Award Winning GENESIS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

➡️I am convinced there’s a lot of people who think everything is just great between them and God…but just because someone thinks this, doesn’t mean it’s true.  If you were to ask – they would probably say they’re good people, they attend church on most Sundays, they’re really nice — and things like that.  In my world, people would say they sing real loud, lift their hands real high, and serve one / attend one.  But, again, does that mean they’re a Christian?  Is God really impressed with any of this?  Good stuff…but is God impressed.

In Matthew 25, there’s an interesting story about a group of people who were invited to a wedding, but when the bridegroom at last showed up at midnight, only half of those invited were actually ready to go.  I heard pastor Jimmy Evans say one time that, according to this story, half of the church will not be ready when Jesus returns.  Yes, half.

I live in the Bible Belt of central Alabama where everybody is a “Christian”.  

But what qualifies someone as a Christian?  Is there a specific prayer you have to pray, or a list of do’s and don’ts you have to follow?   What does the Bible say?  

Here’s three questions I believe every person must answer if they call themselves a Christian:

1…Am I SERVING?  As a follower of Jesus Christ, we are called to lay down our lives for others.  It’s not about us – it’s always about others!  In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus gives us four groups of people that we ought to be serving:  the Poor, the Stranger, the Sick and the Prisoner.  Jesus said, “When I was hungry, you fed me; when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink; when I was naked, you clothed me; when I was a stranger, you invited me in; when I was sick, you took care of me; and when I was a prisoner, you visited me.”  He goes on to say in verse 45, “Whatever you do for the least of these – the poor, the stranger, the sick and the prisoner – you do for me.  And if you do not do it for me, you cannot call yourself a follower of Christ – and God will eventually say ‘Depart from me’”. That’s really heavy – but that’s the Bible.  Again, it’s not about us – it’s always about others!

2…What SIGNS are following me? Serving others is important – but that alone does not make someone a Christian.  Mark 16:17 says, “These signs will follow ALL those who believe – they will cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things without harm, and they will lay hands on the sick and heal them”.  I don’t understand this whole verse (especially the snake thing – I’m not touching a snake), but this verse is in the Bible – and just because I don’t understand something doesn’t mean I have the right to just throw it out.  For example, I may not understand the snakes, but I do understand healing the sick. But how many people have been healed because of me?  In Acts 11 the disciples were first called Christians because they looked like Jesus and they acted like Jesus, signs and wonders followed them.  When people look at us, do we look like Jesus?  Do we act like Jesus?  The supernatural is not just for the extreme charismatics, they’re for all of us. 

3…Do I KNOW God?  We can serve – and we can even have the signs, but does that make us a Christian.  In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day (convinced they’re Christians), ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, we drove out demons in your name and we performed many miracles in your name’ – but my father in Heaven will still say to them, ‘Depart from me.’ Why?  Because I don’t know you.”  They had the signs and the wonders and they probably served the poor, took care of the sick, visited the prisoner  – but they did not know God.

That word KNOW comes from the greek word – “ginóskó” – a word of intimacy, emphasizing having a relationship with someone. For example, I know the president – I can tell you a lot about the president, a lot about his family, his kids, his policies – I’ve been to the house of the president – but I don’t really know the president  There’s knowledge, and then there’s relationship.  In the same way, a lot of people know God, but they don’t really “know God”.   It’s all about relationship. 

Like I said earlier, there’s a lot people who think everything is just great – but that doesn’t mean it is.  I can only call myself a Christian if I love like Christ – if I serve like Christ – if I look like Christ – if I really know Christ.  That’s a Christian.  It’s in the Bible – and the Bible is always right.

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