My wife and I are battling about going to a church vs. being the church for our community. I rather be the church and I have gotten tired of today’s church process. I currently live in an area where there are more churches than there are people. We counted 7 churches on one street one day and they were walking distance from each other.
I don’t want to be rebellious or a man on an island. I do need to have Christian fellowship. Regardless, we need to have communion with other believers. This is clear in God’s word.
The greatest question is What is a Christian?
Let’s, like always, look at God’s word.
Act 11:19 Some of the believers who were scattered by the trouble that broke out following Stephen’s death went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and the city of Antioch. They spoke God’s word only to Jewish people.
Act 11:20 But other believers, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene, arrived in Antioch. They started to spread the Good News about the Lord Jesus to Greeks.
Act 11:21 The Lord’s power was with his followers, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Act 11:22 After the news about Antioch reached the church in Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent to Antioch.
Act 11:23 When he arrived there, he was pleased to see what God had done for them out of kindness. So he encouraged all the people to remain solidly committed to the Lord.
Act 11:24 Barnabas was a dependable man, and he was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. A large crowd believed in the Lord.
Act 11:25 Then Barnabas left Antioch to go to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul.
Act 11:26 After finding Saul, Barnabas brought him back to Antioch. Barnabas and Saul met with the church in Antioch for a whole year and taught a large group of people. The disciples were called Christians for the first time in the city of Antioch.
Act 11:27 At that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to the city of Antioch.
Act 11:28 One of them was named Agabus. Through the Spirit Agabus predicted that a severe famine would affect the entire world. This happened while Claudius was emperor.
Act 11:29 All the disciples in Antioch decided to contribute whatever they could afford to help the believers living in Judea.
Act 11:30 The disciples did this and sent their contribution with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders ⌞in Jerusalem⌟.
What is a Christian?
1. The Antioch believers, not just their leaders, were spreading the gospel to their local citizens. These believers gladly shared the message of Christ to their neighbors.
2. They demonstrated the power of Christ to the local citizens. The word power is the same word used when describing the Power of Christ. Average believers were doing the same things Jesus was doing when he walked the earth. Does this mean, they prayed for people, saw healings and miracles, demons casted out, a biblically sound message was preached or taught, the hungry fed, the wisdom of God was demonstrated, and so forth?
3. They were committed to Christ and his teachings. These believers did not waver from the message of Christ. They did not form their own interpretations or create their own doctrine. They declared and repeated the words of Christ.
4. Clear direction was brought forth from these Christians. Prophecy or a warning about famine came from the Christians of Antioch.
5. Christians gave what each person could give to support other believers around the world. This does not mean money but everything they had to spare they gave. Weird concept? Also the believers decided to this without a forced passing of the plate around or having a 45 minute sermon on tithing.
6. They blessed their leaders and sent them to other places for the gospel to be shared.
Something is very clear from the example the believers of Antioch gave us. They were in one accord and functioned as God’s people even without a “Pastor”. They did not have a desire to form man-made doctrine. They did not just sit around in a “Pew” and listen to a 45 minute message or sing three worship songs. They were, hang on to your tube socks, the “church” to the world they lived in. Nothing more and nothing less. So what is a Christian?
Relevant Life 
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