Wednesday, October 29 – Acts 17:24-29

Imagine someone walking up to you to tell you that everything you think about the world is wrong. How would you react? Now, imagine that same person telling you that because of what you think about the world, you will spend forever sentenced to punishment. This is how non-Christians see Christians when they jump straight to you are living the wrong way and will go to hell. Is what the believer is saying wrong? No. Are they saying it in the wrong way? YES! As Christians, we need to recognize that our view on life is so different than everyone else’s worldview. Telling somebody what we believe can be a shock to the non-Christian. We believe that there was a man, who was also God, who was born of a virgin, died after living a perfect life, and came alive again. Not only that, but when Jesus died, he took away the eternal punishment for sin for all those who believe in him. I believe everything that I just wrote, but when you take a step back, we should be honest with ourselves. That's kinda weird!

So, the best method with evangelism is to not start by saying you are wrong, and I am right about this unbelievable, incredible story. Paul doesn’t start with that part of the gospel. He instead starts with something the Athenians would have agreed with. Their own philosophers said that the gods were too big for temples nor confined in images of stone, silver, and gold. Paul didn’t immediately upset the apple cart. He brought them in with something they agreed with, so they would be willing to hear what he had to say, which was contrary to their thoughts. I think this is a good method and one we need to learn to accomplish as well.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017%3A24-29&version=NASB

Tuesday, October 28 – Acts 17:22-23

Be curious. Probably one of the more famous scenes in the TV show Ted Lasso is a scene with the title character being challenged to a game of darts by one of the show’s antagonists. The antagonist thinks very little of Ted because of his Midwestern demeanor. The antagonist is also arrogant about his dart playing. As they are competing in a round of darts, Ted begins to monologue about the need to be curious before committing to something. Ted explains that if the other guy were curious and asked questions, he would have learned that when Ted was a teenager, the only time he got to spend with his dad was on Sunday afternoons at a bar. And that bar had darts. And every Sunday for several years, Ted played darts. While Ted is monologuing, he is throwing bullseye upon bullseye to win the match and show up the antagonist.

If we want to have the most success in evangelism, we need to be curious and understand the person to whom we are speaking. Paul begins his sermon with a description of an altar he saw in Athens. Before Paul started sharing the “ABCs” of the gospel, he found something that he and the Athenians had in common. He is going to tell them about this unnamed god. He was curious about Athens, and that gave him the starting point for sharing the gospel.

This type of curiosity will help you when sharing the gospel and evangelizing others. Finding common ground is a good first step to having a conversation about faith. This takes some effort, but it is effort that is well worth it. So, before you share the gospel, take a moment to think about the person with whom you are sharing. Be curious about who they are and what they know. That curiosity will give you a better chance of making an impact on that person’s life.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017%3A22-23&version=NASB

Monday, October 27 – Acts 17:16-21

Paul’s time in Athens is a masterclass in how to do evangelism. From the time of his arrival to the time he leaves, his actions are an example for each of us as we seek to share the gospel with all people.

The first thing that we can notice about Paul is that he cared about the Athenians. Acts 17:16 tells us that Paul is “greatly distressed” that the city was overrun with idols. The picture that the original language gives is a pasture that is overrun with weeds. The distress that Paul had for the people is what led him to the synagogue, which was his norm, but it also led him to speak about Jesus in the market. Some were interested enough in what Paul had to say that they brought him to the Areopagus, which was the place where new ideas could be shared and debated.

None of Paul's sermons, which we will start tomorrow, would have been possible if Paul were not concerned about the Athenians' spiritual state. This must be where we start with evangelism as well. We must be concerned about the spiritual state of those in our community and around the world. That stirring in our hearts is the motivation to share the gospel with others. That feeling is the start of evangelism.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017%3A16-21&version=NASB