What’s in a name? “christian” or Christian
Acts 11:21-26 NIV
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.
This morning I want us to consider What’s in a name?
What is a Christian?
What is a Christian and what makes a Christian a Christian?
Christian. Christian is a term that has been cheapened and confused by common usage.
The word Christian is now an expression that covers a wide range of religious ideas, error as well as truth, paganism as well as the revelation of God’s divine truth.
The meaning of the term Christian has been so stretched that it covers everything from rationalistic modernism on one hand to frothy sentimentalism on the other.
Everything from worldliness to self-righteousness.
The term Christian can be used to describe that which is coldly ritualistic or that which is nothing more than emotionalism.
Is Christianity failing to make a distinctive impact due to a failure to understand what it realy means to be a Christian?
Some apply the term Christian to those who have high moral standards and believe in the existence of a God. Others may claim the title simply because they go to church at Christmas or Easter.
Others claim the privilege of wearing this title because they have had a conversion experience. Ideally, that is the category we should be in this morning. But, the test comes in what others think of our witness.
When people see our lives, are they able to call us Christian?
Do others see the evidences of the presence of Christ in your life?
If so, only then should we apply or claim this title for ourselves.
Let’s look at a little history. The early church did not come up with this term Christian.
They didn’t call a meeting and say, we need to market ourselves, we need to get some better branding, we need a name that can be on everyone lips, they did’nt go out on the street with a clipboard and survey the first 100 adults to find the top 3 possible names.
The disciples did’nt say “what should we call ourselves?”
and have someone answer, “How about Christians”.
It was unbelievers that came up with the term Christian.
In 116 AD, there was a Roman historian who wrote about the persecution under the leadership of Nero, of the common people called Christians.
2000 years ago it was not a good thing if someone called you a Christian.
The term Christian is only found in the Bible 3 times. The term “believer” is used 80 times. The word “saint” is found 60 times.
The word “disciple” is found 30 times. But the word Christian is only found 3 times. However the three times that this word is found can tell us a lot about a real Christian is. So we are going to look at the 3 times we find the term Christian and find out if we should apply or claim this title for ourselves.
And we will do so under 4 simple headings:
Saved
Standing
Suffering
Serving
1. You are a Christian if you have been saved by Christ
Acts 11:26 The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
This is the first time the term Christian is mentioned in the Bible.
The interesting thing is where Christians were first given the name Christians, in Antioch. Antioch was an important city in the Roman Empire, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem.
Antioch became the headquarters for Paul’s missionary journeys.
When Paul would get tired or need refreshed, he mainly went to Antioch.
It was a very religious city but in a very pagan way.
In Antioch 2000 years ago you would not find many churches but what you would find is a bunch of statues and carvings of Caesar. The god that was primarily worshiped was Caesar. As a matter of fact, Caesar built a Temple to honor all of the “little g” gods of Rome. But as you went into the Temple, no matter which temple it was, the greatest most elaborate statue was one of Caesar.
And it was in this pagan unbelieving city who had no clue about Christianity was about, that the people began to notice a certain group of people.
They would talk differently.
They lived differently.
They didn’t go the same places that others did.
They had character and compassion never seen before.
And they began to call this group of people Christians.
Maybe this was a term of derision because they were followers of the crucified Galilean. Evidently they thought and talked and acted in a manner that reminded their contemporaries of the Christ.
What would your friends or neighbors say about you? Is it possible for them to see features and characteristics in your life that resemble Jesus Christ?
A government official in India once said to some Christian leaders, “If Christians would act like Jesus Christ, India would be at his feet.”
It is time for us to stop being satisfied with low level Christian living. We need to demonstrate that genuine Christianity is something more than cushioned seats, enjoyable music, a comforting sermon on Sunday, and business as usual during the week.
The Greek word for “Christian,” is Christianos. This means “follower of Christ; Christian.” It can also be translated as “little Christ”.
Evidently these pagans at Antioch began to watch these groups of people and they saw how they walked and how they talked and how they acted so differently from everyone else so they began to call them Christians.
But that raises a question. How does a person become a Christian?
