Speaking Jesus

Secular -

A couple of guys, we’ll call them John and Al, were standing by the side of the road holding up a sign that read, "The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!"

They planned to hold up the sign to each passing car. As the first driver sped past, he yelled, “Leave us alone you religious nuts!” From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.

John turns to Al and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says, ‘Bridge Out’ instead?”

Historical/Cultural Context -

Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul. He wrote the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in, which would have been c. A.D. 62. Acts is addressed to “Theophilus,” about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus who had already “been taught” about Jesus.

Biblical Text -

Acts 17:16–34 NKJV

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - When You Get An Opportunity To Share Jesus, do so & Don’t Leave Out The Resurrection.

Life Point- Got Some Down Time? Speak Jesus.

Exegetical -

Acts 17:16–18 NLT

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”

Homiletical -

So Paul is in Athens waiting on Silas and Timothy. At this time you didn’t just wait an hour for them to show up in their car. It took days for them to travel from one point to another.

So he is waiting and his spirit becomes troubled due to the sheer amount of different idols he found in the city. You see people in this city were what we would call tolerant today. They thought that all thoughts about spiritual matters were valid. They had done what is called syncretizing their religions. Meaning that they would pull a little from this one and that one and come up with their own thoughts.

So he did what he always did, he went to the Synagogue and the God-fearing Gentiles and spoke to them about Jesus. How He suffered and died and rose again from the dead for their sins. How our sin separates us from God and we need a bridge, a perfect sacrifice to make us Holy and pleasing to Him and that is Jesus.

But this isn’t all he does. He goes to the market place, the public square and starts preaching about Jesus. So these philosophers come and listen to his message, but they don’t understand it. But like any good Athenian they are intrigued by a new thought or idea. They want to hear him out.

It says that these were Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.

An Epicurean philosopher believed that the goal of life to seek and find pleasure

The Stoic Philosopher in contrast would say the the goal to life is to not have excesses either way. Whether in joy or grief. One should be kind of, “in the middle.”

Reminds you a lot of what people do today. They want to pull from Buddha or Islam and the new age. These are just examples, and make that what they believe about spiritual things. They have forgotten, or out and out rejected, what the Bible, which is our supreme authority on all things spiritual and non-spiritual, has to say. They have pushed God away in their hearts.

Now you have to ask yourself, is syncretizing a valid way of doing things? Is there more than one way to heaven? The answer is no, there is but only one way to heaven and that is Jesus the Christ. He is more than a curse word, but He is life and life more abundantly.

Acts 4:12 NLT

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 NLT

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Speaking of cursing, this is a question I get asked from time to time. Is it OK to use cuss words. Well the answer is no. There are a lot of places in scripture that talk about our language. Here are two of them:

Ephesians 4:29 NLT

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Colossians 3:8 NLT

But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

Have you seen these ridiculous stickers on cars that read COEXIST made up of a bunch of different religious symbols? Christianity cannot just go along to get along. Christianity is exclusive. There is but one way and that is through Jesus.

What else can we learn from this small section?

Notice what Paul is doing here. He went where the people are. He was serious about his faith and spreading Jesus to them and he did the hard part and went where the people were. He knew that these people were wishy washy and that some would come to Jesus but maybe not many, but he did it anyway? Why? Because Jesus commanded him to do so.

Matthew 28:16–20 NLT

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Life Point - Take All Opportunity To Share The Gospel

Exegetical -

Acts 17:18–21 NLT

He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

Homiletical -

So these philosophers want to hear about this new teaching about Jesus, and again they aren’t getting the story right. They think his ideas are strange and that he is talking about multiple gods. Which he isn’t, he is talking about the one true God who exists in three persons. The father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is three, yet He is one; which we call the trinity.

All illustrations break down when trying to understand the enormity of God. But the best one I have heard is Neapolitan Ice Cream. You have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry in one box. If you take one away, you have ice cream but it isn’t Neapolitan Ice Cream. You can’t have one without all three and still have Neapolitan Ice Cream.

These philosophers take him to the high council of the city also known as the Areopagus. Where people would come and listen to new philosophies and ideas. This was a worldly city. They loved nothing but to hear new things and to evaluate what is being said.

Today we here this kind of rhetoric when we hear someone say something like, “You have your truth and I have my truth.” Folks, there is one truth. Truth is inherently objective.

For example you may have heard someone say that all truth is subjective. Well that doesn’t work because that is an objective truth claim and if all truth is subjective then even that statement would be subjective so the whole thing falls apart. There has to be one truth and one truth giver and that is God.

He is the uncaused cause of the entire universe. He created all things and without him nothing was created.

John 1:1 NLT

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 NLT

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Colossians 1:17 NLT

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Now notice that Paul does not turn down their invitation. He goes with them. Because this is an opportunity to share Jesus, even if no one were to listen he would go anyway. So must we as Christians. When opportunity to share comes up, let us share Jesus.

Illustration -

There is a fairly well-known preacher who got an opportunity to share the Gospel to thousands of Muslims. If I were to say his name you would know it. Unfortunately, he squandered his opportunity. He spoke about coming together and working together on social issues, but said absolutely nothing about the Gospel or Jesus. Not a word. This upset me when I heard what happened and listened to what was said. What a lost opportunity! How many people will go to hell because that may have been their only chance to hear the Gospel?

You may be someone’s only chance to hear the Gospel.

Life Point - Never Leave Out The Resurrection

Exegetical -

Acts 17:22–34 NLT

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Homiletical -

Notice this sermon by Paul. It wasn’t long because he got cut off and that may happen to you as you speak Jesus. It’s ok, move on to the next person.

Paul starts by using something these folks are familiar with, that is their religious fervor and their shrine to “an unknown God.”

He found something to talk about that was of common interest to them.

Then because they didn’t have a Jewish background, what we would call a Judeo-Christian background. He took them back to the beginning. Letting them know that they all come from one source in the garden of Eden. That we are all descendants.

He explains that the one true God cannot be controlled through idol worship or be manipulated for he has no need of anything from human beings, he is bigger that all of that.

He says God overlooked these things because Jesus had not come yet, but now he commands everyone, everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him.

That God will judge all the living and the dead. He proved it by raising Jesus from the dead.

So, finally he talks about the resurrection, which a lot of the people laughed at him for and cut him off because it sounded so ridiculous to their ears.

But not everyone, some wanted to hear more and some believed and so a group of believers was started in Athens.

This is the reaction he had come to expect. He told this to the Christians in Corinth

1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT

So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

Life Principle– When You Get An Opportunity To Share Jesus, do so & Don’t Leave Out The Resurrection.

Call to Action – altar call….