What It Means To Be A Christian
Introduction:
A. Read Acts 11:19-20.
1. In these verses we see our brethren, from the first century,
being persecuted for believing in Jesus Christ.
2. One of them, by the name of Stephen, lost his life for
preaching the gospel.
3. When brother Stephen lost his life the others fled from
Jerusalem, and went everywhere preaching the word.
B. Some of them were from Cyprus and Cyrene, but instead of returning
home, they ended up in a town by the name of Antioch.
1. Why didn't they just return home?
2. They probably had family, friends, jobs, and businesses back home;
why didn't they go home to them?
3. Because they understood that the gospel needed to be preached!
We can learn lots of things about being a christian from Acts 11:19-30.
I. We can learn about the importance of the word (19).
A. The "word" is not just words, but "the word of God."
1. I Thessalonians 2:13.
2. II Timothy 3:16.
3. II Peter 1:21.
B. The word...
1. Romans 1:16-17.
2. II Timothy 3:16b-17.
3. II Peter 1:3.
4. Romans 10:17.
5. John 12:48.
They realized how important the word was, and they wanted to teach
it to others.
II. We can learn that Jesus is Lord (20).
A. Lord = master.
1. If He our master, we are His servants.
2. Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1.
B. As servants we need to submit ourselves to Him, and do all
things that He has commanded.
1. Matthew 28:20.
2. John 14:15.
C. A lot of people call Him "Lord" but they do not do what He says.
1. Jesus says we need to be baptized:
a. Matthew 28:19.
b. Mark 16:16----to be saved!
c. Yet many of them which call Him Lord say that baptism is
not necessary for salvation.
2. Jesus says He has all authority, and we need to obey Him.
a. Matthew 28:20.
b. Colossians 3:17.
c. But, many of them who claim that He is their Lord do things
He has not authorized = instrumental music in worship.
= choirs.
= infant baptism.
They realized that Jesus was their Master, and they did what He said,
all that He said, and the way He said to do it.
III. We can learn that we need to turn, and cleave (21-23).
A. We need to turn:
1. From sin.
a. Repentance = turning (from sin, to doing God's will).
b. Ephesians 2:1 - for it seperates us from God.
2. From idolatry.
a. I Thessalonians 1:9.
b. But, one can be guilty of idolatry anytime one puts something
before God.
c. Philippians 3:19.
3. From worldliness.
a. Romans 12:2.
b. Titus 2:11-12.
c. A christian cannot think, or act like the world, nor should this
world, or the things of the world be all that important to him,
for this world is not our home.
4. To Christ.
a. Imitating Him ought to be our goal - I Cor.11:1.
b. Being with Him should be our desire - Philippians 1:23.
B. We need to cleave unto the Lord.
1. Cleave:
a. Defined = glued to, stick to, join closely to.
b. Genesis 2:24 - Adam was told to cleave to his wife.
2. Are you cleaving if you...
a. Abandon your wife?
b. Neglect your wife?
c. Never spend time with your wife?
d. Never talk to your wife?
3. Are we cleaving to the Lord if...
a. We are unfaithful in our attendance?
b. If we do not study His word?
c. If we never pray?
They turned to the Lord, and were told to cleave to Him, and so should we.
IV. We see the type of people God would have us to be (24).
A. God describes the type of man that Barnabus was, he was:
1. Good.
a. Upright, honorable, and acceptable to God.
b. He was living like God wanted Him to live.
2. Full of the H.G.
a. No doubt Barnabus had gifts of the H.G.
b. But, here the emphasis seems to be upon Barnabus'
character, and is probably refering to how Barnabus'
life had been changed by the H.G. (via the word), and
he was a new man, no longer walking after the desires
of the flesh, but after the ways of the Spirit - Gal.5:16.
3. Full of faith.
a. He had faith in the fact that: there was a God;
Jesus was His Son;
Salvation was in Christ;
there is a heaven and hell.
b. Because he had this faith it moved him to do the things God
had commanded:
1) Which is true biblical faith (believing and doing).
2) As is described in Hebrews 11.
B. We need to be the type of people God would have us to be.
1. Good - upright, honorable, and pleasing to God
a. I Pt.1:15.
b. Putting off the old man, and putting on the new man.
2. Full of H.G.
a. We need to know the word that the H.G. has given.
b. And no longer serve our fleshly desires, but live like the H.G.
tells us to live.
3. Full of faith.
a. Knowing what we believe, and why we believe it.
b. And, by faith, doing the things God would have us to do.
V. We need to continue to learn, and to teach others what we have
learned (25-26).
A. They assembled themselves with the brethren for 1 year.
1. What did they do when they assembled with the brethren?
a. Worshipped.
b. Enjoyed the fellowship of those of like precious faith.
c. Studied the scriptures which had made them wise unto
salvation (II Timothy 3:15).
d. I Timothy 4:13.
2. After we obey the gospel we need to continue to study.
a. Matthew 28:18-20.
b. I Peter 2:2.
c. II Timothy 2:15.
d. II Peter 3:18.
B. And taught much people.
1. They taught others what they had been taught.
a. II Timothy 2:2.
b. Matthew 28:18-20.
2. We need to teach others, that they might be saved - Rom.10:13-15.
a. 13 = if they obey the gospel they can be saved.
b. 14a = they have to believe on Christ to obey.
c. 14b = they cannot believe unless they have been taught.
d. 14c = if they are going to be taught someone has to teach them.
e. 15a = therefore, we need to go and teach them.
3. We need to look at it like Paul did - Romans 1:14.
a. He considered himself a debtor to all men to teach them the
gospel.
b. It is our responsibility to tell our fellow man what God has
done for them, so they can escape His wrath - I Cor.1:21b.
VI. We can learn that we need to help those who are in need (27-30).
A. When the brethren heard there was going to be a famine/draught...
1. They determined to send relief unto their brethren in Judea.
a. They had not met these people before, and may have never
met them in this life. But, they were their brethren.
b. Galatians 6:10.
2. Which also they did.
a. Everyone determined to give according to their ability (29).
b. And they did it - they didn't just talk about it...they did it!!
B. Benevolence is part of the work the Lord would have us involved in.
1. There are 3 works Christ has authorized for the church to be
involved in.
a. Evangelism.
b. Edification.
c. Benevolence.
2. Verses that authorize/command us to be involved in benevolence.
a. Galatians 6:10.
b. James 1:27.
c. Matthew 25:31-40.
Conclusion:
A. God, in His wisdom, has given us these verses to show us, and remind us
of what it means to be a christian. In these verses He says we need to...
1. Understand the importance of the word.
2. Understand Jesus is Lord, and we, as His servants need to obey Him.
3. Learn that we need to turn to the Lord, and cleave to Him.
4. The type of people God would have us to be (Barnabus' example).
5. After we become christians we need to continue to learn, and to teach
others what we have been privileged to learn.
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