EVANGELISM (PART 1)

Start by watching the City Light Finance update and praying in light of it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Alpha starts next week (Monday May 6th)

READ ACTS 17:16-34

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate 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 about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 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. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.


DISCUSS

  1. In what way is the description of Athens similar to how someone might describe Sydney?

  2. Why would Paul be so distressed to see a city full of idols?


    Throughout Paul’s Ministry, as he seeks to share the Gospel, he often finds ways to ‘Connect’, ‘Confront’ and ‘Compel’ those he is speaking to. In each of these areas we can consider what it would look like to do likewise in our own culture.

    Connect

  3. What does Paul observe is most important to the Athenians?

  4. How does he use their Idols as an opening to share the Gospel?

  5. What questions could you ask your unbelieving friends/ family to help discern what it is that they are worshiping?

    Confront

  6. What does Paul point out as the shortcomings of the God’s worshipped by the people of Athens?

  7. For an Idol that you see commonly worshipped by people around you, how does this Idol tend to fail or hurt those who worship it? How might you be able to challenge this Idol in a way that may lead to people being open to hearing about Jesus?

    Compel

  8. In what ways does Paul point to God/Jesus as being the one who is truly worthy of worship?

  9. For the Idols mentioned in question 7… How Does Jesus more fully fulfil what people are looking for in these things?

    APPLY

  10. What would it look like for you to actively be seeking to share the Gospel with someone this week?

    PRAY

    Pray that we would be courageous in sharing the Gospel and also for those who are considering coming to Alpha next week.