As the secular tide rises, guest preacher Brad Gaunt, Associate Pastor at Dixie Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, MS, offers a beacon of hope for navigating the choppy waters of faith in contemporary culture. With a finger on the pulse of today's generational beliefs, he sheds light on the dwindling adherence to a biblical Christian worldview among Gen Z and millennials. Our discussion traverses the challenges young believers face in secular environments like schools, emphasizing the crucial role of adapting without compromising the core of our faith.
Apostle Paul's encounter with idolatry in Athens is more than a biblical account; it's a strategic manual for modern evangelism. Brad breaks down Paul's method of blending righteous indignation with compassionate outreach, creating a blueprint for engaging in effective dialogue across religious and cultural divides. We examine Paul's versatile approach as he traverses from synagogues to marketplaces, drawing parallels to the avenues of communication in today's world, such as college campuses. This episode will leave you contemplating the dynamic ways of initiating conversations and presenting reasoned arguments for faith, following Paul's exemplary model.
Wrapping up, we delve into the practical outworkings of being faithful ambassadors for Christ in everyday life. Recognizing the need for Christians to be fully aware of the cultural context they inhabit, we discuss how to identify and seize opportunities for meaningful faith conversations. We also uplift a collective prayer for the church's guidance in the search for a new pastor who has a deep-rooted commitment to God's word. Our hearts are also with those seeking connection and understanding in a world that often feels devoid of both. This episode is a clarion call for action, driving Christians to engage their communities with the gospel's transformative power.
As the secular tide rises, guest preacher Brad Gaunt, Associate Pastor at Dixie Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, MS, offers a beacon of hope for navigating the choppy waters of faith in contemporary culture. With a finger on the pulse of today's generational beliefs, he sheds light on the dwindling adherence to a biblical Christian worldview among Gen Z and millennials. Our discussion traverses the challenges young believers face in secular environments like schools, emphasizing the crucial role of adapting without compromising the core of our faith.
Apostle Paul's encounter with idolatry in Athens is more than a biblical account; it's a strategic manual for modern evangelism. Brad breaks down Paul's method of blending righteous indignation with compassionate outreach, creating a blueprint for engaging in effective dialogue across religious and cultural divides. We examine Paul's versatile approach as he traverses from synagogues to marketplaces, drawing parallels to the avenues of communication in today's world, such as college campuses. This episode will leave you contemplating the dynamic ways of initiating conversations and presenting reasoned arguments for faith, following Paul's exemplary model.
Wrapping up, we delve into the practical outworkings of being faithful ambassadors for Christ in everyday life. Recognizing the need for Christians to be fully aware of the cultural context they inhabit, we discuss how to identify and seize opportunities for meaningful faith conversations. We also uplift a collective prayer for the church's guidance in the search for a new pastor who has a deep-rooted commitment to God's word. Our hearts are also with those seeking connection and understanding in a world that often feels devoid of both. This episode is a clarion call for action, driving Christians to engage their communities with the gospel's transformative power.
Hi and welcome to the FBC Eldorado Sermon Podcast. We hope God will use this week's message to both inspire and challenge you as you seek to walk closer with the Lord. Now join me as we listen into this week's sermon. Our guest speaker today, brad Gont. Many of you know that he's the son of Bill and Carolyn Gont and grew up right here at First Baptist Church. Brad graduated from Eldorado High School in 2005 and from Mississippi State University in 2009. And that's where he met his lovely wife, carrie. They then attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating in 2013. And subsequently they served the International Mission Board overseas in a closed country with emphasis on holistic gospel ministry. Presently, brad serves as the Associate Pastor of Worship for Students, college and Families at Dixie Baptist Church in the Hattiesburg Mississippi area.
Speaker 2:I want to share with you just a part of a quote that I read on some material about Brad that I was given, and Bradley says this Discipling students is truly raising up and equipping the next generation to follow Christ while having an impact on the world around us. As soon as I read that, I thought that's the heart of the young man that I was privileged to see grow up here at First Baptist Church Back in 2001, I served as a volunteer in a preschool four and five-year-old children's choir and that's where I got to know Brad, because he also volunteered in that choir. I don't know if you remember Brad, but they were a very active group. We never knew from one week to the next if they were going to sing from under the table or on top of the table, and occasionally they actually sat in the chair.
