Disciples Were Called Christians

Q: What does the Bible say about God's free grace?

The Bible teaches that salvation is a gift of God's free grace, and it cannot be earned through works. According to Scripture, God's free grace is emphasized throughout both the New and Old Testaments. It is not by our own doing that we are saved, but solely by faith in Christ, who has completed all the work necessary for our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 affirms that 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. This reinforces the historic Reformed doctrine that salvation is a divine gift, unattainable by human effort.

Q: How do we know regeneration is true?

Regeneration is evidenced by a transformed life that seeks to follow Christ and obey His commandments. The doctrine of regeneration, or being 'born again,' is rooted in the biblical teaching that it is God's work in us that enables belief and transformation. John 3:3 states, 'Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”' This regeneration produces a new heart and desires that align with God's will. Those who are regenerated will exhibit fruit consistent with their faith, as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, displaying the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

Q: Why is the sovereignty of God important for Christians?

God’s sovereignty assures Christians that He is in control of all events, working for their ultimate good. The sovereignty of God is a cornerstone of Reformed theology, asserting that God is supreme over all creation. Romans 8:28 reinforces this by stating, 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' This doctrine provides comfort and hope to believers, especially during trials, as it assures us that nothing occurs without God's sovereign decree. Understanding His sovereignty fosters trust and reliance on God's plan, even when we do not understand our circumstances.

Q: What does it mean to be called a Christian?

To be called a Christian means to be a follower of Christ, engaged in His work and embodying His teachings. The term 'Christian' originated in Antioch, as recorded in Acts 11:26, where the disciples were identified as followers of Christ. This label signifies not just a belief in Christ, but an active commitment to live out His teachings and spread His gospel. Being a Christian involves a personal relationship with Christ, characterized by faith, love, and obedience. Furthermore, it denotes being part of the community of believers who support and encourage each other in their walk with the Lord.

Q: How does the gospel spread according to Scripture?

The Bible teaches that the gospel spreads through the faithful preaching of His Word by the church. The spread of the gospel is a central theme in the Book of Acts, showcasing how the early church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the gospel to the nations. Acts 1:8 instructs the disciples to be witnesses 'to the ends of the earth,' which emphasizes the universal mission of the church. Despite opposition and persecution, as stated in Acts 11:19-21, believers remained steadfast and continued to preach the Word, illustrating that God's grace prevails and His plan for salvation is unstoppable. The faithful proclamation of the gospel is crucial for reaching the elect whom God has chosen.

