WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN? Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian.

Transcription

1 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN? Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian. I. INTRODUCTION- a. In America never has true, Bible believing, evangelical Christianity been more maligned and attacked than it is today. b. Many in our country have been brain-washed into believing that true Christianity is something that it is not. c. Over the past few weeks this question has been on my mind What does it mean to be a Christian? d. Today I want to answer that question but I want to begin by telling you what being a Christian does not mean. II. BEING A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE HATE THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHRISTIANS- a. Being a Christian does not mean that we hate or despise those who are not Christians. b. Does someone who has been cured of an incurable disease hate those who still have that disease? c. Does someone who has been rescued from danger hate and despise those who are still in the same danger? d. Does a blind person who has been healed and can see hate those who are still blind? e. The answer to all those questions of course is no. f. Christians who have been saved and delivered from the penalty and danger of sin do not hate those who are still lost in sin.

2 g. We love them we want them to experience the same forgiveness the same love the same grace and the same deliverance that we have experienced. h. When a doctor informs a patient that they have a disease that is killing them that doctor is not being unloving and unkind they are telling the truth because the truth is necessary. i. It would be unloving and unkind if a doctor knew that their patient was dying from a deadly disease and they covered up the truth or if they treated the truth as if it was not a big deal nothing to worry about. j. When Christians tell the truth about sin when we call sin, sin... when we warn of the danger of sinful behavior we are not being judgmental, unloving and unkind we are telling the truth. k. We are telling the truth as defined by God in His holy Word. l. It would be unloving and unkind if we covered up the danger of sin if we failed to warn the unsaved of the danger of sin if we treated sin as if it is nothing to worry about if we treated sin as if it was no big deal. m. But sin as defined by God in His Word is a big deal sin will kill you it will kill your body it will kill your mind it will kill your spirit and it will kill your soul for all eternity. n. And the truth is we all have been infected with the deadly disease of sin. o. Here is the Bible s diagnosis Romans 3:23 (NKJV) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. p. 1 Kings 8:46 (NKJV) There is no one who does not sin q. The truth is sin is a deadly disease and it has a 100% kill rate Romans 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin is death

3 r. We are not being not unloving when we declare that adultery is a sin when we declare that homosexuality is a sin when we declare that stealing and lying are sins. s. Christians are not being judgmental and unloving when we tell the truth about sin it would be unloving to cover up or deny the truth about sin the truth is necessary. t. It would also be unloving if a doctor knew that there was a cure an antidote for the disease that was killing their patient but they refused to share it with them. u. The good news is there is a cure an antidote for the disease of sin that has infected every human being. v. There is a cure that will save every sinner from the eternal death and eternal separation from God which is the certain and sure penalty of sin. w. And that cure is the blood of Jesus Christ which He shed upon the cross when He died as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins. x. When Christians proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ we are not being judgmental, unloving, unkind or intolerant. y. We are telling lost sinners the truth of how they can be saved like we have been saved from the disease of sin which is killing them. z. When a doctor tells a dying patient the truth about their condition when a doctor tells them about the cure that will save them then it is up to the patient to believe the truth and receive the cure. aa. If a dying patient refuses to believe the doctor s diagnosis if a dying patient refuses the cure that will heal and save them then what happens to them is their fault.

4 bb.as Christians with passion and compassion we are to love the lost enough to tell them the truth about sin and we love them enough to tell the cure for the disease of sin. cc. If those that hear us refuse to believe the truth and refuse to receive the cure then when they die and are lost forever whose fault is it? III. BEING A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CLAIM TO BE PERFECT- a. Being a Christian does not mean that we hate those who are not Christians and when I say that I am a Christian that does not mean that I am claiming to be perfect. b. While true Christians have been forever saved from the penalty of sin we will not be saved from the potential to sin and the possibility of sin until we go to Heaven. c. Because of what God does in the life of a person when He saves them the true Christian cannot continue to live in sin the way that they did before they were saved. d. But because we continue to live in a fallen physical body which will not be finally redeemed until either the Rapture or our resurrection and because we continue to live in a fallen world. e. As saved as we are Christians will not be freed from the potential of sin and the possibility of sin until we go to Heaven. f. It is true that in this world true Christians will not be perfect but the true Christian will be different. g. True Christians may fall and fail but because of God s presence and work in our life true Christians cannot and will not live a life controlled and dominated by sin like the lost world around us.