Speaker 2:They were precious, but they required a great deal of love and patience, and that's what I saw in that 14-year-old Brad Gont. He was always kind, he was always patient and the best part he was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. That heart who was willing, as a 14-year-old boy, to volunteer after school with children. It's the heart I read in that quote. He's been willing to follow Christ wherever he led and his life exemplifies that. So, brad, I want to thank you for your willingness to come and speak to us today and we really do look forward to hearing from you. Please join me in welcoming. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for the kind introduction and yes, like I said, I'm one of the. I'm the student pastor, the college pastor, the associate pastor, the all the other things as a signed pastor at Dixie Baptist and we enjoy getting to serve the local church there, as talk with Brian, some of the others, when I first walked in this morning. It's a strange feeling when you used to sit there listening to Brother Lynn and now I get to stand behind this pulpit. Thank you for the honor. I really do appreciate it. I've been excited about this morning for a while to come and, as I mentioned, I am the student pastor, so I spend a lot of time with our youth, our college students, a lot of the Gen Z people as you hear that term kind of tossed around, and the longer I do this, the longer or the more I realize we are very much living in a secular culture. If you look at the world around you many times it does not reflect what it did 20, 30, 40 years ago. We're very much stepping into a new secular culture. Now you can go say okay, brad, but I mean like maybe, look, we live in the Bible Belt Church. I like to tell you we did In many ways, we are no longer in that type of culture we did. We used to live in the Bible Belt, but we do not anymore. So again, you may be a little skeptical. You're like, all right, look, this guy's been gone from El Dorado for a long time. Maybe he doesn't know, like he forgot.
Speaker 1:Here's some of the research. If you don't believe me Gen Z this is our youth and our college students. There's only about 4% 4% that hold a biblical Christian worldview, not 4D, 4. So, for those that are here this morning, hey, go shake their hand after service. Tell them you're glad that they are here with us. 4% of the millennials in Gen Z about 30% would identify as having no religious affiliation, or the nuns N-O-N-E-S, as you've heard it talked about A couple of years ago. In 2020, 47% of US adults belong to a mosque, church or synagogue. That's less than half. Oh, by the way, that's down 20 percentage points from 20 years ago. Each year is dropping a percentage point. Essentially, maybe we'll be sitting here going well, okay, that's some of those younger folks. I don't know. You're not off the hook yet. In 1996, for those over 50, the religious nuns those with no religious affiliation was about 3%. Today it's at 18% Across the board, across the generations, across different demographics.
Speaker 1:Our culture is quickly becoming more and more of a secular culture. So this morning I want to look at Acts, chapter 17. You can go ahead and start turning that direction now, but, as I do, you may still be thinking I know what you're saying, I know the statistics. I'm not quite sure about that yet. Here in El Dorado, arkansas, yes, I've been going about 20 years, which is weird to say. If you don't believe me, here's what I invite you to do Come find one of your teenagers, come talk to Colby, come say hey, all right, how easy is it to live as a believer in today's culture in your local high school? Go ahead that conversation. Don't take it from me. Go talk to them. I think they're going to very much say the same things that I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So then, what do we do with that? If the culture is quickly changing, we're stepping into a more secular culture and a more secular society. What do we do with that? Do we disengage and kind of just pull back from culture? I don't think so. John 17, 18, jesus says to the Father he says as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. The Father has very clearly sent Christ into the world and we are to follow His example, us now being sent into the world for the good of the world. We're not allowed to retreat and disengage from culture. No, we're to go to the culture with the gospel. That sounds really good, but how do we actually do that? How do we engage a very secular culture around us with the gospel? I think Paul gives us one of the best examples here in scripture in Acts, chapter 17,. Paul in Athens. If you would turn with me to Acts chapter 17, we're going to pick up in verse 16 to 21 right now.
Speaker 1:Acts 17, starting in verse 16, says now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in their synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. So the Epicurean and Stoke philosophers also conversed with him and said what does this babbler wish to say? Well, they said he seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities, because he was preaching Jesus in the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Eropagus, saying may we know what this new teaching is that you're presenting, if we bring some strange things to our ears? We wish to know, therefore, what these things mean. Now, all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time doing nothing except hearing or telling something new. So let's walk through this passage and see some of the ground rules, some of the model that Paul gives to us.