When the Savior's set is finished
Everything was fully done Done as God himself would have it
Christ the victory fully won. Vain and futile the endeavor
to improve or add thereto. God's free grace is thus commended
to believe. and not to do. All the doing is completed. Now tis look, believe, and live. None can purchase His salvation
Life's a gift that God must give Grace through righteousness is
reigning Not of works, lest man should boast Man must take the
mercy freely, or eternally be lost. If you will carefully read through
the Book of Acts, paying attention to what's going on as you read,
there is one fact that you cannot miss. In this historic narrative
of God's church in its earliest years in the New Testament, the
Holy Spirit is showing us how that God in his good providence
caused the gospel to spread throughout the world. It began with that
little band of believers at Jerusalem, just about 120. And from there,
with steady, deliberate progress, the gospel of the grace of God
marched triumphantly throughout the Roman Empire, conquering
the hearts of men and making them the willing servants of
King Jesus. Throughout the ages since those
earliest days, Satan has tried repeatedly to stop the progress
of the gospel. He's tried to stop the victorious,
triumphant march of God's gospel through this world. He's done
it with persecution. He's raised up kings and nations
to oppose the gospel. And with bitter persecution,
with miserable affliction, the children of God have been tried,
but the gospel is unaffected. Satan raised up a church. under
the leadership of Pope after Pope, whose design and intention
and purpose seems always to have been to stop the progress of
the gospel, to stop the spread of divine truth, to bring the
truth of God to a halt, and to stop the influence of it. And
the Pope with his armies persecuted the church of God more bitterly
than they've been persecuted by any society of men anywhere
on top side of the earth. But the gospel is unaffected.
The old serpent still assaults the truth of God. He stirs up
strife and division and heresies of every kind from within the
ranks of those who profess to be men and women who love the
truth. But still, the purpose of God
is unaffected. The gospel banner is still held
high, and King Jesus is still conquering the hearts of men.
And I give thanks to speak to you with assurance and tell you
that it shall always be so. until the Lord God, our Savior,
has finally gathered together His elect, every one of them
from the four corners of the earth, and Christ comes in the
fullness of His glory. In the book of Acts, the Holy
Spirit is revealing to us the constant, steady, undaunted progress
of the gospel. At times, it appears as though
it's vanquishing. At times, it appears entirely
defeated. But all is well. God's purpose
is being fulfilled. God's grace must prevail. The gospel of the grace of God
is triumphant. I keep saying that to you, and
I keep saying it to me. I know it's so. I pray that God
will instill it in our hearts. God says, so shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please. and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I send it. God's word, the gospel
of his grace, cannot and shall not fail. It shall be triumphant. You read in the book of Acts
here in chapter 2, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Jews
at Jerusalem. And at one time, 3,000 souls
were conquered by the gospel. Then in chapter 4, 5,000 more
believed. In chapter 8, the gospel prevailed over the hearts of
many of those half-breed Jews, the Samaritans, a mixture of
Jew and Gentile blood. Then later in that same chapter,
one black man was converted, and he became the instrument
in the hands of God by which the gospel triumphed over Ethiopia
and was spread throughout Africa in those early days. Then in
the 10th chapter of Acts, we read of the gospel of God's grace
conquering the hearts of some Gentiles. giving them repentance
unto life. And now here in this 11th chapter
of Acts, we see the gospel of the grace of God conquering the
hearts of men and women at Antioch. This evening, we'll look at verses
19 through 30. Now, these men and women at Antioch
were not Jews and they were not Samaritans. They were out and
out pagan idolaters. Yet at Antioch, there was a garrison,
a mighty garrison of gospel truth established. And for 500 years,
the gospel flourished in that city. This church at Antioch
In the days of its pastor, John Chrysostom, they called him John
the Golden Mouth. He was a famous orator in his
day. He said that while he was pastoring the congregation, at
one time, the number of believers at Antioch joined to this congregation
numbered well over 100,000. That's phenomenal. That's phenomenal. In that day, when the gospel
seemed by so many to be crushed out of the earth, that Jerusalem
things began to dwell. But now the gospel at Antioch
was sounded forth with power and for 500 years that church
continued in the way of truth. It was this church at Antioch
in the 13th chapter of Acts that sent out the first missionaries.
Paul and Barnabas were sent by the believers at Antioch to proclaim
the gospel as missionaries throughout the world. And before they were
done, if you read the account given in the scriptures, and
read something of the accounts given in human history as well,
before Paul and Barnabas were done, they had literally, now
try to fathom this, In days when men walked from one place to
another and took slow boats to go across the lake and took a
long time to travel before those two men had finished their missionary
work, they had proclaimed the gospel literally to the entire
civilized world. To the entire civilized world.
There is record that seems to give reasonable evidence that
the Apostle Paul himself even traveled so far as to the British
Isles proclaiming the gospel of God's grace. Now, in Acts
11, we have a turning point in the history of the church. The
church at Antioch was established by Barnabas, by the preaching
of Barnabas, and it was the first gospel church to be established
among the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas labored here
for about a year, maybe a little more. And while they were there,
the church grew enormously and steadily. The church at Jerusalem
was no longer the center of evangelism. The church at Antioch took up
the banner of gospel truth and it held the banner high until
526 A.D. when the whole city of Antioch
