Could You Be Called a Christian? - Acts 11:19-30

“Could You Be Called a Christian?”

Acts 11:19-30

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, July 27, 2003

As we have studied the book of Acts we have observed the record of gospel of Jesus Christ beginning to travel throughout the world. It came first to the Jews in Jerusalem and then as a result of Pentecost, was scattered to Jewish areas around the world. Next, the gospel went to Samaria and then even into the Gentiles.

In Acts chapter 11:19-30 the expansion of the gospel message continues to the major city of Antioch. Antioch was a pagan city. It was a city of great political influence and a chief commercial center. The city was morally corrupt. Outside the city there was a park called the “Grove of Apollo”. It was a place where people went to indulge in all kinds of sexual perversion. We are told,

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Even though Antioch was a corrupt city it didn’t stop these displaced believers from proclaiming the truth of salvation. Some believers still felt it was a message only for Jews . . . others were coming to understand that the message of salvation was for anyone who would believe. And as they proclaimed the truth, many believed.

When the church in Jerusalem heard what was happening in Antioch, they sent the encourager, Barnabus, to help the new believers grow in the faith. There were so many people coming to the Lord that Barnabus needed help. So he went to Tarsus and found his friend Saul (better known to us as Paul) to ask him to come and help in the instruction of these new believers. It is possible that Paul had already been a believer for a decade at this time.

Near the end of the account we are told: “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Up to this time the believers had been called a number of different things. They had been called “disciples”, “saints”, “believers”, “brothers” and “witnesses”.

It is likely that this title, “Christian”, was given to the church by those outside the church. It probably was originally meant to be a derogatory term. It meant “Christ-one” or “Christ-follower”. It was an accurate description of who these people were. The believers didn’t see it as slanderous; they saw it as an honor to be so identified.

Today, the term “Christian” has lost significance because it can mean a number of different things. Today, people may say they are a Christian simply because they live in American (“We are a Christian nation”). Some consider themselves Christian because they are not Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or some other religion. People may consider themselves a Christian because they go to church. Others may consider themselves Christians because they try to live a moral life. Still others call themselves Christian because their parents took them to a Christian church when they were younger. This morning we ask a simple question, “What is a True Christian?”

A TRUE CHRISTIAN TRUSTS CHRIST AND NOT THEMSELVES FOR SALVATION.

I realize this is an issue that we stress over and over. We do so because the Bible stresses the issue as essential for understanding the nature of the salvation that is offered to us.

If you were to ask the majority of people why they believe they are going to Heaven they will point to the things they have done. They will tell you that they believe they are going to Heaven because

They have joined the churchThey have been baptizedThey try to obey the ten commandmentsThey give money to support the churchThey have walked an aisleThey were raised in a Christian familyThey have served in various capacities

The problem with these answers is that the focus is not on what God has done but on what we have done. Mind you, I’m not saying we shouldn’t do any of the things I just mentioned. They are all good and decent things. However, they cannot in any way save us. It is through Christ alone that we are saved.

The church in Paul’s day debated this issue: “Was faith really enough for a person to receive eternal life or was something more necessary?” The debate continues today. The biblical argument is that we are made right with God, not by what we have done, but by what Christ has done for us.

A true Christian is a person who has placed all their hope and confidence on Christ. They put no confidence in their ability to be good enough or to do the requirements correctly. The true believer understands that they are sinful and can do nothing to save himself. Jesus, the eternal God and man did what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus gave His life as a payment for our sin. His sacrifice paid our debt and satisfied the demands of God’s justice.

Salvation is a gift. It is all of grace. As a result the true believer lives a life of gratitude.

A TRUE CHRISTIAN FOLLOWS THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST AND NOT THE WAYS OF THE WORLD

We are told in our text that the people in Antioch showed the evidence of grace. These people not only knew the way of salvation, they gave evidence that Christ was at work in their life. A true believer is not only concerned about what they are saved “from” but also what they are saved “for”.

Suppose you said you believed in your commander, coach, or even parent. Now suppose this person asked you to do something difficult that they said would be for your ultimate benefit. Since you don’t see how it will work you might say, “I believe in them, I’m just not going to do what they tell me.” Would anyone believe you when you said you trusted that person? Of course not.

Some people misunderstand the gospel. They believe they can “say a prayer” and “get saved” and then live however they want. That’s not Christianity. When we receive Christ we declare a new allegiance. We are “a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come” 2 Cor. 5:17. In other words, we now live by Kingdom values and no longer live by the values of the world.

A true disciple gives evidence of their faith in several ways,

In Their Morals/Ethics. In Ephesians 5 we are told,

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

In other words, Christians are those who save sex for marriage, are faithful to their marriage vows and turn away from anything that might lead them to compromise their sexual purity.

When people truly come to Christ they adopt the Lord’s value system. Those who at one time used to “sleep around” turn from that behavior and live faithfully with one person. The couple that was living together, will get married or live apart. The practicing homosexual will turn away from that lifestyle. The person addicted to pornography will seek help in purifying their thought life. Sad to say, in today’s society these people will stand out from the crowd.

But it is not just in the area of morality that we see a difference. There is also a difference in our ethics. The true believer is honest in their business dealings. The believer pays their taxes and gives an honest days work for their pay. The Christian employer treats his employees better than the non-Christian employer. A believer functions by a different set of values than those of the world.

