Several years ago Time magazine carried a story about a controversy that once raged in a Waterloo, Iowa courthouse over the question, “What is a Christian?” It all started when a local doctor who had been very wealthy died-and when his will was read it was discovered that he had left a large sum of money to be distributed to the Christians in town, specifically-and I quote, “…to persons who believe in the fundamental principles of the Christian religion, and in the Bible, and who are endeavoring to propagate the same.”
Well, when the will became public a dispute grew over exactly who in town were Christians and therefore worthy of a share of the doctor’s bequest. Suits and counter-suits were filed and eventually the court was given the responsibility of settling the issue. Each of the ministers in town who had staked a claim were called in to appear before the judge to be interviewed in order to see if they were in agreement when it came to exactly what, “Christianity’s fundamental principles” were. There were representatives of all the various denominations, Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists. In fact, even a few Unitarians showed up. So, as you can imagine, there was a great difference of OPINION in that courtroom about what it meant to be a “Christian.” I’m sure the discussion of who deserved the money was very interesting!
And you know the fact is, there is STILL quite a variety of OPINION as to what a CHRISTIAN is or is not. Many people say being a Christian has something to do with the country you live in.
Others seem to believe the political party you choose or the family you are born into determines whether or not you are a Christian. Some people even seem to refer to themselves as Christians BY DEFAULT-they’re not Buddhist or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu-so they must be Christian.
Others think only members of their particular denomination are Christians. And that can be very confusing because there are so many kinds of denominations. For example, there at last count there were 267 types of Baptists!
Well, today’s text from Acts 11 is the perfect place to go in order to clarify this issue because it tells us of the first time the term “Christian” was used-referring to the believers in Antioch. But, before we get to the text I’d like us to spend a few minutes reviewing our stance here at Redland-what we believe the Bible teaches when it comes to being a Christian. If you’ve ever attended my 101 class this should be familiar to you because in our last session we talk about what a Christian is NOT and what a Christian IS.
1. First, I always point out that being a Christian is NOT related to PHYSICAL BIRTH.
In other words, I’m a Christian but I was not born that way. My parents are Christians and they took me to church all my life. My dad was a pastor so if the church doors were open we were there sitting on the front pew. My mom and dad even taught me Christian principles. But all this did not make me a Christian. You see, a person does not become a Christian as a result of being born or raised in a Christian home-because salvation is not related to physical birth. You cannot be BORN a Christian. In fact, Jesus taught that you must be RE-BORN!
Over the years on mission trips here in the U.S. I’ve been a part of several religious censuses. The way this works is you go door-to-door to and conduct interviews to find out if people attend a church. Part of the survey is usually designed to determine if they are in fact Christians. Well you would be surprised how many times adults have angrily told me they were Christians simply because they were born in a “Christian” home-that in essence they were bound for heaven when they died, not because of any personal decision they made but simply because of the heritage of having been born into a Christian family. Well, these people are wrong because being a Christian has NOTHING to do with physical birth.
2. Secondly-becoming a Christian is NOT REFORMATION.
I mean, it’s not turning over a new leaf-you know, acting like a Christian-trying to live a better life. Now, sure-everyone should try to live a moral life. But, this should be a RESULT of the new birth that we experience when we become Christians and we’ll talk about that in a moment. Just turning over a new leaf and trying to do the right thing-simply trying to live a moral life-these efforts do not make you a Christian.
During WWII Dr. Ellis Fuller, then president of Southern Seminary, was doing a radio broadcast.
He had to submit a manuscript of his speech in advance for approval. In it he said,”My prayer is that when this war is over, every person at the negotiating table for peace will be A Christian.”
The editors read his text and wanted him to delete the indefinite article “a” and say, “My prayer is that when this war is over, every person at the negotiating table for peace will be Christian-not A CHRISTIAN.”
