We have looked at The Meaning of the Word Christian. We discovered that the word Christian was originally used to identify individuals that had believed in Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and had surrendered control of their lives to Him.
Then we looked at The Spirit of the word Christian. We discovered that the Spirit of the word Christian is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, first given on the day of Pentecost. Jesus had come back to live within His disciples to guide and help them.
Today we want to investigate The Actions of the Word Christian. The actions of the word Christian are seen in the Scriptures a long time before the word Christian was ever thought of or used. The Old Testament is rich with accounts of individuals that were so dedicated to God that they were willing to give their lives for what they believed about Him.
Take for example a man named Caleb. Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery by God’s ten plagues. They had crossed the desert and had come to the edge of the land that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. Moses sends spies into the land to prepare for his invasion, and one of those spies is Caleb.
· Num 13.6 – Caleb was from the tribe of Judah.
· Num 13.30 – Caleb, along with Joshua, encouraged the Children of Israel to go in and take the Promised Land even though the other ten spies said it was impossible. You see the other ten spies were looking at their own capabilities, and when they saw the enemy they saw the inadequacy of their own abilities. “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." But Caleb and Joshua were not looking at their own capabilities. They were looking at the promise of God to accomplish His will with His power not with their own abilities.
· Num 14.5-9 – When the Children of Israel rebelled, Joshua and Caleb stood firm on the belief that the Children of Israel needed to go in and take possession of the Promised Land in spite of the obstacles. Caleb and Joshua had a firm belief that God would give Israel the Promised Land just as He had promised. They stood firm in their faith in God.
· Num 14.24, 32.12; Deut 1.36 – Repeatedly the Scripture describe Caleb as a man who followed God wholeheartedly.
If you look at the way Caleb lived his life you will see a man as dedicated to God as any of the apostles that followed Jesus. In Caleb’s life you can see the meaning, Spirit, and actions of a Christian. Not Christian in the sense that he was able to follow Jesus because he lived long before Jesus had come to earth. He was like a Christian in the sense that he followed God wholeheartedly.
Caleb’s life was defined by or hat its meaning by a belief in God’s promises. His belief in those promises brought him to decide to surrender his life to God at any cost.
Caleb’s life was lived out by a spirit that was totally surrendered, he followed God wholeheartedly.
Caleb’s life actions show that he stood firm no matter what was going on around him. What others were saying and doing did not phase Caleb’s actions to do God’s will.
So what are The Actions of the Word Christian?
Remember the list I started to make last week? It was a list of all the things that we begin to think of when we ask ourselves what it is we do to give our lives for Christ in the Spirit of the word Christian. We usually think of things like giving, and doing, and attending, and praying, and witnessing. In talking about the actions of the word Christian we could easily go down that same road. Making a list of do’s and don’ts that would satisfy our need to prove that we are good. We could list things like praying without ceasing, taking our stand for Christ at any cost, putting to death the deeds of the sinful desires, studying to show ourselves approved, and many, many other things. But it would not get us to the heart of the actions of the word Christian. I guess if we want to get the heart or core of what the actions of the word Christian are we need to find a source. Since the word Christian means to be Christ-like, Christ might be our best source. There are so many things that we could look at in the life of Jesus, in fact to get a comprehensive picture of what the actions of the word Christian include would be a worthwhile, life-long study. I choose to look at Matthew 11:1-19. It is Jesus’ encounter with the disciples of John the Baptist.
Matthew 11:1-19 (NIV)
[1] After Jesus had finished
instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in
the towns of Galilee.
[2] When John heard in
prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples [3] to ask him, “Are
you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
[4] Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: [5] The blind
receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. [6] Blessed is the
man who does not fall away on account of me.”
In other words, Jesus wanted
John’s disciples to look at what was actually going on, not what they had heard
others say, not the stories and rumors of this rebel Rabi. Jesus wanted them to
observe the real actions exhibited by His daily life. Jesus wanted them to go
to the source which is always as close as possible to first hand information.
We assume that they spent some time doing just that. After some time of observing
and listening to Jesus they return to report to John who was in prison. Their
report to John about Jesus may well have been the last thing John heard about
Jesus before he was beheaded.
[7] As John's disciples were
leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by
the wind? [8] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine
clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
We need to remember that
things are not always as they seem to be, and they are not always what we are
expecting them to be.
[9] Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you,
and more than a prophet. [10] This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
[11] I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not
risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he. [12] From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of
heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. [13] For all the
Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
[14] And if you are willing to accept it,
he is the Elijah who was to come. [15] He who has ears, let him hear.
Have you ever noticed that
Jesus was always using the phrase, “He who
has ears, let him hear.” Do you ever wonder
why He was always saying it? Do you remember when you were in school and your
teacher would say, “You will see this again.”? What your teacher was trying to
tell you is that you would probably see this again on a test. Jesus was trying
to point out something very important when He used that phrase. Here He was
trying to show them the fulfillment of a great prophecy.
John is a great prophet. Jesus
compares him to Elijah. Now John’s lifestyle is not what anyone would have
expected of the great prophet that would announce Messiah. However, his
lifestyle was not the thing about him that was important. What was important is
that John, in the core of his being, in his heart, and with all of his
strength, followed God wholeheartedly.
