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  A CHRIST LIKE CHURCH
  by Keith Malcomson
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Summary: This sermon focuses on the Antioch Church as a model for a
Christ-like church, emphasizing the importance of teaching, discipline,
and evangelism leading to Christ-likeness. The disciples in Antioch were
called Christians by the city after a year of being taught, showing the
impact of a disciplined and Christ-centered lifestyle on the world
around them.

Duration: 1:11:51 Topics: "Discipleship", "Impact of a Christ-Centered Community"
Scripture References: Acts 11:26, James 1:22, 1 Corinthians 9:27, John 6:66, Acts 11:20

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon focuses on the Antioch Church as a model for a Christ-like
church, emphasizing the importance of teaching, discipline, and
evangelism leading to Christ-likeness. The disciples in Antioch were
called Christians by the city after a year of being taught, showing the
impact of a disciplined and Christ-centered lifestyle on the world
around them.

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CONTENT
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Praise God. We're going to go to the fourth message in our series on the
Antioch Church and we're looking at it as a picture, a type of God's
vision for LCC. I believe in Antioch and I've thought this for years.

This has been my burden for some years. I preached it before as a
singular message that Antioch is or holds a vision for us as a local
church and so we've already in part one we looked at Antioch as an
evangelistic church, then secondly as a gifted church and church with
dynamic, gifted, God-given ministry. Then third of all that we looked at
last week was a culturally diverse church but here in part four as we
turn to Acts chapter 11 reading from verse 22 to verse 26 I want to go
further here to a wonderful message here tonight, a Christ-like church
reading from Acts chapter 11 verse 22.

Then tidings of these things came on to the ears of the church which was
in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as
Antioch who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and
exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the
Lord for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and
much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus
for to seek Saul 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 I want you to notice the next two sentences with the church
and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch. My message here tonight as we go to the word of God a Christ-
like church let's pray together.

Father we love you we bless you we submit to you tonight we can only
resist the evil one we can only resist the lion the devourer of your
saints oh God. Lord God when we're submitted to you when we're under
authority now we do that even in the preaching of the word tonight. Lord
God we stand here to fight against the adversary the enemy oh God that
would come oh God against every member of this body and even those
online even those that would nor God watch us later nor God we stand
against the evil one the lion the serpent the deceiver the liar the
opposer that my God we do it under the sovereign Lord God control of the
Lord Jesus Christ.

My God we want to be Christ-like tonight we want to be Christians
tonight nor God we want to be followers of Christ we want to be loyal to
Christ we want to be disciples of Christ and oh God impact our lives
tonight nor God make us a Christ-centered people nor God make us
preachers of Christ nor God make us to live out the life of Christ and
let Christ live his life in us and through us we do want a manifestation
of Christ-likeness in this city of limerick in this dark evil to pray
generation Lord God let us as your church be marked with Christ-likeness
in Jesus name amen amen praise God a Christ-like church let me read that
again verse 26 and he when he had found him that is born of his find in
Saul he brought him on to Antioch and it came to pass that a whole year
they assembled themselves with the church look at the context of this
and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch I want you to see here in these first few verses that when
Barnabas came to Antioch and seeing what God was doing in saving lives
changing lives he could see the grace of God changing lives impacting
them he didn't return to Jerusalem the apostles sent him the church of
Jerusalem sent him to Antioch but when he's seen God's grace when he's
seen God moving amongst the Gentiles in an amazing way pagans
unbelievers uncircumcised he didn't return to the apostles he didn't
return to the mother church Jerusalem he didn't return to those that
sent him he didn't send a letter he didn't send back for advice what did
he do he didn't go back to the mega revival church in Jerusalem with its
12 apostles he didn't do that what did he do he instead of going south
or turning his face south he turned his face north further than Antioch
do you know what came into his mind I need to find Saul of Tarsus that
rather hot potato that they sent back to Tarsus that hot potato that was
too hot for the 12 apostles and the entire Jerusalem church Barnabas
went looking for this man who no one had seen in about six years not
back to the apostles to say what do I do now but he went looking for
this lone preacher not an apostle at this stage this isolated preacher
who had gone back to his hometown so he goes looking 80 miles to the
north to Tarsus and do you know what was in the heart of Barnabas no
ministry is complete in itself no real god-given preacher with any
wisdom or any sense thinks he's an island or thinks that he has
everything in himself you don't and the more grace that's upon you the
more ability the more gift and the more wisdom the more you recognize
other giftons other columns and the need for other ministries you
actually realize that you understand what ministry is about show me a
ministry that needs no one else that is a bankrupt ministry it's a very
narrow ministry but Barnabas wasn't he had a large heart he had a large
vision and you know what when he's seen God move amongst the Gentiles he
said I need Saul you know why Saul had a calling on his life to preach
the word of God to the Gentiles to reach the Gentile nations with the
gospel of Jesus Christ that's why he went and got him and he returned
then with Saul and Saul began to assist them for one year we're told
here that once they got back there once they had found Saul once he had
convinced them you need to come to Antioch and they returned together
they started ministry let me just remind you before I go into my four
points here about a Christ-like church let me remind you what Antioch
was like caravans flowed into this mega city from Asia Minor from Persia
from India and even from China remember this city was right on the Silk
Road all trade from all nations from all languages flowed through here
it was actually the meeting place between east and west and let me just
say this here tonight it was the meeting place of all religions all the