It was difficult for him to get them to understand that there is a difference between being “Christian” and being “A Christian”. Being “Christian” means bearing the outward fruits of the Christian life-conducting oneself like a Christian-living a Godly life. But being A CHRISTIAN means you have personally experienced a new birth that has changed your inner nature. You see, attempting to live up to the standards of Christianity-ACTING like a child of God-doesn’t make you a Christian.
When I was in college I majored in music and when you are a music major you have to choose an instrument. Some choose piano or organ or trumpet or violin or percussion or whatever. Others like me choose their own voice-Their emphasis as a music major is in vocal training. Now to graduate with a degree in music every undergrad-no matter what their instrument-must perform a senior recital-sort of a personal concert. It’s kind of the “final exam” of your undergraduate studies and it’s a big deal. You send out formal invitations and offer refreshments. You reserve the concert hall and rent a tux. Well, my voice teacher insisted that like all vocal majors, at my recital I should sing classic songs in various languages and he worked with me for weeks to get the accents just right. So when the night of my recital came I sang Italian songs like, “O Cesate, die piegarme, O laciate me morir” and German songs like “Meine liebe ist gruin vie de fliederbusch.” Now, I worked hard on all the pronunciations and accents-but ACTING like a singing Italian, didn’t make me an Italian and ACTING like a singing German didn’t make me a German. In fact, I must not have done that good at ACTING because I only got a “B” for my recital grade! But, I share all this to help you see that living and behaving like a Christian doesn’t make you one! You don’t become a Christian, simply by ACTING Christlike.
3. Then, thirdly, a person does NOT become a Christian by way of any external RELIGIOUS ACTION.
I mean, you don’t become a Christian by being baptized or by partaking in communion or even by joining a church. This reminds me of a joke I once heard. It seems that a small town had three churches: Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist. All three had a serious problem with squirrel infestations. Well, each church in its own fashion had a meeting to deal with the problem. The Presbyterians decided that it was predestined that the squirrels be in the church and that they would just have to live with them. The Methodists decided they should deal with the squirrels lovingly in the style of Charles Wesley. So they humanely trapped them and released them in a park at the edge of town. Of course within 3 days they were all back in the church. Well, the Baptists had the best solution. They voted the squirrels in as members. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter!
Please don’t misunderstand me-church membership-and REGULAR-not just Christmas and Easter-REGULAR participation in that church is VERY important.
All Christians should publicly join a local church and get involved in its ministry, using their spiritual gifts-which by the way we were given for that exact purpose. In Corinthians Paul says all Christians have spiritual gifts and each was given these gifts, “for the good of all”-to be used in a local church’s ministry. But the fact is church membership does not MAKE you a Christian.
You can join a church and follow all its rituals faithfully-you can even serve on a plethora of committees-but church membership is for people who have already become Christians.
And, the ordinances of Baptism and Communion are also VERY important. They are object lessons that Jesus commanded us to observe so that we would never forget some vital truths. For example, whenever we partake of Communion we are reminded that Christ died for us. And whenever a believer is immersed he or she is using this experience as a way to proclaim that they are committed to making Christ Lord of their lives. So of course we should follow Jesus in baptism-we should regularly observe communion-but participation in these precious symbols does not make you a child of God. These observances are TOOLS God gave us to teach. They are not ACTIONS that SAVE US or make us more pure and blameless in God’s sight. In fact, becoming a Christian is never the result of anything we DO. It is our simple act of faith in what God in Christ has DONE.
Okay-enough of the negative. What IS a Christian?
