It's a great opportunity to preach God's word here this morning.
I want to start with a statistic.
- 1990 - 90%
- 2001 - 81%
- 2012 - 78%
- 2020 - 64%
- 2024 - 68%
What is being tracked? That is a percentage of people who claim to be Christians in America.
Like I said, today, that number stands around 68%, but that is not based on church attendance. That's not based on how people live. That's not based on whether they are a member of, the one true church, as you can imagine, the percentage would be much lower if that were the case.
So why are we still here? If so many people are leaving the church, if so many people are leaving Christianity altogether, why are we still here?
On a deeper level. And what I want you to ask yourself is the question, why should I be a Christian? We're going to start this sermon where we usually end a sermon.
How to Become a Christian
I want to talk about how one becomes a Christian and what that truly means. A Christian is a disciple of Christ someone that is trying to follow Jesus trying to to live their life like Jesus lived. There are many things that are given and expected of disciples of Jesus.
- Luke 14:26-27, 33
The word, cannot, we use that word a lot today. Parents will use that word with children. You may tell your children today, that you cannot go outside to play after services. You cannot go downstairs. Well, what do we mean when we say that? Obviously, it's not that they don't have the ability to, because some of the children as soon as they hear that are going to run outside, they're going to run downstairs.
When Jesus says that we cannot be His disciple if we do not put Him first over everyone and everything, He's not saying, well, you're just not allowed to be my disciple. What He's saying is you do not have the ability to.
The word, cannot, in Greek means no power. You literally do not have the power to be my disciple. It is so vitally important that we put Jesus first before everyone and everything.
- Matthew 28:19-20
Disciples are to go about making other disciples and helping other people live more like Jesus. But how does one become a Christian?
In Acts chapter eight we see an account of someone becoming a Christian. The Ethiopian eunuch was riding in his chariot and Philip came to him and saw that he was reading from Isaiah. And asks if he understands what he is reading.
- Acts 8:35-38
We talk about the plan of salvation, or the steps of salvation, here [we see] believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. We see all of that wrapped up in this one account.
- Acts 2:47
So the benefits of being baptized are becoming a Christian, being saved, and being added to the church.
- Galatians 3:27
So that is how one becomes a Christian.
Now, I don't know, what state you are in; when you are listening to this sermon, maybe you have heard those things. You've done those things. You are living your life faithfully as a Christian. This sermon is for you.
Maybe you have already done these things and you haven't been living your life as a disciple like you should. The sermon is for you.
And maybe you have not yet become a Christian and you're wondering why you should become a Christian. The sermon is for you.
One of the reasons why I love being a Christian is because of joy, the joy that we can have.
- John 16:33
And when I think of this, I think of the church at Philippi, the beginning of that church is found in Acts chapter 16. Now that is when Lydia and her household are converted, but that is also when Paul and Silas are thrown in prison because they are being disciples of Christ. That was the kind of area that these Christians were in when they joined the church when they became Christians, and when they were becoming disciples.
- Philippians 3:1
Now, we had a study when we were going through the book of Philippians, we were studying as a group, and one of the things said during that study was, "When everything else fails and there's nothing else to rejoice in, rejoice in the Lord."
We also know that we can have an overflowing amount of joy, our joy can be full.
- 1 John 1:4
Be a Christian Because of Joy
Why should you be a Christian? Why should you become a Christian? Why should you remain a Christian? Joy.
Yes, in the way that I have mentioned, but it's also deeper than that. You know, there's a common acronym you may have heard when it comes to joy.
- J - Jesus
- O - Others
- Y - Yourself
That will stand for our three points this morning. Now for the purpose of this sermon, we'll start at the end of that acronym and work our way back.
Also, while working on this sermon I have asked several people, why do you want to be a Christian? I will bring up their responses throughout this.
Be a Christian for Yourself
Christianity is a Better Life
Why should you be a Christian? Be a Christian for yourself, you are better when you are a Christian. You live a better life when you are a Christian. In response to the question, someone said,
"Living the Christian life just makes you feel better about yourself. I know that being a Christian should not make us arrogant. But it does make us feel better about ourselves when we practice biblical Christianity, studying, praying, and living a moral life."
And when Jesus talks about the kinds of lives that we are to live, he gives a parable.