was destroyed by an earthquake. Now, let me summarize for you
what the Spirit of God tells us here by the pen of Luke in
verses 19 through 30. I'll give it to you in just four
brief statements. First of all, in verses 19 through 21, we're
told that in God's good prophetess, he graciously calls his elect
to hear the gospel at the time which he had appointed when they
should believe and be saved. Now, let's see if that's not
what's said in verses 19, 20, and 21. Now they which were scattered
abroad, upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled
as far as Thinais and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word
to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of
Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake
unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand
of the Lord was with them. and a great number believed and
turned unto the Lord. The Lord God graciously, now
listen, I'm choosing my words deliberately. He graciously sent
a terrible persecution. Stephen was stoned to death because
God was being gracious to his church. The church of God was
persecuted by Saul of Tarsus who scattered the church here
and there. It was God's gracious, gracious act. A wise, wise act
of our God. Turn back to chapter 8 of Acts
in verse 4. Chapter 8 in verse 4. Look at verse 3. Saul, he made
havoc of the church, entering into every house and hailing
men and women, hauling men and women and committed them to prison.
Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching
the Word. Therefore, because Paul was hauling
everybody off to jail, everybody got up and ran off. And they
went everywhere preaching the Word. Now, you could take verse
5 of chapter 8 and all the way down to chapter nine and verse
18, and set that aside as a parenthetical statement. That is the Holy Spirit
is just, he's explaining to us what happened during the intermission. And you take up in chapter eight,
verse four, beginning right here at verse 19 of chapter 11. Now,
since they were scattered abroad, preaching the gospel. Now, they
which were scattered abroad, upon the persecution that arose
about Stephen, traveled as far as Phineis and Cyprus and Antioch,
preaching the word to none but to the Jews only. The Lord brought
this persecution to the church, you see, so that he might be
gracious to all his elect. God has a purpose in everything
he does, and his purpose is always good. If we could learn that
truth, it'd set our hearts at ease. If we could learn that
blessed gospel truth, it'd give us peace while we live in this
world, even in the midst of difficulty. Here again, it comes to pass
exactly as the scripture has told us, that all things work
together for good. to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. Yes, I know that
we don't always see what's happening. We don't always perceive what
God's doing. But He's always doing good. He's
always doing good. Everything that comes to pass
in this world is absolutely ruled by God. It is absolutely under
God's control. Nothing moves without God's decree. Nothing! And God's decree sees
to it that whatever comes to pass is for the good of His church. So God raised up the persecution
down at Jerusalem because those believers down at Jerusalem were
comfortable. Everything was going well. The
church had groaned well for 10,000 believers. Everyone who was wealthy
had sold his possessions and given it to the church and everybody
was living comfortably. And they would have stayed right
there at Jerusalem. And the folks down here at Antioch
would never have heard. But you see, that can't be. That
can't be. Because God has some people at
Antioch whom He's determined to save. God has some folks at
Antioch who were chosen by Him and redeemed by His Son. And
He's appointed a time when they must be called. And so in order
to accomplish this event, God brought to pass the persecution
down in Jerusalem. And these folks were scattered
abroad. And they went everywhere they went preaching the gospel.
Now these people, While they were afflicted by God's providence,
they were yet obedient and faithful to their master. Our Lord told
them, he said, why are you going into the world? Why are you making
your pilgrimage through this world? Preach the gospel to every
creature. And so we read here that they
went everywhere preaching the Lord Jesus. In the midst of their
troubles, sorrows, and trials, They were faithful witnesses.
I like that. I like that. I have no doubt
that some of these men and women had relatives and friends who
were in prison. Some of these men and women,
when they left Jerusalem, left family and friend and homeland
and all that they possessed, and they were scattered abroad
because of fear this man saw, because of the persecutions that
took place. But in the midst of their trouble, in the midst
of their trials, they were faithful people. Wherever they went, they
said, let me tell you, let me tell you about my God and Savior. Let me tell you who he is and
what he's done and how he rules this world. Let me tell you why
I trust him. Let me tell you why I bow to
his throne. Let me tell you why I sing his
praise. They were faithful witnesses.
And I am sure that they did not understand God's purpose. They
didn't know why God had sent the persecution. They didn't
know why Stephen was stoned to death. They didn't know why all
of these things happened, but they did understand their responsibility. Those men and women simply believed
God. And in the midst of their trial,
they trusted him. They trusted him. In the midst of their trial,
they continued to walk before him in obedience. No, I don't
know why God did this. But no matter what he does, I
know what I am, and I know how I am to behave. I'll believe
God. I'll believe God. Well, but what
if great sorrow comes? Well, I'll feel the sorrow if
I believe God. Well, what if you suffer great
loss? Well, I will feel the pain of the loss, but I'll go on believing
God. Well, what if you find your pride
severely in the most tender parts of your nature and your being?
Well, I'll go on trusting God. I'll trust Him to accomplish
His will. I'll trust Him to accomplish
His purpose. I'll trust Him to do good to
me and to His church at large. I'll trust God in the midst of
this, though I can't see how, to give glory to Himself and
bring good to me. That's faith. That's faith. And though they went through
the trial, these men and women were faithful to their Lord.
They continued to walk before Him in faithfulness. And then
