PowerPoint

Jack Graham: Whoever said it was okay to be on the fringes? To be a Christian if it doesn't get tough? To be a Christian if it's not convenient? As Christians, we're to follow Christ without reserve, without regret, without retreat. To say, "Lord Jesus, I will follow you anywhere, anytime, any cost."

Guest (Female): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about what it really means to be a Christian. Now here's Dr. Graham with his message, "What is a Christian?"

Jack Graham: Take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 26. Just hold your place there because you might find it remarkable that in all of the Bible, the word Christian is used only three times.

The followers of Jesus were called a number of things: believers, people of the Way because Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except by me." They were called soldiers, they were called disciples, various ways in which Christians were described. But rarely in the New Testament are we called Christians, three times.

But these three times are really the marks of discipleship: what it means not only to be a Christian, how to become a Christian, but then how to be a Christian. We're going to take a look at these three times that the word Christian is used because we're going to build this message and answer the question, "What is a Christian?"

Now, that is the most important question that you can answer or to ask you the question this way, "Am I a Christian?" To know if you're a Christian, you need to know what is a Christian. Because many people who would say, "I'm a Christian," and the word Christian wasn't really adopted by the Christian faith until about the third century, we began calling Christians Christians regularly or Christianity.

It was later on that we were called Christians. And yet a lot of people today say, "Well, I'm a Christian because I may go to a Christian church or have been born into a Christian family, or because I'm not Jewish or I'm not Muslim or I'm not agnostic." They say, "Well, I'm a Christian." There's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about the basic belief of what is a Christian.

Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." So Christianity is Christ. We talk about all kinds of Christians today: mainline Christians, evangelical Christians, Presbyterian Christians. There are many opinions, and most people believe that being a Christian is being a good person and living a good life, which is commendable to all that we would live a good and godly life.

But living a good and commendable life, going to church, taking communion, being baptized, these are all important things. But being a Christian is having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You are not born a Christian; you become a Christian, and there's a big difference.

That's why this very first verse and the time that I'm mentioning to you regarding what is a Christian is found in Acts 26 and verse 28, when Agrippa said to Paul, and this was a king, "You almost persuade me to become what? A Christian." So Paul is before this King Agrippa. He is a Jewish king. He's responsible for Israel under the auspices and the authority of the Roman government. There's also a governor of the Romans there by the name of Festus and his wife, Bernice, and they were living in immorality.

Paul had already confronted them because Paul is on trial for his faith. He has been arrested for being a believer and follower of Jesus. He had preached the gospel all over the known world, before kings and princes and powers, and in small synagogues, Jewish people's synagogues everywhere he went. But it wasn't always that way with the Apostle Paul.

And so Paul is telling this man, this King Agrippa, about his life. He is sharing his testimony as he's on trial for his faith. He said, "I was a Jew. I was a bona fide Jewish person. I even was so strong, I was a super Jew. I was on fire for my faith and a rabbi, and I was so angry at these Christians, these people that said they were followers of Jesus, that I was actually leading a terrorist organization to kill Christians."

He was taking out Christians wherever he could go. And he was on his way to a place called Damascus to once again imprison Christians or to kill Christians. And on that road, he met Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. Christ, who is risen, came into the presence of the Apostle Paul, literally knocked him off his horse. He was blinded in the presence of God. He's telling this story to this Jewish King Agrippa.

He's talking about what happened to him. He said, "I was going in one direction, and Jesus changed my life. I was going in the wrong direction. I was rabid, I was religious, but I was wrong about Jesus, and Jesus changed my life." And then he says something to this Agrippa. He says, "Now Agrippa, I know that you know all about this story about Jesus because these things weren't done in a corner."

This is public knowledge, this story of Jesus that's going around. So you know full well this story of Jesus. He went on to say, "And I know you know and believe the prophets." I know you believe the prophets. So here's a man, Agrippa, who knew about Jesus. He'd heard about Jesus. He believed the Bible to some extent because he believed the prophets. He was religious.

But in the end, after Paul shares his faith and shares his testimony, he says, "Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian." He was saying, "Paul, are you trying to convert me?" Yes! Everywhere he went, Paul was trying to bring people to Jesus. That's what Christians do. And Christians who don't are a contradiction.

