Geared to the Times... Anchored to the Rock (2)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
I spoke to an old friend who also worked with me in YFC this week. It got me to thinking about those days with YFC. We had a slogan.
Geared to the Times… Anchored to the Rock.
Geared to the Times… Anchored to the Rock.
It simply meant that we would use whatever approach worked in the times we were in, but the message never changed. YFC started with large rallies, then went to Campus based ministries called Campus Life. The method changed but the message was always that God created you to have a relationship with him…
Now YFC may have put this strategy into a slogan, but we did not originate it. Paul did.
16 So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.
In Antioch, Paul recounts the history of how God worked in and through the nation of Israel. He transitions from that into the Gospel in vs. 23.
He used a different method another time in Athens.
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 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. 24 “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,
Paul talks to the Greek people in language that they could understand. He spoke of their religious practices and quoted their secular poets. He found some common ground and proceeded to share the message of Jesus Christ.
Paul met people where they were and related the Gospel of Jesus to them in a way they could understand.
Paul met people where they were and related the Gospel of Jesus to them in a way they could understand.
Paul was definitely geared to the times, but he was anchored to the rock of Jesus. We must be as well. We can vary our methods, but we must always be anchored to the ROCK.
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
IOW Paul was a chameleon for Jesus, but his reasons were higher than self protection. He wanted to be able to reach people of any culture… and any back ground. Foreign missionaries will do this as they prepare to go out on the mission field. They will learn the language and customs… so they can reach the people with the Gospel.
I want to give you three principles of this approach.
3 Principles of being Geared to the Times, but Anchored to the Rock
3 Principles of being Geared to the Times, but Anchored to the Rock
1. We have to be free of anything that will prevent us from living for the Lord and telling others about Him.
1. We have to be free of anything that will prevent us from living for the Lord and telling others about Him.
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.
Paul said he was free. What was he free from?
Paul was free of material entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
Paul was free of material entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
He understood that everything he had came from the Lord and he had dedicated everything to the work of the Gospel.
Debt or wealth can keep you from serving the Lord. Debt can make it so you can’t. Wealth can make it so you won’t.
Paul was free from philosophical entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
Paul was free from philosophical entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
Paul didn’t argue about politics… and he was living during the time of Nero. He tried to understand people so that he could reach them with the Gospel. And he was successful at it. He witnessed to kings and rulers… to Jews, Greeks, Roman Soldiers…
SS teacher I fired...
Paul was free from any moral entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
Paul was free from any moral entanglements that might prevent him from sharing the gospel.
You must live it before you can share it. We need guardrails around us to protect our purity.
2. We must meet people at their point of need so we can effectively share Jesus with them.
2. We must meet people at their point of need so we can effectively share Jesus with them.
20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
Paul used whatever method of communication with people so he could effectively win them to the Lord.
Paul used whatever method of communication with people so he could effectively win them to the Lord.
He would change the method to reach the people. Paul did whatever it took.
Paul never compromised the truths of God’s word to make the Gospel more palatable.
Paul never compromised the truths of God’s word to make the Gospel more palatable.
Paul changed his strategy all the time.... so he could win people to the Lord.
He chose to become all things to all people (the Jews, the Gentiles, and those with weak consciences, 9:20–22) in order to save some. Paul was willing to go to great lengths to meet people where they were.
Paul learned to accommodate himself to others so he cold lead them to faith in Jesus.
Paul learned to accommodate himself to others so he cold lead them to faith in Jesus.
How do we do that?
How do we do that?
We find common ground with those we are trying to reach.
We find common ground with those we are trying to reach.
Listen, when we talk to people who are “unchurched” we have to de-church our language. Inside churches we tend to use terms that people on the outside have no idea what they are talking about.
We try to find common interest or something that we can agree on and go from there… talk about things that interest the person. God will give you the information you need to share with them and the doorway into do that.
We need to avoid a know it all attitude
We need to avoid a know it all attitude
First of all, we don’t know it all. Secondly, it doesn’t impress the people we are trying to reach. Ask a lot of questions of the person you are trying to reach. Show interest in them. If you pay attention, you will see the way to witness to them… where they are at. You don’t have to give them the whole Gospel if the opportunity is not there… chip away.
We need to make others feel accepted by us.
We need to make others feel accepted by us.
People want to be part of something. They want to feel accepted and they will when we listen. In YFC, we had a principle that was a guiding principle. It was called Long Term Concern. It meant that even if a kid did not accept Jesus, we still cared about them… we didn’t just move on to someone else. When you practice that, people will feel accepted.
ILL - the witch at Riverdale
We need to become sensitive to other’s needs.
We need to become sensitive to other’s needs.
Jesus fed people… healed people… raised the dead… did all sorts of miracles … meeting needs to share the good news with them. When we find needs and meet them, it will open the door to share why we do what we do.
We need to look for opportunities to share Jesus.
We need to look for opportunities to share Jesus.
If we will just have conversations with people, Jesus will give us the opportunity, the information we need to relate to the person and the words to use.
3. We must walk the walk so that we will not disqualify ourselves from sharing Jesus with others.
3. We must walk the walk so that we will not disqualify ourselves from sharing Jesus with others.
Paul was finding common ground and becoming like those he shared with so he could reach them, but there is a danger in that. You have to be anchored to the rock yourself. You also have to know the limits. IOW, you don’t go out drinking to try to share with your old drinking buddies…
23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
We have to live a life of self control
We have to live a life of self control
Paul used runners as an example of self control. When you are running, you make choices between what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat… your workouts.
When I was running 6 miles per day, would eat a different lunch than when not running. I knew if I ate very much, I was going to be in pain later and not be able to keep up.
Just like training to win a race requires personal sacrifice (denial of unhealthy foods and just hanging out), walking with the Lord demand personal sacrifice… sacrifice of things that may not be evil, but which prevent your full devotion to the Lord. That’s why fasting is a good thing because it helps us to deny our flesh.
Living the Chrisitan life takes self denial, preparation and hard work
Living the Chrisitan life takes self denial, preparation and hard work
We are not just running for a prize, we are running for heavenly rewards for what we do here on earth.
The habits of Prayer, Bible Reading, Bible Study, Worship will equip us to run with perseverance.
The habits of Prayer, Bible Reading, Bible Study, Worship will equip us to run with perseverance.
These will help us to live in a way that will keep us from being disqualified from the ministries of witnessing that God has called all of us too. One burst of temper… one time treating someone badly… one adulterous affair...
We need to be geared to the times, but anchored to the rock in these times. To do this, we need to
Live our lives free of entanglements
We find common ground with people. Meet people at their point of need so we can introduce them to Jesus
Walk the Walk so that we can talk the talk.