I'm going to read most of this,
if not all of this chapter. Title of the message, What is
a Christian? What is a Christian? I'll try not to be long on this,
because there's a lot of things that the scripture gives us of
what a Christian is. Last night, my grandson Cole came over to
the house, and he came back to the bedroom, and he said, what
are you doing? I said, I'm going over my notes.
He said, why don't you just write one line? I said, well, you want me to
hurry up? He said, yes. The only thing I know that's
more brutally honest than a child is the Word of God. He said,
yes, I want you to be brief. So I'll try to be brief with
this. What is a Christian? You know, the name Christian
is one of the most abused names on earth except for the name
of Christ. People call this nation a Christian
nation. It's not. It is a religious nation. They call radio programs, television
programs, Christian broadcasts. It's religious broadcasting.
Very, very little Gospels ever really preached. Very, very little. We know that. And just because a person carries
a Bible does not mean they're a Christian. The Word of God is very clear.
and very descriptive. That's the reason I read to you
Matthew chapter 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
That whole portion of Scripture down there is a description of
a Christian. And the word Christian is a good
name. It is a Bible name. It's a Bible
name. 1 Peter 4.16 Yet if any man suffer
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify
God on this behalf." In Acts 11.26, and when he had found
him, he brought him unto Antioch, and it came to pass that a whole
year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much
people, and the disciples were called Christian first. So it
is a biblical word, and that's what a disciple, a follower of
Christ is called, a Christian. That's a good name. And I want
us to look into the Word of God and see what a Christian is.
But first let me just read down through chapter 26. I like to
read the Word of God. a lot because he promised to
bless his word. Chapter 26. Then Agrippa said
unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. And Paul
stretched forth a hand and answered for himself, I thank myself happy
King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before
thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews,
especially because I know thee. He knew this man. He knew this
man was well-versed. He knew this man knew their religion,
and he knew this man knew what the prophets had to say. He was
not speaking to an ignorant man. I know thee to be expert in all
customs and questions which are among the Jews, wherefore I beseech
thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth,
which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem know
all the Jews, which knew me from the beginning, if they would
testify that after the most straightest sect of our religion I lived
a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged
with the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers,
unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God
day and night, hope to come, for which hope say, King Agrippa,
I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing
incredible with you that God should raise the dead? He created
the world, didn't he? He said, let there be light,
didn't he? All that we see God created. He said, so why should
it be thought an incredible thing that God should be able to raise
the dead? I barely thought with myself
that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus
of Nazareth. I hated that man. No one hated
Christ any more than Paul did. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem,
and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priest. And when they were put to death,
I gave my voice. He was the one standing there
when Stephen was thrown to death. I gave my voice against them.
I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them
to blaspheme. He made waterboarding look I
guarantee he did. Tortured them. Made them blaspheme. Compelled them to blaspheme.
And being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even
unto strange cities. This is how I felt about Christ
and those who followed Christ. Whereupon, as I went through
Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priest, At midday,
O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness
of the sun. Yeah, it was the S.O.N. shining.
That's what he saw. Shining round about me, and then
was journeyed with me. And when we were fallen to the
earth, here's a man who was just absolutely mad, enraged, at the
name of Christ, at the people who followed Him, at those who
preached Him. He said, I wanted to destroy
them. But one day, one day, this man
crossed my path. This Jesus whom I hated, His
people whom I persecuted, stopped me. In His light, this bright
light, He said, above the brightness of the sun, And I heard a voice
speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul,
why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I'm
Jesus, whom thou persecutest. You touch his body, you touch
him. He was in heaven. He said, You're persecuting me.
You're touching my body. But rise and stand upon thy feet,
for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee
a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast
seen, and of those things into which I will appear unto thee,
delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom
now I send thee." And I'll come back to verse 18, "...to open
their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan unto God." that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by
faith that is in me. Whereupon, O King of Griffin,
I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first
unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all
the coast of Judea, and then through the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about
to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, and I bet
you, I just know that Agrippa was upon the edge of his seat
listening. He got his attention. We'll see this in a minute, but
he got that man's attention. God got his attention. I continue
unto this day, witnessing both the small and great, saying none
other things than those which the prophets of Moses did say
should come, that Christ should suffer And he was aware of this. He knew what happened to Jesus
Christ, and that he should be the first that should rise from
the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself,
Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee
mad, your madman. Now, he was a madman. He admitted that. He said, I
was mad. Anybody not believe God has to
be mad. But he said, I'm not mad, most noble Festus, but speak
forth the words of truth and soberness. And he zeroes in on
King Agrippa. And now these others are hearing
him, but he is zeroed in on that man. For the king knoweth of
these things. He knows what I'm saying. He
knows it's the truth. Before whom also I speak freely.