So he's saying, "Look, you almost in just these words, you think I'm going to become a Christian?" But the point that I'm driving home to you is that this man needed to be convicted of his sins, to be converted to Jesus Christ, and to become a Christian. So what is a Christian? There is a decision to make.

Now God is sovereign, God works by His Holy Spirit to bring people to conviction, He works through the word, but there is a human responsibility to make a choice, a decision of your will. Jesus talked about these choices. He said no one can serve two masters because he will either love the one and hate the other, hate the one and love the other, but you must make a decision. You can't serve two masters.

Jesus talked about two roads: a road that is wide and broad and leads to death and destruction, and He said another road which is narrow, and He said few are on that road and yet it leads to life. And He said you must make a choice. It's not like you're walking down the road one day and God just zaps you and poof, you're a Christian.

You're not born into the Christian family. You are born again into the family of God. You become a follower of Jesus. There is this clear line, a decision to make. You say, "Well, how do I make that decision? What decision are you talking about?" It's all about Jesus. Who Jesus is. It's all about Jesus, that Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son.

He died on the cross for your sins. He was buried, and on the third day, He arose again. He came out of the grave. He is alive. And if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. He doesn't reject anyone who comes to Him.

Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. And whoever means you, and whoever means me as we call upon the Lord. But you must make that decision. Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock, and if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in." The Spirit is knocking, the Savior's knocking at your heart's door. But you must, as an act of will, invite Christ into your life.

Paul described it as the gift of God's grace. But to receive a gift, you must open the gifts, you must take the gift. So God has provided this gift of salvation which is the forgiveness of all of our sins, and Christ lives in our lives and the hope and the promise of eternal life that begins now and never ends because we're going to heaven. This is salvation, to know Christ.

Christ in you is the hope of glory. It's not just getting us out of earth and into heaven; it's getting God out of heaven and into our hearts. And that's what Christ has done for us. He lives in us, and we become by faith in God's grace. And grace is God's hand of mercy and salvation reaching out to us, and faith is when we reach up and take the gift and receive the gift.

If somebody gave you a gift and you just left it on the table and never opened it, the gift is not applicable. And so Jesus offers us this gift. God says, "This is my salvation. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." So there's so much that can be said about this, but I hope you're hearing what I'm saying: that you must become a Christian. "Almost you persuade me to become a Christian."

Some of you are almost Christians. But you are not fully persuaded. Let today be the day that you are persuaded. Let today be the day that you make that decision. At the close of this service, I'm going to give you an opportunity to pray and invite Christ into your life and to respond in faith. But that's the first mark of the believer.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "What is a Christian?" July 4th, 2026 will be a day of great celebration for the 250th birthday of our great country. 250 years of celebrating the freedoms, liberties, and rights we enjoy as Americans. However, there has never been a more important time in our 250 years as a nation where we need God to move in power and heal our land.

That's why I'm inviting you to join Dr. Graham in a prayer challenge for our nation. To join, simply text the word CRY to 59789. Again, text CRY to 59789. Remember that your support of PowerPoint Ministries helps people encounter Jesus through clear biblical teaching. Through the support of friends like you, lives are being strengthened, faith is being renewed, and seekers are discovering the hope only found in Christ.

Your partnership is so vital that when you give this month, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, *Life According to Jesus*, as our thanks. It's a powerful journey through the Gospel of John that shares wisdom from the life of Christ to help you respond to real-world struggles. To give your gift, text APRIL to 59789. Again, text APRIL to 59789. Now let's get back to today's message, "What is a Christian?"

Jack Graham: The second thing, turn to Acts chapter 11. Go back in the book of Acts to Acts chapter 11, and here we meet some believers at Antioch. And God was doing a great work at this place called Antioch. As a matter of fact, the center of the Christian faith was moving from Jerusalem at this point, scattered through persecution, and at Antioch, God had done an incredible powerful work, and many people came to Christ and from Antioch, really became the mission point, the launching point to the Gospel mission around the world.

But it all started and described in verse 26 of Acts chapter 11. So when he found them, he brought him to Antioch, and it was a full year that they assembled with the church—notice the importance and the significance of the church right in the heart of this—and taught a great many people and the disciples were first called what? Christians at Antioch. First time. This is before Paul taught to Agrippa. Agrippa knew about the Christians.