we read in verse 20, or verse 21 rather, and the hand of the
Lord was with them. And the hand of the Lord was
with them. Yes, the hand of the Lord sent Saul down. The hand
of the Lord sent those wicked men to take up stones and stones,
Stephen. The hand of the Lord caused them
to be persecuted. The hand of the Lord caused them
to be imprisoned and beaten. The hand of the Lord sent the
heavy affliction, but the hand of the Lord was with them. God
said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. The hand of the
Lord was with them. Our heavenly father does not
always tell us what he's doing. You have your sons and daughters,
and we all have different ideas and understandings about what's
best for our children, and I suppose that's fine. But as my daughter
was growing up, and she's still growing up, lest she should think
the rule no longer applies, but as she was growing up, there
were times frequently when I would say to her, Faith, do this or
do that. Or faith, go here or go there,
or don't go there, or don't do this. Faith, now you, this is
what you'll wear. No, you can't wear that. No,
you can't, no, you can't do this. No, you can't have that. And
sometimes at my prerogative, always at my prerogative, I would
explain to her why. Sometimes, sometimes. Not very
often, as she'll tell you. But sometimes I tell her why.
I tell her why a little more often now. She's able to understand
a little more now. But still, it's my priority.
Do you understand what I'm saying? I expect the child simply to
be obedient because she knows that I love her and I understand
best what's best for her and I will do my best to do her good.
I expect that. I just expect that. Now listen. Our Heavenly Father, sometimes
in His providence and grace through the Word, will allow us to see
why He's doing what He's doing. Sometimes He will. But more often
than not, Bobby, He expects us just to trust and obey. For there's
no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Just trust
Him and obey Him. He said that He would do good.
He's a good God. He's wise and He's almighty.
He'll do good, Lindsay. He'll do good regardless of how
things appear. Our Father doesn't always tell
us what He's doing, but He always assures us that He is doing good.
He knows what's best, and he knows how to accomplish what's
best. His hand was with them. His hand
led them. It led them in the good times
and in the bad. It led them in the prosperity
and in the adversity. It led them in times of peace,
and it led them in times of persecution. His hand led them, and His hand
fed them. His hand defended them, and His
hand strengthened them. His hand upheld them, and His
hand comforted them. His hand blessed His children,
and His hand blessed their labors, so that many believed and turned
unto the Lord. And that's the first thing. Luke
is showing us how that God in his providence calls the people
whom he had chosen to hear the word at the time he had appointed
when they should believe. Secondly, as he had promised,
God gave his people pastors according to his own heart, pastors who
fed them with knowledge and with understanding. Look at verse
22. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church
which was in Jerusalem, that is, how that many believed and
turned to the Lord. And they sent forth Barnabas,
that's the first man, that he should go as far as Antioch,
who when he came and had seen the grace of God, he saw what
God had done, he was glad and exhorted them all with purpose
of heart that they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good
man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And much people
was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus
for to seek salt. 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
Christians first in Antioch. Now, the first man that God sent
was Barnabas. This man Barnabas, he was a rare
fellow. Look at how the Spirit of God
describes him. He was a good man. He was a good man. You remember
the passage over in Romans 5, where Paul said, scarcely for
a righteous man would one die? The Jews, they looked upon a
righteous man being this type of fellow. He was the kind of
fellow who would say, what's yours is yours, and what's mine
is mine. I won't bother you, and don't
you bother me. Now, they called that a righteous man. He wasn't
going to steal from you. He wasn't going to cheat you.
He wasn't going to do anything to hurt you. He was just going
to leave you alone. Now, that's the righteous man.
He may be mean and hard-hearted, but he's going to be upright
and nonpartisan. Okay? This is a good man. For a good
man, some would dare to die. This is Barnabas. He's a good
man. By good, the Apostle means that
he means for us to understand that Barnabas was a man of compassion. Barnabas was a generous, spirited,
charitable man. He was the type of man who didn't
say, what's yours is yours and what's mine is mine. Let's leave
one another alone. What Barnabas said is whatever
I have, it's yours. And he proved it. For in Acts
chapter four, he was a wealthy man and he sold everything he
had and gave it to the church so that he might serve the congregation
of God as best he possibly could. He was a good man. He was thoughtful
of others. And then Luke tells us that he
was full of the Holy Ghost. That simply means that Barnabas
was a man of joy and faith and confidence before God, a man
who submitted himself to the hand of God and submitted himself
to the ordinances of God. He was a man who walked before
men with faithfulness, with dedication, with devotion. He was a man sensitive
to and directed by the leadership of God's spirit in his heart.
He was under the influence of the spirit. That's what it means
to be filled with God's spirit. As a man who is drunk with wine
reels to and fro and staggered because he is not in control
of his faculties, so a man being full of the Holy Spirit is directed
and moved not according to his own faculties and his own fancy
and whim, but rather by the Spirit of God. Barnabas was a good man,
full of the Holy Ghost. And then the apostle tells us
here that Barnabas was a man full of faith. full of faith. He was good. No, not good in
God's eye. No, not good so as to be perfect,
but good in that God had made him good and given him a new
heart. He was full of the Holy Ghost and he was full of faith. That simply means he believed
God. He believed God. Oh, Barnabas was a man who just
believed God. He was faithful. And he had proven