religions all the traditions all the practices of east flowed into this
city all the religions all the gods all the myths of the west of Athens
of Rome all flowed into this city in other words this city was the
meeting place of all religions all statues all gods all mythology it
literally poured in here from east and west and in fact from all nations
all directions and all cities it was the key center of diversity and
religion you see religious diversity and tolerance marked this entire
city there was a merger in this city on the same streets every single
street in this city there was a merger of every sort of religious ethos
and belief that you can imagine in fact Antioch is depicted in old
murals as a heathen goddess this city was called the heathen queen that
was the name of this city and Antioch depicted as a crowned mother
goddess with a river under her feet her feet on top of that river the
mother goddess she was the mother goddess she embodied religion herself
and when you go into the history of Antioch you find that it was
originally founded as a shrine dedicated to the mother goddess Anna and
again all religion converged on here when you begin to look into the
city it was a pagan city typifying the new age of our entire past
generation the new age is a merger of all religions all types of
teaching all types ideas that's what today's new age is it is ancient
paganism revived in our generation and i want to tell you the new age is
coming back like a torrential rain do you realize old paganism is
reviving in all of our nations all the old gods are arising all the same
ways of thinking in my lifetime have had a revival all the old gods are
beginning to be worshipped again by a whole new young generation and in
fact a young generation don't think it's strange my generation thought
it was illogical was crazy was a fad but that younger generation now
thinks it's normal Antioch was filled with divination healing cults
idolatry on every street horoscopes marked every single home and each
street that you went on to it portrayed a complicated mixture of greco-
roman of egyptian of persian and of syrian deity all of this mixed up on
every single street you couldn't avoid it statues of goddesses and gods
from every nation were on the streets of that city it was a religious
city it was a religious center it was dominated by religion they
believed in deity they believed in the supernatural they believed in
healing they believed that you could touch god in prayer almost everyone
in the city believed that even the roman emperors raised up a great
temple in the middle of the city julius caesar put a statue there to be
worshipped by the masses and to give adoration to him and to sacrifice
to him i want you to see this was a pluralistic religious society a
merger of every religion dominated the city contending for the hearts of
men and women there was nothing in the entire ancient world from china
to rome that wasn't there or should i say gaul and britain i can tell
you all the gods of the ancient world found a home in this city but what
did christ do christ came to raise up his house right in the midst of
that christ came to build his church right in the midst of that
religious confusion don't think that the 21st century is so different
than any other generation all we're seeing is what happened in the first
generation and i want to tell you it's time for a christ-like church
i've got four points i want to preach on here tonight first of all this
is my first point on a christ-like church or the church in antioch being
a christ-like church this is my first point the meaning of the name
christian the meaning such an abused name in this hour look at verse 26
what it says at the end of verse 26 and the disciples were called
christians first in antioch do you realize here in acts 11 26 is the
first ever use of the name christian do you realize it was an antioch
the name christian was used for the very first time not in jerusalem not
in samaria not in galilee not many other city it was antioch was the
very first place this was the very first time it was a certain time not
two years before this not a year before this not two years after it it
happened at a certain time when certain things were happening and so the
meaning of the name christian they were called who were called the
disciples were called christians first in antioch there had always been
disciples since the day of pentecost they had been spreading across
towns cities and nations but this is the first time the disciples of
christ are called christians until now the christians are had referred
to themselves as disciples jesus had called them disciples they knew
themselves or self-identified as a disciple of christ they were called
believers they had faith in christ they're called brethren they're
brothers and sisters joined together out of an experience with christ
they're called saints or holy ones they're known by the name the way or
the church of god these are all names that they used of themselves i am
a believer i am a disciple i'm a brother in christ they called
themselves all of these things and the christians in the empire had only
until this very point be considered a jewish sect many many of them were
just thought to be another form of judaism another off branch of judaism
until this very time then they got a unique identity a unique religious
identity you see christian the term or the name christian only occurs
three times in our new testament the first time is here in acts 11 26
and when any word in the bible is used for the first time take careful
note of it you're going to find everything you need to know about it
there it's called the law of first mention in other words you find the
first time something is mentioned in the bible it is very very important
it begins to reveal to you something about it and when we go here we
have the name christian the second time we have it mentioned is in acts
26 28 and it is king agrippa saying to paul in prison almost thou
persuadest me to be a christian i want you to notice something it's not
a christian calling themselves a christian it is a pagan king actually
using the name notice again 1 peter chapter 4 verse 16 peter uses it
when he says when he talks to christians and says when you suffer as a
christian or for being a christian do you realize only three times it is
used in our bible and all three times it is used by the world of the
church not by the church itself it's not a name given by god or the
church calling themselves christian when you come here to acts chapter
11 and to the place called antioch look what it says and the disciples
were called christians the word called there means to be uttered or to
bear a name or to be given a name you see they didn't call themselves
christians the jews did not remember there's 40 000 jews in the city
they didn't call them christians you know how i know that because
christians the word christ is in it which means anointed one it's the
old testament messiah no true jew would call jesus the man of nazareth
messiah or else they give him the place of deity they would never do
that so the jews didn't give it to them the christians didn't call
themselves by the name christian so what happened i actually believe
that it was this local multicultural community of gentile idolatrous
pagans that gave the name christians the church the disciples were
called christians first in antioch they were called it they didn't call
themselves it but you know what the people in antioch began to call them
by the name christians they didn't invent it themselves it didn't come
from the apostles it actually come from this religious city they began
to call them christian you know what when you study the history of
antioch you see that they were notorious famous for giving people
nicknames groups of people they would call them nicknames in fact they
were very famous and well known for their wit or their mockery and so
they would study a group of people or a religion or a sect or some
soldiers and they would coin or invent a name for them and so this is
what happened was the pagan idolatrous religious people of antioch they
actually created the name christians you know for an entire century no
christian in writing ever called themselves christian for a hundred
years after this no christian writer talks about the church being
christians not a one of them not in record but you know what from about
98 a.d the end of the first century all the roman empires talk about the
church being christians it was used by sinners by pagans by other
religions we were called christians we were named by this world
christians you ought to wear that name with honor but i tell you we
didn't create it we didn't invent it it didn't come out of scripture the
holy spirit didn't give it it was a name that was actually given to us
and you know what it came through study through pagan religions watching
us and as they watched the first christians the first disciples in
antioch they said there's no other name that we can possibly give them
than this name christian and so they were identified by this name they
could see the sudden rise of a new group in their city it wasn't like
other groups in fact it was a new culture it was a new religion and
these disciples were separate from every other religion they weren't
just another jewish sect they didn't merge with everyone else in fact
they weren't tolerant of other religions at all they were radical they
were separate they were unique they were opposed to all of the gods and
all of the teachings of the city and so they drew attention at that time
in a very real way it was very obvious that these disciples had a common
identity in other words if you find a real disciple of jesus you had to
put them under this common name christian christian there's no other
name you could give them because they actually showed that they were had
a common culture a common language a common lifestyle a common way of
thinking a common way of speaking and so they identified themselves very
obviously and visibly they had a lifestyle that identified them in a
very open way let me tell you what this name christians means christians
the word christians or in the greek it is christianus christianus it is
a greek name with a latin ending do you hear that it's a greek name it's
christ christ was a hebrew name an old testament name the anointed one
remember christ means anointed one it's in the old testament so it's a
hebrew name but this is actually its greek translation christ but see
the end the young in christian christian that yen is actually a latin
ended or it comes from the roman empire so you've got greek you've got
hebrew you've got latin or you've got roman a whole mixture here now
this joining of christ yen i want you to notice for a second that yen
part or as it is in the greek annos this annos was often used by roman
soldiers in the roman army and if they had a general they would take the
name of the general and they would call themselves an annos or a
follower of that particular general in other words here's an example
caesar anion so caesar and then they would add this young's term at the
end which meant a follower of that caesar or the jews actually done this
in their own land of israel so you have you read the bible and you find
a group called herodians yens herod yens do you know what that meant
soldiers loyal to herod devoted to herod followers of herod under the
leadership of herod they belong to herod they are marching as an army so
to be a yin means to belong to listen this carefully to be associated
with or connected to a person it means that you identify yourself
completely absolutely in your person to that one general to that one
person to his teaching his practice his campaign even to the point of
death so everyone everything else is excluded you have only one loyalty
and that's to that general or to the person of christ to be a christian
meant that you submit to christ you are loyal to christ you have no
other loyalty no split loyalties there's not room to have two yin's you
can only be one yin what are you yin to that is the key question here
who are you loyal to who are you sworn to who are you devoted to and you
know what you look at the teaching of the general you look at the
character of the general the campaign or the mission of the general then
you find out who these yin's are they get their entire identity from
this one person so to identify yourself completely with this person his
teaching practices campaign you are a zealot for this person now notice
with me these uncircumcised born again gentiles in the city of antioch
these believers so talked incessantly about jesus christ about jesus
being the christ they so embodied it they so took on his mission his
character his nature his message everything that they were merely seen
as christians they could be recognized as that i'm not just talking
about a mere name or title here i'm talking about someone being
identified as a christian as one absolutely loyal to the lord jesus
christ to the coming messiah they named by what they saw in them the
antiochian citizens they're going to name you by how you speak by you
how you act by your devotion by your attitude how you sacrifice what you
live for they'll watch you carefully they'll name you accurately and
they coined they created this name christian the disciples were named
christians first in antioch first it was this idolatrous religious city
that looked and said huh use our christians see you bunch every time we
meet one of you we walk away from the conversation and we go they're
radically loyal to this man called christ we don't know much about
christ but when we look at them we hear his message you see we can't see
christ we can't feel christ we were in jerusalem we didn't see him die
on the cross but these little christians when we come in touch with them
they say the same thing they live the same thing they believe the same
thing you see we as the church have diversity and unity we are very
diverse you're a very diverse bunch in the church i want to tell you but
we have unity we are christians christians because of the manner of the
disciples life of their conduct as followers of jesus the population of