- First, becoming a Christian IS a PERSONAL experience:
It’s something YOU decide on your own. You respond to God. No one does this for you. Remember the third chapter of John records that Jesus said to Nicodemus, “YOU must be born again!” He was trying to get this Pharisee to understand that salvation is a personal experience-and it still is. Your parents can’t do this for you. Your deacon can’t do this for you. Your pastor can’t do this for you. NO ONE CAN. You have to respond to God personally! YOU have to pray and say something like, “God, I know I’m a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I believe that Your only Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. So, forgive me God. Be my Savior-and help me to serve You as Lord.” In a simple, PERSONAL prayer like that you become a Christian
- And then, becoming a Christian is an act of God’s GRACE:
Our salvation is something we are GIVEN-it is something we could never hope to deserve or earn. And that’s often the hardest thing for people to grasp. They think to receive eternal life, they would have to deserve it by living a good life-kind of like doing your chores to earn your allowance. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. No! We can never be good enough to reach up to God so in His great Grace, He reached down to us in the form of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
And when we become Christians-when we come to know God personally this is one of the first things we realize. I mean, the closer we get to God, the more aware we are of how ridiculously weak our attempts at righteousness actually are. We understand how very much we need God’s grace. In fact the Bible records that those people who were nearest to God have never boasted about their deeds-they were almost disgusted by even the thought of self-salvation. For example, Isaiah, who stood at the base of God’s throne and looked up at God Himself said, “our righteous acts are like filthy pieces of cloth.” (Isaiah 64:6) And, the Apostle Paul equated our efforts at goodness with the pile of stink you avoid in the cow pasture. (Philippians 3:8) These godly men were accurate in their choice of word pictures because our salvation could never be the result of something sinners like you and me do; we can never be good enough for our Holy God. You see, we don’t just SIN. We are SINNERS-flawed, fallen beings. Even our thoughts are tainted, so our best attempts at goodness fall far short. But that’s why they call it GRACE. Salvation has to be a gift because we could never work our way out of our sinful state. But this did not stop God. His love for us was such that He was willing to come to us. Romans 5:8 says, “God expressed His love for us in this. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
I love the way Max Lucado describes this, “Ponder the achievement of God. He doesn’t condone our sin, nor does He compromise His standard. He doesn’t ignore our rebellion, nor does He relax His demands. Rather than dismiss our sin, He assumes our sin and incredibly, sentences Himself. God’s holiness is honored. Our sin is punished-and we are redeemed. God does what we cannot do so we can be what we dare not dream: perfect before God.”
Okay-we’ve looked at what being a Christian is NOT and what a Christian IS. But there is more that we must understand if we are to completely clarify this issue. And as I said earlier, that’s where this morning’s text comes in. You see, by studying the Christians in Antioch and how they lived, we’ll see what a genuine Christian should LOOK LIKE. In essence, we’ll learn how to recognize a Christian.
Okay, take your Bibles and follow along as I read Acts 11:19-30 and you’ll see what I mean.
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.
22 – News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
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.
24 – He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 – Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 – and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
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.
Sermon:
Now Antioch was a long way from Jerusalem-around 400 miles to the north. But as we read a moment ago Christians from Jerusalem had fled there because of the persecution that arose after Stephen’s death. Some went to Samaria; others to Caesarea, Damascus, Lydda, and Joppa-and those names should be familiar to you because of the ministry Philip and Peter did in those towns Well in this history book of his, Luke tells us that wherever these believers from Jerusalem fled, they shared their faith. Most of them only witnessed to fellow Jews. But praise the Lord, eventually that mold was broken. Some of these dispersed believers who were originally from Cyprus fled to Antioch and began sharing their faith with Gentiles. And, through their efforts the first Gentile church was born.
Now Antioch was a major ancient metropolis. It was the third largest city in the empire, behind only Rome and Alexandria, with a population of about 500,000. It was the only city in the ancient world that had its streets lighted at night. Many trade routes passed through Antioch-but this not only made it a wealthy and culturally diverse city; it also made it a vile place-full of pagan worship and sexual immorality. One of the biggest contributors to Antioch’s depravity was the temple of Daphne that was located only five miles outside the city. You may remember when you studied Greek mythology about Apollo’s famous pursuit of Daphne in the laurel groves. Well this temple was supposedly built in the midst of these same laurel groves and so on its grounds Apollo’s pursuit was reenacted night and day by “worshipers” and ritual prostitutes. Antioch was also the home to chariot racing, gambling, and other forms of debauchery. So, think of it as the “red light” district of the world. But in spite of the prevalence of all this immorality, a powerful Christian church started and GREW in Antioch, and the way its members lived led to their being given this name: “Christians.” I think that if we look closely at this text, we’ll see what we should do if we want to be labeled in the same way by our peers here in Montgomery County, Maryland.