In their interpersonal relationships. Jesus told us that we are to love one another, forgive one another, and be kind to one another. Paul told us to “bear one another’s burdens”. and to “Make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.” (Romans 14:19).

The principle is simple: Christians do not use other people . . . they value them. Christians see value in everyone and don’t judge others by their appearance, their reputation or their income. A Christian is a person who is learning to see people through the eyes of Jesus.

In their approach to hard times. Jesus said, “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) The true believer trusts the hand of God. They do not see trials as evidence of God’s absence, they look past the trials to the one who loves them.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Charles Krulak tells of the time when he as a nonbeliever was first confronted with the testimony of a person committed to Christ:

I shared a room with another married officer named John Listerman. John was a wonderful human. He exuded goodness. If I asked him for his arm, he would have said, "Where do you want me to cut it off? At the wrist? The elbow?" John was a Christian. That meant nothing to me other than Gee, what a nice guy. I guess this Christian stuff must be pretty good.

Upon graduating from basic school, John and I went to Camp Pendleton, California, where we joined the same battalion preparing to go to Vietnam. I saw another side of John Listerman: he was a tremendous leader--aggressive and technically proficient. People loved him. He was committed to his troops; his troops were committed to him. He was a Marine's Marine.

On a December morning in 1965 John and I went to war. John Listerman's war lasted one day.

We were on patrol moving down a trail through the jungle. We came around a corner in that trail, and we ran into an ambush. John took the first round, a 50-caliber round right in his kneecap. As his kneecap burst, the crack was so loud it sounded like a mortar exploding. It threw him up in the air. As he was dropping, the second round hit him right below the heart and exited out his side. I was wounded also but nowhere near as badly. I saw John about 30 meters away on his back, his leg blown off.

I crawled up to him, and I wanted to say, "Are you okay? Can I do anything?" but before I could do that, his head turned to me and he said, "How are you doing, Chucker? Are you okay?"

I said, "Yes, John. I'm okay." He said, "Are my men safe?" I said, "John, your people are okay." At that point he turned his head and looked to the sky and repeated over and over, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for caring for my people. Thank you for caring for me."

I was dumbfounded.”

John Listerman showed his faith by the way he trusted the Lord even in the jungle after being badly wounded. Charles Krulak later became a Christian.

A TRUE CHRISTIAN GIVES RATHER THAN TAKES

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

This is a record of the very first missionary offering. In fact it may have been the first kind of charitable giving of any kind. The true believer is generous and is eager to reach out to those around them.

A True Christian gives to help others rather than indulging themselves. In James 5:5 James condemns those who have resources but spend those resources to indulge themselves. We live in a world that implies that a certain amount of “stuff” is what constitutes being “successful”. Unfortunately, the amount of stuff you need to have is always a little more than what you currently have. The true Christian understands that their greatest treasure is the Lord. They see their resources as tools to reach out to others rather than as ways to indulge our worldly desires.

A True Christian gives to help relieve suffering. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the parable about the sheep and the goats. What sets the sheep apart from the goats is the fact that the sheep gave a drink of water to the thirsty, clothed the naked, fed the hungry, and visited those who were imprisoned. Like these early believers they were moved by the needs of others.

A True Christian gives to help support the proclamation of the gospel. The true believer is always looking for a way to advance the Kingdom of God. It always pleases me when our church responds to an evangelistic opportunity with sacrificial giving. This shows that we understand the purpose of our resources. There is no greater investment than to invest in the redemption of men.

CONCLUSIONS

Now there are two things I want to avoid. First, I know that most of you, like me, know that you are not meeting these standards fully or consistently. I don’t want you to doubt your salvation because you struggle. We are saved by grace and transformed by grace. You may not be living by these standards consistently but you should be moving toward these goals.

Second, I don’t want you to think that God merely wants us to be “good little soldiers”. The Lord is not primarily concerned that we pursue certain behaviors . . . He wants us to pursue Him! Our goal is a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we build on this relationship it will show in the way we live.

What I want you to see this morning is that these believers were so identified with Jesus that it seemed appropriate to call them “Christ-followers”. It is a wonderful thing to be identified as one who follows Jesus. Now here’s the question: “If the world coined a term for what they see in us today, what would it be?”

· Political Conservatives (because our constant talk about politics)

· The Fighters or “Factioniers” (because of the prevalence of conflict in the church)

· The Condemners (because we are always talking about what is wrong rather than pointing people to what is right)

· Hypocrites (because what we say and what we do are two different things)

It’s an important question: What does the world see in us? Do they see our love for Christ? Do they see Christ’s compassion in our actions? Do they see us as those who are willing to follow Christ’s standards? Do they see Jesus being given priority in our schedules, our finances, and our decision-making? Do they see us seeking His will or simply pursuing our own?

There is popular question that is quite penetrating, “If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Is your Christianity just a role you play or is it a relationship with the Lord of life? Are you a believer only when you are in church or does your relationship with Christ influence everything you do? Have you really put your trust in Christ or are you still putting your confidence in your own goodness and ability? When you stand before the throne of God will he say, “Welcome Home!” or “depart from me for I have never known you?”

These are important questions. If you aren’t sure whether you are a true follower or not, please make sure today. In the quiet of this moment receive the gift of eternal life that comes through Christ alone. Surrender yourself to His Lordship and His love. Refuse to be half-hearted in your commitment. Take your stand with Jesus! Let the world see that you belong to Him. Be a true Christ-follower.

©Copyright 2003 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, July 27, 2003