antioch nicknamed them christians they carried something of his
character and they lived out his message as lord of their individual
lives so that's my first point tonight the meaning of the christians
that's what we see in this singular verse the meaning of the name
christians so here's an entire church all these disciples for the first
time they're being called christians they actually reveal themselves to
be christians they are living out the message of the lord jesus christ
let's go a bit further here my second point teaching now i want you to
hear this teaching leads to christ likeness look at verse 26 again look
what Saul and Barnabas are actually doing remember when Barnabas goes
get Saul he returns to Antioch what do they do then verse 26 and taught
much people for one entire year one entire year and it came to pass that
a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much
people one entire year Saul arrives in the city they teach for one
entire year at the end of that year they're called christians by the
city do you see this is in context the name christian has a context what
happens before it what leads in in the year before they are ever called
christian what happened uniquely here why they're called christian it
says they taught much people and the disciples were called christians
what's my second teaching leads to christ likeness do you see how it
says Saul and Barnabas taught much people these people were called
disciples they're already disciples but at the end of the year under
this process of being discipled are being taught they are then named by
unsaved people christians that teaching had such impact that they had to
be called christians the impact of being taught the word of god actually
led to them being called christians and what i mean by christians i mean
christ likeness christ likeness to be a christian means you're christ-
like if you don't speak like christ and think like christ and decide
like christ and follow christ and walk in the love of christ and obey
the commands of christ you're not a christian you're not a christian
you're not identified with your baptismal certificate i'm afraid to tell
you you're not identified by just being called born again you're
actually identified by your likeness to jesus if you're not like jesus
tonight you are not a christian tonight if you don't speak like him walk
like him follow him you're not a christian if you don't have a cross on
your shoulder tonight you are not a christian if you're not denying
yourself and following christ you are not a christian and so it says
that they taught them teaching leads to christ likeness look at this
word taught both of them it's the word greek word did a did a school it
means to teach in such a way that someone learns do you hear what i just
said you teach in such a way that someone learns real biblical teaching
is not just teaching if no one gets taught i have not taught the word of
god listen to me i i want your ears tonight if you don't live out what
gets preached in this pulpit i have failed i am not a bible teacher do
you hear me another word so this taught much people i haven't taught
anyone if you don't become christlike if you don't become the message if
the word of god doesn't penetrate your heart i have failed as a bible
teacher and i'm called to teach the word of god i want to tell you but
i'm not here to impart information i'm not here to fill in wednesday
nights and sunday mornings that is not my purpose you see today in the
church we've created theologians we've created a title that is not a
biblical title we've created positions in seminars bible college called
a theologian or a professor of theology what do you mean by that oh they
sit in a classroom and they teach the all the theology they're
professors what is theology in their book the knowledge or teaching
about god let me give you a quote from one of my heroes of the faith his
name is called william ames he was an english man born in 1576 but he
moved to holland the netherlands and become one of the first preaching
puritans he become a giant of a man he was the first of the puritans he
gave birth to puritans puritanism all over the netherlands and all over
england he was a ginormous man a godly man i once showed brother clinton
and this quote in his book and brother clinton stole my book i never
seen it again can't decide to buy me another one but listen this quote
he defines what theology is theology true theology is the doctrine or
teaching of living unto god do you hear what i'm saying real biblical
teaching or theology is the teaching of how to live for god in god
according to god's word if you don't live this out it's not biblical
teaching it's not biblical ministry and i want you to see this that at
antioch saul of tarsus and barnabas from cyprus they taught the word of
god week in week out for one entire year and it led all those disciples
many of them masses of them into christ likeness in fact all you could
do at the end of that first year one year one year what have you done
with the past year of teaching do you realize how much teaching the word
of god should impact your life in one year one year not 10 years not 30
years one single year there's something wrong when we have christians 30
years and they don't become more christ-like there's something wrong
either it's a pulpit or it's in the hearts it's in the people sitting
listening learning taking notes but not becoming more christ-like god
help us we are wasting our time if that's what our church life is you
see teaching leads to christ-likeness if teaching and preaching does not
raise up christians christ-like disciples who are visibly marked by
their association dedication imitation and devotion to christ in a way
that sinners can see and a city takes note of we have failed something
is wrong something is hindering the word of god if you're satisfied to
hear the word of god week after week after week and yet you never change
or if you're actually satisfied with that there is something terribly
wrong either i haven't communicated right i'm failing in what i'm doing
or else there's a problem with you in your heart that's very serious
there's something in this you see a gifted teacher does not merely
impart knowledge and information he raises up taught ones that's what
the word teach means it means to actually make people learners to raise
up taught ones that's why a teacher needs a lot of patience that's why
he needs a lot of the love of god because if what he teaches gets
forgotten neglected missed rejected do you realize how devastating that
is that the word of god does not find a rich soil it is a terrible thing
notice in this verse there are two men teaching it says that they taught
much people barnabas is a prophet but he's teaching do you say prophets
teach the church of god oh no prophets prophesy who told you that who
told you for an entire year this prophet barnabas was in the church
teaching the church in a way that led that church to christ likeness if
a prophet is in the church teaching the church they're going to become
christ-like paul or saul as he was named at this point saul was actually