himself to be faithful. He served the church of God wherever
he was needed. He served the church with everything
he had. And he did so for several years,
meekly serving wherever God was pleased to use him without any
kind of desire or zeal for a place or position. But he simply desired
to serve the people of God and the glory of God. And he did
so faithfully. Then God sent him out to preach. And Barnabas exhorted the people.
He exhorted them all in verse 23. He exhorted them all that
with purpose of heart, that is, with a resolute determination
of heart, that they would cleave unto the Lord. This is what Barnabas
was saying. He's saying, buddy, I see the
grace of God in you. I see what you profess and I
see what you've done. Now don't let anything take you
away from Him. Cleave. Hold on to Him. Be glued to Him
with resolute determination of heart. Say in your heart, cost
what it may, I'll not forsake you. I'll not forsake you. And we don't dare say such a
thing. You'd best say such a thing. You'd best. Not before me. Not so as to stand up and say,
well, I don't know what Merle Hart's gonna do, but I can tell
you this, I'll not forsake you. No, no. You'll learn Peter's
lesson if you talk like that. But in your heart, you resolutely
determine, you resolutely determine, cost what it may, I'm gonna plead
to him. I'm gonna plead to him. That's
what Barnabas admonished him to do. And then he went down
to Tarsus and he persuaded Paul to come up to Antioch and help
him. I was thinking about that today. I don't know exactly what
went on between Barnabas and Paul, but Barnabas respected
this man, Paul. You'll remember he was the one
who took Paul by the hand and introduced him to Peter, James,
and John. He was the one who committed Paul to the fellowship
of the saints of God. And now Barnabas, I suppose it
was something like this. He was down at Antioch, and man,
things were popping. I mean, God was doing some things,
and Barnabas saw that, and he exhorted the brethren to cleave
unto the Lord. But he must have thought to himself,
this is too big for me. I've got to have some help. I've
got to have somebody who knows what's going on and knows what
to do to come down here and assist me. And so he went down to Tarsus
and he said to Saul, Paul he calls him, he said, he said,
you come up to Antioch with me, if you will, and let's instruct
these folks in the word. And so they came together. and
spent a year teaching these people the things of God, taught them
in the word of God, instructed them in the truth of God. And
so the church in Antioch enjoyed the ministries of Paul and Barnabas
for a year. Let me just pause there to say
this. After that year, Paul and Barnabas
went somewhere else. After that year, they went somewhere
else, preaching the gospel. I say that for this reason. I
had a friend of mine who pastored a congregation in West Virginia
for two or three years, and after being there for two or three
years, he took another church in another state and felt like
that's what God had him do. These folks down here now need
what I have to give, and he went down there, and the folks in
West Virginia were a little upset. They were a little angry, a little
put out. Well, these folks had the privilege
of hearing Paul and Barnabas instruct them for a year. No
need to grumble, but rather they anxiously sent them out to do
the bidding of God and preach the gospel wherever God would
send them. And then thirdly, through the faithful ministry
of the gospel, God saved many. He saved many as it pleased Him. Look at verse 20, the last part.
They went everywhere preaching the Lord Jesus. Verse 21. And
the hand of the Lord was with them. And a great number believed
and turned unto the Lord. Verse 24. For he was a good man
and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And much people was
added unto the Lord. What I'm saying is this. God
has a people. A people whom he will save. And
God will see to it. By one means or another, God
will see to it that every sinner whom he's chosen will hear the
gospel by the lips of a man declared in the power of God's Spirit.
If he has to turn the world upside down, God will see to it that
his elect hear the gospel. He'll see to it. And God will
give his elect repentance and faith in Christ when it pleases
him. I was talking to Lindsey Campbell
this afternoon in my office. I know what the doctrine is,
I think, concerning God's sovereignty and salvation. And I've got it
pretty good here. I've got it pretty good here. I hope I've got it here. But
I know that the most difficult thing in this world for preachers,
myself included, And for churches, I'm sure you included, is to
wait for God to do His work. Wait for God to do His work.
But let me tell you this. Any attempt to accomplish the
salvation of men by any means other than the plain preaching
of the gospel will result in false repentance and false faith
and bring the ruining of men's souls. It'll never save them. It'll never save them. Never.
Say, well, pastor, don't you think we ought to do this and
do that? Don't you think we ought to?
Maybe if we had an altar call. Maybe if we had an invitation. Maybe if we'd go about doing
things the way other folks do, then we'd get some results, yeah?
Yeah, you would. You would. Get the same results
folks get in other places. And those results would be men
and women with false faith and false repentance whose souls are damned in a false hope, in
a false hope. I'm determined, God helping me,
I'm determined to wait for the Lord, to wait upon Him, Preach,
yes, preach, and wait. Work, yes, work, and wait. Labor, labor indeed, but wait. Pray, but wait, wait upon God. He'll save his people exactly
when it pleases him to do so. And then, fourthly, the disciples
were called Christians first in Antioch, verse 26. The disciples were called Christians
first. This is the first time it happened
in Antioch. And in these days came prophets
from Jerusalem. God had given prophets, men who
had the ability by the direction of God's Spirit to see into the
future and to foretell events of the future. Not to see everything,
but to see certain things according to God's direction. Certain prophets
came from Jerusalem to Antioch. And there stood up one of them,
named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit, by the Spirit of
God, that there should be great famine throughout all the world,
which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. He said there's
