- Epicurean philosophers believed the purpose of life was in finding pleasure and eliminating pain. They thought that God, if He existed at all, was not involved in our lives. Furthermore, they did not believe in life after death.
- Stoic philosophers were pantheists, believing in an ultimate divine principle that exists throughout the universe and nature, including human beings. They believed the way to realize your fullest potential was to live by reason. They valued self-sufficiency. The Stoics believed they could eliminate suffering through intellectual perfection.
- Open your heart. Pray and ask God to make you aware of the opportunities around you to talk about your faith. Pray for a willingness to share Christ with others.
- Open your eyes. Make a list of areas of interest you share with other people. With the list, identify ways those areas of interest could be used to turn the conversation to the gospel.
- Open your mouth. Be diligent about maximizing your windows of opportunity to share Christ. Be intentional in making natural bridges between you and another person to talk about the gospel.
Share the Message
The Point: Our
daily conversations are opportunities to share Christ.
The Passage: Acts
17:16-18,22-23,30-31
Billy Graham:
Billy Graham share the
gospel with more people face-to-face than anyone in history.
I’m only a messenger to
proclaim a message that I believe has within it the power to change lives.
God said from the
cross, “I Love You.”
In spite of our sins,
God says I Love you.
I want mercy, I want
forgiveness and that’s what God offers me from the cross.
It’s a simple message:
Jesus loves you and you need to accept Him.
Billy Graham had a
burden for the souls of men and women. Always rejoiced for souls that were
saved.
You know what was
wrong, you didn’t preach on the cross – next night I did
The gospel message is a
proclamation. I don’t have to convince them. The big thing is the work of the
Holy Spirit in their hearts. I believe the gospel appeals to the total man.
The gospel is what has
the impact, not me.
What are some topics
you’re always ready to talk about?
- I dare say it’s not about Christ.
If there was guilt meter in the average church, it would spike whenever the pastor raised one of these topics:
· Giving
·
Helping in the nursery
·
Sharing our faith
Some things we know we
should do, but we don’t. For example, no one would disagree that talking about
Jesus is important, but we get anxious or nervous when we think about actually
doing it. We don’t want to come across as that overbearing, obnoxious car
salesman with the fake smile. And I’m not a Billy Graham.
Wouldn’t it be nice if
there was a corner you could just stand on and people would come to you to talk
about Jesus?
I found such a corner. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to go to China. (Here’s an earlier blog on the subject.) College students in China want to know English because it’s good for their careers, so near one of the universities in Chengdu, the students would meet on Fridays to converse with each other in English. They call it the English corner.
Imagine their enthusiasm when a couple of Americans showed up on Friday night. We were native speakers! My friend and I separated, and we were both flooded with questions by students who wanted to practice English. Their questions were all about America and American culture. Inevitably, every student—every student—turned the conversation to Jesus. They equated Christianity with American culture, and they wanted to learn about my faith. I just answered questions and talked about Jesus. In communist China.
Wouldn’t it be nice if
we had corners like that right here in America?
We do. They’re just not as obvious. We’re surrounded by people who hurt. People with questions. People who are looking for something to fill that empty spot in their lives. They’re in the hallways where we work. They’re in our fitness groups. They’re on either side of us at a kid’s soccer game. They’re, well, everywhere.
These are momentary
intersections that could morph into a changed life. Here’s how to do it without
getting stressed:
1. Pray. Ask God
to show you how you point to Him in a conversation. Not every conversation you
have may lead to the gospel. That’s OK. Don’t feel guilty. Just ask God to make
it abundantly clear when a door of opportunity is swinging open. And if you
don’t see it swing open, don’t worry about it.
2. Have a normal
conversation. That’s right, a normal conversation about life, sports,
family, who has the best French fries, whatever. Somewhere along the way, a
problem with a child, a health concern with a family member, or an issue at
work will pop up. Just offer this:
Would it be OK if, when
I pray, I include that in my prayers?
A door has been opened.
You’ve pointed to your dependence on Christ without preaching. From that point, the conversation
can quite possibly go into deeper conversations about faith, who Jesus is, and
who He is in your life.
If this is someone you
see frequently, keep the conversation going. Without pushing, periodically ask
how things are going. Let them know of your continued prayer. Offer support.
Maybe invite them to your church or Bible study group.
LifeWay Research shows that people are willing to hear about your faith, provided it is a conversation and not simply a lecture. So, let’s find those English corners. Those intersections. Those unplanned encounters. And let’s just have a conversation.
“Let your speech always
be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer
each person.” (Col. 4:6).
It just starts with a conversation.
In Acts 17, Paul gave
us an example of how to communicate the gospel in any situation.
Acts 17:16-18
While Paul was waiting
for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he
saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue
with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace
every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic
philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off
trying to say?” Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign
deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
How can we be more
sensitive to opportunities to share the gospel?