a bible teacher he was gifted as a bible teacher what is the fruit of
teaching the word of god for a year you produce christ likeness and so
you have here in this church for a period of one year you have two
preachers two men teaching the word of god one gifted as a prophet one
gifted as a bible teacher and they're both teaching the church and it
produces a christ-like church or a group of people who are called by the
world out there they're christians they're devoted to christ they're
loyal to christ they're they can't stop talking about the messiah jesus
christ it is beautiful saints of god that you see that these two men you
know today in the church there's groups in the church that say oh these
one-man ministries these men who stand in a pulpit we can all teach
we're all called to minister we're we all have the ability to teach the
word of god we should all be sharing they don't like pulpit ministry
they hate it when we went to martin jones church the the guy almost uh
choked to actually tell us about the pulpit i wanted a photograph um in
in the pulpit of martin jones a great preacher who impacted his
generation so the guy took me up there the guys looked through the glass
with envy i seen i seen them dribbling out of either side of their mouth
as though watch me get a photograph in martin jones pulpit and i said
can my friends come get a photograph as well and you know the guy down
plate you see they didn't preach up there they they actually brought a
nice little uh didgeridoo down amongst the people and said oh we don't
believe being up there in the pulpit we're just one of the people we
minister in their level that was their generation what a disaster you
know we we live in a church generation they're against men standing in
the pulpit preaching only two men standing preaching teaching everyone
where's the other preachers and teachers only two men for an entire year
but you know what i want to tell you at the end of that year there were
christians in that city all over everybody knew that there's christians
much people not just a select small elite group and you need to hear
this you see christians were produced if you only had a small bunch of
elite carefully chosen people then you could maybe say yes christians
but no this was hundreds thousands of people out of every background out
of every culture every religion in that city every form of sin every age
male and female young and old out of every sort of home and background
out of every tragedy do you hear what i'm saying you're talking about
thousands thousands of people coming out of that city and at the end
after being taught the they are called christians these are new converts
fresh out of the world can you imagine the marriage problems can you
imagine the terrible sins and addictions they were involved in i
guarantee there's people sitting there used to be temple prostitutes in
other words they religiously gave their body over to men every single
day of their life now after a year they're called christians are christ-
like are devotees of the lord jesus christ something is really happening
much people are being taught teaching leads to christ-likeness you see
there's a secret of a christ-like church antioch was a christ-like
church i want us to be a christ-like church the teaching has to be more
the mere hearing of information or debate and discussion over theology
or talking about prophecy and end days you know i've talked on the great
reset and prophetic things and i love to do that and i've got so much
more to say but i'm going to deal with families in this hour you know
people want me to talk about well what what's happening with the great
reset what's going to happen in the next year i want to tell you i'm in
the will of god preaching on marriages at this particular time that's
the greatest way for you to be prepared as a church for the great reset
and all that's coming in our world and the sorrows and all the change
and the and the economy collapsing it's going to happen very soon going
to happen very soon everything's coming to your door oh don't think it's
all over it's not but i'm telling you i teach on families on marriage on
the issues of the heart on christ-likeness this is the best way for you
to get prepared i want to tell you you see christ these two converted
jewish preachers were preaching christ what do you think they taught
them do you think it was mere information bible prophecy studies
information on having your best life now you know what why they were
called christians after a year do you know why because two teachers
weren't teaching information they were teaching christ they were
preaching christ they were ministering christ they were making people to
arise and live christ and speak christ and think christ and act christ
and allowing christ to live through all of these members of the body
they revealed the messiah in their teaching they preached a person not a
creed and as they opened up the word of god they taught they opened up
they expounded they they opened up the old jewish scriptures the old
testament they taught the old testament messiah the christ the anointed
one they actually taught how jesus fulfilled the old testament
scriptures remember there's a pagan city they don't have a clue about
judaism many of them they're saved out of paganism heathenism idolatry
sexual sin perversion and morality everything they're saved what the two
bible teachers start teaching christ is the messiah that was prophesied
in the jewish scripture he is the fulfillment he is the promised one
that is in the old testament they they taught the old testament
scripture they didn't have a new style of worship they didn't have
wonderfully changing flashing lights do you realize how much this city
had they could have drawn in all of the cultural religious agendas they
could have brought the latest thing to the stage oh no they didn't they
brought the old testament scriptures prophecies about the messiah they
went to genesis they went to malachi they went to isaiah and they began
to teach they taught christ the person that was the subject they taught
holiness of life what is holiness of life if i ask you what is holiness
what would you tell me and in your mind write down right now if i was to
ask you to stand up publicly in this meeting tell me what holiness is
define it to me i hope you give the answer christ likeness that's the
right answer that's the best answer that's a good answer there's many
answers but that's a good answer what is holiness christ likeness they
not only preach the word they lived the word this is the church at
antioch they didn't only preach it they left it are you satisfied to
hear the preaching of the word and not to live the word then you cannot
be called christians because real teaching leads to christ likeness
their lives was an example of what was taught they embodied it it is no
wonder then that the godliness of their life produced in this church
such a manifestation of the reality of christ that the unbelievers in
their families their workplace living on the streets living around the