In fact there are three things that we can learn from these believers in Antioch that will help us to better understand how we can be KNOWN as a Christian.
1. And that leads to the first lesson. You see, BEING a Christian SHOWS.
As I said, Antioch was a very UNGODLY place and against this dark backdrop the believers’ brilliant Christlikeness was obvious. The other night I was looking out our window into the thick woods behind our house and I saw hundreds of little lightening bugs sparkling in the darkness. Well, that’s the way it was for the believers in Antioch. The “light” of their relationship with Jesus shown brightly in that dark sin-filled city. This reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians 2:15-16 where he challenges the members of the church at Philippi to, “…become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked an depraved generation in which you SHINE like stars in the universe…”
And this should help us to see that as Christians, we should shine. Our faith should SHOW. Our world is just as dark as Antioch-probably even darker, so if we live the Christian life, it will naturally contrast against the backdrop of our fallen culture. The light of our love for Jesus will make us STAND OUT. You see becoming a Christian is not REFORMATION-it is TRANSFORMATION. When we invite Jesus Christ into our lives we are REBORN-we are TRANSFORMED into new people. The more we allow God’s transforming power to work in our lives, the more our faith will show-the more we will STAND OUT.
I just finished reading a novel about the American and British spies during WWII who would parachute behind German lines to help the French resistance. As part of their preparation they were taught how to blend into occupied France. They were given clothes with French labels. They were taught French mannerisms. You see, standing out could get them killed. They had to blend in. Well, unfortunately that’s what many Christians do. We act like spies behind enemy lines in that we “hide our faith under a bushel” so to speak by blending into the culture. We resist God’s transforming power. But that’s not what an authentic, MATURING Christian should do.
As Paul says in Romans 12, we are not to “…conform…to the pattern of this world…” No, BEING a Christian in a fallen world means being different. The closer we walk with Jesus the more it will affect us-change us.
So, if someone who claims to be a Christian is not different-if he or she does not stand out, well, it calls into question the sincerity and depth of their faith, because as Spurgeon once put it, “an unchanged life is the sign of an uncleansed heart.” And then there’s another facet of this principle that I want you to understand.
You see, I think this text infers that “Christian” is not just a name we give ourselves-it’s more of a designation that others should give us. After all, the believers in Antioch didn’t call themselves “Christians.” No-it was the other way around. The lost people in Antioch called the believers “Christians.” The same should be true of us. Our neighbors and co-workers should see the way we live-our morals and behavior-plus the way we respond to life’s trials and tribulations-and think, “Now, wait a minute. That person is different. What is it about them? Oh yes, now I know. I see it now. That person must be A Christian.” You see, there is often a big difference between what one CLAIMS to be and what others KNOW him to be. The fact is, many times we claim virtues for ourselves, simply on the basis that we know we ought to possess them when in fact we don’t. When I was in high school, I found some of my dad’s old college text books and I put them on the bookshelves in my room thinking it would make me look intelligent even though I had never read those books. I wanted to be intelligent so in this way I claimed that adjective for myself. I tried to act intelligent. Well, if I were really intelligent, people would be able to see it for themselves in the way I expressed myself-no matter what books I had on my shelf.
And the truth of the matter is, people have a tendency to believe what OTHERS say about us, more than what we say about ourselves.
For example, let’s say you want some work done and you ask me about a man who’s listed in the yellow pages as a carpenter. If I said, “Well, he CALLS himself a carpenter” with the right inflection in my voice, you would look elsewhere. On the other hand, if he did high quality carpentry and was honest in his dealings, well, he would stand out and his reputation would be such that I would say, “He IS a great Carpenter! You won’t find any better! He’s skilled, honest, and hard-working!” You see, we are known by the way we live-and this is one thing that should be able to be said about any Christian. We are to stand out from the crowd, such that people say about us, “That person is a Christian! That person obviously knows and serves Jesus Christ.” As Abraham Shanklin puts it, “The Christian is one who professes faith. The disciple is one who practices faith. The Christian is internal in his/her conversion. The disciple is external in his/her behavior. The Christian talks about being saved. The disciple lives like they are saved.”
