Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts Series #19

Back to the Beginning:

When Church was Church

*What Makes a Great Church?*

*Acts 11:26*

 

 

Let's remember, last week Peter got word from God that not only could he eat whatever he wanted and all the Lobster lovers said "amen" - and the Pork Chop lovers too!

But also that the Gospel was for EVERYONE that relationships with every person under heaven were expected and acceptable that Gentiles were NOT unclean but were welcome into the Kingdom of God

 

Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, and his whole family and friends, receive Christ and Peter stays with them for some time

 

Well … Peter may have gotten this vision, and Peter may have had this experience, but the people back HOME just got the "word of mouth" version.

So, let's just Read most of chapter 11

 

Read 11:1-26

 

/They were called Christians FIRST at Antioch/

 

Let's break this down a bit

 

What Makes a Church Great?

Give me some answers …

 

No the answer I'm looking for is not Jesus … though we can't do anything without him.

The answer I'm asking for is not GOD, though HE is our very life and no one comes accept the Father draws them

 

The word …

 

Christians

 

Here, In Antioch, was the first place where people were called Christians.

What makes a great church?

Blood bought

Forgiven

Spirit Filled

Christians

 

What makes a church great?

Christians - DUH

 

But I'm convinced that part of the problem with the Church in America  today is our churches are full of too few Christians.

However, I'm convinced that if the church is full of CHRISTIANS, REAL Christians, it will BE what a church is supposed to be

 

If a church is full of Real Christians, it will draw attention to the church and will lift up Christ and Christ will draw men, women, boys and girls to himself

 

A church full of Christians will draw

Seekers

Watchers

Christians  but also

Skeptics

Harassers

Persecutors

 

So, these people following Jesus were FIRST called Christians in Antioch.

By the way, more on this later, but the word Christian is only used in 3 places in the scripture.

Here

In Acts 26

And in 1 Peter 4

 

What makes a Great Church?

I ask that question because I found in my studies this week that, not only was this the first place, where believers were called Christians, but Antioch became the place of a GREAT Metropolitan Church!

So let's answer some questions

 

Question #*1* is …

 

*1.

Where?* …

… Were they called Christians

 

  *A*.

*Antioch* -

    1.

founded by Seleucus I Nicator, son of Antiochus.

He was one of the 4 Generals who divided Alexander the Great's Kingdom

    2.

It is today in Turkey

    3.

It was the 3rd greatest city in the Roman empire after Rome and Alexandria was a large metropolis with 4 Large Walls and a large High Outer wall.

It was a diverse city with people from all over the world including a large Jewish immigrant population.

It was a city of every form of wickedness known to the world.

*B*.

The *Church*

    1.

It became the seat of a great church

    2.

The gospel of Matthew is believed to have come out of Antioch as the home base for Matthew and was written to give a narrative as a foundation for the Antiochene  church striving to identify and defend itself as not just another Jewish sect.

    3.

Ignatius became the great Pastor of the church at Antioch.

Under his leadership, a church structure developed that has affected the church greatly.

It was a 3 tiered leadership structure

      a.

One Bishop - Lead Pastor - Senior Pastor

      b.

a Council of Elders - staff and overseers

      c.

Deacons - to serve and lead

    4.

Ignatius was perhaps the first of Martyrs in the Coliseum in Roman thrown to the wild animals

    5.

John Chrysostom was the Pastor at Antioch in the late 4th Century and some of his writings say that the church had grown to 100,000 Christians

    6.

The Church at Antioch became the leader and base for great Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach, sending Paul on his 1st two missionary journeys.

It was a great church because it was a church filled with Christians empowered by and surrendered to the Spirit of God

 

So they were called Christians first in ANTIOCH … that's the WHERE

But that brings us to a 2nd Question

 

*2.

Who?*

Not who were the Christians, but WHO called them Christians

 

  *A*.

The *Followers* of *Jesus*?

NO, They called themselves

1.   Believers

2.   Brethren

3.   Disciples

4.   Saints

5.

Those of the Way

6.

The Faithful

 

  *B*.

The *Jews*?

No, they called them

1.   Nazarenes

2.   Galileans

  *C*.

Then *WHO*?

 

    1.

They were called Christians by a watching, curious, skeptical, jealous, scandalized, pagan World

 

    2.

The people of Antioch were known for their sarcastic humor, they were known for attaching nicknames of derision to those outside their socially accepted groups.

3.

They were known as people who wanted to set the tone not be told what to do by Rome or anyone else

 

    4.

The word is used 3 times, as I said, all three times by Pagans, Heathens

 

    5.

The word was used by the World to define this new group of people that were unlike anything that they had experienced before in a religious fellowship of people

 

    6.

As a church, we can define ourselves all we want, but our reputation with the Watching World will determine who we are KNOWN to be

 

This fulfills the prophesy of Is 66:2 /The nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow/