Just Christians

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Just Christians
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Is it Possible to be Just a Christian?

• What kind of Christian are you?
• Where do your loyalties lie?
• It takes courage to be just a Christian!

3
Galatians 110 (NASB)

• For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of
  God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were
  still trying to please men, I would not be a
  bond-servant of Christ.

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• There is no higher calling than to be just a
  Christian!

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The Disciples Were First Called Christians in
Antioch.

• Acts 1126b (NASB) And it came about that for
  an entire year they met with the church, and
  taught considerable numbers and the disciples
  were first called Christians in Antioch.

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Disciples -gt Christians!

• Before they were called disciples (Disciple a
  learner, a pupil, a follower of ones teaching).
• Now they were called Christians!
• Who first called the disciples Christians?

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Called Christians by God!

• Called (Ac 1126 from Grk CHREMATIZO)
  Revealed Divine Utterance
• Compare Luke 226 And it had been revealed to
  him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see
  death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
• No one can claim the name Christian unless God
  regards him/her as one!

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Why were the disciples called Christians?

• The disciples were not disciples of just anyone!
• There were disciples of Moses, the Pharisees,
  John, etc.
• The name Christian set the disciples apart,
  identifying them as being the followers of the
  Christ, the Son of the living God!

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John 666-69 (NKJV)

• 66 From that time many of His disciples went
  back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus
  said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go
  away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord,
  to whom shall we go? You have the words of
  eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and
  know that You are the Christ, the Son of the
  living God."

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• To be a disciple of Christ (Christian) is a
  higher calling than to be a disciple of any other
  person in this world!

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Luke 923 1427 (NASB)

• 923 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone
  wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself,
  and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
• 1427 Whoever does not carry his own cross and
  come after Me cannot be My disciple.

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Just Christians, Nothing More, Nothing Less.

• We can be just Christians by following the Bible
  only.
• What do you get when a person follows the Bible
  AND the Lutheran Catechism (or Methodist
  Discipline, Southern Baptist creed, popular
  religious writer, etc.)?????????

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• What do you get when a person follows the Bible,
  the Bible alone for his beliefs and practices?
• Just a Christian!

14
2 Timothy 316-17 (NKJV)

• 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
  and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
  correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17
  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
  equipped for every good work.

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Just Christians, Nothing More, Nothing Less.

• We can be just Christians by following the Bible
  only.
• We can be just Christians by our commitment to
  imitate Christ.
• To follow in the footsteps of Jesus, to think,
  speak, and act like Christ!

16
1 Peter 221-22 (NASB)

• 21 For you have been called for this purpose,
  since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
  an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who
  committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His
  mouth

17
1 Peter 223-24 (NASB)

• 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in
  return while suffering, He uttered no threats,
  but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges
  righteously 24 and He Himself bore our sins in
  His body on the cross, that we might die to sin
  and live to righteousness for by His wounds you
  were healed.

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• Making claim
  to the name Christian
  ought to mean something!
  - That we are like Christ
  in the lives that we live
  (cf. 1 John 25-6 cf. 2 Cor. 135).

19
1 Corinthians 111 (NASB)

• Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
• Read the Scriptures to find out What Would Jesus
  Do.

20
Galatians 220 (NASB)

• I have been crucified with Christ and it is no
  longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and
  the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
  faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and
  delivered Himself up for me.

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Just Christians, Nothing More, Nothing Less.

• We can be just Christians by following the Bible
  only.
• We can be just Christians by our commitment to
  imitate Christ.
• We can be just Christians by refusing to be
  glorified by men.

22
Matthew 235-7 (NASB)

• 5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by
  men for they broaden their phylacteries, and
  lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "And
  they love the place of honor at banquets, and the
  chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful
  greetings in the market places, and being called
  by men, Rabbi.

23

• No disciple of Christ needs a title of
  recognition, but is content to simply wear the
  name Christian!

24
Matthew 238-10 (NASB)

• 8 "But do not be called Rabbi for One is your
  Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "And do not
  call anyone on earth your father for One is your
  Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "And do not be
  called leaders for One is your Leader, that is,
  Christ.