Speaker 1:Paul arrives in Athens. In verse 16 it says that the city is full of idols. This is not an understatement. Just listen to how this commentary says it. It says some of Athens most prominent features were its numerous pagan temples. The great temple to Athena at the Parthenon, the Eurektheon dedicated to multiple deities, and the temple to the goddess Roma and emperor Augustus stood atop the Acropolis overlooking the city. Many other pagan sacred sites have also been found, confirming Petronius' satirical assertion that it is easier to find a god than a man.
Speaker 1:In Athens Full of idols. Very likely, as Paul is coming in again remember your history and acts as Paul is coming in on the ship, he's likely can see these monuments from the boat Before he even touches down on land. He can see the idols. Athens is a very pagan city, very interesting spirits and philosophy, but not in the god of Israel Church. In many ways, this is the same type of thing we see in Romans, chapter one, that they are serving and worshiping the creature rather than the creator. They're serving these dead and lifeless idols.
Speaker 1:One of the commentaries I was studying and preparing for this, tony Merida, defined an idol as this. He said anything to which we turn. We need something that only Jesus can provide. An idol is something to which we turn when we need something that only Christ can provide, which idolatry is still alive and well today. Look, you may not drive from here to Walmart and see mixed statues. You think of, kind of Nebuchadnezzar and the golden statue, what not? You may not have a table in your house where you burn incense to the ancestors. You may not have that, but is there something in our culture that people worship more than the creator god of the universe? I think you just found an idol in your culture.
Speaker 1:Alright, let's lean in a little bit. More than that, is there something that you worship more than the creator god of the universe? You may have found where that idol is in your own heart. So Athens is full of idols. I would argue that today, our culture is very full of idols. You don't have to think too hard to think about what some of those may be words, fame or popularity, money, the things that have been idols for a long time. Right so? And Athens, in the same way, is full of idols.
Speaker 1:So what is Paul's response? Verse 16, well, paul was waiting for them at Athens. His spirit was provoked within him as you saw that the city was full of idols. Paul's spirit is provoked. No, what does that mean? I mean, does this mean he's anger with the people, he's cursing them, he's destroying the idols? We don't see any evidence of that. So then, what is this? What is this? Paul is provoked. Paul has a righteous anger that this idol is receiving the worship that is due to the Creator God. He said no, no, this worship is not supposed to be going over here, it's supposed to be going to God, and this is not right. There's a righteous anger that goes with that. So he has righteous anger on one side, but he has a compassionate love for the people that are being deceived in the other hand. Yes, he's angered that these idols are getting worship that is not due to them, but he also loves and seeks to help turn the people back to their Creator. The city is walking around in ignorance, worshipping false idols rather than the true God, and Paul cannot walk around the city, see all these people on the road to hell and simply walk away. His spirit is provoked within him.
Speaker 1:Church position is oftentimes what we do today. We may see the culture or, sorry, we may see the idols in our culture. We may see how it has ensnared those around us, our coworkers, our family members. They're giving all their worship, all their devotion, all their time, all their effort, all their money towards some sort of idol, but what do we say? Hey, you do, you. He's just really passionate about that. I don't really want to get involved. Is that not the same thing, though, church? I hope it does bother you when you see the idol worship around you, because it should bother you when you see the idol worship around you. We need to have the compassionate heart for the lost and that righteous anger towards those that are deceiving the lost, just in the same way that Paul does. So we see Paul's heart. We see that he has provoked. What does he do with that? Verse 17 starts out. So, therefore, so what does Paul do? Verse 17.
Speaker 1:So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons and in the marketplace, every day with those who happened to be there. What does Paul do? He says he wouldn't pick up a sledgehammer and start smashing idols. No, we don't see that. What does he do? He begins to reason with them. He talks with them. He has a conversation, a dialogue. He's not yelling at them, he's not degrading them, he's not insulting them. He's having a conversation with those on the other side. We're soon going to see. Paul is reasoning from logic and good theology, not just from feelings and subjective emotions. No, he has a good reason, a good apologetic behind what he has to say. Paul is presenting sound arguments to come to faith, all right, so he's reasoning with them. Well, where is he reasoning? We see that he is reasoning in the synagogue.