A Christian is someone who has a personal redemptive relationship with Jesus. A Christian is someone who belongs to Christ.
A Christian is someone who is saved.
A Christian is someone who is born again.
Jesus was clear when he said in John 3:3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
The only real Christian is a born again Christian. That is really the only kind there is. If someone has never been born again they are not a Christian.
It does not matter how good they are or what they have done.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”
To be a Christian a person must repent, they must change their mind about the nature of God, sin, self, and others. Inseparable from genuine repentance, sincere faith must be placed in Jesus Christ as the Lord of life.
As a person responds to the gospel with repentance and faith, the Spirit of God brings about the miracle of the new birth within the soul.
The believer becomes a child of God, a new creation. But new birth alone does not produce Christlikeness. New birth makes possible a growth and development into Christlikeness.
It is impossible for someone to be a genuine Christian if they have not had the experience of commitment and conversion.
It is impossible for someone to be a genuine Christian if they have not been saved.
For some, the term saved can be confusing. “Saved from what?”
Some people have no clue what we mean when we say saved.
They might wonder saved from what? What do I need to be saved from?
I haven’t killed anyone; I don’t steal. I pay my taxes. I am a good person. What do I need to be saved from?
The Bible tells us in one word - Sin.
We have to be saved from sin.
Romans 3:23 For ALL of sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
We all fall short.
No one is perfect.
And because of that we have to face punishment for those sins.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not just the physical death, but a Spiritual death, being separated from God.
We are born sinners.
Psalm 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
Now you may read this and look at a beautiful newborn baby and say how can anyone call them wicked.
But the Bible says they are born liars.
You don’t have to teach a baby to lie; they do a pretty good job by themselves.
Why?
Because we are ALL born sinners, and that is why we all need to be saved,
and that is what a real Christian is;
someone who has been saved.
2nd You are a Christian if you stand for Christ
Acts 26:28 is the second time we find the word Christian mentioned.
Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
The second time we find this term mentioned is by a King.
We are not sure where he found this term but let’s do a little background of this statement.
This is what we know about King Agrippa.
He was the great grandson of King Herod,
who had all of the babies killed at Jesus birth.
He had come to visit with what we would call the Mayor of the town, Festus.
He had heard about Paul and had heard that he was in prison for preaching the gospel.
Now they called it treason and said that Paul had defiled the Temple and he was the leader of the Christians.
So in this town of Caesarea while Agrippa was there, he called for Paul to be brought before him.
He wanted to see this person that he had heard of.
So King Agrippa sits in what they call the judgment seat.
And as Paul is escorted by guards he stands before the King, but instead of giving a defense He ends up giving a witness.
That is what one of the marks of a Christian is when you are given an opportunity; you will give a word for Jesus.
Not going door to door. But when you are given an opportunity you will stand up for Jesus Christ.
When you go into a restaurant, you might not think it’s a big deal to bow your head and pray before you eat. But people are watching you and when you do that you are taking a stand for Jesus Christ.
It may be at your work, you have a Bible on your desk and it’s not just there for looks. By your actions and your character you can take a stand for Jesus. In your conversations with others you can take a stand for Jesus.
We need to always look for opportunities to take a stand for Jesus Christ. That’s what Paul did. Paul as I can imagine was weary and torn.
I am sure he was rugged looking with his body scared from the beatings he had been given during his missionary journeys.
In Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” He said to Paul, you have the floor, you can say what ever you want.
Can you picture Paul standing straight up maybe with a smile on his face; he took a stand for Jesus. And from that time on the power shifted. Paul was no longer on the defense, he was on the offence.
He took a stand for Jesus. He could have told of his innocence and begged for his release. He could have said anything but instead of trying to save his own skin,
he used every moment he had to take a stand for Jesus.
King Agrippa saw something that he never saw before. He heard something he never had before, and he said to Paul. “Almost you persuade me to become a Christian”.
When we take a stand for Christ, others will see something different too and they will want to be like you.
1st You are a Christian if you have been saved by Christ
2nd You are a Christian if you stand for Christ
The 3rd point is perhaps the toughest one
You are a Christian if you are willing to suffer for Christ
1 Peter 4:16 says “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”
Now this one is the third and final time we find the term Christian used.