church began to call them by the beautiful name they're christians we're
going to call them christians there's no other name i can call them
they're christ like they speak like him act like him live it like him
they they insatiably talk about him i would hope that if i was one of
shona's friends in her workplace that it's not very long until she has
to talk about ethan you know do you know ethan this ethan that and and
they'll i wish you'd shut up about ethan i i hope that in ethan's i do i
hope this i hope that in ethan but don't forget christ but i i'm sure in
ethan's workplace i'm sure everyone knows about shona this girl called
shona they may not have seen her but they may not have met her but i'm
telling you they know who shona is shona has changed this man's life
ethan has changed this girl's life who is this guy ethan we've never met
him oh ethan wait till i tell you all about him the love of my life
seems to god we need to be lovesick again we need to be intolerably in
love with the lord jesus christ where people are going man i i don't
like it i wish they'd shut up i am tired of it i'm going crazy with it
but one thing i know is they're christians they're christians third of
all discipline leads to christ likeness discipline leads to christ
likeness look at that again in verse 26 and the disciples underline that
and the disciples were called christians first and antioch notice that
they are called disciples they think of themselves as disciples find a
real disciple you've got yourself a christian find a real disciplined
believer and you'll find someone who's christ-like if there's no
discipline there's no christ likeness you can't be christ-like like
christ if you don't have discipline this word disciple disciple
mathietus it means to be a pupil a scholar a student one who has been
taught one who is under discipline one who is being trained more than
learning information this teaching this learning this pupil is actually
putting into his life he has been trained to follow a person he is being
disciplined you know what the teaching does it brings discipline into
his life it is the personal application of a teaching are you a disciple
then you apply the word of god you don't just hear it you don't just
don't enjoy it on a wednesday night you just don't write down notes in a
notebook do you know what you do you leave this room desiring praying
longing to put it into practice if you hear something said i didn't know
that go practice it that's what they say in everything in life if you
want to learn how to do something go practice it if you hear it if you
don't start practicing it it won't become a part of your life that's how
simple it is it's it's becoming like the teacher or becoming the message
that is being taught it means to embody what is being taught and so you
have to be a disciple to become christlike you hear the teaching you
receive the teaching the teaching impacts you you are a disciple you
start to methodically say i want this imagine being taught but never
putting into practice never learning you come back every week every
meeting you hear it all you enjoy it all you respond to it in the
meeting you can say amen you can smile you can cry you can feel it but
it never actually impacts you that place where you learn it do you know
what i'd say go find a new hobby you'd better find a new hobby because
this isn't working imagine going to music lessons every week you you go
to piano lessons every single week with the teacher and you sit there
and say yes teach me i'll pay you to teach me and you sit there and you
go through it all that teacher knows if you come back next week you've
never practiced you've never touched the piano you're not even thinking
about this you you just go to the class you know what can is when she
taught music you know what they've done with people like that said you
we're not taking you next season we're not taking you as a student
because it's not enough for us to teach you you are not a disciplined
one there's no discipline you're not practicing you're not doing
anything with that and if you think i'm going to waste my time pouring
out pouring in in a meeting like this and yet you don't put the
discipline in imagine training for a sport you go to football once a
week or if you're learning an instrument or you're learning to drive
just go to the car driver but you don't do anything yourself well let
him do it all he teaches me i don't need to practice i never need to
knock up bars you know what i've done as soon as i got my license my mom
says right she got in the passenger seat you you drive everywhere she
isn't a teacher she isn't learning me anything it's just getting the
practice the practice when i went for my driving test i booked three
lessons only three lessons i come back over a weekend booked them over
two days after the first lesson he said you're hopeless you're gonna
fail there's no point doing those next two hours we'll only do one i
went in pass with flying colors and i think i'm a pretty reasonable
driver but i was driving incessantly i constantly drove i didn't have
much teaching but i practiced all the time at every opportunity you see
that's why i believe there's people in charismatic churches or lukewarm
evangelical churches and the preaching isn't good and it's not sound and
it's not deep and yet i find people in those environments who are on
fire for god walking with god they've got a passion for prayer for
evangelism they fast they pray they weep when they worship and yet
you've got people in sound biblical churches they are cold they are
lukewarm they are on move they are on sacrificing you know why you're
not a disciple you're not disciplined listen to me very carefully in
james chapter 122 be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving
your own selves that tells me that if you're a hearer of the word you
you can actually secure yourself saying we hear good messages i'm an
environment where we believe sound teaching i have put myself under good
ministry we believe all this we nod our heads the bible says if you
don't do something with that if you don't do as much as you hear then
you're deceived do you hear me tonight you're actually deceived tonight
if you keep hearing and you don't do anything with that he goes on for
if any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like on demand
beholding his natural face in a glass a mirror for he beholdeth himself
and then goes his way and straight way forget us what manner of man he
was do you ever sit under the word of god and the holy spirit speaking
to you and god's dealing with you and the word of god is having a
dealing with you and it's convicted or revealed something or exposed
something or you have heard from god what you're to go and do and you
walk out and listen it says it here straight way straight way as soon as
you get that door you forget it until you hear preached again then your
heart gets pricked you see you can actually have an addiction to
conviction you can actually have an addiction to enjoying the word of
god but you're not a doer of the word of god you can enjoy it you can
