Go Tell it on The Mountain (Part 1)
Title: ‘Go Tell It On A Mountain Part 1’
Type: Devotional
Text: Acts 17:16-34
Idea: We are to fight ignorance with the truth of the Gospel. Faithfully point ignorant people to Jesus and leave the rest up to God.
Purpose: To illustrate that God wants us to have a true and tested passion for lost people.
Topics: Evangelism; Reaching the Lost; Worldviews; ignorance
I. Where do we send those who want to find God?
Ignorance of God is just as bad a problem today as it was 2000 years ago.
· Play video of ‘Mr Bean’ character visiting a church for the first time. With humor, this video displays the fears many people have in trying to find God in some traditional cultures that seem to teach more about church etiquette than about God.
There are different kinds of ignorance, some harmless such as ritualistic ignorance and others dangerous such as the standard of God’s holiness.
Did you leave your lights on? (Text: Rom 3:23; Jas 4:8-10)
Humility, pride, confession, errors, glory of God
I get a kick out of the public announcements telling the audience that someone has left the lights on in their car. I always look to see, knowing the person might face a small amount of public humility, if they get up immediately or not. You know if humility or pride dictates their next move. Humility gets up and makes the changes regardless of the perceived public laughter. Pride doesn’t want anyone to notice that a mistake has been made. However, pride results in a dead battery if changes are not made.
Scripture makes a public announcement: 'We have all fallen short of the glory of God.' Humility publicly accepts this, pride refuses to. Humility accepts our sins and shortcomings and calls for help, pride performs for self and masks any need for help. Humility seeks the presence of others who have fallen short of God's glory; pride continues to parade itself as self-sufficient. The true Church of Jesus Christ is not designed to meet the expectations of the prideful, but to strengthen those who acknowledge their need for God.
We are among the group that has stood up and publicly confessed that God’s standard of holiness has not been met in our lives.
Nonetheless, where do we send those who want to find God?
II. God is looking to speak with those who are looking to hear.
How does God look for you? First, God looks for things and situations in our life to initiate contact with you. Second, God sends a Paul into our lives to direct you in those situations.
(show Map of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey)
Ac 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
Paul is waiting, and while waiting he takes the time to assess the spiritual state of Athens. Paul goes from a spiritual high to a low, emotionally, because of the cities idol worship. Do you ever assess the likes of people when you are waiting for them inside their house? You know, looking at the pictures on the wall, or maybe the books on their shelves.
Last week, I saw a car last week with the bumper sticker that said,
‘On the eighth day God created Bag Pipes.’
What would you deduce about the spiritual state of that person based on that bumper sticker?
· He is Scottish
· He loves the Bagpipes
· He doesn’t believe in literal 7 days of creation?
· God loves Bagpipes more than humanity?
There is a lot of ignorance that exists about the nature and character of God and God no longer accepts this ignorance.
Ac 17:17 So he reasoned in the synagogue d with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
The context in which Paul arrives at Athens has striking similarities to our modern day context.
Things have a way of working in cycles. Philosophies and ideas that existed 2 thousand years ago, exist today.
Ac 17:18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news e about Jesus and the resurrection. f
What is Paul walking into? 4 schools of thought:
Matter is co-eternal with Spirit. (Stoics) Today Pantheism/New Age
Matter is evil and Spirit is good. (Gnositcs) Today Scientology/New Age
Matter is cause of random acts (epicureans) Today Self-help books
It doesn’t matter. (rest of them)
Epicureans
(They wanted to be relieved from all things that threatened their peace and contentment. They believed that any negative emotion is bad.)
The Epicureans, though believing in the gods as “blessed and immortal beings,” tended to live as though religion were irrelevant. They explained everything in terms of natural forces, and believed everything to be composed of “atoms” (Diogenes Laertius Vit. 10.38–44). The random collision of atoms was the cause of every natural event, and chance predominated. They also upheld the validity of free will in opposition to fatalism. The goal of philosophy was to free people from all fears or trouble, enabling tranquility of mind to flourish everyday[1]
Perhaps today, we use pills and substances to rid ourselves of these negative things.
Stoics
(Stoic tried to have no emotion and would accept God’s fate. Prayer was irrelevant)
‘Stoicism could be characterized as a religious materialism which was pantheistic. The Stoa rejected “immaterial substance”; The life according to nature included the thought of a life lived rationally, in concord with the rational-divine part of human nature and in acceptance of one’s fate from God (which was inevitable anyway). This was believed to lead to a virtuous life, and virtue was the only absolute “good” which the Stoa recognized. All else, including health, wealth, strength, beauty, even life or death (see Life and Death), was termed “indifferent” (adiaphora) because, it was said, such things made no difference to the wise person’s virtue or happiness. The ideal Stoic life was a highly individualistic, self-centered pursuit of “virtue” in complete independence from any external supports.’[2] A stoic would face danger and persevere for the sake of the gaining the virtue of being one who perseveres.
