Dealing with the Curious

Introduction

As we have been tracing the theme of how the church should function throughout the book of Acts, it has become harder to focus on the church because the last few chapters shift their focus to the apostle Paul. But even as Paul’s life is coming to a close in the book of Acts, we still see glimpses of God’s design for the Church. This morning’s message is going to be titled, “God’s heart for the Curious.” I pray that this message will have the effect of reminding us, stirring us up to share the gospel with those who have questions.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” When it comes to the heart of God, we know that God is not wanting anyone to die and go to hell. The bible declares that John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God loves the world and as His people, we ought to love everyone enough to point them to Christ.

2 Cor 5:19-20 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” We are God’s mouthpiece to this world. Throughout history God did not speak through some audible voice to most people; his main mouthpiece was the people of God.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

As believers we are a called people, a priesthood and set apart nation, and a special people. But why has God lavished on us all this favor and attention? That we should shew his glory to all the world. Can we truly say we are acting like the people God has called us to be if we are doing nothing to spread His fame to those we know?

As Paul’s life draws to a close, he doesn’t stop proclaiming the gospel. Even in situations where he is on the defense, Paul takes an opportunity to share the gospel. In our text today, we are going to see how Paul gave the gospel to someone who was sincerely interested, curious about Christianity. There are people all around us who are curious. We may not know it because we haven’t even tried speaking to them. Most times, they don’t even try to ask because they feel like they don’t get any answers.

Curiosity sometimes kills the cat right? But curiosity is not a bad thing. Curiosity is what causes us to look for answers to questions. It stirs the minds of the most ingenious inventors. Leonardo Da Vinci would probably be one of those men who had an insatiable curiosity. He once commented about mankind in general that he:

looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, inhales without awareness of odor or fragrance, and talks without thinking

Leonardo, the quintessential Renaissance man, called the five senses the ministers of the soul. This man was famous for his paintings like the Mona Lisa but he was also an inventor. He was constantly trying to create new things. Among his inventions was a device called an ornithopter. It is like a early version of a helicopter before engines even existed. He also created a diving suit and a robotic Knight. Even when he was dying, he journaled his symptoms for posterity. Curiosity can do good things.

Curiosity can also be disingenuous. Not everyone who takes an interest in something is really interested in it or is willing to change their thinking about a topic. They just want to argue with you and prove their point.

Have you ever gone witnessing door to door and you get into a conversation with someone. There are people out there who are more than happy to talk about religious things. The topics stimulate the mind and it can become a more philosophical discussion to them. So how do we deal with the Curious when we are witnessing?

The Curious have questions vs 3

The Curious have legitimate questions and even if we may not realize it those questions are honestly being asked. In the story of Paul and Agrippa, the question they all had was related to the resurrection from the dead. Resurrection was a debatable topic to the Jews and to the Gentiles it wasn’t even something that they discussed. Agrippa was half Jew, so he was aware of the discussion and it intrigued him. In

Acts 25:19 “But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.”

Acts 26:8 “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?”

Luke makes it clear that this was the central issue in question.

I don’t know about you but when I was being trained in evangelism as a teenager in one of those churches that are all about numbers, I was taught that questions are evil. When you are witnessing to someone, you should shut down every question that they have and just stay on track plowing through the Romans Road.

But that is not how Paul deals with the curious. Paul realizes that the questions are actually important to their understanding of the gospel. You may not see the connection. A question about Noah’s flood may reveal that they are struggling to believe the miraculous in the bible. A question about creation may reveal a doubt of the bible’s truthfulness. Even a question about Christians who sin and hypocrisy can reveal that they doubt the power of the gospel to transform a person’s life. Such questions are not side issues, but are at the heart of winning a soul to Jesus. If we spent more time, listening and having conversations with people; we might be able to see them come to an understanding of the gospel; rather than concluding they aren’t serious about the gospel and moving on. So how does Paul interact with the curious’ questions?

Paul doesn’t shut down the questions

Paul doesn’t ignore the questions

Paul answers the questions

In vs 8, Paul directly addresses the questions that they have. Why should it be thought impossible that someone would rise from the dead? This is where many skeptics are. The resurrection seems a little too far fetched. After all we have never seen it happen before. But Paul does not back down on the resurrection of Jesus Christ because if Jesus did not rise than there is no salvation. 1 Cor 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Paul presents evidence that could be verified

Paul doesn’t just tell them what to believe and expect that they will believe it. Paul gives them evidence for a belief in the resurrection. The gospel isn’t merely about preaching at people. Often in the book of Acts, Luke says that Paul reasoned with his audience. Christianity is reasonable and we should not be afraid to give answers. Christianity can hold its own. Sometimes I think we aren’t confident in our own abilities and that is why we retreat. But God can give us what we need to say. Luke 12:11-12 “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”

Paul’s defense is not overly complicated, but he does give them seven witnesses to the truth of what he says.

his testimony- your testimony can be one of the greatest evidences that people will ever see. Especially if they knew you before you got saved. Press into that testimony. Show them how God has changed your life.

those who traveled with him- Paul’s experience wasn’t merely a private one. Other people experienced what Paul experienced.

the Jews in Jerusalem who knew him before salvation- People there in the room knew Paul before he got saved and they could testify what he was like.