desire it i've seen this all through the years you can amen it i told
sister hadassa i sat in churches one of them in this city where as the
preacher preached the entire congregation was saying amen amen amen in
this city and i sat there quiet candice was by my side afterwards i said
do you hear that i couldn't say amen i believed the preaching but do you
know what i knew almost not a person sitting in that room believed what
was preached they didn't even understand it they actually in their heart
they're going yes i do believe it yes i do understand it but they'll go
out the door and not a one of them will deal with what was just taught
and preached that is a very dangerous thing but who so this is the other
hand but who so looketh that means constantly into the perfect law of
liberty this is the perfect law of liberty the gospel of the lord jesus
christ who so looketh into it looketh means you gaze at it you keep your
eyes upon it and continueth therein he being not a forgetful here but a
doer of the work not the word the work a doer of the work this man
should be blessed in his deed do you want to be blessed tonight you know
what a disciple or a disciplined life leads to christ likeness i'm
talking about not discipleship for one year i'm talking about perpetual
lifelong learning do you know now it's the one thing klaus schwab and
the world economic forum has got right it's the only thing they're now
moving our entire world not being taught a trade and you do that for
life not being taught as a teenager or in your 20s and then you go do
that task oh no they're reinventing the workplace they're now talking
about lifetime learning in other words you constantly just learn what
you need to be doing oh that that would come into the church that we see
that we're lifetime learners in other words we've got to discipline
ourself we hear the word of god then we discipline ourself you know what
paul the apostle said he said i buffet my body that means punches like a
boxer you know when i i boxed for a short time uh believe it or not when
i was 16 i fought in the in the semi-finals of the light heavyweight i
didn't have a clue what i was doing but no one else would volunteer out
of my regiment so i i went and volunteered because no one else was
stupid enough to do it well the two guys one of them was called basher
the other was called tiny and i had a fight these guys i'm so glad i
didn't get to the finals i only made it to the semi-finals no that was
enough for me i want to tell you no but i want to tell you my trainer he
had come in and say stand there and he punched me he had buffered me you
know what he's trying to toughen up those stomach muscles he's trying to
prepare me do you know what we're going to do discipline is buffeting
the body paul done it paul done it i buffet myself lest i be a castaway
having preached to others let i could be a castaway he's talking about
imagine paul the apostle saying i could preach to you and yet i don't
live it i've got to buffet my body my physical body that means your
physical activities that means everything encompassed with it this is
discipline this discipleship involves discipline how can you be a
disciple if you don't discipline that ought to affect your time when you
get out of your bed about reading the bible do you know the early
methodists it was called the holy club in oxford the two wesley brothers
and um george whitfield george whitfield was a young man 19 years old
but they formed this club in oxford university in 1729 and they were
called methodists you know why they had a methodology they had
discipline they actually planned this little group remember they're
going to affect continents millions of lice they're going to turn cities
upside down for an entire century they'll shake the world they have
molded the church ever since but as a little club you know what they had
teachings or disciplines about your prayer life this is how you pray
this is when you ought to pray this is when you ought to get out of bed
you ought to buffet your body they had patterns for bible reading early
rising fasting when they preach where they preach how they preach all of
these things they discipline themselves do you know these disciples
become worldwide renowned for their christ likeness oh you think that's
legalism you know today people call john wesley a legalist george
whitfield a legalist evan roberts a legalist they would call smith
wegglesworth a legalist all the great men and women of church history
they'd say oh we're under grace we don't believe that yeah and you don't
have any christ likeness anymore you see where the grace of god is you
discipline this is a mark of the grace of god show me the people with
most grace on their life i mean the grace of god comes down the freedom
the liberty of the love of god i'll show you a disciplined man or woman
connect the dots the ones who actually are under law are under bondage
they don't have any liberty to discipline themselves we need to be
faithful in the house of god faithful in fellowship faithful with our
private time with our priorities there's a discipled one and if you do
this you will become christ-like all disciples become christ-like it
says in john chapter six remember the multitudes following christ there
had to be 10 000 people following christ in john chapter six listen to
what it says in verse 60 many therefore of his disciples they're called
disciples when they had heard this his teaching said this is a hard
saying who can hear it these are people about to leave christ and when
they heard christ teaching the word of god you need to drink my blood
said these things are hard they're they're they're impossible to to
digest we don't understand you know every time i meet someone in church
and go these sins are too hard i i feel very christ-like when when
someone hears me preaching they go you're preaching too hard your
teachings your sins are too hard i actually go good i must be doing
something right if the people who are carnal lazy lukewarm think the
saints which are christ teachings are too hard it's no wonder because in
john six to jesus himself they said your sayings what you're teaching
are too hard you know the ones who stayed around they actually said
these are the words of eternal life one hears hard sayings the other
hear words of eternal life where else are we going to get this you
better make your choice it says in john 666 from that time many of his
disciples most of them went back and walked no more with him they're
called disciples he actually says they are disciples but yet they're
turning back and saying we don't believe this we can't live this we will
not follow you know what he just said no one can follow me unless the
spirit draws them you know what they've done they turned around said we
don't believe that what you're saying that we don't have free will you
don't say we've got power to come when we want no you don't christ had
just said no man can come unto me unless the spirit draws him oh we
don't believe that and to prove we don't believe that we'll walk away
from you we'll turn our backs they didn't like his doctrine that said