- Luke 10:25-28
Jesus mentions this in another account that these are the two greatest commandments, to love God with everything that we have and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In the other account, he says on these hang the laws and the prophets. So really, if we love God with everything that we have, then it's going to be easier to obey him. Because we love him with everything that we have, we'll want to obey him. When we love our neighbor as ourselves. It'll be easier to treat people like we should because we love them as ourselves.
Now, the account goes on here and it says that the lawyer was trying to justify himself, and he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"
- Luke 10:29-37
He was not a respecter of persons, but helping those that need help. And that is how we are to live.
Christianity is a Life Filled with Purpose
In response to that question, Why Should I be a Christian? someone said,
"Because it is a life of hope and it is a life with purpose."
Someone else also said, "It is unfathomable that I was created for a bigger purpose. He did all that for me, and all he asks in return is to follow him. Done. A debt that I didn't have to pay back. Only that I spread his gospel and help others along the way."
Lastly, for this section, someone said, "I want to be a Christian, not only because I'm commanded to be a Christian, but I think we see the providence of God and know that we want to be with him in Heaven.
We know that He is always good and know that He always has our best interest in mind. We also know that when we come to him sinful and we repent he erases that clean I love to be a Christian because I see the joy and love that it brings me in my own life."
I want you to be a Christian for yourself because you live a better life when you're a Christian.
Christians Have the Hope of Heaven
I want you to be a Christian for yourself because we have a hope of Heaven. You can have a hope of heaven.
In response to Why do you want to be a Christian? Someone said, "Simple answer because I want to go to Heaven."
Someone else said, "Because the great reward there is after death when you are a Christian."
And someone else, "I love being a Christian because of the relationship we have with God and the hope of heaven."
We have a hope of heaven when we are Christians. And when I say hope, I don't mean it in the way that we use it today. You know, we'll say, I hope this happens, but you know, in our minds, we're thinking it, it might not happen; it probably won't happen.
What I mean is biblical hope, hope in the biblical sense is desire plus expectation. Desire plus expectation equals biblical hope.
We can use that in our own lives to an extent. I'd say most of us here this morning are our Chiefs fans. I can say, well, I hope that the Chiefs win the Super Bowl and I can mean that in that same way to an extent I have the desire that they'll win it. I also expect that they'll win it because of our history, and because of how good we are, but that doesn't take into account injuries, teams, refs, and whatever else. It doesn't take into account human error.
Friends, we have a hope of Heaven that is not limited by human error. But it's grounded solely in the fact that we serve a God who keeps His promises.
- 2 Timothy 4:6
This is Paul's last letter to Timothy. And I always like to point out here that this is not a man who is about to die from old age. This is not a man who is about to die from a disease. This is a man who is about to be put to death for doing what we are called to do, being a disciple of Jesus.
Paul says, that God will give him that crown. That is not Paul being cocky. That is not Paul being arrogant. That is Paul being confident. First of all, that's Paul being confident in himself. He was confident that he had been faithful to God up to that point, but especially this is Paul being confident in God because he knows God's faithfulness.
In response to the question I mentioned earlier why would you want to be a Christian? Someone said, "The real question is why would you not? Knowing there is a reward waiting for us after this life is what helps me strive. Knowing God has been so patient and gives us his grace even when we fall short."
Imagine going through this life and not believing there is a God or life after this one. I can never imagine that because what hope would you even be striving for?
Christians Can be Assured of Salvation
I want you to be a Christian for yourself. Lastly, with this point, you can know that you are saved.
Someone said, "I wanted to be a Christian because I had sinned. I knew I had and I needed to fix it. I needed to know that I was saved and that the burden I was carrying could be lifted by Jesus."
On why they love to be Christian they said, "The main reason being, just the ability to know that I am safe with God. It's not having to wonder whether I'm lost. I can serve him with confidence in my soul."
- 1 John 5:13
If you are struggling with this, 1 John is a book full of assurance. We can know that we are saved. We don't have to worry about if we're going to die, or if Jesus is going to come back what's going to happen. We can know right now, for a matter of fact, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are saved.
To close out this point, I want to read another quote. Someone said, "I love being a Christian because I know my failures and shortcomings are covered by His grace. His salvation protects me from myself and allows me to be the best version of myself."
I want you to be a Christian for yourself.
Be a Christian for Others
I also want you to be a Christian for others. First of all, for those who are not yet Christians.
- Matthew 5:14
Matthew chapter five is towards the beginning of the sermon on the Mount from Jesus.
Beginning in verse 14, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works. And that they may glorify your father, which is in heaven.