I'm persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. He
knows what happened to Jesus Christ. He knows what the prophets
had to say. This thing was not done in a
corner. King Agrippa, believe it or not, the prophets, I know
that y'all believe it's the prophets. But you know what? That didn't
make him a Christian, did it? The devil believed in Trimble.
The devil believes God in Trimble, but he's lost. And he said, O
King Agrippa, I know you believe the prophets. And Agrippa said unto him, Paul,
almost, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian, a disciple
of Christ. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christ follower. But more
has to happen than me convincing you. Paul said, Agrippa, I know
you believe the prophets. These things weren't done in
a corner. Almost. And he was dead serious. He was
not making a joke here. He said, almost. Thou persuadest
me to be a prophet. And Paul said, I would to God. Paul didn't envy that king at
all. He didn't envy his position at
all. I would to God that not only
thou, but also all that hear me this day," and I tell you
what, all that hear him this morning, all that hear this morning,
were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these
bonds. Does that sound like the same
man? Does that sound like the same man that was mad against
him, against Christ? against his people. He said,
I don't wish these bonds on you. I don't wish any harm to you
or to anyone here. He said, here's what I wish. Here's what would just thrill
my heart. If you were as I am in Christ. And when he had thus spoken,
The king rose up, and the governor and Bernice, they that sat with
him. And when they were gone aside,
they talked between themselves, saying, This man doth nothing
worthy of death or bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus,
This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed
unto Caesar. And he fades off into the darkness."
He goes away. He goes away. Almost. to be a disciple of Christ, a
follower of Christ, a Christian. I want us to look this morning.
What is a Christian? What is it? Well, look back in
verse 18. We'll start with this verse,
but we'll go to other verses throughout the Scriptures now.
I've written out all these Scriptures because it would take too long
to turn to them. He says in verse 18, And verse 17, delivering thee
from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send
thee, to open their eyes to be an instrument, a means that God
is going to use to preach the gospel, to open their eyes and
to turn them from darkness to light. Remember that blind man
that our Lord touched his eyes and he said, I was blind. But now I see. Now I see. A Christian is one who has been
given light. He's been given understanding.
He has been illuminated. Listen to these scriptures. Ephesians
1, 18. The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened. At one time you were in darkness,
But now you're light, and now you understand the gospel. You
understand how God could be a just God and have anything to do with
you by way of mercy and grace. You understand that. Apart from
God giving you light, you cannot understand that. Not with this
natural mind. You can't do it. The eyes of
you understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the
hope of his calling. Do you know that? How do you
know that? God enlightened you, illuminated
you. Hebrews 10.32, but call to remembrance
the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured
a great fight of afflictions. Ephesians 5.8, for you were sometimes
darkness. We were born in darkness, we
walked in darkness, we talked in darkness, we fought in darkness.
Everything we did was darkness. You were sometimes darkness,
but now, now it's not that way. Now you are light, he said. You
are light and the Lord that walketh children of light. 2 Corinthians 4, 6, for God who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness. has shined in
our hearts, has illuminated us, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul said he
counted everything but lost for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus. This is not just knowing that
a person named Jesus lived and died on a cross and rose again,
but this is knowing Him. It has to do with actually really
knowing the Son of God, a real relationship. And Paul said,
I count everything but loss for that. Light must be given. Darkness,
ignorance must be removed. God is light, and where God reveals
Himself, there's light. There is light. There is understanding
of who God is, who Christ is, what he did, who he did it for,
where he is. You have light. You have understanding. We were born in darkness. God
must give us light. Ephesians 4.18, having the understanding
of darkness. being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindness of their heart. That's got to be removed. A Christian,
a Christian is one whose eyes have been opened, he's been given
spiritual eyes, he's been given light, understanding, he knows
God. He knows God. And then listen. and from the
power of Satan unto God. A Christian is one who has been
delivered from the power of Satan unto God. No one in this world
stands by themselves. Now I want you to listen. I don't
know anything. I don't know anything about demon possession. I wouldn't
even touch that. But I do know this. If you're
not under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, you're under
the power of darkness and Satan. You're not your own. I'm not my own. I'm under one
of those powers. Ephesians 2, 2 through 3. Let's go ahead and turn to this.
You need to read some of it, instead of me just reading it
to you. Let me read verse one of chapter
two, "'And you who were dead in trespasses and sins,' you
see that word has equipped and is in italics, it's been added,
but it reads like this, "'And you who were dead in trespasses
and sins, wherein in time past you walked according to the course
of this world, according in agreement with,' now that's part of the
meaning, in agreement with, According to the prince of the power of
the air, you were in agreement with Satan. You know, the Lord
said to those Pharisees, you are of your father, the devil,
and the works of your father, you will do. You're under his
power, his influence. According to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now works, worketh continually
in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our
conversation, were a part of, in times past, in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But you
walked at one time according to the prince of the power of
the air. You walked in agreement with Satan, under his power. But I'm telling you right now.