And this leads to the second lesson we can learn if we are to better understand what it means to BE a Christian. You see…
2. a Christian GROWS…a believer who is serious about his or her faith matures!
When the church in Jerusalem heard what was going on in Antioch-that people were coming to the Lord-they send good ole Barnabas to investigate. When he arrived he saw that the revival was genuine and he sent for Saul to help him pastor all the new Christians that were daily being added to that growing church. Then verse 26 says that “…for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and TAUGHT great numbers of people.” And, only after that year-long DISCIPLESHIP study were these believers in Antioch referred to as Christians. Well, to me this says that to be KNOWN as a follower of Jesus Christ requires spiritual GROWTH. To be identified with Christ, means we must consciously strive to mature and become like Christ. And this is not easy-it requires DISCIPLINE and TRAINING. As Kierkegaard once said, “To become an admirer of Jesus is much easier than it is to become a follower of Jesus.”
PLUS-if we don’t make a conscious decision to grow spiritually and allow Jesus to transform us such that we become more like Him we WILL blend in to our culture-we will become like the world around us. A moment ago I quoted Romans 12 where Paul said, “Don’t be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Well, implied in this admonition of Paul is the fact that if you’re not being transformed by God’s renewing power, then you’re being conformed by the forces opposed to God.
I mean, the question is not IF you’re going to be influenced and formed spiritually; the question is BY WHOM will you be influenced and transformed! You see, we live in a toxic environment-one that warps people’s thinking and pulls them away from God. It’s like a white blouse being washed with a load full of brand-new purple Vacation Bible School T-shirts. Unless something is done, that white blouse is going to be changed! And it is the same with us-we are just as impressionable as that white blouse. I mean, if we don’t choose to be influenced by God….if we don’t “set our minds on things that are above,” then our minds will be set on earthly things. We will be influenced by the world.
When I was in seminary I served on staff in a church located in a northern state-INDIANA and one summer we took our youth on a mission trip in a southern state-ALABAMA. We were in the south for a week putting on concerts, and leading Backyard Bible Clubs. It was a great trip! We ate some WONDERFUL food! But you know I quickly discovered that, my “yankee youth” were being influenced by their southern environment. A few days after we arrived they were talking just like natives-saying things like “Ah” instead of “I.” – “Mark, Ah think ah’ve got something in my ah.” They began using words like “ahmoan” – “Ahmoan have a co-cola. You want one?” One-syllable words like “YES” became two-syllabled-“Ye-yes”. And two syllable words like “Be-lieve” were reduced to one: “Blieve”- “Ahm tard, I blieve ahmoan go t’bed.” Now no real harm was done. In fact we had a lot of fun with this when we returned home but being spiritually influenced by the sinful world in which we live is no laughing matter. We must realize that we will be “conformed” to the world around us-it’s way of thinking and speaking-just as easily as my youth were, unless we choose otherwise. We live in an ungodly society and unless we choose instead to be influenced by God, we will become ungodly ourselves.
And if the world is going to SEE us as Christians, we are going to have to strive to become Christlike by using the disciplines of Bible study and prayer and worship. And then another thing this text says about BEING a Christian is this:
3. A Christian is known for the way he or she GIVES…
Verse 29 says that in response to Agabus’ prophecy of a severe famine these, brand new Christian believers in Antioch took up an offering to send to the church in Jerusalem. And down through the ages, maturing Christians have been known for this same practice of selfless, generous giving of their money-their time-their talents. This is because when we grow spiritually we become like God-Who loved so much that He GAVE-and Who is the source of every good and perfect GIFT. In the latest issue of Discipleship Journal there is a powerful story about a Christian named Jamie Winship, who lives in Bagdad and teaches English in an effort to both help struggling Iraqi businessman-and also to share the love of Christ.
