On Being a Christian Pt 2 [Pastor Dave Rajoon]

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Scattering Seeds Becomes Holy Ground

The early believers fled persecution yet carried the gospel like scattered seeds taking root in new soil. Their displacement became divine strategy, turning fear into fertile ground for faith. What looks like chaos to human eyes often hides God’s blueprint for expansion. Even when driven by opposition, their loyalty to Christ’s mission never wavered. Every setback became a setup for revival. Where have you seen disruption birth unexpected purpose? [21:47]

They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
(Acts 11:19, ESV)

Reflection: When has a season of difficulty or displacement unexpectedly opened doors for you to share hope? How might God be using your current challenges to plant gospel seeds?

Day 2: The Barnabas Effect – Spotting Grace in Unlikely Soil

Barnabas didn’t just visit Antioch – he leaned in to recognize God’s work among imperfect people. His joy at seeing raw faith mirrored heaven’s delight over every stumbling step toward Christ. Encouragement became fertilizer for growth, proving that how we respond to budding believers shapes entire communities. True discipleship starts with eyes that see potential, not flaws. [37:18]

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.
(Acts 11:23, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs you to be a “Barnabas” this week – not fixing their flaws, but celebrating God’s grace at work in them?

Day 3: From Label to Lifeprint – When Actions Outshout Names

Antioch’s believers earned the name “Christian” through lived allegiance, not religious branding. Their Christ-echoing choices in marketplace conversations and crisis responses became their truest testimony. A label sticks when daily rhythms – how we handle conflict, extend mercy, pursue justice – align with the Messiah’s heartbeat. [52:17]

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
(John 13:35, ESV)

Reflection: If your faith were judged solely by your actions this past week, what name would people assign you? What one habit most needs to align with Christ’s character?

Day 4: The Daily Resurrection – Old Roads vs New Creation

Peter returned to fishing boats after the crucifixion, but Pentecost rewired his retreat into resurrection fuel. Every morning offers a choice: resurrect old coping mechanisms or lean into our new-creation identity. The disciples’ fishing trip became a divine interruption – what habitual escape routes is God redirecting in your life? [16:15]

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
(Luke 9:23, ESV)

Reflection: What “boat” do you keep returning to when faith feels costly? How might carrying your cross today look different than yesterday?

Day 5: Living Epistles – When Streets Become Sermons

The believers’ ordinary choices – refusing litter, showing kindness to outsiders – became their loudest gospel proclamation. Their lives were open letters, readable even to those unfamiliar with Scripture. True witness happens when Sunday’s sermons bleed into Monday’s mundane through consistent Christlike integrity. [53:13]

You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God.
(2 Corinthians 3:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What “unwritten sermon” does your daily routine preach to coworkers or neighbors? What one practical action this week could make your faith more legible to others?

Sermon Summary

Acts 11 sets the scene with believers scattered after Stephen’s persecution, traveling out as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Lord Jesus. The scattering does not kill the church. The scattering spreads the gospel. Antioch becomes the place where the name “Christian” is first attached to the followers of Jesus, because their lives are seen as belonging to Christ.

Jesus remains the center of the whole thing. The church does not come with a philosophy, a nice lifestyle, or just another religious option. The church comes “preaching the Lord Jesus.” Christianity cannot be reduced to a t shirt, a box checked on a form, or a title carried around. The name Christian only makes sense where a life is actually following Christ.

Jesus had already called Himself “the way, the truth, and the life,” and the early believers were known as people of the Way because they were following Him. The believers at Antioch are then called Christians because people could tell whose way they were walking in. The question is not whether the name is being used. The question is whether the life reflects the One who gave His life.

Barnabas shows what that kind of Christian life looks like. His name means son of encouragement, and when he comes to Antioch, he sees the grace of God and is glad. His encouragement is not shallow talk. It is the kind of coming alongside that helps people continue in the Lord.

Barnabas had already been that kind of man with Saul. Saul had persecuted the church, and people had reason to look at him sideways. But Barnabas said, in effect, “give the man a chance,” because he had seen the work of God in him. The Christian life is not quick to cast people out, gossip about them, or hold twenty five year grudges. The Christian life looks for the grace of God and helps it grow.

Discipleship requires more than being saved for heaven. God saves people to serve, to bear fruit, and to make disciples. Paul’s longing in Philippians shows the pull between wanting to be with the Lord and wanting to remain for fruitful work among people. Jesus meets sinners with mercy, and the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, so Christ’s people are called to point people to Jesus, not merely point fingers.