Speaker 1:Think of a very churchy setting, people that are religious. If you're in the synagogue, you're at least somewhat wanting to seek after God, those that have religious interest. He's with those in the synagogue and he's with those in the marketplace. Now, when you hear marketplace, don't think Walmart. All right, that's not what we're talking about here. Marketplace in this day is kind of. If you've ever been overseas, think of like the wet market where everyone goes to buy their groceries. There's people hanging out, the philosophers, the teachers, the cultural celebrities of the day, everyone's hanging out there at the city square and that is the buzzing point of people coming together. I think for today, for a very secular place where new ideas are talked about and discussed. I think today the closest thing we have to the marketplace would be the college campus. Anyways, the college campus for us today was where new ideas are discussed, invented. So you have the very churchy setting and you have the very not churchy setting, the center of culture.
Speaker 1:Who is he talking with? He's in the synagogues, in the marketplace. Well, who is he speaking with? He says he's speaking with the Jews and the devout persons in the marketplace. So he's speaking with the people of a Jewish background, common religious background, but also common cultural background. Paul is a Jew. It's easy for him to talk with these people. But then you have Paul talking with the devout persons, or the God fearing Greeks, depending on your translation. This is Gentile converts to Judaism. Different cultural background, but very similar religious background. So, okay, there's some differences, but this still have a common ground, right. But then he has those in the marketplace the Gentiles, the Pagans, those that have no cultural connections to Paul and no real religious connections to Paul. They're about as different from Paul as you can get, but he's sharing with all three of these groups. So what truth do we see here?
Speaker 1:Paul is putting out a lot of hooks for the gospel. He's not just staying with the Jews over here, he's not just staying in the middle ground with the God fearing Greeks, he's not just only going to the Gentiles. He's putting out hooks for the gospel among each and every one of these groups. Hey, look, I'm from here. I know people like to put out a trot line. Do you put one hook on it? No, you put out a lot of hooks and we see Paul doing very much the same thing. He's putting out a lot of hooks for the gospel among all these different groups and Church. I want you to catch this.
Speaker 1:Paul did not wait for the culture to come to him for the gospel. Paul did not sit back in the safety and comfort of the church waiting for the loss to come to him. No, he went to them and the synagogues and the marketplace, all these different places where he traveled. He goes to the people, he goes to the lost on their turf Church. We are absolutely called to do the same to take the gospel outside the walls of this church, to the people where they are.
Speaker 1:But let's be honest, this is the area that's difficult for us. Right, this is like this. It's okay to love your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is our people, this is our church, what we call church family. Right, it's okay to enjoy this fellowship. I, I, I, like I honestly kind of miss my church family a little bit this morning. I'm glad to be here, but, like that is when we gather together as a church family, but it's also we are called to go outside the walls of the church.
Speaker 1:So how do we do that? I think in today's culture, one of the best ways to do that is through shared interests and hobbies. What are some hobbies that you have? What about sports? You play Young families. You know you're tied up every Saturday with soccer. Take some time and spend time getting to know some of the other families. Maybe go hang out at the farmer's market, find a serve, a place to serve. What's the next event coming to the mad? What do they call it? The mad arts district down there. What are ways that you can get out into the culture, get to know people and begin building those relationships for the sake of sharing the gospel? And then we keep going.
Speaker 1:Verse 18, it says and some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. So who are these guys? One's essentially a materialist, one is devoted to logic, both of them very far from God, and both these groups have something to say. They say to Paul what does this babbler wish to say? Not a terribly kind thing to say, right? Did it fully understand what Paul was trying to tell them? Does Paul get offended? He does not. He continues to lean into the gospel and continues to share with them, even through their disrespect. Next couple of verses in 20 and 21 we see Paul is brought to the eropias. He's given a larger stage to speak to all of the philosophers here in this area. Why they say that we may know what this new teaching is that you're presenting. It tells us that the Athenians spent all their time willing to hear something new. They're going to be very progressive, if you will.