While passing through a checkpoint one day an American MP saw his North Carolina drivers license and asked if he was in the ministry. Winship asked, “Why do you ask?” And the soldier said, “Why else would you live here?” In other words, the only motive this soldier could think of for a man to bring his family to Iraq would be to minister as a Christian-to GIVE to those needy, hurting people. Well, the MP went on to tell how much he missed his parents in Missouri and how he longed for the fried chicken dinners they enjoyed at the local Baptist church. Winship said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be there again soon!” The MP replied, “I hope so-but hope is all we got here.”
Later, as he was thinking of the missiles that frequently flew overhead and of the car bombs that almost constantly exploded near his English school, Winship prayed and asked God to show him how he could make a difference in that dark, death-shrouded land-and as he prayed God reminded him of the words of that MP, “Hope is all we got here.” Winship realized that God was calling him to GIVE hope to the Iraqi people-the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. So Winship decided to begin by GIVING hope to the toughest student in his English school-a former Major in the Iraqi army named Mahmud-a loyal Baathist who constantly interrupted class by criticizing the Bush administration and that of every American president as far back as Harry Truman.
In short, Mahmud was a very bitter man-a difficult man to relate to as an American-but Winship reached out to him anyway. One day after one of his typical tirades, Winship said,
“Mahmud, I want you to know how much I like having you in class, and I want to tell you that I spent several hours praying for you last night.” Well, this act of prayerful GIVING stunned Mahmed and this led to his opening up to Winship. The more Winship gave, he more Mahmed’s defenses were lowered and one day he shared his grief at the fact that he and his wife had been unable to have children. Winship promised to pray about that as well and from that day on Mahmud referred to Winship as “brother”-a high compliment in that culture.
Well, God answered Winships prayers by making it possible for him to set up an appointment for Mahmud and his wife to visit an American fertility specialist who was practicing in nearby Jordan. This caused their friendship deepened even more. And instead of spending class time criticizing American presidents, Mahmed began to use it to steer every discussion to God. One time he pointedly asked Winship to tell the class about the hope he had in Jesus Christ and he did. For 30 minutes Winship shared his Christian testimony. Afterwards a businessman in class invited Winship to come and teach his company’s 150 students. Winship agreed and asked, “What kind of English do they need?” “It’s not English they need,” he said. “They need hope. Come and give them hope.” One day Winship invited Mahmud and his wife to his home for dinner and afterwards as they enjoyed dark Iraqi tea Mahmud described his life as an officer under Saddam Hussein:
“My soldiers were starving. Each night on television our president would say how great everything was, but I knew it was a lie. When the American army came, I could not ask my men to fight. It told them to go home and hope that this all would end in Iraqi freedom.”
At Mahmed’s request Winship prayed for the future of Iraq and then Mahmed agreed to study the New Testament with his new friend. Now understand, Winship was recognized as a follower of Jesus because he GAVE. This Christian answered God’s call and did all he could to GIVE what those people need most: HOPE-the HOPE that is found in Jesus. GIVING this hope marked him as a follower of Jesus.
Invitation:
Well, what about you? Are you the kind of compassionate GIVER at work or in your neighborhood-that sets you apart such that your Christian faith shows? Have you strived to grow spiritually such that you are KNOWN as a Christian? Have you let Jesus transform you such that you stand out? Let me put it this way, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
Let us pray. Father God,
Speak to all of us present this morning-first to those who are here and are NOT Christians. Convict them of their need to respond to Your love expressed in sending Jesus Christ, Your only Son to die for our sins. And then also speak to those of us who ARE Christians. Convict us or our need to let Your power change us so that we act-love-give-in the same way that Jesus did…help us to be KNOWN as Your children. I ask all this in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
As we stand and sing, I invite you to come as God leads.