Love for God and love for people are the two halves of the Christian life. The church becomes strong when each person becomes a good stone in God’s house, not weak material that flakes apart and causes damage. Peter’s image of lively stones calls the believer closer to Jesus, into the Word, and into a stronger walk. The goal is simple and deep: to become more and more like Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Christianity cannot stay a label. [33:46] A Christian name can be worn without a Christian life being formed. The hard question is whether the life is following the dictates of Christ or merely checking the Christian box. Faith becomes real where belief takes shape in obedience, patience, and visible allegiance to Jesus. [33:46]
2. Christlikeness is the real goal. [31:45] The goal of the believer is not simply blessing, comfort, or religious activity. The goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ, from justification into sanctification and finally glorification. A life that never changes after years of faith is missing the very process God intends to work in His people. [31:45]
3. Barnabas makes room for growth. [40:44] Barnabas shows that encouragement is not flattery, but spiritual courage. He sees what God is doing in another person, even when others remain suspicious. The church needs people who come alongside the weak, the young, and the newly restored until they can walk strong in the Lord. [40:44]
4. The Spirit convicts sinners. [30:24] Jesus assigns conviction of sin to the Holy Spirit, not to human finger pointing. The believer’s calling is to point people to Jesus with truth and mercy, trusting God to expose what must change. Judgmental speech may identify sin, but Christlike witness brings people near enough to be healed. [30:24]
5. Lively stones must be strong. [58:42] Peter’s picture of believers as living stones means each life affects the strength of God’s house. Weak, subpar material eventually flakes, cracks, and damages what it was meant to support. Strength comes through the Word, nearness to Jesus, and a willingness to help another stumbling brother or sister keep moving. [58:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:05] - Who Are You Following?
[13:54] - Pentecost and the Power to Witness
[16:15] - Cowardly Men Turn the World Upside Down
[17:32] - The Gospel Still Moves Today
[21:47] - Acts 11 and Preaching the Lord Jesus
[24:32] - First Called Christians at Antioch
[29:17] - The Christian Life Beyond a Label
[31:09] - Following the Faith and Christ’s Teaching
[36:17] - Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement
[40:44] - Coming Alongside Younger Believers
[45:31] - Discipleship Means Denying Self
[48:08] - Jesus, Mercy, and the Woman Caught
[51:03] - Why Antioch Called Them Christians
[58:42] - Lively Stones in God’s House

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 11:19-26
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” [21:47]

John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” [24:56]

1 Peter 2:5
“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” [58:42]

John 16:8
“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” [30:24]

Observation questions

In Acts 11:19-26, what happened after the believers were scattered by persecution, and what message were they preaching when they arrived in places like Antioch? [22:04]
What does Acts 11 say Barnabas saw in Antioch, and how did he respond to it? [23:58]
According to Acts 11:25-26, what did Barnabas do after arriving in Antioch, and how long did he and Saul spend teaching there?
In 1 Peter 2:5, what picture is used to describe believers, and what is being built out of those “living stones”? [59:08]

Interpretation questions

If the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch because people could see whose way they were following, what does that suggest about how the name “Christian” was meant to be recognized? [51:03]
Barnabas was glad when he saw the grace of God at work in others and then encouraged them to remain faithful. What does that show about the kind of heart that helps a church grow strong? [37:14]
Jesus says He is the way, and the early believers were known as people of the Way. How does that help explain the difference between admiring Jesus and actually following Him? [25:25]
If the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the world of sin, how should that shape the way Christ’s people speak to those who are still far from God? [30:24]

Application questions

Christianity cannot stay a label. Where is there a difference right now between the name “Christian” and the way life is actually being lived? What would it look like to close that gap in one specific area this week? [33:46]
Christlikeness is the real goal. When pressure comes—at home, at work, on the road, or in conflict—what usually comes out first: the old self or something that looks like Jesus? Where is growth most needed right now? [35:32]
Barnabas made room for growth in people others were suspicious of. Is there anyone who has been quietly written off, avoided, or held at a distance? What might it look like to give that person room to grow in grace? [40:44]
Love for God and love for people belong together. Which side comes more naturally right now—private devotion to God or patient love toward people? How could the weaker side be strengthened in a practical way this week? [54:38]
Discipleship means more than being saved for heaven. Who is one person that could be encouraged, checked on, prayed for, or walked alongside this week? What simple step could be taken to do that? [56:05]
The Holy Spirit convicts sinners, so Christ’s people are called to point people to Jesus with truth and mercy. In a relationship where there is frustration, how could the conversation shift from finger-pointing to faithful witness? [48:37]
Living stones must be strong enough to help build up the house of God. What habits are making life spiritually stronger right now, and what habits are making it weaker or flaky? What needs to change so that others are helped rather than harmed? [59:50]

Sermon Clips

57s

#AuthenticChristianity

“They send Barnabas. And this is where I pick it up here today. And my question for you today is, we call ourselves Christian, and there there was a reason why we call ourselves Christian because we are following Christ. He is the one and but sometimes we find that the the the name Christian just becomes a label. It becomes something that I carry along. If you look around today, there are many hundreds of Christian denominations. There are many churches that preach Jesus essentially or there's something they they preach a bible, I I would like to say. But the question is, am I really a Christian or does that really make me a Christian? Just using the title, just going to a church, just walking through a church. Does that make me a Christian? And this is where the rubber hits the road for us today because I want to challenge us yesterday to ask yourself the question, am I really a Christian?”