But they were first called Christians at this place, at this church called Antioch. How? Why? Not because they had a name-the-church contest and came up with Christian. No. They were not called Christians until this day. And why were they called Christians? Because the word Christian means Christ in you; it's little Christ. Christianity is Christ-in-unity. Christ in you.

Paul said, "I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me." And so they were called Christians why? Because they resembled Christ. They were reproducing Christ. They were remarkably like Jesus. People were looking at these folks, they say, "This is like Jesus. These people remind me of Jesus."

So they reflected Christ, they reproduced Christ, they revealed Christ with their lives and their words because salvation doesn't end at the cross and the tomb, the resurrection; it goes forward. For by grace you are saved through faith, not of yourselves the gift of God, but then it goes on to say in verse 10 of Ephesians 2, for we are His workmanship created in Jesus Christ unto good works.

Good works that God has created for us before the beginning of time. While we're not saved by good works, the faith that saves works, and faith without works is dead. Jesus went about, according to the book of Acts, doing good things. And so when Christ is in us, Christ is reproduced through us. It's not me just trying to do the best I can to be like Jesus.

Jesus is actually in me, infusing me with spiritual power in order that I may produce spiritual fruit in my life. So to be a Christian is first a decision to make and then therefore, there is a life to live. There is a life to live. "If anyone be in Christ," Second Corinthians 5:17, "he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, everything's become new."

We are saved by the grace of God and Christ is living in us, and this is a growing process, and we keep growing in our faith. But we become more and more like Jesus as we grow as we go. Until somebody looks at you—your kids, your wife, your husband, your neighbor, your coworker—and says, "You must be a Christian." Has anybody ever said that to you?

There were a group of college kids that were having a session after they were just talking philosophy and life and religion. The subject of religion came up in their conversation. I think it was in a dorm room and so they started talking about Christianity and somebody said, "Well, I think this is a Christian." Somebody said, "Well, what is a Christian anyway?"

And somebody said, "Well, I think this is a Christian, that's a Christian," and they were talking religion. But finally, somebody said, "Let me tell you what a Christian is. A Christian is Oscar Westover." Funny name but it's going to make my point. Because you see, Oscar Westover was a guy that that guy knew who lived for Christ. He was like Christ in so many ways.

There was this Christlikeness about him. And so when the discussion was "What is a Christian?", Oscar's a Christian. So I have to ask myself, and I have to ask you today, if a group of people were sitting around talking about Christianity and answering the question "What is a Christian?", maybe in the locker room, maybe in your classroom, in your neighborhood, if there was a neighborhood get-together and people started talking about Christianity in our generation, even your church group, if people are at the office, if people are saying, "What is a Christian anyway?", would anybody mention your name?

It's a big question. We are to live for Jesus Christ so that when people think of Jesus, they see Jesus in us. His joy becomes our joy. His purpose becomes our purpose. His passion becomes our passion. And yes, there's one other thing: His enemies become our enemies. And that's the last time that I want to mention the word Christian today, and it's found in First Peter chapter four.

Go to First Peter chapter four and look at verse 16. Chapter four, verse 16. It says, "If anyone suffers as a what? Christian." Help me. "Christian." Thank you. "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter." So what is a Christian? There is a decision to make, there is a life to live, a life of Christ alive in us by His Spirit, and there is a price to pay.

If anyone suffers as a Christian. The Christians that Peter was addressing here, like Christians of every generation, are suffering in some way. These were in the fiery trials of physical persecution, but we all live in the midst of trials and tribulations and tragedies, whether we're suffering because of Christ, because of our faith in Christ in some way.

The Bible says all that live godly—this is Second Timothy—all that live godly in Jesus Christ will suffer persecution. If you're not being pushed or pressured or persecuted in some way, canceled in some way because you're a Christian, it's probably because you're in some holy hole and don't stick your head out. Or else you're not living a godly life in Jesus Christ.

Because all who live godly in Jesus Christ will face the flak. There will be fire. You will take fire, incoming. And therefore, when you suffer because you are a Christian or you suffer because of life—some of you are suffering right now, your kids have gone haywire, they're not in the faith, they're prodigals, or your marriage is broken and you don't know if it's going to get back together, or your finances are shattered or your dreams are shattered or you're just going through trials and tribulations in your life—Jesus said, "In this world, you will have tribulation."

