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BEING A FIRST CENTURY KIND OF CHRISTIAN
ACTS 11:19-26
Introduction
The name “Christian” is a unique name – it originally was a descriptive title that told something about the one who the label was attached to.
It is something that we take for granted today – 2,000 years down the road. All kinds of people claim to be Christian.
But at first, it was a rare thing, and a great thing to be called a Christian.
Today, it’s still the greatest title any mortal man can earn: because Christian means like Christ.
Obviously, these people at Antioch were just what Jesus wanted – and he proved it when someone came along and said, “You’re one of THOSE, those Christ-followers aren’t you?” “You’re just like Jesus!” AMEN!
Most of you could give testimony that you are saved, born again, blood-bought, adopted in the family of God! AMEN!
You may call yourself a Christian, but I want to ask, are you Christian? Are you like Christ?
If you are, are you like these 1st Christians?
I want us to take at look at what the life and attitude of a Christian should be.
I. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SCATTERED! (11:19)
A Holy Spirit filled life will get you into trouble sometimes!
We see that this scattering was God-ordained! (Acts 1:8; 8:1-4)
God intends for the Gospel to get out to the whole world! (The Great Commission)
And if we are not going, or sending, then He will get us going, or sending!
The SCATTERING of churches can be a good thing!
Most of the big mega-churches are only entertainment centers today.
They can’t preach sound doctrine for fear of upsetting the multitudes!
Having headquarters and major church organizations make modern churches too top-heavy, and sluggish, and very self-centered.
Jerusalem was like that up until Acts 8! Christ, however, had died for the whole world!
Christ’s design is for local churches to be established all over this country as well as all over the world.
That’s why this Church is involved in helping plant Churches both here and abroad.
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SCATTERED!
II. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE PREACHING! (11:19-20)
A. When I say Preaching, I mean PREACHING!
These people PREACHED the Gospel!
Not eloquently, or stylishly, and definitely not politically correct!
But with the power and authority that it was the TRUTH!
B. Good preaching needs examples.
These people had great examples of preachers
1. Jesus, obviously – the greatest preacher ever.
2. John the Baptist.
3. Also, Peter on the day of Pentecost and for many months after that.
4. And Stephen just back in Acts 7
C. Preaching has Two Main Ingredients - Notice what they preached:
1. They preached THE WORD! (2 Timothy 4:2)
They got up and preached the Word of God, and ignored experience, and feelings, and visions, and told the wonderful story of Jesus FROM the BIBLE. (Exp: As Philip did with the Ethiopian Eunuch)
Every part of what they preached, every prophecy was related to Jesus. (Act 10:42,43)
2. The preached the LORD Jesus!
a) Not just places, and Bible stories.
b) But brought everything back to the cross, and showed how Christ,
as God, came in the flesh out of love for our lost condition!
How He fulfilled God’s requirements for salvation and took the punishment for every sinner!
And how He now lives as our one and only Mediator, able to save anyone that will come to Him in repentance and faith!
c). You can’t get any better preaching than that!
D. Preaching needs an Audience - Notice their audience at first.
a. They preached to the Jews only – they went into Synagogues.
b. Why? They related to their own kind first – its only natural.
c. The Jews were to be the first to hear the Good News.
d. But Christ had also commanded them to break through the barriers.
E. We Can’t Always Control Who Hears Us.
1. These preachers and soul-winners started talking to Grecians.
They were Jews who were not Jewish, but lived like Greeks.
Yet the Grecians here got saved by the hundreds!
2. People we would never imagine would ever be interested, turn around, and get saved! Like the Philippian Jailor!
F. Preaching is THE most exciting thing to do!
You never know how it will work out, but you know it WILL work out.
(Cf 1 Corinthians 1:17-18)
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SCATTERED!
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE PREACHING!
III. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SUCCESSFUL! (11:20-21)
This is God’s kind of success here!
A lot of people believing on the Lord and getting their lives in line with the word of God, and the life of Jesus
There is no greater thing than to see:
1) A household get saved and then following God’s word and the life of Jesus.