going to be famine. And God sent him so as to prepare
for his people down at Jerusalem. Then the disciples, every man
according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren
which dwelt in Judea, which also they did, and sent it to the
elders by the hands of Barnabas and of Saul." Now up until this
time, the Christian religion had been looked upon as a sect
of Judaism. Among the Jews there were Pharisees
and Sadducees and Libertines and Zealots and they were all
different sects of the Jews. They all worshipped in the temple.
They all observed the Sabbath days and the holy days and the
feast days and the ceremonies and the rituals, but they were
all different sects of the Jewish religion. And it was commonly
presumed by many that the Church of Christ, this matter of Christianity,
these followers of Christ, were just another sect of the Jews'
religion. The early believers, after all,
were Jews. The early believers lived like
Jews lived. They worshipped in the temple.
They were circumcised. They kept the Mosaic Feast, the
holy days and the rituals of Judaism. You see, God's revelation
came progressively. And little by little, God concluded
the revelation that he gave so that finally they broke away
from these things altogether. But now at Antioch, something
new, something different happened. These converts at Antioch were
not Jews. They had no background at all
in Judaism. They never observed the laws
of Moses, neither the ceremonial laws nor the moral laws. They
never observed any rituals. They never observed any holy
days. They never observed any Sabbath days. These people were
pagans. They were heathens. They were
idolatrists. They were men and women who engaged
in the most vile and godless lifestyles imaginable. Some of
you have read history. about the events that took place
in the Roman Empire and the terrible moral decay of that society.
You've never read it as bad as it was. Never. These folks lived
in a day, in a country of absolute godlessness. They lived in absolute
vileness. Man had fallen to his lowest
misery and abjectness. He had fallen to become nothing
but a groveling vile wretch, living in every form of vileness
you can imagine. And of all places, Antioch was
probably one of the chief cities of corruption. There they worshiped
this goddess and that god. And they engaged in every kind
of vile lust imaginable, even in their worship services. After
all, these folks were Gentiles. They were Gentiles. They were
people who had not heard of oracles of God or received the testimony
of God. Yet among these people, these
vile Gentiles, God granted repentance and faith in Christ. And right
here, in the capital of this vile city, God raised up the
gospel church according to His grace. And here was the first
time it happened. These men and women who followed
Christ were called Christians. They were called Christians.
Now, the people at Antioch gave them that name, I'm sure. They looked at them and gave
them a nickname. They were famous for that. They'd give this fellow
a nickname and that one a nickname, and this group of people a nickname. Folks still like to do that.
They looked at us, some folks around, and they'd say, well,
yeah, I heard of Great Baptist Church. I know Don Fortier. He's
an ant to know me. Well, it's alright. That's okay.
That's what they did down here. They gave them a nickname. Yeah,
those people are Christians. They're Christians. Now, that
name signifies something. It comes from two different words.
Of course, the first part of it is Christ. The second part
of the word, it comes from a Latin word which means a slave. It
means a slave. So that as you would see a man
who was a slave in Caesar's household, he would be called a Caesarean. That is a slave to Caesar. And
so the disciples were called Christians because they were
slaves in Christ's household. This word also refers to one
who follows in the way of his leader. A man who believes the
things I do about God's predestination and God's sovereignty and election,
those things, believes what the book teaches about them. The
theologians call us Augustinians because we follow in the way
of Augustine's theology. Well, these disciples were called
Christians because they followed in the path of Christ Jesus,
their Lord. And this word also is used in
this sense, that a man, the word called Christians here, it refers
to this. If a man is in the business of
producing pies and cakes and bread, he's called a baker. He's
called a baker. That doesn't mean he's called
to be a baker. It means that this is the business he's in.
He's called a baker. The fellow's in the business
of making suits, he's called a tailor. That doesn't mean he's
called to be a tailor, it means he's one who is in the business
of making clothes. Now listen, when disciples are
called Christians, it means somebody who's in the business of Christ. who's in the business. He's engaged
in the business of Christ. Engaged in the same business
Christ is engaged in. Engaged in the same work Christ
is engaged in. As a matter of fact, in 1 John
2 and verse 27, the Apostle John tells us that we are anointed
ones. That's what a Christian is. and Christ was the anointed of
God, we who are Christians are also anointed of God. We're in
the business, we're in the business of Christ Jesus our Lord. Now there was something about
these believers at Antioch, something which caused their neighbors
and relatives and acquaintances to look upon those men and women
with scorn. They looked at them with contempt
and disgust. You know Hubert Montgomery? You
mean that fellow that lives over on Mount Hubert Road? Yeah, I
know him. He's a Christian. That's how
they said it. That's how they said it. He's
a Christian. I know him. Well, what was it? What caused these people to be
called Christians? It wasn't their speech. Sometimes,
in our society, we folks think a Christian's a man who talks
a certain way, he holds his self a certain way, you know, he looks
up to heaven, or he walks around and he can't go down, or he wears
a certain kind of clothes, or he doesn't wear a certain kind
of clothes. It wasn't their speech, it wasn't their dress, it wasn't
their diet, it wasn't what they ate or drank, it wasn't even
their social life, where they went, where they didn't go, that
wasn't it. What was it? What made these people different?
What made these people unique? What called these folks at Antioch
to call the disciples Christians who lived down at Antioch? The