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Galatians 614 (KJV)

• But God forbid that I should glory, save in the
  cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world
  is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

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Just Christians, Nothing More, Nothing Less.

• We can be just Christians by following the Bible
  only.
• We can be just Christians by our commitment to
  imitate Christ.
• We can be just Christians by refusing to be
  glorified by men.
• We can be just Christians by being
  non-denominational.

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1 Corinthians 110 (NASB)

• 10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of
  our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and
  there be no divisions among you, but you be made
  complete in the same mind and in the same
  judgment.

28
1 Corinthians 111-12 (NASB)

• 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my
  brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are
  quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each
  one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of
  Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."

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1 Corinthians 113-15 (NASB)

• 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not
  crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized
  in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I
  baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15
  that no man should say you were baptized in my
  name.

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• Whenever loyalty that should belong to Christ is
  transferred to a man that person has become a
  follower of that man!

31

• To be just a Christian, make sure you belong to
  the church which Jesus built and not to a church
  of man.

32
Matthew 1618 (NKJV)

• And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on
  this rock I will build My church, and the gates
  of Hades shall not prevail against it.

33
Acts 2028 (NASB)

• "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the
  flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
  overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He
  purchased with His own blood.

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• Becoming Just a Christian.
• By listening to the gospel, you can know how to
  become just a Christian!

35
Acts 2627-29 (NKJV)

• 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I
  know that you do believe." 28 Then Agrippa said
  to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a
  Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would to God
  that not only you, but also all who hear me
  today, might become both almost and altogether
  such as I am, except for these chains."

36
Romans 1017 (NASB)

• So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the
  word of Christ.

37
Mark 1616 (NKJV)

• He who believes and is baptized will be saved
  but he who does not believe will be condemned.

38
Acts 238 (NASB)

• And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of
  you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
  the forgiveness of your sins and you shall
  receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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Persuaded to become just a Christian.

• Agrippa did not say You almost persuade me to
  become a disciple of Paul or You almost
  persuade me to become a member of your church.
• First and foremost, the gospel persuades men and
  women to become simply Christians!

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• When a person is persuaded by the gospel to
  become a Christian, he/she is then added to
  The Church of Christ
  (Acts 238-41, 47).

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How Do I Remain Just a Christian?

• Never be ashamed to be just a Christian.
• It will seem radical to others!
• Refuse to speak in denominational ways of your
  faith.
• Remember the goal to glorify God in the name
  Christian.

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1 Peter 416 (NASB)

• But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him
  not feel ashamed, but in that name let him
  glorify God.

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How Do I Remain Just a Christian?

• Never be ashamed to be just a Christian.
• There will be many religious organizations that
  will try to persuade you to join their group.
• ATTEND THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE?
• ATTEND A CHURCH OF TRUTH!

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1 Timothy 315b (NASB)

• the household of God, which is the church of
  the living God, the pillar and support of the
  truth.

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How Do I Remain Just a Christian?

• Never be ashamed to be just a Christian.
• There will be many religious organizations that
  will try to persuade you to join their group.
• To remain just a Christian, insist on belonging
  to a local church that is just a church of
  Christ.

46
Romans 1616 (NASB)

• Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the
  churches of Christ greet you.

47

• A church that is truly
  non-denominational, that is
  just a church of Christ will practice New
  Testament Christianity,
  nothing more and nothing less.

48
Acts 242 (NASB)

• And they were continually devoting themselves to
  the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the
  breaking of bread and to prayer.

49

• To remain just a Christian, be a part
  of a church that respects Christ as their Head as
  the One with all authority.

50
Ephesians 120-21 (NASB)

• 20 Which He brought about in Christ, when He
  raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His
  right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above
  all rule and authority and power and dominion,
  and every name that is named, not only in this
  age, but also in the one to come.

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Ephesians 122-23 (NASB)

• 22 And He put all things in subjection under His
  feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the
  church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him
  who fills all in all. cf. Mat. 2818

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Colossians 317 (NASB)

• And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in
  the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through
  Him to God the Father.
  cf. John 1248

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• Can You Be Just a Christian Today? Yes You Can!