THESIS: Help the audience understand what Christians are to do and encourage them to be what God expects us to be.

APPLICATION: Christians should be recognizable in their communities.

OPENING STATEMENT: Imagine that we are living in Communist China. There are no church buildings except those approved by the government. There are no signs which advertise the meeting places of religious groups. How would the community know how to find Christians?

Acts 11:26

1. They had a God given name.
2. They were an group which could be identified by certain characteristics.
3. We are to be the same group of people who are known by how they think, behave, and worship.

Things and groups are identifiable…

1. Cars can be known by the way they look.
2. Different model years and trim levels can be known by small signs.

How did they become Christians?

1. “What must we do?”
2. Acts 2:41, 47
3. 1 Corinthians 12:13
4. Titus 3:4-5

What did the Christians do?

1. John 4:24
2. Acts 2:42-47
3. 2 Thessalonians 2:15
4. Acts 5:42

Life applications for you

1. What are we going to do?
2. Could you become a Christian?
3. Could you worship?
4. Could you preach?
5. Could you teach in homes?

Acts 26:28 records some of the saddest words in all the Bible—“almost thou persuades me to become a Christian.” How sad to be “almost but lost”. Let us never be “almost a Christian” but let us always strive to be an example of what a Christian should be.