2) Or to see a grown man, humbling himself and turning his life in the direction of obedience to God’s word, and living like Jesus
3) Or to see a rebellious teenager getting right with God - following the Lord
The reason for their success was that the Lord was with them!
Back in the darkest days of Civil War, someone told Lincoln, “I hope God is on our side,” to which Lincoln responded, “I’d rather be on the Lord’s side.”
We see here that God was with these Christians, just as God was with John the Baptist!
Luke 1:66–“And the hand of the Lord was with him.”
It was evident that what was happening was of God!
It was not self-generated, or faked!
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SCATTERED!
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE PREACHING!
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SUCCESSFUL!
IV. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SCRUTINIZED! (11:22-23)
The believers in Jerusalem were skeptical of just “anybody” getting saved.
They thought people had to be brought through a load of training, and instruction, and had to become really Jewish in their living before they could become believers in Jesus.
Peter had just reported that THAT was not so in just the previous verses – about Cornelius.
But the general consensus was that people shouldn’t be able to just get saved that easy.
(It is true that people need to know some facts.)
So, the apostles, and the elder believers sent Barnabas 400 miles North to Antioch to see what was “really” going on.
Let me give you some principles:
1. When you get saved, and sold out for the Lord, 3 kinds of people will watch you:
a. The unsaved will watch you like a hawk.
b. Other believers will watch you as well, to see if you are a
“flash- in-the-pan”. That is, that you are just doing something to get attention– there are many who come out to church and think they will get an audience.
c. Your family also will watch to see if this is just another “fad”
2. So: Don’t mind people – just worry about pleasing the Lord!
Prove your commitment to the Lord – stay faithful to Him
V. THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WERE SPIRITUALLY HUNGRY! (11:23-26)
A. Barnabas Saw The Evidence Of The Grace Of God In Their Lives.
1. No tongues, or miracles.
2. Just changed lives – only by the grace of God.
3. He saw God’s supernatural enablement – WITHOUT big-name preachers, or evangelists, or ministries.
a. They had a Book.
b. They had a Saviour.
c. They had a preacher burdened that they would grow for God.
B. Barnabas Preached To Them – (These people can’t get enough preaching!)
That with purpose of heart they would cleave uno the Lord.
1. We need to have that same purpose in our hearts!
2. We need to serve God from the heart with all our heart.
We need to have a passion for God!
Don’t ever let it become a ritual, or just a ceremony!
3. We need to cleave to the Lord!
C. Barnabas Gets Saul
Saul was discouraged – had headed back home to Tarsus.
Saul was able to prove that Jesus was the Messiah.
He was able to stand up against persecution.
But he was constantly hunted, hated and feared.
He had to be let down in a basket one night out of Damascus.
Even the believers were wary of him.
Barnabas knew that Saul needed to see something great happening
So, back they both come, and started up a Bible Institute, and Bible Classes, and Discipleships, and almost every night, they met with the believers, teaching them, and training them to follow the Lord!
This event started a love affair once again in the Saul’s life with:
1. Soul-winning.
2. And ultimately with world-wide Missions.
Conclusion
There are some things we need to ponder:
The First Christians Had Certainly Earned their Title (11:26)
1. These people got the greatest title any mortal man can earn – Christian – like Jesus Christ
2. Someone else placed the name on them – they did not take the honour to themselves.
3. These believers were: Saved, Assembled, Trained, and actively winning others to Christ.
4. They were just what Jesus wanted – and he proved it when someone came along and said, “You’re one of THOSE, those Christ-followers aren’t you?” “You’re just like Jesus!” AMEN! Are YOU a “Christian”?
What kind of name are we earning? Are we Scattering like we should?– Missions and church planting
Are we focused on proclaiming the message of the Bible about Jesus?
Are we earning our name through real success – i.e. changed lives?
Are we earning our name through passing any and all scrutiny?
Are we earning our name through staying spiritually hungry? Do you love good preaching, love learning this Book, love serving the Lord, and love God’s hand on you?
Home Page Contact Us Service Times Sermons Are You Going To Heaven?
NOTICE: THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!