The Christian
Fundamentals 2021 • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last few weeks, we have been studying through the theme “Fundamentals” with the hope of building upon the meat of God’s word by better understanding the “pure spiritual milk” of God’s word.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
In doing so, we have covered, thus far, a large number of vital topics.
Creation, Unity, One Church, God’s Laws, Biblical Love, etc.,…
Today, we are going to focus our attention of the building blocks of “The Christian.”
The word Christian is only found three times in the N.T.
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
In each case the term Christian isn’t “what God’s children called themselves” (though there is nothing wrong with it) but what others recognized about God’s children.
In other words, the world noticed these people were “Christ-Like.”
So, what does it mean to be “Christ-Like?”
That is the question we are going to answer this today, to be a Christian or someone that is “Christ-Like” means we are a disciple of Christ?
A disciple is, by definition, someone that is convinced another is worthy of being followed and obeyed and thus, a disciple of Christ is one that follows and obeys his/her teacher Jesus the Christ.
So, to be a Christian or Christ-Like person one must be a disciple of Christ and that means…
Giving Ourselves Completely
Giving Ourselves Completely
Not Partially But Completely.
Not Partially But Completely.
One of the great tragedies of those that have obeyed the gospel is that they either were never taught the gravity of discipleship or didn’t count the actual cost of it like they should have.
Jesus knew the cost was great and didn’t want people following him blindly.
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
The reality is, to be a Christian means to be one that is “willing” to give up everything and everyone for Christ.
In other words, our mom and dad, our brother sister, our children, our friends, our coworkers, everyone and anyone that would “hinder” us from living for Christ as we should.
This is exactly what Paul was getting at in 1 Corinthians 7:15 when writing about husbands and wives that had one that had obeyed the gospel and one that hadn’t.
15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
Yes, this is a great cost to possibly bear but as Jesus told Peter and the other disciples after seeing the “rich man’s sadness” after being told to sell ever thing and follow him, “this cost is worth it.”
29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Summary
Summary
The value of the Christian life is more important than this life we live.
Yet, far too many treat their Christian life as if it is something that should “come after” other aspects of their life.
They put sports, gaming, hunting, fishing, work, family, or any other thing before their supposed “Christ-Like” life.
However, this isn’t being a Christian and let us never forget there is no greater life than the Christian life.
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
What else does it mean to be a Christian i.e., a Christ-Like person.
It means being…
Bound For Eternity
Bound For Eternity
Christians Have Peace.
Christians Have Peace.
Being a Christian bound for eternity means Christ-Like people know the “peace that surpasses understanding” that comes from God (Philippians 4:7).
When we “wash away our sins” through obedience to the gospel in the culminating act of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16) we gain a peace knowing we are no longer hell bound but heaven bound.
You see when we have our sins washed away Christ draws us closer to God by purifying us.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Christ also brings the Christian peace by stopping the war of sin in our lives that placed us against God.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Those of us that have obeyed the gospel, are living the Christian life of peace, are bound for eternity and how wonderful that is for each one of us.
Being bound for eternity also means understanding the…
Value Of Eternity.
Value Of Eternity.
It’s one thing to “say eternity” and another completely to mediate and grasp the value of such.
I’m convinced that many Christians or disciples of Christ would be living much different lives if they grasp the “value of eternity.
Eternity isn’t momentary or even “just a long time” it is forever.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
Summary
Summary
…
Conclusion
Conclusion
Being a Christian is the best life one can have on this earth but that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest.
What it means is that it is the most rewarding even considering all that cost that comes with it; again remember the powerful words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-8…
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.