2006-11-19 - A New Way - Acts 17 16-34

Message: A NEW WAY                                     Newport Baptist Church

Scr: ACTS 17:16-34                                           Date: 2006-11-19

INTRODUCTION: The Bible speaks of examples where we as a believer are tested.

In fact, The Bible declares that as believers we will be tested.

1 Cor. 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, “

The first of these verses speaks to the fact that we will never be given more than we are able to accomplish, and the second verse tells us that we will indeed get these types of tests.

three purposes for a test.

-          The first is for the mastery of material – Exams in school

-          The second is for proficiency in order to advance – A driver’s exam

-          And third, the quality of a product – little tags in clothing – inspected by inspector #7

EXPLANATION

1 Thes. 5:21, says to, “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”

We are commanded to test EVERYTHING and to hold onto what is good!

TRANSITION

Far too often, as believers we have reacted to our world.

-          We have carried the words of 2 Cor. 6:17, "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

·         We have done this without a clear understanding of what this really means!

-          We need to reconcile this with the call of The Bible to also “become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Cor. 9:22

·         There is a way to interact with our world AND maintain our distinctiveness as believers in Christ!

·         The The Bible gives us tremendous insight into doing JUST that through the life of Paul as recorded in Acts 17

Paul offers us New Ways

1)       A NEW WAY TO  LOOK AT THE SITUATION

a)       Athens was a community of the cutting edge of thinking and experimentation! – 17:21

i)         Athens was driven by entertainment – ultimately this would result in the creation of the Gladiators.

(1)     This would probably have been like our “talk shoe” mentality and reality show addiction

ii)       A Community keenly aware of when there was something new. – 17:18-19

iii)      A Community searching for some sort of “spiritual identity”. – 17:16

(1)     So many idols and temples

b)       Paul was in the commercial center of Athens – the AGORA.

i)         The center was full of monuments and would become so crowded with them that Rome would be forced to finance the building of a NEW Agora

ii)       Temples to Kybele, Ares, Apollos, Athena, as well as many others were located here.

(1)     gods were guilty of lying, murder, pillage, and rape

(2)     Temples were vile, immoral, and pornographic, child sacrifice even!

c)       PAUL’S REACTION TO HIS SURROUNDINGS

i)         Paul is GREATLY distressed – 17:16 – He was distressed to the point that he was driven to do something.

(1)     Athens was an idolatrous society driven by a quest for knowledge and an appetite for entertainment

(a)     Today we have a society driven by entertainment

(b)     Most powerful figures in American are those associated with entertainment

(c)     Our society is SERIOUS about entertainment

(d)     In most countries heroes make history, in our country heroes make movies!

ILL - Robert Hutchins, the former chancellor of the University of Chicago said this, “It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things. The monkey wears an expression of seriousness which would do credit to any college student, but the monkey is serious because he itches.”

(2)     Paul “carefully examined” his surroundings – 17:23

(a)     Paul walked around

(b)     Paul looked around

ii)       Paul “RESPONDED” to his surroundings – 17:19-22

(1)     Paul accepts the offer of the people

(2)     Paul responds to what he sees

(a)     He did not run

(b)     He did not hide

(c)     He did respond

HERE LIES THE KEY – HERE IS WHERE PAUL MELTS TOGETHER THE TWO CALLS OF THE BIBLE – TO BE SEPARATE AND TO BE ALL THINGS.

2)       A NEW WAY TO TURN THE SEARCH TO THE SAVIOR – 17:16-17,22-34

a)       Paul understood what drives their society

i)         The search for truth

ii)       The search for spiritual satisfaction.

Ill - Charlie Brown and Lucy were discussing theology. Lucy said, “On the great cruise ship of life, some people take their deck chairs to the bow. And some people take their deck chairs to the stern. Where do you put your deck chair, Charlie Brown?”  Charlie Brown replied, “Lucy, I can’t even get my deck chair unfolded.”

iii)      If all of the gods they worshipped could do it and if all of there “entertainment could do it, then they would not have had a temple to an “UNKNOWN GOD”. The Athenians were missing something and THEY knew it!

b)       Paul turns their search into something spiritually productive.

i)         Searching is good and Paul commends them for their searching.

ii)       They have a strong religious mindset

iii)      Searching also moves us into new territories – 17:23

c)       Nowhere is this more true than during the Christmas Season, if you have a hard time finding all of the gifts you needed.

i)         In your quest, is ANY store open for your search?

ii)       The Athenians were open to ANY way of finding God

3)       A NEW WAY TO  “EXCHANGE IGNORANCE FOR KNOWLEDGE”

a)       Paul provides an answer by interacting with their culture – “what you have worshipped in secret, you can now worship openly.” a God made it all – only 1 God

i)         God does not need a temple or hands – God needs nothing from us

ii)       God did it all

(1)     So we would see Him

(2)     So we would reach out for Him

(3)     So we could find Him

(4)     He is closer that you think

iii)      God requires that we interact with what He has done

(1)     Understand what He asks

(2)     Understand what He will do

(3)     Understand what He has already done

So what about today?

WE LIVE IN A PROGRESSIVELY MORE VISUAL AND LESS VERBAL SOCIETY!

Peanuts cartoon: Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “I would have made a great evangelist.” Charlie Brown answers, “Is that so?” She says, “Yes, I convinced that boy in front of me in school that my religion is better than his religion.” Charlie Brown asked, “Well, how did you do that?” And Lucy answers, “I hit him over the head with my lunch box.”

That we can’t do.

1)       The day of just DECLARING what is right and wrong is over!

2)       The day of LIVING what is right and wrong is here!

“Children want to be like the people they love.”

(Mr.) Fred Rogers

1)       The world is following visual, not verbal heroes

2)       The world needs visual, not verbal Christians

WHAT WE SEE DOES NOT ENHANCE WHAT WE HEAR – IT REPLACES IT!

What will the world see in you tomorrow?

We need a new way to look at the situation, to turn the search to the saviour and to exchange ignorance for knowledge.  Paul showed us how…

Look at those around us! – see society today as it really is

Understand what drives people – see what people are really looking for

Interact with THEIR culture – help them connect what they know with what we have to offer!