(Christ-likeness) 11:25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 11:26 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.
28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
There are a number of “So called Christians” all over the world ,they are in every community you could possibly name, and in truth there are even so- called Christians in this room! The Christian name has come across many generations, and I’m sure will never cease to be, however I am convinced that we have mistaken the true Christian for something that means the opposite of what a Christian was intended to mean!
The Bible declares that they were first called Christians at “Antioch” they were called Christians because they acted Christ like, today we have people who hold to the label of the Christian but in truth they are only actor’s pretending to be.
(Anyone who does not do what Christ set out to do is a mere pretender!) Christ went out into the world preaching and teaching, and he commissioned his disciples to do the same, in the passage in Mathew he gave his disciples the charge and the power to do the same, “and they did just that”
So why is it that we have so many Christians who don’t go out and share the good news?
1. Because they have doubt. 2. The have the wrong understanding of worship. 3. Fear “relying on yourself for the results!” 4. We don’t practice the presence of Christ (we think he’s not with us when we go) 5. We have become prejudice toward those that are unsaved. (We think we’re better than others) 6. There is not enough weeping (prayer) 1. Doubt is one of the reasons why a lot of people don’t take Christianity seriously. “Look at the disciples who doubted” they saw what Jesus did, they were witnesses to a lot of them, but yet when it came down to doing something beside worship, they all of a sudden changed their way of thinking even after seeing what he could do!
“ Think about it!” It was all right to sit up under the master and watch him do everything, but when it came down to going and doing, people began to show doubt and disbelief!
(Don’t we do the same thing?) Its alright to praise God and watch the preacher and the committed workers do everything, but when the shout is over, and the preacher ask for a little of your time we find every excuse in the book as to why we cant “ all this is doubting what Jesus said to do “ Go ye therefore!” Some of us need to ask the question what is it therefore? And the answer would be for you to get up off your doubting backside and do the work of the ministry so you could have something more to worship God about!
“ Remember you are the greatest living Miracle” Didn’t he save you? Or did he? 2 Wrong understanding of what worship is. The Bible says they were first called Christians at “Antioch”, they were called that because of the way they acted “it was a nickname” and that nickname identified them with Christ, so if that was the case they must have known people who act like Christ don’t sit up in a building and Worship, worship, worship! They had to have identified them for being out and about trying to tell people about the kingdom. Usually when a person is given a nickname it tells a lot about the person!
It is my belief this is the reason why people in the community don’t want to be Christians “ because they have identified them as people who stay in buildings and pray all the time”! “ Think back to before you got saved and ran the streets, “ Did you want to sit up in some building or did you want to be out and about something? Prayer and praise is good, “ but again what happens after the prayer and praise!”
3. “Fear”: to many Christians are fearful to go, (That comes from trusting in ourselves and not the Holy Spirit) Jesus said all power was given unto him in heaven and earth, but then he turns around and gives us that power! There is no need nor is it time for fear, you and I have been given the power to do what he commissioned us to do! Jesus said: V18 says all power was given to Jesus V19 says make disciples of all nations V20 says your responsible for getting your converts baptized And be sure to teach them to carefully adhere to all Jesus commanded And we are to do this until the rapture! Then he adds a word of warning in verse 20 “ no go no lo” If you don’t go don’t expect the blessings or the presence of Jesus Christ in your ministry!
The word for lo, can be translated to mean, “behold” it, emphasizes the joy of the presence of Jesus Christ.
The emphatic “I” is used meaning the personal presence of Jesus Christ is promised The emphatic “I” is coupled with the verb “I am” what the phrase literally says is “I …I am” this is the same one who sent Moses to pharaoh. Moses said, “Moses ask God who should I say sent me? And God said “I am…” exodus 3:14 Jesus personally walks along side the soul winner “What need do you have to fear?” 4. We don’t go with weeping; all the time we spend in Church and in our private devotion to God praying and praising you would think we would put some shoes on those prayers “ but in truth this is were we miss the mark” we don’t weep for souls of the world, our family’s, and community” the Bible says in Ps.126: 6- He that goeth fourth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
If we would weep a little more for the souls of man, and believe God for the results people would come and want to be Christians because they have been seasoned with the prayers of the saints!
Lets start weeping while were in church and then go out into the community and rejoice with the sinner that have been saved “This is worship at its best”
5. Stop being prejudice; we can not allow prejudices to get in the way of us sharing the message of salvation, we have to remember we were once lost and out there just as they were, you and I weren’t always living for Jesus, some of us were on drugs, whoremongers con artist, and everything they are, we have no right to hold back the gospel because we think where better; your not all that!
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