to them.”
b. Acts 9:32 – Peter made pastoral visits through the cities along the coast, which put him in
position for God to use him in the conversion of Cornelius
2. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas – “son of encouragement” – a man who could up this body of
believers in Antioch.
a. v. 23 – “When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged
them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”
b. Word used here that is translated as “encourage” is parakaleo – “one who stand alongside”
--One of the words used to describe the role of the Holy Spirit
B. The church needs encouragers
1. People who say, “You can do it! Keep at it!”
2. We’ve got too many who grumble, complain, and find fault
--Phil 2:14 – “Do everything without complaining or arguing…”
3. When Cheryl Prewitt was four-year’s old, she hung around her father’s small country store.
Almost daily the milkman would come into the store and greet her with the words, “How’s my little
Miss America?”
At first she giggled, but eventually she became comfortable with that greeting … and even liked it
a little. Soon the milkman’s greeting became a childhood fantasy – then a teenage dream. Finally it
became a goal and then a reality as Cheryl Prewitt stood on a stage in Atlantic City and was crowned
Miss America.
4. Look at the effects of Barnabas – “the son of encouragement” in vs. 24 – “He was a good man, full
of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
IV. CHANCE
A. Barnabas had a big job to do.
1. It was a massive undertaking to disciple all these new believers in Christ
2. So Barnabas sent for help
--Saul of Tarsus
a. The last time Saul is mentioned in the book of Acts is right after his conversion.
b. He was sent out of Jerusalem back home to Tarsus because of the dissension he caused
while he aggressively argued the case for Jesus as the Christ with all the Jews
3. Barnabas knew a lot about Saul’s conversion for some reason
a. He even stood up for him when the Jerusalem church refused to believe that Saul had been
converted
b. Barnabas was Saul’s staunchest defender
B. Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul
1. Saul was obviously not in a prominent position in his home aread
2. vs. 26 – “When he found him…” meaning that he had to do some searching for Saul
--It seems that the time that had passed had mellowed and matured Saul
3. Saul had blown it once but Barnabas the encourager saw God’s call on Saul’s life and gave him a
second chance
--a chance to exercise God’s call and it was Barnabas that gave Saul the opportunity to become Paul
4. Our God is the God of second, third, fourth, fifth, and hundredth chances
--The church needs to exhibit the same kind of graciousness
V. COACHING
A. vs. 26 says that many people were taught
1. Those who were new Christians were taught what was expected of them
2. Not only was it taught verbally but was exhibited in the lives of Barnabas and Saul
B. One of the greatest problems in the modern church is that people who make a commitment to the Lord
are not mentored in the faith.
--Bob Russel says that we should not only be obstetricians bringing new Christians into the world, we
should also be pediatricians dedicated to seeing that the babies grow up healthy.
VI. CARING
A. Vss. 27-30 tells us that a famine was prophesied that would affect the whole Roman Empire.
--Luke notes that this famine did happen under the reign of Emperor Claudius
1. The church at Antioch decided to send relief to help with this famine to the church at Jerusalem
2. Vs. 29 – “The disciples, each according to his own ability, decide to provide help for the brothers
living in Judea.”
3. Real Christianity does not exist for it’s own benefit
--The body of Christ requires that all of its parts work together for help and aid across the world
B. Owen Crouch, “Nothing reveals a genuine conversion more than the change in one’s relationship to
money.”
1. One of the true marks of a Christian is their care for those who are lacking in some way
2. 1 Jn. 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him?”
CONCLUSION: A. The people at Antioch had truly become Christians
1. They were people who truly belonged to Christ
2. They were truly people who conducted their lives so that they were about the
profession and business of Christ.
B. True Christians create a desire in others to become like them because they are like Christ.
1. Joe was a drunk who was miraculously converted at a Bowery mission. Prior to his
conversion, he had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom their was no
hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new
life in Christ, everything changed.
Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had
ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission, doing whatever
needed to be done. There was never anything that he was asked to do that he
considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently
sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets after careless men left the men’s room filthy, Joe
did what was asked with a smile on his face and seeming gratitude for the chance to
help. He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered off the street and into
the mission, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care
of themselves.
One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening
evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still and sullen men with drooped heads,
there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle and knelt to pray, crying out
to God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God! Make me
like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!"
The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man "Son, I think it would
be better if you prayed, ’Make me like Jesus.’"
The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and
asked, "Is he like Joe?"
2. The first real message of Jesus comes through people who demonstrate loving
humility as they live their daily lives
--especially through the tough parts of life
3. Our goal is to let people see Jesus in us, to be a reflection of Him
--Do they see in us an accurate reflection of Jesus who is described in Phil 2:6-7 as
“being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant…”?
4. Do they see the work of Christ in our lives so that they want to see His power at
work in theirs?