1.
Be sensitive to opportunities to
share the gospel.
- Believers ought to engage in assessing their
communities to determine its religious climate and the need for the
proclamation of the gospel.
- Because some people do not have a religious
background for understanding the gospel, believers need to be prepared to
explain it to others and know how to defend its truth.
- Not everyone will understand the message or
affirm us as messengers.
Paul had a “window of
opportunity” in Athens. This opportunity came with the grief he
felt over the godlessness he saw in the city. Paul noticed an air of spiritualism
that had nothing to do with God. Though the people were engaged in worship, it
was idolatrous.
When have you looked at
your community and been deeply distressed?
Highlight the main
points from page 112 of the PSG. Between Sabbaths, Paul could be found out
among the people in the city. In Athens, he walked into the marketplace—the
Agora—and sparked conversations. In this marketplace, he met two types of
thinkers:
·
Epicurean philosophers
believed the purpose of life was in finding pleasure and eliminating pain. They
thought that God, if He existed at all, was not involved in our lives.
Furthermore, they did not believe in life after death.
·
Stoic philosophers were
pantheists, believing in an ultimate divine principle that exists throughout
the universe and nature, including human beings. They believed the way to
realize your fullest potential was to live by reason. They valued
self-sufficiency. The Stoics believed they could eliminate suffering through
intellectual perfection.
Acts 17:22-23
Paul stood in the
middle of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that you are
extremely religious in every respect. For as I was passing through and
observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was
inscribed: ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this
I proclaim to you.”
What setting is most
comfortable for you to talk about Jesus?
When you read these
verses, what stands out to you about Paul’s approach to sharing the gospel?
2.
Find a common ground for
introducing the gospel.
- Just because people are religious does not mean
they do not need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Believers have an obligation to confront the
cultural perspective about God and declare the truth about Him.
Share the Real One (vs.
22-23)
Paul was asked to
address the thinkers, philosophers, and religions in Athens (vs. 18, 21). He
had analyzed their actions and surmised that they were very religious. Today,
people are the same way. A significant number of people claim to believe in God
or consider themselves spiritual. Yet, it does not take much to see that
athletes, movie stars, and celebrities are being worshiped instead of God.
People need to hear about the Real One, God Almighty. Just like the men of
Athens were ignorant of the Real One, the same is true today. We must share who
He is, what He has done, why He did it, and what He desires. In the midst of a
culture where people freely share their beliefs, Christians should be prepared
to tell others about the hope they have within them. Saints must testify that
He ignited the flame of the sun and positioned the stars in the universe. We
must testify that He provided a remedy for man’s ruined life and a pardon for
humanity’s pollution through the Eternal Son.
As Paul engaged the
Athenians, he looked for an open door to draw them into conversation. He
acknowledged they were religious, knowing full well their “religion” had
nothing to do with the One true God. Yet, that point of commonality was a
springboard for him to talk about what they didn’t know—and what they didn’t
know was Jesus. They didn’t even believe in one God, but the apostle was
actively looking for some way to connect with the people around him.
Though we may think
people aren’t open to hear the gospel, they often are willing to discuss
spiritual matters when we start with a point of commonality which places both
parties on equal ground. To be clear, our different beliefs are not equal, but
as followers of Christ, we never should approach the conversation with an air
of superiority. Instead, we humble ourselves and seek those places of connection
as an opening to share God’s important message of truth. Begin to look and
listen for that common ground—concerns people talk about, the team logo they
wear, the religious symbols they display. Any and all of these can be conversation
starters that lead to discussions about the gospel.
Acts 17:30-31
“Therefore, having
overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to
repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in
righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to
everyone by raising him from the dead.”
What principles can we learn from Paul about clearly communicating the gospel?
What does it mean to you to have the privilege and responsibility to share the gospel?
3.
Help others understand the truth of
the gospel.
- The gospel includes a call for
repentance—turning from one’s evil ways to follow the Lord.
- God has appointed a day of righteous judgment
by the One whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: What
does our world need? A new president, No! More money! No! Better education! No!
What the world needs is for Christians to model what a disciple is, continue to
mature as a disciple, and share the gospel to make disciples of all nations.
It’s great to go where people are and get involved in what they’re doing. It’s great to ask questions and start discussions. But it doesn’t end there. To stop there is like walking away from the marathon just short of the finish line. We must get to the truth of what Jesus did to make a relationship with God possible. As Paul spoke to the Athenians at the Areopagus, he framed the message in terms familiar to his listeners. He quoted their poets and spoke their language, but he still got down to the gospel. The Athenians struggled to accept God as Creator and Judge and to believe in Jesus’ resurrection, but on these points, Paul didn’t compromise on the truth.
The Point: Our daily
conversations are opportunities to share Christ.
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