This world is full of darkness. And there are so many people that are, are, are drowning in that, you know, if I made this room as dark as possible and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face and I lit something as small as a match, what would everyone look towards? What would everyone gravitate towards?
What would everyone want to be around? Is that light? Let's make sure that we are shining our lights as bright as possible so that we can help people see that there's more to this life than darkness. It reminds me of a few different songs that we sing, so I'd like to read through the lyrics of a few of those.
"Brightly beams our father's mercies from his lighthouse evermore. But to us, he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Dark the night of sin has settled. Loud the angry billows roar. Eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights along the shore. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, some poor sailor tempest tossed, trying now to reach the harbor, in the darkness may be lost. Let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the wave. Some poor, fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save." — Let the Lower Lights be Burning, P.P. Bliss.
And also the song, I Have a Savior.
"I have a Savior, He's pleading in glory. A dear, loving Savior, though earth friends be few, and now He is watching in tenderness over me. But oh, that my Savior were your Savior too. I have a robe resplendent in whiteness, awaiting in glory my wandering view, and when I receive it all shining in brightness, dear friend, could I see you receiving one too?
I have a peace, it is calm as a river, a peace that the friends of this world never knew. My Savior alone is its author and giver. And oh could I know, it was given to you." — I have a Savior, Samuel O'Malley Cluff.
Friends this world, this nation is living in darkness and is living without peace. It is living without hope. Let us be lights. Let us be the best representations of Jesus that we can be so we can show them that there is peace, that there is hope in this life.
Be a Christian for Other Christians
I also want you to be a Christian for others because of other Christians. Let's turn to Acts chapter two. I want you to notice how, when the church first started, what the Christians were like.
- Acts 2:42
They were so committed to each other that they were willing to sell their own possessions. We see in other accounts that they were willing to sell their own land to help those who had a need to help those who were Christians, that were members of that family.
Now, for those of you who are members here, those of you who have been visiting here for a while, I want you to think of times that you've seen this in this congregation. Maybe you were visiting here this morning and maybe think of that when in terms of your own congregation.
You know, whether it is a get-together, a fellowship meal, or Christians rallying around somebody who needed it most. Christians coming together is an amazing thing. You know, we have that when we go anywhere. I've been blessed to be on mission trips in different areas, both in this country going up north, down south, going over to Jamaica. And it is family no matter where you go in the world, Christians are there.
There's a sense of community and family that should be found in every congregation. When earthly family fails us Christians are there. To close out this point, someone said, "I love the association with Christians. I feel right at home."
So I want you to be a Christian for yourself. I want you to be a Christian for others.
Be a Christian for Jesus
And lastly, and probably most importantly, I want you to be a Christian because of Jesus. I have a few quotes to read to start this point.
Someone said, "It absolutely comes back to Jesus, his ethics, teachings, and life."
Someone else said, "I love being a Christian. I must be a Christian because, with Jesus, I know that I can take a stand against any wickedness and I will be victorious. Christianity offers the only weapon, tools, and armor that can be used to win battles we all face. As someone with an internal drive to fight for a righteous cause, as someone who hates injustice, contradiction, and compromise of principles, Jesus offers justice, consistency, and a righteous, beautiful death in the face of enemies who seek his failure." They went on to give the verse "As it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter, and all of these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:36-37).
I don't want to stand here and tell you this morning to follow someone that you don't really know. So for the next few minutes, I want to talk to you about Jesus. I want to look at the last days of his life and see a few attributes that we can draw from that. From the last few days, we notice that Jesus is humble.
- Matthew 20:17,29
This is right before Jesus goes into Jerusalem for the last time. And He knows that this is the last time.
I think it could have been very easy for Jesus, going into Jerusalem, again for the final time knowing what's about to happen to Him to be so focused on that to be maybe even self-centered but that is not who Jesus is.
[We see] Jesus, having the humility, having the compassion in that moment. Again, when he could have been so focused on what He was about to go through, saw the needs of others and met those needs. We also see from His last day, both from that account and from another, that He was compassionate.
- John 13:1, 4
Notice that, that even in His last night, notice what He did.
This was at a time when, when they were walking around, they didn't have the protective footwear that we have today. Jesus here takes on the role of a servant to perform a custom of that time, washing their feet. For a lot of reasons, Jesus shouldn't have been the one doing this. And I say that because, from an overall perspective, this is God in the flesh taking on the role of a servant. But closing in on the context, this was their leader. This was the one that they were following, their teacher, that is becoming a servant to wash their feet. It was not normal then for someone like that to do that. Ultimately, God in the flesh taking on the role of a servant is what we see throughout the entire life of Jesus.