Agrippa’s knowledge of Judaism- This is so important. When you are witnessing to the curious, try to find out what the person already knows and believes. Paul knows a little bit about Agrippa’s reputation as a man knowledgable about Judaism and he builds off of that knowledge.

The scriptures- Paul also references back to the scriptures as proof that the resurrection is possible. We will deal with this point in more detail in a second.

God’s protection of Paul that even allows him to give this defense- God’s providential protection of Paul up to this point is evidence that God is doing something in his life. The Jews could have killed him multiple times by now. Tell people about what God is doing in your life. What is He teaching you? What is He changing in you? What has He done for you lately?

the heavenly vision- Paul had a miraculous experience that he could share. Your salvation is no less miraculous though it is less flashy than Paul’s.

Paul presents the gospel vs 19-20

Paul doesn’t get sidetracked from where he needs to go. Paul knows that the gospel is what saves people and so he makes sure to get that into the conversation. Have you every started talking to someone and it seems like you can’t get back to the gospel because they are so excited about what they are talking about? Paul makes sure to weave the gospel back into his defence.

I briefly want to explain the wording of vs 20. Paul says that the same gospel was preached both to Jews and Gentiles. There is no separate plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles. This is one of the problems with what we call Hyper-dispensationalism. Hyper-dispensationalists divide up the New Testament and conclude that certain books of the bible were only written for Jews and others were written for Gentiles. They also conclude that Jews are saved by faith + works.

Paul clearly lays out the gospel as repentance and faith. Repentance means to change your mind about your sin, your ability to be righteous before God and your need for a savior. It is a turning away from your sin and faith is a turning to God. Faith means to place your trust in Jesus Christ. Has there ever been a moment when you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior?

Notice the last phrase, “and do works meet for repentance.” As we read this in English, you might be tempted to think this is a third requirement to be saved. It looks like it is saying do works, but this phrase is actually a present participle. What that means is it isn’t a verb. It isn’t being added to the list of repentance and faith. A Participle often describes how something is done, what the circumstances are or what the results are. A better way to understand this would be to word it as saying that they should repent and turn to God which will prove the reality of the faith by bringing forth works meet for repentance.

Works do not save a person, but a saved person will produce works. Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” True repentance is seen in a change of life. A faith that has changed your life hasn’t saved your soul. I can’t say how much of a change there must be, but at the very least, true saving faith changes the way that you view God.

Paul takes Agrippa back to the scriptures and reasons from them vs 22-23

The scriptures should not be ignored when giving someone the gospel. The gospel is itself found in the scriptures. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” It is the message of scriptures about their sin, their need of a savior, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for their sins and repentance and faith that they need to hear. We only know this message because the bible tells us.

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

People do not need to hear our opinions. What they need is to hear the word of God. The Holy Spirit joins with His word to create conviction and faith in a person’s heart. Paul doesn’t necessarily quote bible verses because Agrippa already knows the verses, but he does point him to the teachings of scripture about:

The suffering Messiah

The resurrection of the Messiah

The salvation of Isreal

The extension of the New Covenant to the Gentiles

Sometimes those who hear will be violently against what we have to say vs 24

Not everyone who hears what we have to say will receive the message. Some will be bitterly antagonistic to it. Usually, those who fight against the gospel the most are the one’s who have been exposed to it and rejected it. They have hardened their hearts. When we preach through Romans, we will be dealing with the topic of Hardening of hearts.

Festus accuses Paul of being crazy and to some people we will look like we are crazy. Are you willing for people to think you are crazy for believing in Jesus? Isn’t this why so many of us won’t talk to people about salvation because we are afraid of what they will think of us?

1 Cor 1:20-27 “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

Paul asks questions to convict the conscience vs 27

Questions penetrate the heart. They get us thinking. When you study Jesus’ interactions with people, you will see that He asked a lot of questions. When you are trying to share the gospel with someone, ask them questions?

Ask comprehension questions- “what is sin?” “Did Jesus stay dead?” “What is faith”

Ask questions about what they think and believe? “How do you think a person gets to heaven?” “Do you believe that you are a sinner?”

Ask decision questions- “Are you willing to place your faith in Jesus today?” “Do you have any questions that don’t make sense about salvation?”

Paul asks a question that penetrates Agrippa’s heart, “Do you believe the prophets?” Agrippa took his religion seriously and knew what the prophets had said. Paul is pointing out by this question that if what they said is true, then Jesus must be the fulfillment of those prophets. But he makes it personal, “Do you believe?” In a way, it has backed him into a corner. A decision has to be made right here and right now.

Sometimes people will not be convinced vs 28

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, not everyone who hears the gospel will accept Jesus as their savior. Agrippa’s response was Almost thou persuadest me. I thought about preaching an entire message on this phrase. We would have had two salvation messages back to back. Maybe you were here last week and you heard the gospel presented, but you chose to put off making a decision until a more convenient time. Maybe you are almost persuaded, but not yet. Please do not put off this decision. When the piano plays, please come forward during the invitation and let us help you make sure you’re sins are forgiven.

Brother’s and sisters in Christ, we must still give the gospel even if no one responds. Our responsibility is to be faithful to give out the gospel whenever we can. God is the one who must give the increase. We show another reaps, but it is all in God’s hands. As we see the end days approaching, it is more than likely that fewer and fewer will get saved; but we must be faithful to declare the gospel message.