Not the most popular way to persuade someone to become a Christian by telling them that they will suffer as a Christian.
the truth of the matter is that if you have been saved by Christ; and you take a stand for Christ; you will suffer for Christ.
Remember when I told you what the word Christian means follower of Christ or “Little Christ”
When you begin to act like Christ, and you began to talk like Christ, you won’t have to look for trouble, trouble will come looking for you.
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-14
The more you are like Jesus Christ; the more you are going to be different from the world. And the more you’re going to suffer in this world.
Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
Sounds encouraging don’t it? But before you turn off my last point, let me give you this thought.
Yes you will suffer if you are the real thing, that is a real Christian.
You will suffer if you take a stand for Christ.
But listen to this. You will suffer more if you don’t take a stand for Christ.
Remember when Peter denied Jesus those three times after His arrest in the Garden before they crucified Christ?
Remember Peter’s response for not taking a stand for Jesus?
The Bible tells us “Peter went out and wept bitterly”.
He was miserable.
He had a chance to stand up for Jesus and look what happened.
Then we go over just a few books to the book of Acts 5, we find a different Peter.
He stood up when they told him to sit down.
He spoke up when he was told to shut up.
He was cast into jail, beaten, but listen to his words when he left.
Acts 5:41-42 So they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
What a difference, just a few weeks before that, Peter couldn’t stand up.
Then when they told him that he could not say one more word about Christ
and if you do then we are going to beat you to within an inch of your life and we are going to put you in jail.
Well he did and they did and he came out happier than he had ever been in his life because he had learned a lesson that we all need to learn.
I’m going to suffer if I take a stand for Christ, but I’m going to suffer more if I don’t.
We don’t need to bring the name Christian down to the way we live.
We need to live in such a way that we live up to the name we are called, Christian’s.
So that when people ask what is a Christian, they won’t have any doubt.
They won’t even have to ask you if you are a Christian.
They will know it be the way that you walk.
By the way that you talk;
And you can take that stand to lead others to Christ.
You are a Christian if you have been saved by Christ
You are a Christian if you stand for Christ
You are a Christian if you are willing to suffer for Christ
You are a Christian if you serve Christ
Galatians 6:10 says “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
If a person is genuinely Christian, he or she will want to serve Christ.
Someone has said that the best biography of Jesus is that which describes him as one “who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
The word “servant” means little or nothing to modern man, but to a first-century believer the word was filled with meaning.
The NT word that corresponds is diakonos which appears more than sixty times.
It’s the Greek word that we get the word “deacon” from and describes someone who is actively involved in meeting the needs of others.
Whenver Jesus used the word (Matt. 20:25-26,28; Matt. 23:11-12; Mark 9:35; and John 12:26) He taught that those most exalted in His scheme of events had an attitude of “otherness.”
Their energies and concerns were not with themselves and how others could serve them but on how they could become a blessing to someone else.
A first-century servant did not hang around the shadows hoping he would not be called upon to perform a task.
He was right in the middle of the action washing feet, filling water pots, working in the fields, working...
God’s attributes of love, compassion, kindness, patience, and mercy, when manifested in the life of a Christian, result in Christlike service for others. Servanthood is part of real Christianity!
But there is another aspect of Christlike servanthood.
There is another Greek word, doulus, that emphasises the second aspect of being a servant - being responsive to the will of another.
This word speaks to the total ownership and sovereignty of the individual by someone else.
Doulus is used 125 times in the NT, it eventually took on a different meaning in the Christian use of the word.
Paul used it in Romans 1:1 and elsewhere when he called himself “a servant of Jesus Christ.” John the Apostle used it in the same way in Revelation 1:1.
These men were responsive to Jesus Christ.
They testified to their responsiveness to His will to His commands.
An old spiritual expresses the sincere desire of every believer:
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
To be genuine Christians we must become Christlike within our hearts and minds.
Saved, Standing, Suffering, Serving.
It’s not a set of rules. It’s not a moral code.
It is not a label. It’s a relationship.
And as a result of that relationship, they began to call this group of people Christians.
Amen