Those who believe God, those who believe the gospel, you're
under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Everyone
else is under the power and influence of Satan. We're not our own. We are never
our own. Never. There is more to this
world than the physical. There is a spiritual world that
we cannot see with these eyes. of flesh. Turn over to Ephesians
chapter 6. I realize this as I get older.
As I get older and the things I experience, I realize the truth
of the Word of God, not only just by reading it, but by experience.
The Scripture says the whole world, life, and wickedness.
I'm telling you, it does, doesn't it? It does. Verse 12, when we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. You know, all these wars that we
fight over in Iraq, there's a greater war going on. These eyes can't
see. We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world. That's what we are wrestling
with, against spiritual wickedness in high places. A Christian is one who has been
delivered from the power of Satan. It says in Colossians 113, "...who
have delivered us from the power of darkness," and that's translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son. We are no more of this world,
no more. This world's not our home. The Word of God teaches us that
we are strangers and pilgrims in this world, aren't we? That's
what we are. This is not, this world is not
the home of a Christian. 1 Peter 1.1. Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ to the strangers. to the strangers. Scattered throughout
Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 1 Peter 2.11,
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. This is not our home. We've been translated into the
kingdom of God's Son. And someday, and it's not going
to be long, not even for the youngest one here, It will not
be that long before we finally leave this place. Strangers and Pilgrims. Here's something else back in
Acts 26, verse 18. It says you've been turned from
darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. That they
may receive forgiveness of sins. How sweet is that? Paul was persecuting the church,
consenting to their death, but all that's gone. All that's
forgiven. All that's wiped away. That they
may receive A Christian is one who is forgiven
of all his or her sins. They're gone. They are gone. Not one charge,
not one sin, not one assault upon God remains. You know, we
can forgive, but we can't forgive like God, because God forgives
and remembers it no more. We can truly forgive. We just
can't always forget, can we? We just can't wipe that out of
the memory. We just can't. I don't remember what you were
talking about. I offended you? Or you offended me? I don't remember. I don't remember that. God forgives and he literally,
literally forgets. He remembers our sins no more. No more. A Christian is one whose
sins have been forgiven. He's been redeemed by the blood
of Christ. His sins have been atoned for.
He's been reconciled to God by the death of his son. That's
a Christian. But also we have this in this
verse, that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and inheritance. You have an inheritance. If God gives us an inheritance,
now that's some inheritance. And it's an inheritance among
them which are sanctified, set apart. made holy, a member of that heavenly race, a member of the family of God,
a member of the body of Christ. You've been sanctified. You've
been set apart by the grace of God, the purpose of God. You've
been set apart in Christ, and you've been made holy in Christ. And you believe God. You believe
God. You can't help but believe God.
You just can't help it. Among them which are sanctified
by faith, that is in me. You don't just believe doctrine. You know, there's a lot of people
who've perished that believe election, particular redemption. But no one ever perished believing
God. Abraham believed God. He believed
what God said, and it was counted in him for righteousness. Let me give you a few more things,
and I'm going to close. One, a Christian, is one who
has been chosen of God to salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. But we
are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God has chosen you. He, God, has from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the and belief of the truth. God chose you, God has called
you, He's revealed Christ in you, and you believe Him. You believe Him. Listen to this description of
a Christian, 1 Peter 2.9, but you are a chosen generation You are a chosen generation.
You are a royal priesthood. He has made us kings and priests
under God. You are a holy nation. You are
a peculiar people, a purchased people. You should show forth
the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light. A Christian is one who has been
chosen, he's elect. He's also one who has been justified
by God from all things, cleared of all charges. Acts 13, 39,
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from
which he could not be justified by the law of Moses, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus. You've been justified, and it's not because you didn't do
it. It's not because you're innocent. It's because Christ died in your
place. It's because you were put to
death in Christ at Calvary. The law dealt with me in Christ. My substitute. My representative. My surety. And in Him, I'm cleared
of all charges. Not guilty. Not guilty. Knowing
that I am. But I know that I'm not in him. I'm not guilty. A Christian is
one who is totally committed to Christ. And Agrippa, see Agrippa
knew something here. Agrippa looked at Paul. Paul told him about his life.
He knew about the torture that these believers were going through.
He knew what was going on. And Agrippa, He heard the message. It had a real effect on him. But that throne he sat on, those
people that sat beside of him, Festus, Bernice, he knew he couldn't sit there
no more. I'm not saying that they was a king, but Agrippa,
in his situation, knew that it was death to the life he knew.