Speaker 1:And then in this next section we get one of the best examples of contextualizing the gospel that we have in all of scripture. Now, what is that? Taking the gospel and putting it into a context that makes sense among the people. This is a word that's tossed around a lot in missions. How do we take the gospel and insert it into the culture in a way that makes sense to the people, removing our traditions, cultural baggage and just giving them the core of the gospel. Not changing the gospel, but giving them the core of the gospel. We never change the gospel. Paul has some pretty strong words in Galatians 1 about that but giving them the gospel in a way that makes sense to them. So let's look at see exactly how he does this in the next few verses after this, picking up in verse 22.
Speaker 1:So Paul, standing in the midst of the eropic, he said men of Athens, I perceive in every way that you're very religious. Okay, so Paul starts out with a compliment hey, you guys are religious, me too. He's finding some common ground with these guys. He's finding common ground with his target audience Verse 23. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. What, therefore, you worship is unknown. This I proclaim to you. Paul has spent some time among the people. He's been in and around the city. He's walked around the city enough to have seen some of the altar, some of the idols that they have. He says hey guys, I realize that you're religious. A chemical is kind of strange altar. It says to the unknown God Well, hey, what you don't know about this unknown God, let me tell you about him. He's found some common ground and he's starting to lean in towards a gospel conversation.
Speaker 1:Paul put in the work to get to know his target audience first. Church, I would encourage you, get to know your target audience first. If you're going to show the gospel with people that are not like you, great, fantastic, get to know them. I will. How? How do you get to know somebody that is not like you, doesn't believe in the gospel? How do you get to know anybody? Ask them some questions. The vast majority of people are not going to turn down a lunch invitation. If you're buying Just saying that coworker, that's kind of hard to get along with. Hey man, I'll buy you lunch today. It's quite somewhere nice. I bet you they're going to take you up on that. Ask some questions, get to know them. What kind of background you come from, what kind of religious background do you have Get to know your target audience with the gospel? Then, when that gospel opportunity presents itself, you know where to start. Let's keep going. Verse 24, 25.
Speaker 1:Paul goes on and says the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven or does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives all mankind life and breath and everything Church. I want you to see this. Where does Paul start sharing the gospel? He does not start with John 3.16 or Jesus. He starts with creation. Why, I mean why, would he start all the way back in creation? Because, in a culture that knows nothing about the Bible and nothing about the God of Israel, they have no context to fit Jesus into. They need to know what kind of God has created them. They need to know that he is loving and he is just. But they know that they were created Again. He met them in the middle. You know that you're created. You're right. Let me tell you about that God that created you.
Speaker 1:Continuing on verse 26. And he made from every man one nation of mankind, hang on. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined a lot of periods and boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way towards him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us. In him we live and move and have our being, and even some of your own poets have said for we are indeed his offspring. He answers the question where did we come from? Everyone in El Dorado, everyone in this country, everyone on this earth has asked that question at some point in their life. Hey, we have the answer right. It's okay to start sharing the gospel from creation, pointing to who God is and what he has done for us.
Speaker 1:But in politics an interesting term. He starts a creation and you would think, okay, well, he's going to talk about Genesis, he's going to give them some Old Testament quotations, but who does he quote? He quotes their own poets. He quotes epitomies of Crete and the Stoic poet Erastus. He's going to appeal to the Epicureans and to the Stoics. Now, do these poets hold the same authority as God's word? Absolutely not. But they know these poets. These poets have stumbled upon some truth that is also aligning with God's word.
Speaker 1:So what's Paul doing here? Paul has found a gospel bridge to connect the gospel to the culture. Hey, you know the culture, I know the gospel. Here's a bridge to link those two and you took it, he's got their attention. I mean, like, if you have some folks that don't maybe they're not very church or not used to church and you always said, oh well, you know, in Bon Jovi he says, and they go oh wait, what? That's a band younger folks. By the way, if you throw that out there, you've got their attention right Now.
