Becoming a 1st Century Christian

1^st Century Christianity

Acts 11-17-26

Intro: 

*Looking at today’s “style” of Christianity, you can see that there are some things that need to change.  The term Christian means to be “Christ like”.  I believe we really have lost a true understanding of who Christ is and what He did.  A lot of churches are closing doors and it almost seems like others are competing with others.  Church has become a place where people are more concerned with outward appearance.  They sit on their pews and attend faithfully to the house of God, but never tell others about Christ and they call themselves a Christian.  There are people who give money to the church and that’s all they ever do and call themselves Christians.  We, as a church body, have lost the real meaning of what TRUE Christianity is all about.  Let’s look go back to the beginning of the local church and see what they did to “turn the world upside down”. (Acts 17:6)  In the KJV there are three occurrences where the term Christian is used.  I believe looking at these verses; we can get a better glimpse of what TRUE 1^st century Christianity should be like. It has been said that we cant reach an IPad generation with an 8 track ministry.  While I agree with this statement in regards to reaching this generation, but I believe we need to get back and stay true to the fundamentals of what caused the 1st Century church to grow!

Acts 11:26 – Studied the Word

*“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.”

·         Learned the Word – “Taught much people”

*They were taught the Word of God and were eager to hear it being taught and preached daily.  Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…Rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  These disciples were hungry to learn from the Word of God.  The Bible should be the foundation and base for what we stand on!  How strong are you in the Word of God?

·         Lived the Word – “First called Christians”

*These disciples lived what they learned.  The Bible says in James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

*How often do we, as “Christians”, do things to make ourselves look good?  We do things to make ourselves look good and see what we can gain, instead of doing it because it’s what the Bible says to do in obedience to Christ!

·         Loved the Word – “that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church”

*John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

*These men and women were doing something so big that the news of their actions reached all the way back to Jerusalem.  They loved the Lord and His word. 

Conc:

*Looking at the 1^st century church we can see they had a love for the Word of God.  Where does the Word of God rank in your Christian life?