CHURCH DISCIPLES CHRISTIANS
A. Acts 11:26. This verse, with its background context, is one
of the most interesting and important
texts in the New Testament. These verses describe the coming of
the church to Antioch. It all
began in Acts 8:1, with the death of Stephen, the first Christian
martyr: On that day a great
persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all
except the apostles were scattered
throughout Judea and Samaria. Acts 11:19-21. tells us, Those
who had been scattered by the
persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus and Antioch,
preaching the Gospel message only to Jews. Some of them, however,
men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak
to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.
The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed
and turned to the Lord. These verses will help us to understand
what the Lords church is. Most of the disagreements and
divisions that have plagued the church world have
stemmed from misunderstandings about the nature of the church.
Three very important words are used in Acts 11:26 Those
three words are church, disciple, and Christian. Without an understanding
of these, three words we cannot understand what the church is.
(2) Begin with the word Church. Do so by considering the elements
that were sufficient for the church to come into being in Antioch:
#1, There was Communication of an understandable and
obey-able message, Vs. 20. - #2, The focus of that
message was on the Lord Jesus, Vs. 20. - #3, There
were Persons who evaluated the credibility of the message and
believed, Vs. 21. - #4, There were Persons who, on
the basis of belief in Jesus Christ turned to the Lord,
Vs. 21.
a. These are the same elements that we find in the coming of the
church to Jerusalem. You can read
about it in Acts 2:1-47. These are the same elements that we find
in the comong of the church
to Samaria. You can read about it in Acts 8:4-8,12.
(A) Now lets consider what is not in this record: #1, It
is not an institutional body claiming
unbroken succession of authority back to Christ Himself.
- #2, It is not an organization
through which believers must indirectly approach Christ. - #3,
It is not a linkage of
congregations to a denominational organization and hierarchy.
- #4, It is not an
ordained clergy who oversees the structure and doctrine
of the church, Etc., etc. It is
none of these things. In fact, most of the things the denominational
world assumes to be
essential to the nature of a church is absent from the New Testament
record of actual
churches appearing in places like Jerusalem, Samaria and Antioch.
(1) The single most basic misunderstanding of the church
in the world of
denominationalism is the institutional concept of the church.
Men have made the
church into an institution that is governed and controlled by
a hierarchy who have
made their own rules and regulations with indifference to what
Gods Word says.
(a) But the church came to Antioch when the truth about Jesus
Christ came there.
It came into existence when some honest people heard this truth,
believed it,
and turned to the Lord by obeying the instructions
included in it. The church
is the product of truth being proclaimed and accepted. Rom. 10:17,
Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That is
illustrated in
Acts 6:7. The more Gods word was preached, the more people
heard its
message, and believed it and obeyed it and so the number of disciples
increased and even many priests, who heard the Word preached obeyed
the
Word. To have faith means to obey what God tells you. Thats
how the church
began in Jerusalem.
(1) Rom 1:5. The preaching of the Gospel out side of Jerusalem
was to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience
that comes from faith. Thats what happened in Antioch.
Thats how the church began in that city.
(3) Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Spiritual purification
and sanctification comes in exactly the same way. 1 Pet. 1:22.
...you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.
What truth? Gods Word that is preached to lost people. Jno.
17:17. Jesus prayed, Father...sanctify them by the truth;
your word is truth.
You hear the Word of God preached. You believe it and do what
it tells you to do. That means you have obeyed the truth taught
you about your spiritual condition.
When you obey that gospel God forgives you sins and sanctifies
your soul. The preaching of the Gospel is God calling you to salvation.
When you hear and obey that call, you become one who is added
to Christs church.
(4) The people who were the church in Antioch were
not affiliated with anything resembling a modern denominationalism.
They were merely disciples learners or followers
of Christ. Their discipleship depended on their adhering
to Christs truth.
(1) To be a disciple you must hear and obey the teaching of Christ.
Lk. 6:46. Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and
do not do the things which I say? The apostle John tells
us, Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine
of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of
Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 Jno. 9.
(a) Once you believe and obey Christs truth, as revealed
in the Bible your faith and
subsequent practice will be identical to that of any of Christs
churches elsewhere.
(1) Denominationalism (divided Christianity) did not appear until
years later when men decided to distinguish them selves from one
another and when it happened it was severely condemned. 1 Cor.
10-15; 11:18: 12:25; Rom. 16:17. Only one thing determines your
discipleship to Jesus. Your relationship to the truth of His teaching.
(2) The Lords disciples were first called Christians
at Antioch. This is all they were they were not hyphenated
Christians (Baptist-Christians, Methodist-Christians, Catholic-Christians,
etc.) Today, people talk about founding churches,
joining churches, the church of their choice.
That kind of language would have been neither understood, nor
tolerated in Jerusalem, Samaria or Antioch.
(1) These people wore the Lords name and only the Lords
name to indicate their relationship to Him as His people. cf.
1 Pet. 4:16. In Acts 11:21, It says, They had turned
to the Lord. They didnt turn to the teaching of men
or denominations. Have you turned to the Lord? Of what church
have you become a member? Whose disciple are you?
Are you anything more or less than a Christian? Why
not obey the same gospel the people in Antioch did and
be the same thing they were?
(2) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 02/16/03 pm
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