Speaker 1:How do we find some of these gospel bridges today? Mostly a thing that can get you on a gospel trajectory All right. For example, currently in our culture there's a high value on social justice and in many ways this is a good thing. We should desire justice as believers. So what are some things where we can agree on? The culture condemns the oppression of the poor and the outcast Good, so should we. Culture around us right now very much condemns racism Good, so should we. And when you begin to have that conversation say hey, you know you condemn this over here. Hey, we do also. You know why? Because we see in the scriptures that we're created in the image of God, all of us having equal worth and dignity and value before a creator. God. Boom, you're now on a gospel trajectory in that conversation. There's a gospel bridge there linking the truth of the gospel with where the culture is right now finding those inlets to share the gospel in that conversation.
Speaker 1:All right, paul keeps going in verse 29. It says, being then God's offspring. We ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man In times of ignorance. God once overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world and righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Speaker 1:Paul comes back to his earlier statement. He says hey, guys, you know these idols are dead, right, like you know that you created these idols, right. It's the same as true of our idols in our culture today. They're dead, they can't give hope, they can't give life, they can't save. Paul's cutting off the religious foundation at the knees. But then he calls his readers to action. He says hey, your idols are dead and God has overlooked this sin previously, but now he's calling you to repent.
Speaker 1:Paul's not satisfied with simply giving them the truth of the gospel. He calls them to do something with the truth of the gospel. Look, I'll be honest. Oftentimes when we share the gospel, it's easy to say here's the gospel and here's what we believe, and then take a step back. Right, that next sense of what do you want to do with this? Would you like to accept Christ? Isn't that usually the most awkward of all the things that we say in the gospel? Right, it's hard to take that next step, but it is crucial that we take that next step. It's good to know the gospel. Is even better to believe and trust the gospel. We got to give people that chance and call for people to turn to Christ. You can catch this. What exactly does Paul share? He says God has created you. God is powerful. God does not like those dead idols. God calls you to repent. Why? Because God will judge the world in righteousness.
Speaker 1:We often love to talk about God's lovingness, his loving kindness. We don't talk about that just nature of God much do we the judgment that eventually comes without knowing that God is a just God that punishes sin. How then do we know that we need to turn from sin? One of my favorite verses I've been walking my college students, the Romans. My favorite verses I've come across is Romans 3.26. It calls God the just and justifier of our faith. He is just. Because he's just, he must punish sin, but he's also the one that justifies us through Christ. Beautiful verse, all right, paul's kind of given his spiel. Now let's see what happens. Look at verse 32, last section we're looking at today.
Speaker 1:Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked but others said we will hear you again about this. So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom were Dionysus the Arapagi and a woman named Demaris and others with him. Paul loses the crowd at one point in his sermon. If you want to call it that, he's talking to him. Your idols are dead. He created you. He uses some of their own poets. He calls them to repentance. Meaning is to the resurrection of the dead, and it's over out Church. In many ways we should not be surprised by this. First Corinthians 1.23 says but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles. In many ways it's the same today. Have you heard the gospel mocked in our current culture I have Doesn't click with people. They don't always understand, or maybe they may understand, but this is there's no way. But I want you to see the responses that Paul gets to the gospel.
Speaker 1:Paul receives three responses. It says some mocked, they simply could not accept the gospel. They hear it walk away. But then says some said We'll hear you again about this, there's some interest. Some get up, walk out. Some say, huh, that's interesting, let's, let's, let's hear from this guy again. There is an interest there. They want to hear more, they want to dig in more Church. I'm gonna say that that is a win. Take that. Keep leaning into those type relationships. But then there's a third party we have in verse 31 nope, verse 34. But some men joined him and believed. Praise God for that Church.
Speaker 1:We can expect the same three spot responses today. You're gonna have some that box, that's okay. Jesus told us to expect that. You're gonna have some that are interested. They want to hear more good. That way when they come to faith they'll have a rich faith and a good foundation underneath them. We should expect that, church, but we must also expect that there will be those that turn to faith in Christ. Praise God for that. So we Begin to wrap some things up.
Speaker 1:Today we see a text like this what do you do with this? How do we apply this to our lives? How do we live this out? Starting in a few minutes, when we walk out these doors, this is Paul's spirit, was provoked within him. Just provoke that people worship the creature rather than the Creator. Pause it. Provoked spirit, drove him to evangelism and it must do the same for us today.