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, g where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching h is that you are presenting?
Ac 17:20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
Ac 17:21 (All the Athenians i and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Today, we do not have to go to Athens, Greece to discover these views of God, you just need to go to local Tim Horton’s donut shop, the local hockey rink or a Chapter’s book store to find these ideas. Rick Warren presents six worldviews that are held by many people today. Maybe you have heard some one say:
1. The one with the most toys wins.
This is the worldview of materialism – and it can be summed up with one world, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is acquiring things. Those who subscribe to this worldview live mostly to collect things.
The Bible’s answer: Jesus said this in Luke 12, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (NIV). He tells us not to judge our lives by how much we’ve got. The greatest things in life aren’t things.
2. I’ve got to think of me first.
We live in a “me first,” serve-yourself world that says it’s all about you. Commercial slogans cater to this viewpoint. Slogans like, “have it your way,” “we do it all for you,” “obey your thirst,” “you’ve got to think of what’s best for yourself,” and “You deserve it.”
For the last 40 years, the Baby Boomer generation has been called the “Me Generation.” This “me first” idea has infected entire communities. It has torn up marriages (“I don’t care how divorce impacts my spouse or children; it’s all about me”), destroyed workplaces (“I don’t care how my laziness impacts my co-workers; it’s all about me”) and even ruined churches (“Serve my needs first, forget about the lost”).
It’s a self-centered, individualistic way of life that says we should ignore the community and other people.
The Bible’s answer: Jesus says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT). Jesus says you only begin to live when you give your life away. Significance in life does not come from serving yourself; it comes from serving God and others.
3. Do what feels good.
This is hedonism – the belief that the most important thing in life is how we feel. The number one goal of a hedonist is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.
It’s the worldview that Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine on. He willingly acknowledges he is a hedonist.
It’s not just playboys who are hedonists, though. In fact, someone who lives for the goal of retirement is a hedonist. If the whole goal of a person’s life is to simply do nothing, live a self centered life, and make no contribution to the world, that’s hedonism.
The Bible’s answer: “Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Prov 21:17 Msg). Mick Jagger’s been singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction” for 40 years. Why? The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.
4. Whatever works for you.
This worldview says it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. It doesn’t matter if it hurts anybody or not. If it works for you, fine. As that great theologian Sly Stone says, “Different strokes for different folks.”
In our multi-cultural, pluralistic world, this is a very popular worldview. Nobody wants to tell someone else that what they are doing is wrong. In fact that’s the only way you can be wrong in our society today – if you tell someone else they’re wrong.
The Bible’s answer: The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12 NIV). Our ideas may seem right, but in the end our ideas lead to death. “Whatever works for you” leads to death. You don’t break God’s universal laws; they break you.
5. God doesn’t exist.
This worldview is naturalism or atheism. Naturalists believe that everything in life is a result of random chance. We’re all accidents of nature. There is no grand creator or grand design. God either doesn’t exist or he doesn’t matter.
If there is no God, there’s no plan or purpose for life. If there is no purpose, than your life doesn’t really matter. Your only value comes from the fact that God loves you, created you, and thought you up. For naturalists, life has no value, meaning, or purpose.
It takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to believe in God. When you look at creation and how the world is set on an axis, it proves the existence of God to me. If it were one degree one way, we’d freeze up. If it were one degree the other way, we’d burn up.
The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Romans 1:25 (NIV), “From the beginning of creation, God has shown what he is like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him...They claim to be wise, but they are fools.” In other words, we can look at nature and see a lot about God. We know God is creative, powerful, organized, and likes diversity. There are lots of things we know about God just by looking at nature.
6. You are your own God.
This worldview, otherwise known as humanism, is very popular in the Western world. It says we are the mastermind of our own fate, the determiner of our destiny. You’ll hear this in the new age movement as well: “You’re divine. You’re a god.”
It’s ironic. God wired us to worship something. And if we don’t worship God, we end up worshipping ourselves. The self-made man usually worships his maker.
The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Rom. 1:25 (NIV): “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped created things rather than the Creator.” You can go all around the world and find people worshipping little idols that they made – stone idols, rock idols, crystals, and wooden idols. They’re worshipping something that they created themselves or somebody else created. In America we have our own idols – they’re called cars, homes, and status symbols. The Bible is clear that God is God, and we’re not.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but not anymore.