In John we have a supreme
example of the action of the word Christian. It is the surrender to God’s will
that brings one to follow and stand for God wholeheartedly. You see it does not
matter what degree from school you might have or what kind of a house you live
in, what really matters is following Christ, no matter what our circumstances
or station in life might be at any given moment.
[16] “To what can I compare this generation? They are like
children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
[17] “‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
[18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He
has a demon.’ [19] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here
is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But
wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
To the world it may seem
unwise to continue in the kind of adverse circumstances like those John lived
in, but John was following God and in that, is wisdom. You see it was wise for
John to follow God’s will even though it was controversial. That controversy
was the very thing that brought people to listen to him as he announced the
Messiah.
The Actions of the Word Christian have nothing to do with our station in this life. They are governed by the plan of Almighty God. This passage shows us how John and Jesus, both living different kinds of lives, are tied together by the plan of God for man’s salvation. John lives out the life of a dedicated servant of God with abstinence and self denial, and the religious leaders accuse him of being demon possessed. Jesus lives out the life of an evangelist, associating with the sinners of his day to show them the love of God, and the religious leaders accuse Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus lived His life as a friend of sinners instead of a friend of the religious elite.
The Actions of the Word Christian were different for these two men but only on the surface. In the core of their being their actions were the same, they were both living out the actions of almighty God as those actions flowed from within them. Let's look at their lives for a moment.
John’s Life:
Luke 1:64-66 (NIV) [Speaking of Zechariah and his son John the Baptist]
[64] Immediately his mouth
was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
[65] The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill
country of Judea people were talking about all these things. [66] Everyone
who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to
be?” For the Lord's hand
was with him.
Luke 1:76-79 (NIV)
[76] And you, my child, will
be called a prophet of the
Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
[77] to give his people the
knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
[78] because of the tender
mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
[79] to shine on those
living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 3:2-3 (NIV)
[2] during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. [3] He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus’ Life:
Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)
[16] As soon as Jesus was baptized,
he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. [17] And a voice
from heaven said, “This is
my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John 10:21-30 (NIV)
[21] But others said, “These
are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of
the blind?”
[22] Then came the Feast of Dedication at
Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and Jesus was in the temple area walking in
Solomon's Colonnade. [24] The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
[25] Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in
my Father's name speak for me, [26] but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. [27] My sheep listen
to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
[28] I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who
has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my
Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are
one.”
Most of the people did not
believe Jesus because of the miracles He did. These were not The Actions of the
Word Christian that made the biggest difference because these kinds of actions
can be faked. Even the disciples were not sure of Jesus at times. But when they
truly believed that He was the Christ, Messiah, then they were willing to give
their lives for the cause of Christ. Christ’s actions flowed out of His
relationship with the Heavenly Father. “I and the Father are one.” This is what
the disciples had to believe. Once they believed that and allowed God to become
one with them by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God, then they
too were able to live out The Actions of the Word Christian.
The Actions of the Word
Christian defy definition except as a description of something already done
because we never know how God is going to work in any given situation or any
given moment. The Actions of the Word Christian are the Spirit of God flowing
out of the lives of those who have believed in Jesus Christ and have
surrendered their lives to His Holy Spirit. Anything else is only self effort
and usually accomplishes very little if anything at all.
I want to close my sermon this morning with a video clip. As you watch this clip keep in mind what it has to say about The Actions of the Word Christian. You see The Actions of the Word Christian flow from deep within us. They flow out of a reservoir that goes way beyond our personal abilities. They flow from the reservoir of God’s almighty power working within us and flowing out of us. Look at how God uses this man.
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/ (01/13/09)
The Actions of the Word Christian are not something we do they are something that God does through us and He will do great things if we will allow Him. He is not restricted by our limited abilities. The Actions of the Word Christian are the actions of God flowing out of the life of a surrendered individual. They are not something we can predict or orchestrate; they are something that God works out in our lives. If this man, who has had no arms or legs from his birth, can find a way to serve the King of kings, surely any of us can serve Him. It is time that we do something different.
· Some of us need to quit doing things in our own strength and power. We need to allow God to work through us in His way.
· Some of us need to stop thinking that we can do nothing for the Kind of kings because we have no education, skills, or abilities. Instead, we need to surrender and allow Him to work through us no matter what our limitations might be.
· Some of us have not started on the journey in our relationship with Christ. The time is now. We need only come to Him just as we are, and believe, and surrender.
Let us pray, please stand.
CWS-NT - Complete Word Study of the New Testament.
CWS-OT - Complete Word Study of the Old Testament.
- Both the CWS-NT and the CWS-OT
are parts of the AMG Complete Word Study Dictionary - Based on the lexicon of
Edward Robinson (as revised by Alexander Negris and John Duncan), with constant
reference to and citations from the works of John Parkhurst and Hermann Cremer.
Jim Elliott. 2 January 2009. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 01 January 2009 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliott]
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. rev. ed. New York: Touchstone, 1952.
NIV – The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Pritchard, Ray. “Why we Keep Believing.” E-mail to David G. Bostick. 11 August, 2008.
Through Gates of Splendor. 23 December 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 1 January 2009 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_Gates_of_Splendor]