What means to be a Christian!
How many here are Born Again Christians? Are you sure about that?
Do you know where and when the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians?
Acts 11:26 (part B) “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. ”
Why were the disciples of Jesus of that time known and called Christians?
Why were they labelled with the name of Their teacher?
Because the disciples were followers of Jesus. Their attitude and words looked like those of Jesus Christ.
Do you consider yourself a Christian?
If so, answer this question:
If you were born at that time and were alive right after Christ’s death, but lived your life the same way you live today, would your friends call you a Christian?
The disciples were called Christians because they were extremely involved with the Kingdom of God.
They were true followers of the Lord Jesus.
They were people of prayer, people who served others, people who took their life with God seriously. They were people who preached and lived a testimony that showed Christ.
They were people who put their faith into practice, people who had time for God and always gave Him priority, placing Him first in their lives.
They were people who would offer everything they had to support the work of God – they would give away their financial resources, prayers, sweat, tears and even their own lives!
How are Christians today known?
Christianity is not a religion – it’s a relationship! It’s a love relationship with Jesus!
As this relationship transforms your life, you begin to live for Jesus and start loving people and obeying Him by making more disciples for Him!
The disciples of Jesus were known as Christians because they continued doing what Jesus did: Making disciples!
Maybe you might be thinking: making disciples is only for pastors and leaders!
No, this is the duty of every born-again Christian.
Before ascending to Heaven Jesus left this task for all His followers: go and make disciples!
I want to tell you my testimony of how my Christian life began – when I was not a pastor or a leader, but only a Christian, like you!
If you are a true Christian, you will be persecuted!
As soon as I began my walk with God and started to obey his word I began to be persecuted! By my own family and friends!
2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”
If you are a true Christian, you will be persecuted! Because light and darkness cannot coexist.
What happened? I could not preach to them because they would not hear me, but they could see the transformation in my life. In a few years they all started going to church and began to serve the Lord.
In my second year of marriage I started working in a company and stayed there for the next 15 years.
There I also began to be persecuted and rejected because of my lifestyle!
I was different from them, I did not lie, I did not tell dirty jokes, I did not laugh at their dirty jokes, I did not drink, I did not smoke, and for that they mocked and persecuted me.
When I joined this company there were no Christians there, I was the first one! Because of my lifestyle, and how I loved each one of them, they could see Jesus through my life.
After 15 years, more than half of the company had given their lives to Jesus and were serving Him!
Those who did not become Christians, stopped smoking and drinking!
All of this I’m talking about, about my family, my school friends, the company I was working in, I was just a Christian, like you!
I was not a pastor, I was not a leader in the church!
I was just an ordinary Christian who had been born again!
That’s why I said that Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship!
A relationship with God and with the Holy Spirit!
Your relationship with God must touch the lives of the people around you!
Oftentimes people will disagree with you, you may even be persecuted for your faith, but your testimony, your relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit will transform the lives of people around you,
because Love has the power to transforms people’s lives!
The persecution I suffered did not destroy my faith!
The struggles and the criticisms made me grow !
Persecution makes us stronger! The early church grew under much persecution!
If you are a true, authentic Christian, you will be persecuted and criticised!
In all my life, wherever I went; wherever I studied; wherever I lived in; whenever I had to leave and go somewhere else, I left Jesus’ disciples behind. People who were marked by the love of God!
And I was not even a pastor yet!
I repeat: This was not a pastor’s work, this is what any Christian should have done!
The only thing I did was to live the true Christianity that is a relationship with God rather than a religion!
Many people think that serving God is full time ministry!
My beloved, the Bible says that whatever you do, you have to do it with all your heart for the Lord and not for men, not for your boss.
Colossians 3:17, 23-24 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ”
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, it’s all for the glory of God.”
A born-again Christian lives for the Glory of God! Your life will glorify God!
EVERYTHING YOU DO! Every single thing! Eating, drinking, working, studying, it’s all for God!
Wherever you are, at work, in school, on the streets, in the bank, in traffic, you need to be a light in that place, you have to be the salt of the earth!
Now I want to teach in a practical way what I did to make disciples
How did I preach and lead people to Jesus?
How to talk about Jesus?
1 – Before you preach with your mouth, preach with your life!
Your life speaks louder than your words!
Your life must be a showcase, you need to be a good example of a friend, a good example of a student, employee, etc.
People are looking at you: The way you talk, the way you act and react to problems. The way you treat your family, how you treat your spouse, how you take care of your children . The way you deal with your friends.
Your life will be your greatest message! If you do not live a life for Jesus, you have no authority to tell people about Him!
2- Before you preach: Be a servant!
Serve people in need, help your friends at work, at school, volunteer to help people with housework, cleaning their house, help by taking them to the doctor if they need it
3 – Be Generous
Help people in financial need, give them some of your food, bake a cake and bring it to neighbour, clean your neighbour’s yard, cut their grass, offer them a ride, use your car to drive people places, prepare a meal and invite your neighbour to enjoy it with you, be generous!
Matthew 25: 35-36
Matthew 25:40 ” The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ”
Whatever you do to other people you are doing for Jesus! And you will receive His reward!
4. Love people!
Jesus said Love your neighbour as you love yourself!
Love is the most powerful weapon a Christian has to make disciples!
When we love people, God’s love transforms their lives.
The love of God has to flow from your life, from your mouth, your heart, your mind, your eyes.
Love is a person, love has a name, and his name is Jesus Christ!
Does he live in you?
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Beloved, Love are not words! You cannot just say that you love and leave it at that, Love is an attitude!
Religion does not attract people, but the Love of God touches people!
Question?
What comes out of you when you’re around other people? When they confront you, when they criticise you, what comes out of you?
What do they see through your lives?
If we squeeze a pineapple, what is the juice that comes out of the it?
If we squeeze an orange, what juice comes out of the it?
If we were to squeeze Christians, Jesus should be coming out of us! The love of God!
But today if we squeeze Christians we get arrogance, anger , harsh words, lies, lack of forgiveness, gossip, pride, lack of character, lack of compassion.
Christians who are in the same church and do not talk to each other and can’t bring themselves to forgive each other.
Christians are in church but still full of addictions – smoking, drinking, lying – how are you going to preach to other people?
My friends, Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus and in this relationship every day you become more like Jesus!
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ”
True Christianity is your old self dying every day and Jesus living inside you!
It’s Jesus Speaking through your mouth, seeing through your eyes, walking through your feet!
Christianity is stopping living for yourself and living for the glory of God instead!
Do not waste your life! Live for the Glory of God!
Let Christ live in you!
Everything you do! Do it for the Glory of God!
Put all your heart into it! Do your best for God!