What if you encountered one of those worldviews? What would you say?
God wants dialogue with the lost and you are the ambassador that is to lead them to Jesus. So remember, that God is looking to speak to those who are looking to hear. (He sends a Paul into our lives, or maybe he sends you to be Paul into someone else’s life)
III. Second, you find a lost passion for lost people by creative trial and error.[3]
Ac 17:22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus j and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. k
Ac 17:23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown l I am going to proclaim to you.
· However, to get them to trust God with their problems and needs, sometimes you have to walk them through the remedial questions.
Illustration:. A man at a Baptist church I used to go to doesn’t believe in the trinity. While I can prove him wrong through Scripture footnotes, I sometimes have to reintroduce them to the God who is. WE are always dealing with people who worship ‘An Unknown God’.
Johnson writes, ‘Have you ever felt like you have blown an opportunity for God? Have you ever felt like God was using you to find someone who was lost? Lost in the rumble of dead-end dreams and bags of failure?’
You must be sensitive and trained by the Spirit of God in the Word of God.
Johnston writes: ‘When you are on a long flight and the person next to you starts to talk about our world’s problems?
-When a friend asks you what you are doing Saturday night?
-When a co-worker shares a crisis in there life?
-When a family member talks about how you have changed since you started getting all religious? Do you miss the opportunity?
You will not miss the opportunity when God’s passions become your passions.
If you want to be passionate about the lost, then…
1) You have to meet them at their level of spiritual interest.
-This means asking what kind of movies do they like, are they into the outdoors, and are they into sports? Warren says that to catch a fish you need to think like a fish.
2) You may have to do some spadework to discover their interests.
I was in a discussion with my pianist at a local service this week and discovered through simple conversation that we shared a mutual acquaintance 350km away, that I knew where she lived in Aurora, Ontario and that I was very familiar with another town she lived in Bradford, Ontario. This was uncovered through simple discourse and time.
3) You may have to follow them into some rugged terrain.
Johnson states, ‘Berry MCMurtie from a church of over 5,000 in California Followed some sheep in some rough terrain. Porno convention was in town. You could go there and get an autograph from your favorite porno star. Barry the Senior Pastor set up a booth there and called it the XXX church. They handed our material for those who have been broken by pornography. I spoke to Barry last week and he told me he has had over 1 million hits on the site designed for that convention out reach.
Wow! over 1 million lost sheep finding a way home off the rugged terrain of sexual sins only to find the good shepherd waiting for them on the other end of a click of a mouse.’
4) Be persistent:
-It takes resources: what investment are you prepared to make?... -It takes time: what sacrifice are you prepared to make? Our church has decided to give $20,000 to our missions, a jump of almost 20% because we are learning the passion of God for lost people.
Lives are hanging in the balance.
Ac 17:30 In the past God overlooked u such ignorance, v but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. w
Ac 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge x the world with justice y by the man he has appointed. z He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” a
Ac 17:32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, b some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
Ac 17:33 At that, Paul left the Council.
Ac 17:34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, c also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others
This past Friday was a Professional Development day for all our students in Perth, Ontario. That is when the kids get a free day off school. At 8:45am I was driving with my son and he saw a classmate with his knapsack on walking with his head hung low. My son commented with a smirk, ‘ah, he went to school today forgetting it was a day off.’ I wondered where were his parents to help him know that this was a day off.
Ignorance leaves us wandering without a clue to what is really going on. Ignorance will lead us to do things we do not have to do. Ignorance will leave us neglecting the things we need to do. Ignorance causes people to miss the target of heaven because they are not aimed at the glory of God. Ignorance is something that is passed on to our children. Ignorance is the fuel for the wanderer.
We must be vigilant, alert, and trusting the word of God to keep us out of ignorance and into security and assurance of His love and His Son. In the past God overlooked ignorance, but not anymore. Jesus had compassion on the people of Israel because they are like sheep without a shepherd. We are called have the same passion for the lost people of our community and to point lost people back to Jesus, the one true shepherd.
*Faithfully point to Jesus and leave the rest up to God.
----
Vit. Vitae
[1]Hawthorne, Gerald F. ; Martin, Ralph P. ; Reid, Daniel G.: Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. electronic ed. Downers Grove : InterVarsity, 1997, c1993 (Logos Library Systems), S. 714
[2]Hawthorne, Gerald F. ; Martin, Ralph P. ; Reid, Daniel G.: Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. electronic ed. Downers Grove : InterVarsity, 1997, c1993 (Logos Library Systems), S. 715
[3] Idea from Ryan Johnston sermon ‘Finding Lost Passion for Lost People’