Really, this is the compassion that we are to have. This is what is expected of disciples of Jesus.
- John 13:34-35
We sing the song, They'll know we are Christians by our Love. But this account goes deeper than this. This was not just Jesus washing the feet of His followers. This was not just Jesus washing the feet of His friends. I want you to think about who was there that night. Two individuals in particular were Judas and Peter. Judas was about to be the one who betrayed Jesus, which led to His death. And this was something that Jesus knew.
- John 13:11, 36
Peter was about to deny him while He was on trial and Jesus knew this.
On His last night on earth, He knew that His friend, His follower, Judas, was going to betray Him. He knew that His best friend, one of his best friends, one of His followers, Peter, was going to deny Him, to say three times, I've never met this man in my life. And He had compassion on them and washed their feet.
Jesus is humble. Jesus is compassionate. Jesus is forgiving.
- Luke 23
It is an account of the crucifixion of Jesus. I know most, if not all, of us, are familiar with what happened, but I want to to refresh our memories a little bit.
Jesus, again, God in the flesh coming to this earth, lived a sinless, perfect life. He was betrayed by one of His friends. He was betrayed by one of His followers when He was put on trial. It was so outrageously biased against Him that He was wrongfully accused and wrongfully convicted, the people were crying out for Him to be crucified while He was on that trial. And, one of His best friends stood outside the trial and said, I don't know Him. I have no idea who that man is.
He went from the trial and was smacked. He was whipped. After that whipping that left his back mangled, they put a robe on Him. They beat a crown of thorns into His skull. They bowed before Him, mocking Him. They ripped the robe off His back. He was forced to carry a cross. To the point where they nailed Him to that cross.
All while going through that, He was being ridiculed. Hanging there on that cross, barely able to breathe. He makes it a point to say something about the people that are doing this to Him. Again, He could have easily been so focused on Himself. He could have said, Father, please judge them for what they are doing. Please condemn them for what they are doing. Again, [He was] hanging there on that cross, barely able to breathe, pushing Himself up. He makes it a point to say this.
"Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." — Luke 23:34
Forgiveness.
Someone said, "Jesus is the embodiment of love in its truest and fullest form, and I want to experience that love, and I want to share that love as much as I can while I am here. That is my Jesus."
And that is who I want [for] you, with every fiber of my being, I hope and I pray that you will follow Him and be a disciple of Him.
To close out this point, someone said, "You mean to tell me that God loved me so much that He put on flesh to come to this earth to save me? Me, A sinner of this world, someone who I've never met physically, loved me so much that He was willing to die for me, go through a long, painful, agonizing death that no one deserved, all to save me."
Yes. Again, that is my Jesus. There are a few quotes that I want to finish out this sermon with that, that I didn't know exactly where to place, but I feel like should be read.
In response to why I love being a Christian, and why I want to be a Christian. Someone said, "I love truth. I love the fact that I know how and why Earth was created. I love how I know that miracles were real. I love knowing that the, I love knowing the mystery of Christ and knowing that I will be saved and judged rightfully and not by respective persons on the final day."
Someone else said, "Because of my God. I've seen a portion of all that He is, and that site demands my full obedience."
Lastly, and to close out the sermon, a perfect way to sum up this sermon someone said, "I want to be Christian because Jesus gave His life to save me. I love Him and want to follow Him because He loved me. He died for me and His way is the best way. The Christian life is an abundant life and giving Jesus my service, my heart, mind, soul, and strength is the least I can do after all He has done for me"
I want you to be a Christian. I want you to remain a Christian.
Become a Christian because of JOY. Again, yes, the joy that we can have in Christ, the joy that we can have no matter what we are going through in this life, but for yourself, for others, and because of Jesus.
You may be here today and you have already become a Christian. I hope and pray that this sermon has encouraged you to remain doing that. Maybe you have already become a Christian and you haven't been living as you should. I hope and pray that this sermon will help you turn back to Jesus.
Maybe you're here this morning and you have not yet become a Christian. I hope and pray that this sermon has shown you why you need that in your life.
If we can help you in any way if we can help you, if you have already become a Christian you need to repent you need the prayers of the church, or if you would like to become a Christian, please let us help you. We are here for you. Please do not hesitate to let your need be made known by contacting us.