you don't even have the power of free will you know someone once said
that um that that free will is like a dinosaur or a dodo everyone talks
about it but none of us have actually seen it operate do you actually
think that your free will look where your free will got you shoes and
sin jesus said you can't even come unto me you do need to respond
there's consequence if you don't you are faced with choices and
decisions you will be responsible but i'm telling you unless the spirit
of god drew you but fourth and last lastly let me finish quickly christ
likeness impacts the world let me read it again that a whole year they
assembled themselves with the church and taught much people and the
disciples were called christians first in antioch i want you to see as
we close they recognize within one year the city does the pagans the
religious the sinners the immoral the drunkards the liars the cheats the
deceivers all of them recognized within one year of these disciples
being taught see a disciple who isn't taught he didn't even know what to
put into operation or what to discipline but one year what the message
is where their loyalty lies all of that city knew where the loyalty of
these disciples lay i want you to see as we close their evangelism was
backed up by a lifestyle it wasn't mere words i've heard people tell
sinners you will go to hell for your sin but yet as a christian for
their sin they say you can't mention it they sin blatantly against god
but they said there's no guilt i'm under grace what do you think a
sinner's going to think so you're telling me i'll go to hell for being a
rebel but you can call yourself a christian and rebel against christ's
command and you say you're going to heaven you're okay you honestly want
me to believe that the evangelism of antioch church was backed up by a
christ-like life that's what gave it credibility their evangelism was
marked by a separated life they didn't involve themselves in the things
of that city their evangelism ought to draw notice and attention from
the world and it did they drew attention after one year of being taught
their lifestyle was such they're called christ-like christians their
evangelism must convey a clear message in chapter 11 verse 20 listen to
what they preach preaching the lord jesus notice it wasn't just jesus
the lord jesus there's another thing removed from our preaching people
argue lordship salvation now i don't know what macarthur means by that
or others mean by that but if you mean that there's no lordship in a
christian's life if you're telling me someone can know jesus and jesus
not be lord of their life that is heresy that is false that is damning i
don't care what others argue about it you see i believe jesus christ has
to be lord of your life and you know what these antiochian christians
these antiochian disciples what did they preach the lord jesus the name
lord you know what jesus means savior you know what christ means
anointed was lord mean and it's used three times in two verses here he
is lord he is owner he is authority he controls your life who did they
preach the lord jesus if he's not lord of your life he is not your
savior you can't choose i want all the benefits all the forgiveness i
want all of the cleansing i want heaven i want all of that but i'm not
submitted to his lordship i would challenge you that if there's no
lordship of christ only to the degree he is lord of your life even shows
any reality that he's your savior if he is not lord he is not savior if
you don't submit and follow his lordship why would you think that he is
your savior but the this church he was lord they preached his lordship
they preached the lord jesus a person christ was their message not
gimmicks not strategies not self-esteem not the local church not come to
our activities we go bowling on a friday night we have a wonderful
worship team come and hear them are you kidding christ was their message
that was their entire message and by the end of the second century
listen this as we close 150 years later remember this is 43 a.d 43 a.d
that when this happened this year of teaching 150 years later the
secular christian history books tell us that by the middle of the second
century by the year 150 a.d that 40 percent of antioch professed christ
to be their and their savior 40 percent of the city and i want to tell
you evangelism leads directly into discipleship then that discipleship
leads into christlikeness and you know what you have when this begins to
operate you have teaching that leads to christlikeness you have
discipline that leads to christlikeness you have christlikeness then
that impacts the world you've got a christlike church you've got
christians in a city and this world knows about it and respects it let's
pray together lord jesus thank you for the word of god father i pray
tonight lord god as we see what you've done in antioch a miraculous and
amazing work that you had two teachers you had a teacher and a prophet
who taught the word of god constantly for one year gathering the
believers teaching them teaching them teaching them week in week out day
in day out consistently month in month out teaching teaching teaching
but not for knowledge not for entertainment not to fill a meeting but oh
god teaching that these disciples could become christlike not one day
very shortly that the city would call them christians father i pray
provoke us tonight stir up jealousy tonight stir up a covetous desire
tonight that we would covet such a testimony that even here in limerick
that that senators oh god that councilmen that politicians that muslims
that catholics that nuns that priests would look upon us and say surely
those people are christians surely they have a christlike attitude my
god make us jealous oh god make us covet oh god what happened at antioch
that it would happen here my god we pray for all those that listen to us
online no god don't let the teaching of your word fall to the ground my
god raise up many disciples in many nations oh god who would be
christlike who are going to be formed by the word of god that are going
to be sanctified that are going to be washed they're going to be molded
by the written scriptures and father we pray let the power of your holy
spirit come down nor god come with power don't let us be deceived only
hearing and enjoying the word of god and storing up information my god
that's a curse unto us my god liberate us change our lives oh god that
we shall never be the same again make us more like jesus my god each one
of us in this room mold us change us oh god bring repentance oh god stir
up faith stir up a love for him that in our workplace we're going to be
so in love with jesus we can't help but talk about him in our families
we're going to be so in love with jesus that it's literally going to
ooze out in the living room in the cars at parties at gatherings at
reunions my god make us a christlike people in jesus mighty name

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/9LG57sgLX_A.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/a-christ-like-church/
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