He that loves his life shall lose it. He that hates his life,
for my sake, shall find it. Agrippa knew that this commitment
to Christ would cost him all those things he loved. It's one thing to use the things of this world.
We can do that. We are to do that, to use the
things of this world. But when they get a hold of us
and use us, that's a problem. That's a deal breaker. That's
a deal breaker. He couldn't do it. A Christian is one who has been
born of God, has been given a new nature, a nature that loves God,
worships God, and forsakes all others." Now, we don't have an altar here
to the unknown God. We don't have a lot of altars.
Now, we have one God we worship, and Christ is our altar. He's
the only altar we have. We don't have an altar up here
in front of this church, building, whatever you want to call it.
Here's a church, but up here's this building. We don't have
an altar. Christ is our altar. God is our God, and a Christian is one who's
been born of God. 1 John 5, verse 1. Whosoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. God's his Father, his or her
Father. If you believe God's your Father, you've been born
of God if you truly believe. And everyone that loves him,
that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Peter. This is important. I can't express the importance
of this. Peter, do you love me? Right
here. Here it is. Do you love me? People, like I said, all those
Pharisees who believed in the election, if one of them believed,
they were it. They believed in particular redemption.
They didn't do it just for Israel. They knew that. They knew it
was for Israel. Israel wasn't for the Philistines
and all those other Hittites and all those other guys over
there. But here it is. Do you love me? See, that goes beyond just believing
some facts. That enters into a relationship. Do you love me? If you love someone, you're devoted
to that one you love. If you love them, you're devoted
to them. And whatever it is you love,
or whoever it is you love, they got you. They got you. You're going to do whatever you
do for them. Peter, do you love me? He said,
Lord, you know I love you. You know all things. You know
I love you. I pray that we are here this morning. I pray that
we're here this morning, not because it's Sunday morning,
but because we love Christ. 2 Corinthians 5, 17, if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. He's not someone who just changed
habits or someone who changed doctors or doctrine. It's a new creation. Old things
are passed away. Behold, all things have become
new. A Christian is one who's kept by the power of God. Who's
keeping you? You. 1 Peter 1, 5 says, "...who are
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to
be revealed in the last time." You can read 1 Peter and he gives
you a description. of a Christian. The word of God
is very descriptive, very clear on what a Christian is. What is a Christian? A trophy
of God's amazing grace. But God, Ephesians 2 verse 7,
but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ and hath raised us up together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come he might show, he might demonstrate, the exceeding
riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
He will display us as trophies of his grace." A Christian is
a trophy of God's amazing grace. Then Agrippa said in verse 28,
I'll close, Almost, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
Almost. That only counts in horseshoes
and grenades, nothing else. Almost. Well, what was keeping
him back? He loved himself. He loved what
he had more than Christ. It had to do with love. He loved
his position. He loved himself. He loved the
circle he ran in more than he loved Christ. He heard of Christ. I'll tell you this, he's convinced.
This man was convinced. Paul, you're telling the truth.
You're telling the truth. But you know what he didn't?
Here's what Griffith didn't have. Love of the truth. You're telling
the truth, And it can shake you. People say, you know, that's
so. But if you never love the truth, it's just going to be almost.
And almost just means altogether lost. And Paul said, here's Paul's
response. Acts 26, 29. And Paul said, I
whipped at God. This is not to say, man, this
is a new creature. Here's a new creation. I would
to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day
were both almost and altogether such as I am, redeemed, forgiven,
pardoned, sanctified, justified. I wish you all had that too.
That's why he said, I wish you had that too. Accept these bonds. I don't wish this on anybody. Paul did not envy Agrippa's position
at all. I wouldn't be in your seat, Agrippa,
for nothing in the world. When the world is crucified to
you, you can do this. You're crucified to the world
and the world's crucified to you. You can look at a king sitting
on a throne and say, I wish you were like me. Not me like you. He's not talking about character,
he's talking about what he has in Christ. Now back to, let me read Matthew
5 again. Here is a description of a Christian. Matthew 5, verse 3, blessed are
the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. I don't
need to make any comments. I think it's very obvious. Blessed
are they that mourn, they shall be comforted. Blessed are the
meek, they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled. Blessed
are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you, persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you." You're the salt of the earth. Do you
know that? You are the salt of the earth. The Christian, the
believer is. But now if the salt lost its
savor, wherewith shall it be salted? Since it was good for
nothing to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You're
the light of the world. You're the salt of the earth and the
light of the world. That is the description of a
Christian. What is a Christian? Am I really
a Christian? I had a man ask me. Sometime
ago, a few years ago, the place I used to do business, one of
the employees there came up to me, he motioned for me to come
over, and he said to me, Are you a
Christian? Well, if you describe it like
the Word of God describes it, yes. If it's like what we've just read,
yes. What is a Christian?