84s

#ChristInEveryReaction

“Based on who you are as an individual. If you're a person very prone to anger and you get, you know, you spiral and anger for little things, Somebody cuts you off while they're driving. Well, this is gonna show you who you are. Right? Or if somebody says something to you in an insulted manner, immediately the old man wells up and you begin to present in such a situation who you really are. But the truth is when you're faced with whatever situation, you should present who Jesus is. That is the key. And if we can learn how to present in a Christlike manner, it changes the dynamics. It changes what is happening. It changes the atmosphere around us if we really learn to become more and more Christlike. But I admit that it's not always as easy as we think. But if we understand who we are in Christ, that should make it easier for us. What did Paul say? He said, your new creation in Christ. The old man has passed away. He's gone. You've been buried with Christ, and you rise in resurrection after you've been baptized. So the old man is dead. The old man is gone. You put off the old man, and a new man rises. Amen?”

44s

#BecomingChristlike

“How many of you wanna become more and more like Christ? You know, when you look in the mirror, you know, you should see looking back at you, she's someone who's being transformed into the image of Christ. And if you're not seeing that person yet, keep on working at it. Keep on working. Don't give up. But ultimately, that is the goal of every Christian believer to become more like Jesus. How many of you know that? You know, the goal the goal of every Christian believer is not to get more rich with the blessings of God. The goal of every Christian believer is to become more and more Christ like. Paul said that we are being transformed every day into the image of Christ. Amen. From glory to glory.”

48s

#MakeDisciples

“You know, Christ wants us to become disciples. Now we can carry the label of being a Christian, but we never gravitate to becoming a disciple. A disciple of Jesus. You know, a disciple of Jesus is one who has forsaken everything else to follow him. Jesus said, you're not a disciple unless you're willing to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow me. If you wanna follow me, that's what it entails. That is what it entails. So when we understand the definition of discipleship, are we disciples of Jesus Christ? Are we and that is why that is what God wants. He wants us to become disciples. Because why? Because disciples make disciples.”

40s

#SavedToServe

“Sheep make sheep. It's as simple as that. And and and you're saved to serve. You're saved because you're you're being saved means that you're gonna win others to Jesus. That's that's that's really how the church grows. How many of you understand that? Many of us haven't gotten that yet. We think that we're saved for heaven. You know, you're not saved for heaven. How many of you know that? You were not saved simply to go to heaven because I could guarantee if that was the purpose of you being saved, just going to heaven, you would've died the day after you gave your heart to Jesus because he wants to keep you. Right? So I get saved and then I die.”

30s

#LetTheSpiritConvict

“Because if you point them to Jesus, they will know what they're doing wrong. They're gonna figure it out for themselves. They don't want you to come and point your fingers at them, your fingers of judgment at them because you're seeing them walking a set of way. Yeah. But that's the Holy Spirit's job. You know what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit? When the Holy Spirit should come, he will convict the world of sin. He never said that's your job. That's the Holy Spirit's job.”

70s

#LiveLikeChrist

“So I wanna encourage all of us here today to understand what it means to live for Jesus. What it means to live for Christ and to live on a daily basis and allow people to see Jesus in you. Now here's the thing. Here's the point that I want us to understand here this morning. Why were they called Christians in Antioch? I'll tell you why they were called Christians. You see, because the people in Antioch probably didn't know about Jesus being the way, but they knew about Jesus. So when they saw them living, me let me just back up again again in Antioch, it's a Grecian it's a Grecian city and the way they they would they would they would identify people based on who you're following. So, like I said last week, I said, like, if you're a follower of Herod, you'll be called a Herodian. Or if you're a follower of of Caesar, you'll call it Caesarean and and so on. So seeing these people and seeing how they lived according to the principles of Jesus Christ, they must be Christians.”

41s

#ComeAlongsideOthers

“My question to you is, how many of us here today will be that person? How many of you will say, you know what? I'm gonna look for someone who's young and the faith in the church, and I'm gonna just walk with them and encourage them rather than criticize them. You know, when new people come into the church and people get baptized, it's important for you to walk with them. They don't know everything. And sometimes they still behave like the old man. That's all of us. But we must be willing to say, hey, listen, I wanna come alongside your brother. I wanna come alongside your sister, and I wanna help to walk you through to become a of Jesus.”

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