5 h. True Christians will be consistently different and distinctive in their language lifestyle conduct behavior values priorities and standards. i. God will not allow the true Christian to wander back into the sinful ways of the world if a true Christians backslides God will chasten His child until His child repents and gets right with Him. j. The Bible says that God knows how to chasten those He loves and if you have ever been to God s woodshed like I have been you know that is true. IV. BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS THAT YOU LOVE JESUS- a. Being a true Christian does not mean that we hate those who are not Christians it does not mean that in this world we are perfect. b. So what does being a Christian mean? c. The simplest definition of a Christian is this a Christian is someone who loves Jesus. d. A Christian is not someone who claims to love Jesus while at the same time living like the devil in evil, sin and disobedience. e. A Christian is someone who loves Jesus and their love for Jesus is demonstrated and proved by their behavior and conduct by the priorities of their life and how they live. f. A Christian is someone who wants to live a holy and obedient life to God because they love Jesus. g. A Christian is someone who wants to serve the Lord because they love Jesus. h. A Christian is someone who loves the church who supports the church who is active, involved and faithful to the church because they love Jesus and they want to do this because they love Jesus.

6 i. A Christian is someone who sings in the choir because they love Jesus. j. A Christian is someone who teaches a class in church because they love Jesus. k. A Christian is someone who gladly works with children or youth because they love Jesus. l. A Christian is someone who gladly gives their tithes and offerings not to impress people or to show off but because they love Jesus. m. A Christian is someone who wants to tell others about Jesus who wants to help others who wants to serve others not for praise or attention but because they love Jesus. n. Christianity at its core is not a religion of do s and don ts of rules, rituals, regulations and ceremonies. o. Christianity is about loving, honoring, serving, worshiping, obeying and living for Jesus. p. Christianity is about regularly praying and reading God s Word and pursuing the growing Christian life because we love Jesus. q. Christianity is about sacrificing, struggling, obeying and enduring hardship as we serve the Lord and live for Him because we love Jesus. r. Christianity is about doing what we do because we love Jesus. s. Christianity is about loving the One. who loved us and gave Himself for us on the cross to make our salvation possible. t. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one. u. We live in the buckle of the Bible Belt almost everyone who lives around us claims to be a Christian.

7 v. All around us are people whose mouth constantly flows with curse words whose life is characterized by sinful habits, conduct and behavior who have no desire to love the Lord to serve Him to support His church or to fellowship with His people who have no Christian content in their life they don t pray they don t read the Bible and yet they claim to be a Christian. w. They claim to be a Christian because years ago they may have gone to church they may have even joined a church and was baptized but today instead of living for the Lord as a true Christian would they are living like the devil and for the devil. x. I am not the Lord and no one s salvation is not up to me but I would not give you two cents the salvation of a person who lives like that. y. Other people claim to be Christians but the reality is while they have a relationship with the church they don t really have a relationship with Jesus. z. They have churchanity but they don t have Christianity and churchanity won t save one soul. aa. Many people especially in the south grew up in the church they have joined the church they like being in the church they like the fellowship of the church they do things in the church they support the church they give to the church they live decent lives but the reality is they don t know Jesus they have never truly given their life to Christ. bb.who do you think Jesus was talking about when He said in Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven cc. A Christian is someone who has repented of their sin who has received Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

8 dd.a Christian is someone who loves Jesus that is their motivation that is their heart and the life they live proves it. V. CONCLUSION- a. Being a Christian does not mean that we hate those who are not Christians. b. We love the lost we want them to experience the same love, grace, mercy and forgiveness that we have received. c. When I preach about sin I m not trying to hurt people I am trying to help them I am telling them the truth about what is killing them and I am telling them the truth about the only One who can save them Jesus Christ. d. Being a Christian does not mean we are perfect but because of what God s presence in our life and because of what He has done and is doing in our life true Christians will be different. e. Being a Christian means loving Jesus we love Him because He first loved us and He gave Himself for us and when we called on Him in repentance and faith He saved us. f. Will you repent and receive Jesus today?