Satan opposes us. Tough times come against us. So what are we going to do when we suffer? Blame God? No. Glorify God! That's what the scripture says. If you suffer as a Christian, don't be ashamed of this. Be like those disciples when they were beat within an inch of their lives, they said, "We praise God that we were counted worthy to suffer for Christ."

It takes courage and conviction to follow Jesus in every generation, including ours. And yes, if you stand up for Christ, there are people who want to set you down and shut you up. But my view is: churches today in general, Christians in general, we are way too passive. God has called us to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and storm the gates of hell.

We're to fight the good fight of faith. We're to win people to Christ. We're to stand, get up from our knees, get up from our knees having prayed ourselves full and then tell the world to be bold and courageous about our faith, tell our friends, our family about Jesus. You know, some of us are way too concerned about what people say about us rather than being concerned about what God says about us.

Be concerned about what God says about you, not what people say about you. Don't let people's rebukes or their blasphemies, their mocking in our generation keep you from standing for Christ. There will be resistance. There will be even persecution in some places. But what did Jesus say? He said, "If you're going to follow me, pick up your cross. Take the cross and follow me."

Whoever said it was okay to be on the fringes? To be a Christian if it doesn't get tough? To be a Christian if it's not convenient? Whoever said, "Well, I'm a Christian, but... Well, I'm a Christian, but I'm not one of those born-again kind of Christians," or, "I'm a Christian, but I don't say much about it," or, "I'm a Christian, but I don't get that fired up about it." Whoever gave us the right to say, "I'm a Christian but anything"?

As Christians, we're to follow Christ without reserve, without regret, without retreat. To say, "Lord Jesus, I will follow you anywhere, anytime, any cost." And let me tell you something: when you do, it's worth it. It's worth it. That's why he said glorify God in this. Praise God that you're facing some fire. And don't be ashamed. Don't be ashamed of it. Glorify God in it.

So what is a Christian? There is a decision to make. There is a life to live. And there is a price to pay. Are you willing to give your life to follow Jesus? Whatever the cost, whatever the consequences, to say, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you."

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "What is a Christian?" Let me remind you that your support helps bring the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ to people across the world through PowerPoint Ministries. And this month, we'd love to send you a powerful resource as our way of saying thanks for your gift. It's Dr. Jack Graham's book, *Life According to Jesus*.

In this transformative journey through the Gospel of John, you'll discover not just what Jesus might do, but what He actually did when facing life's hardest questions. To give your gift, just text APRIL to 59789. Again, that's APRIL to 59789. July 4th, 2026 will be a day of great celebration for the 250th birthday of our great country.

However, there has never been a more important time in our 250 years as a nation where we need God to move in power and heal our land. That's why I'm inviting you to join Dr. Graham in a prayer challenge for our nation. To join, simply text the word CRY to 59789. Again, text CRY to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: Well, I want to recap what we talked about in today's message and ask a very important question. First, we learned that a real Christian is someone who's made the decision to follow Christ, someone who's made a personal commitment to become a Christian. Second, we learned that a real Christian is someone whose attitudes and actions reflect those of Christ.

And lastly, we learned that a real Christian is someone who is bold when they suffer and even may be persecuted for their faith. But my friends, simply knowing in your head what a real Christian is, that's not what is most important. What is most important is believing in your heart, believing that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that He rose again and defeated death and sin and hell and promises eternal life to all who believe.

So I want to ask you this question: do you know, I mean do you really know in your heart that you are a real Christian? If you would like to make sure, then I invite you to pray this prayer after me to the Lord.

Lord Jesus, I invite you to come into my life. Because I believe, I receive you as my Lord and my Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross for me, and I do trust you as the living Lord who overcame sin, death, and hell. Jesus, thank you for saving me, thank you for giving me a brand-new life.

Now, if you just prayed this prayer sincerely and believed in your heart when you prayed, then I want to be the first to welcome you into the family of God. And please let us hear from you today so we can send you some materials to help you get started in your walk with God.

Guest (Male): And that is today's PowerPoint. Today, if you prayed that prayer with Dr. Graham, text us so we can get you started in your new life with Christ. Text the word JESUS to 59789. That's JESUS to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about the first steps to take as a believer. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.