word Christian is used three times in the entire Bible. Three
times. Let's look at it. First you've
got it right here in Acts chapter 11 and verse 26. Now in this
passage, There are several things that imply and indicate the characteristic
of these folks who are called Christians. First of all, a Christian
is one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as He's revealed
in the Gospel. Right here in this passage, they
came preaching the Lord Jesus, and these folks, in verse 21,
believed! They believed! They believe the
gospel message. Now, believing the message of
the gospel, we trust the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what a Christian
is. He's a man who, believing the
gospel, rests his soul in Jesus Christ alone. Let me give it
to you over in Acts chapter 26. Acts chapter 26. This is one of the other places
where the word is used. Paul was standing before King
Herod of Grippa, And he was reasoning with him, explaining to him the
gospel of Christ. He preached to Agrippa the things
that had taken place through Jesus Christ. And in verse 27
he said, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that
thou believest. And then King Agrippa said unto
Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Now let
me tell you what King Agrippa did. The word is really very
poorly translated in our English. If you've got room in your margin,
you ought to write this out. This is what Agrippa was saying
to Paul. He said, Paul, you want me to be a Christian. That's
what he said, quite literally. The word almost means by a little. It doesn't mean that Agrippa
was saying to him, he said, Paul, I'll tell you what, I'm almost
convinced. That wasn't it at all. That wasn't it at all. Agrippa
was saying, now Paul, you've told me. You've told me all that
Jesus Christ did. And Paul told Agrippa, he said,
I know you believe this wasn't done in a corner. You cannot
accept the fact that Jesus Christ lived as a righteous man and
died outside the city gates in Jerusalem and rose again. That
wasn't done in a corner. I know you believe that. But
that's not what Christianity is. Christianity is trusting
that one who lived and died and rose again. Christianity is turning
and committing ourselves to Him. Agrippa believed the facts, but
he didn't trust the Son, and he refused to do so. Let me give
you a quite literal translation of what Agrippa said. He said,
Paul, the essence of all that you've said is that you are trying
to persuade me King Agrippa, to commit myself to Jesus Christ,
poo. That's what he's saying, not
me, not me, no sir, not me. This is what Agrippa was doing.
He was saying, I'm not about to acknowledge my sin. I'm not
about to confess my need of a savior. I'm not about to commit myself
to the dominion of Jesus Christ, no matter who he is. Not about
to. And that's what a Christian is.
That's what these folks in Antioch did. They believed. They believed him. Secondly,
a Christian is one who turns to Christ as his Lord and King.
Here again in Acts chapter 11. And verse 21, it says these folks
believed and turned unto the Lord. They turned to Christ and
surrendered themselves to the claims of Christ the Lord. They
commit their hearts to Christ the Lord. And they willingly
resigned themselves to Jesus Christ as Lord. They turned to
Him. They turned away from this God
and this Goddess. They turned away from this matter
of life and death. And they turned to Christ. giving
themselves to Him. And then a Christian, according
to verse 23 of our text, a Christian is one who assembles with God's
people in the name of Christ. When he came, when Barnabas came,
he saw the grace of God, saw what God had done. He was glad
and exhorted them all with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto
the Lord. Down in verse 26, Paul and Barnabas came, and it came
to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the
church and taught much people. Said, well, I don't see how that
fits in. What's right there in the text? That's how it fits
in. Believers are folks who assemble themselves together and worship
God. That's what believers are. I've
not seen a lot of sheep in my life. I've seen a few. There
was a sheep farmer in West Virginia that lived a couple of miles
from us. Had a farm right on the highway. And you know, I
never did see a sheep out roaming across the hill by itself. I
never saw one. They may do it, I don't think
so. Sometimes if somebody told me to get sick, they'll be by
themselves. But the sheep always go in flocks. If you see one,
you're going to see another one. The sheep always go in flocks.
Now there was another fella, about 15-20 miles up the road
from us, right on the main highway, raised a bunch of goats. And
you could drive by there, and you'd see a goat here, and a
goat there, and a goat over there, and a goat over there, because
they just enjoy being alone. They like to be by themselves,
except it comes eating time or breeding time, the only time
they get together. Not the sheep. Not the sheep. They go in flocks.
You see, God's people, they love one another, and they need one
another, and they assemble together. They assemble together. I know
people talk about being Christians who don't have any interest in
worshiping with God's people and assembling with God's saints.
Well, that's what they do. They talk about being believers.
That's all. They talk about being Christian.
God's people assemble with one another. They break bread with
one another in sweet communion. They worship God together as
one family gathered under Christ. They unite together in one call
for the glory of Christ. These men and women banded themselves
together and they were branded as Christians because they banded
themselves together. Fifthly, Christians. A Christian is one who walks
in love with his brethren. Look here in the last part of
the chapter. Verse 28, Agabus, he said famine is going to come
in Jerusalem and folks up there are going to be starving to death.
In verse 29, then the disciples, every man, and notice this, every
man, without apparently any constraint, without apparently any compulsion,
without getting together and saying, now let's do, you do
this and I'll do that. Every man, according to his ability,
determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea.
He didn't, he said, now this is what I'm going to do. I'm
going to send relief up there so that when the famine comes,
God's people will be taken care of. And then he did it, look
