Opportunity

Welcome/ Intro/Prayer

Good Morning Church, How is everyone doing this morning? This morning we are going to wrap up our series on testimony. I have definitely been challenged and changed by this series. I hope that God has used this series powerfully in your life too! We will begin with some recap from what we have studied and learned so far, then I want to end our series with a reflection on Paul’s time in Athens!

Prayer:

Recap from Series:

What is a witness?

Someone who observes and reports. Testimony can be as simple as seeing something and sharing it.

The ingredients of a Testimony- Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

We all have a story to tell about God’s work in our lives

We talked about Stepping out of Our Comfort Zones with John 4.

We saw in this story how Jesus pushed the boundaries on who He was willing to share with

And we talked about vulnerability and intimacy in our sharing.

How we have to get past the welcome mat to move into intimacy with each other!

We learned from the Parable of the Sower that When we sow the Seed Faithful God will produce a harvest.

We know this because someone once sowed a good word in each of us!

In Paul’s life we talked about Finish line Mentality.

We learned last week that the mark of a Christian is to continually growing in Christ.

I also shared that when we are closer to the finish line that now is the time to finish the race strong!

Those are some of my key take aways from the “Testimony” Series I would invite anyone to share what part of the touched you or what did you learn from our testimony series?

Scripture Reading: Fred Cluggish

Paul in Athens

Context of the Situation

Religious and Philosophical Hub. The Two schools that Paul has a clash with

Epicurians- believed the goal of life was to basically pursue pleasure.

The Stoics- Stoicism was “the most popular form of Greek philosophy in Paul’s day. Although most people were not Stoics, many Stoic ideas were widely disseminated.” Though they believed in a supreme God, it was in a pantheistic way. The Stoics saw the world as determined by fate and advocated that “human beings must pursue their duty, resigning themselves to live in harmony with nature and reason, however painful this might be, and develop their own self-sufficiency.”

Historically, interpreters say, the problem that these two groups had with Paul was that He was preaching two Gods. One was Jesus and the Other Anastasis, which literally translates to the resurrection.

So Paul is brought to the Areopogus to present his case before the audience. In many ways, this is Paul’s opportunity to shine. In this next section of the text Paul Gives us a clear method to see every moment as an opportunity to share the Good News.

Paul Shares the Good News: a model.

Paul starts with Acknowledging where they are at. He says I see that you are very religious people. Paul notices an area of there lives that is evident and in fact he compliments them in this area. It seems kind of backwards at first, but think about what is Going on here. Paul is seeking to find a point of connection with them.

We have the ability to do this too! Things like this may not be as evident, but the best way to start a conversation is to ask a question.

This means we have to become more intentional with our questions. We have to learn how to move away from the simplistic and overused, we cant just say, How are you? and expect a opportunity to share the good news to pop up every time!

We also have to learn to listen well, observe, and pay attention. Notice how Paul does this in verse 23.

Paul Connects A Need that they have to an answer they find in God. The way that Paul does this is He points out an idol that is made to an unknown God. He sees this idol as a opportunity.

Acts The Areopagus Speech and Its Results (17:22–34)

Paul, then, is highlighting an acknowledged need of the Athenians, and he presents the God whom he proclaims as the answer to that need (v. 23b).

Every human no matter who they are has a deep seated need.

That need could be an hurt that we carry

a need for recognition and love.

a need for purpose

Paul shares that “the unknown God” is not a god who exists in a temple or created by humans at all! Rather, He himself is the origin of all things. Paul writes: anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. In other words, God has created us with these deep needs.

Thus, God becomes the answer to our deepest needs as humans. No matter what that deep need is, the Good news is that God is the answer. (List off some needs)

Paul Pushes them to move beyond their current location to a closer understanding of and relationship with Yahweh.

Illustration: Conversation with JB.

Paul calls out their Idolatry. He started with I can see your a very religous group with all your idols. Then he pushes them to repent from their idolatry.

The New International Version Chapter 17

we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Although some sneer at Pauls arguement the text tells us that some come to know Christ through this three step method.

Yet, I think the most important thing we can take from this scripture is the way that Paul sees this as an opportunity to share the Good news in his Context.

As Followers of Jesus, He commands us to Go and Make disciples of all nations. The only way we are going to do that is to take every opportunity to share testimony.

How do we do this?

Ask God to Give us Eyes to see the Lost as He sees the Lost.

Ask God to give us Opportunities in our context everyday.

Then We must, Act because Action is evidence of belief. Let me give you an example, if I truly believe that I should care for my body but, I just fill it with garbage and refuse to do any physical activity, do I truly believe that I should the body is a temple and should be cared for. If we believe that this is our calling as followers of Jesus we will do it!

Would you pray with me?

The Benediction

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you

through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has

shown you;

may he send us out proclaiming the Good News at every opportunity wherever we go!