Speaker 1:Church, if you can look at the culture around you and your spirit. Not be provoked, not be pushed towards evangelism. There's one of two things going on. Either you probably don't know the culture well enough to spot some of the idols. Go, get to know some more lost people, take them to lunch, or your heart's been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, as Hebrews 3 says. Either we don't see the idols because we're not spending enough time with the lost people, or our hearts been hardened. That's really only two options that this text leaves us with. Let's let's just be honest for a minute. If we lose our compassion and our love for the lost. What other hope do they have? The world's not gonna save them. All the idols are chasing. They're not gonna save them. If we lose our love and our passion and our drive, the provoking of our spirit for the lost, what other hope do they have? We've got to take the gospel to them.
Speaker 1:The second we see that Paul gives us a great example of contextualizing the gospel in a secular culture. Find those gospel bridges. They're not hard to find, they're everywhere. Find the opportunities to share the gospel. Turning the conversation to spiritual things church I give you this encouragement again. I mentioned I started the sermon off. We don't live in the Bible Belt anymore. I'd stand by that. So in many ways we start the gospel mid conversation with Romans Road to John 3, 16, which are great, don't hear me. They lose a lot of the backstory of who God is In a biblically illiterate culture that we are living in. We got to give them some more foundation before we get to Christ. I Very much see that what the students of college students will work with. Finally, expect God to work in a secular culture when we share the gospel. Expect people to come to faith. Expect some that mock yes. Expect some that want more information, yes, but expect people to come to faith. God has called us to this work. He is going to be faithful to answer what he has called us to do. I so, maybe even sitting in here with me for a while. Thank you, you're gonna.
Speaker 1:This guy keeps talking about the gospel and he keeps going on and on about it, like why is this thing so important? Why is this gospel? He keeps talking about such a big thing that this church has to go out and tell other people about it. Well, let me tell you why. Because God has created us. He created us perfect, but we chose to sin and we broke that relationship with God, the father. Yet in his love, he chose to send his perfect and holy son, jesus, down to earth in human form to live a perfect and sinless life, go to cross for us as a perfect and sinless Sacrifice and substitute for us, taking the punishment that we deserved. And we're to the cross in our place, died, went to the grave Three days later, was resurrected, defeating death in the grave. Now, through our faith in Jesus, we can once again have a reconciled relationship with God, because Jesus has paid that sin debt all for us. That is the gospel that we are so excited to share with the world around us. It's the good news that we share Churches.
Speaker 1:I close this morning. Make the gospel known in the culture around you. Know the culture, know the gospel even better and find those opportunities to get the gospel into the culture around you. This morning I encourage you, as you leave out here today, go out and be the faithful ambassadors of Christ that Christ has called you to be. And a minute Brian's going to come forward in your time of response today. Take a moment and think what are some ways where I can be faithful and have those gospel conversations? What are some of the gospel bridges that are already sitting right in front of me that I could take this week? Step into those conversations. Is it awkward? Yeah, but who cares? Step into those conversations. They're going to be a little awkward, that's OK.
Speaker 1:Be that faithful ambassador of Christ this week and pray for us. Lord, we thank you. We praise you, one Lord, for your scriptures. Thank you for the fact that you have given us your word. You've not just left us to figure out how to do this on our own. You've called us to be in the world, but not of the world. You've called us to go out ministering, taking the gospel as we go. But, lord, you have shown us how to do that. From your example, and from the example that Paul gave us today, we'll do pray for this church. I pray that you will equip them to be faithful ambassadors of Christ as they go out the doors.
Speaker 1:Today I want to pray for them in this unique season of the life of the church. I want to pray that you bring them their next pastor. Let him be a godly man, teaching the word of God, committed to the word of God, and that it will be so clear to the search committee that this is who you have for this church. On the other side, I pray that you make it abundantly clear to whoever that man is that this is the move that you want him to take. I love this church. I got a vested interest in this church. Pray that you will bless them in years to come. Or, if there are those this morning that they do not yet know Christ, pray they'll come down and talk to me, talk to Brian, talk to the person next to them in the pew. I pray that they will not leave this building before they come to know Christ. Why, lord? Because you are worthy of all that we can do for you. We love you and praise you, and praise in Christ's name, amen.