at verse 20, which also they did, and sent it to the elders
by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Yes, Christians, men and
women who live by faith, love one another. They love one another. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. Now love overlooks evil. Try to remember. that these fellows
were Gentiles and they knew very well that the folks up in Jerusalem
weren't real fond of Gentiles. They were well aware of that
fact. That's okay. They'll learn better. They got
together and decided to help those Jews who by nature and
prejudice looked down their nose upon the Gentiles. Love not only
overlooks evil, but it bears the burden of this object. You
show me a man in love with his wife, when that woman hurts,
he hurts. When that woman is in difficulty,
he's in difficulty. You show me a man who loves his
children, when those children hurt, no matter how silly the
hurt may be, he hurts, he hurts. You see your children and they
have some little problem in school or with a neighbor or with a
boyfriend or girlfriend and they cry and they boo-boo and you
know it's so silly. They're going to get over it
real quick. It's not going to last. But it still hurts. Hurts them and hurts them and
hurts you. You follow me? Listen, love overlooks the evil
and bears the burden of its object, and generously, willingly supplies
the needs of its object. It'd do it without constraint,
without compulsion. These folks were called Christians
because they loved each other. They loved each other. They just flat, genuinely loved
each other. Let me show you one more passage.
1 Peter chapter 4. It's the only other place in
the Bible where this word is used. 1 Peter chapter 4. I'll give you this and we'll
go on. A Christian is one who patiently bears suffering, reproach,
and hardship for the glory of God. Listen to what he says. Verse 16. If any man suffer as
a Christian, Let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on his
behalf. Yes, Christians follow the example
of Christ even in suffering. They suffer patiently, for they
know they suffer by their Father's hand. They suffer joyfully, even
in the midst of their tears, for they know that their Father
sends them the pain. They suffer believingly, trusting
their Father. They suffer expectantly, knowing
that if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him, and the
trial of our faith is more precious than gold. It shall prove in
that day to be unto praise and honor and glory to our God. and
believers suffer in such a way as to glorify God their Father
even in the things they suffer. These folks were called Christians
because they believed Christ. They turned to Christ as Lord.
They clung to Christ at all times. They assembled together in the
name of Christ. They loved one another and they
patiently endured suffering with Christ. For the glory of God,
all of this they did with willing hearts. A few weeks ago, I was with Brother
DJ Ward, who was sitting around in Kent Clark's home up in Michigan. And Brother Ward taught us a
chorus that black folks sing in their churches. I won't try
singing, but I'll tell you what he said. Oh Lord, I want to be
a Christian in my heart. I want to be a Christian in my
heart. I don't want to be like Judas
in my heart. I want to be like Jesus in my
heart. That's where Christianity is.
It is following Christ. Not just in doctrine, not just
in word, but following Him with a willing heart. With a willing
heart. Alexander the Great, of course
he had many folks in his day named after him, as all famous
men do. Alexander the Great had conquered
the world by the time he was 23 years old. And there was a
young soldier in his army, who was named after him. He had taken
up Alexander's name. This young soldier was a coward. He was timid. And Alexander the
Great heard about it. This is a true story, if you
can believe history. Alexander the Great heard about
it, and he called the soldier in one day, and he said to him,
he said, what is your name? And the boy said, Alexander. He said, were you named after
me? And the boy timidly, he said, yes, sir, I was. He said, well,
either make yourself to be a loyal, brave soldier or change your
name, one of the two. The disciples were called Christians
because they followed the Christ. let's either follow him or cease
to call ourselves Christians. Our Father, I ask that you'll
take these words and bless them to the hearts of your people,
for the edification of our souls and for the glory of your Son.
Grant that in our hearts, with willing hearts, we genuinely
may follow our Redeemer. Not today only, but throughout
our pilgrimage here. With resolute, determined hearts,
let us cling to Him. Lord God, let nothing separate
our souls from Him. Let nothing, let nothing hinder
us from worshiping and serving our Savior. For Christ's sake
I pray, amen. Let's turn to number 266. Number
266. I'm quite certain that the one
thing which above all things causes men and women gradually
to forsake Christ, and usually it's gradual, usually it is,
I'm persuaded it is the care of this world. The care of this
world. It's hard, hard to separate ourselves
from the care of this world that just chokes out the world. And
it'll do it. Merle will do it. I've seen it
happen. I fear for you. Don't let it
happen. Therefore, let us from our hearts
say to our God and to this world, fade, fade each earth creature.
Let's stand together and we'll sing this hymn and beat this
mystery. Take every tender guide, Jesus
is mine. Dark is the wilderness, Earth
has no resting place. Jesus is mine. Tim's not my doorway. Rich in things of clay, Born
God for one great day. He dreams of night Jesus is mine
Lost in this morning and satisfied. Jesus is mine. of rest. Welcome, my Savior's
rest. Jesus is mine.

Disciples Were Called Christians

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Why is the sovereignty of God important for Christians?

What does it mean to be called a Christian?

How does the gospel spread according to Scripture?

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Disciples Were Called Christians

What does the Bible say about God's free grace?

How do we know regeneration is true?

Why is the sovereignty of God important for Christians?

What does it mean to be called a Christian?

How does the gospel spread according to Scripture?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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