WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.599 As John said, it's spring, and we're about ready to spring into the Word of God right now. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:13.039 At this time, of course, our children can be dismissed to our children's church downstairs. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:20.480 The teacher is waiting patiently and anxiously for you to go join them downstairs. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:28.640 And if you're just joining us, we're studying the book of the Acts of the Apostles on Sunday morning in the New Testament. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:33.600 And if you didn't get an outline and would like one, our ushers would be happy to hand you one. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:38.640 Or you can borrow one of our Bibles if you want to follow along in the text today. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:53.759 My wife Linda claims that I am a baseball fanatic. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:03.679 She says, all I ever read about is baseball, all I ever talk about is baseball, all I ever think about is baseball. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:05.680 You know what I told her? 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.560 You're way off base, okay? 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.079 I might be in for trouble when I get home, but that's okay. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:26.959 A fanatic, you see, is someone who is absolutely passionate and devoted to something they love. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:38.799 And as we follow, Paul and Silas and his missionary team travel through Macedonia in the first century to share the gospel with other people who need to be reconciled to God. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:46.239 They do so because they are passionately devoted to Jesus Christ who has sent them out. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:55.840 Being passionately devoted to Christ is something the Apostle Paul tried to actually inspire in other Christians that he ministered to. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:05.599 For instance, in the second letter of Corinthians chapter 11, verse 2, he writes to them and says, I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:11.680 I betrothed you to one husband so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:23.280 But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of your devotion to Christ. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:31.840 That was one of his main concerns for believers in the Lord as they lived out their lives for him. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:43.120 Out of gratefulness to God for the grace he's extended to us in Jesus, we are moved to tell others about the grace available to them as well. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:57.599 Last time in part one of this little series in Acts 17, we looked at how Paul in the Macedonian cities in Thessalonica and Berea. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:07.840 Okay, you know, I'm just not doing too well with this thing last week or this week. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:10.719 Okay, but you could see it in the map there, right? 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:21.360 He began sharing the gospel with religious people he could relate to who knew the Bible. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:25.919 Now, today we're gonna follow the Apostle Paul to the city of Athens. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:31.360 You see Athens down below Thessalonica and Maria? 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.039 It's there. 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:41.599 Um and today we're gonna watch him share the gospel with people who don't know the Bible. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:52.719 Um so if you want to follow along today, I'm gonna be reading in Acts chapter 17, uh, where he's dropped off in Athens alone for a while. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:04:00.639 Acts chapter 17, beginning in verse, uh I'll back up to verse uh 15. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:11.840 Now those who had escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:21.759 Now, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:33.519 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:39.040 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:43.839 Some were saying, What would this idle babbler wish to say? 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:52.720 Others, he seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:05:06.399 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming, for you are bringing some strange things to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean. 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:15.759 Now, all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.279 We'll stop there today. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.399 I want to begin by asking the question why? 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:33.759 Why is Paul traveling all over the known world at that time to share the gospel with people he doesn't know, knowing that doing so will probably be dangerous and risky. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:34.639 Why? 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:52.319 The answer is for Paul and for every one of us who've been converted to Jesus Christ is that our old things, ideas, habits, values, ethics, economics, down the list have passed away. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.680 And behold, all things have become brand new. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:04.639 We're gonna kind of walk that out in Paul's life today as we see him in in Athens. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:10.800 But let me read where really I think this is Paul, one one of Paul's mission statements. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:15.360 He writes to the Corinthians in his second letter, chapter five. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:24.800 We've we've read it before, but this is kind of his mission statement for him, and I think he's extending it to all believers in Jesus. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:35.279 Um, because he talks about if anyone in 2 Corinthians 5.17, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creature. 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.720 Old things have passed away, behold, new things have come. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:39.600 And you know what? 00:06:39.759 --> 00:07:03.680 All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and then gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against us, against them, and he's committed to us the word of reconciliation, meaning the gospel. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:12.319 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us, and we beg you, behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:23.360 The reason Paul lives his entire life as an ambassador for Christ is because when he came to know Christ, everything changed in his life. 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:24.639 Everything. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.639 Beginning with his relationship with God, of course. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:38.879 But today, to help us understand Paul's motivation to literally travel around the world, share the gospel with uh people he really didn't even know. 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:45.279 I want to talk about three things that changed for Paul and for anyone who is in Christ Jesus. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:47.120 We're gonna look at these three things. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:53.360 Uh, we've been given a new identity, we've been given a new concern, we've been given a new mission. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:08:00.160 First, let's look at how God in Christ has given us a new identity. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:16.079 I I'm just gonna give you uh the beginning of this because it is really exhaustive in the New Testament of what God has done to us, what He has changed in our lives regarding our identity in Christ as a new creation. 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:39.519 It's it's really overwhelming, but I want to touch on it because the scripture says when we're born again uh as a result of believing in Jesus and receive God's Holy Spirit, God adopts us into his family and gives us a new name, a new identity based on our heavenly birth certificate. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.519 Here's a partial description of who we are in Christ. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:50.000 Now, in your outline, I've just given you the verses, so if you want to write in the uh the point, you can. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:56.320 I'll try to go slower, uh those of you uh who like to write. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:02.080 Um, but first we have we here's our our new identity in Christ. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.080 We are children of God. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:06.960 John 1, 12 and 13. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:13.600 When you go home, you can look these up, meditate on them, see for yourself, as the Bereans did. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:19.919 Second, we are adopt He God adopts us as his sons and daughters. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.320 Uh Galatians 4, 5. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:32.559 Third, we are subjects and heirs in God's kingdom. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.120 Colossians 1 13. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:46.000 In fact, because of that, we've been given a heavenly, spiritual, eternal inheritance in Christ. 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:48.240 We are co-heirs with Christ. 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.799 Romans eight and seventeen. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:56.399 We are citizens of heaven now. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:09:59.759 Philippians three twenty. 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:10.559 God describes us as his beloved children in Christ. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:12.960 First John three, verse one. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:24.240 Paul says we're the temple of the Holy Spirit who resides in us. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.000 First Corinthians six nineteen. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:38.559 Not only that, when we came to faith in Jesus, God began a transforming work in us. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:47.039 And we're now, he looks at us as his master workmanship, his masterpiece of what he's creating in us in Christ. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:48.799 Ephesians 2.10. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:59.279 We are the people of God, Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2.10. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:05.679 Finally, we are ambassadors for Christ. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:10.559 Kind of our the theme of these messages as we're in Acts 17. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.639 2 Corinthians 5.20. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:14.559 Look, there's a ton more. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:17.519 I'd urge you to study it sometime. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:23.200 Look at who we are in Christ, our new identity. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:25.600 Why should we do that? 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:28.639 Because that's what we need to live out now. 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:31.120 Not our old identity. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:48.159 As you'll see as we go through this uh message, when we are reconciled to God and become a new creation in Christ with a new identity, our relationship, listen, our relationship to everyone and everything else in our life changes. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.360 Old pass away, news come. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:12:00.720 Listen to what Paul says as he in the same passage talks about this change, 2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 17. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.080 He says, you know what? 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:04.399 The love of Christ controls us. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:11.519 Having concluded this, one died for all, meaning Jesus, therefore, all died. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:20.080 He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:28.159 Therefore, from now on, we recognize no one according to the flesh. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:35.440 Even though we've known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him this way no longer. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.559 Therefore, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creature. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:39.919 The old has passed away. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:42.320 Behold, the new things have come. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:50.720 And when he means old and new, he's talking about everything has changed. 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:55.200 Now we act on the basis of our new identity in Christ. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:13:03.840 That's God's plan, following the instructions we're given in our new identity handbook, the Bible. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:08.879 Who we are in Christ affects every part of our life. 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:10.639 That's God's intention. 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:18.799 Our family, our work, our speech, our habits, even our leisure and recreation. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:19.919 All of it. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:25.840 From the basis of a change in who we are in Christ. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.200 Everything changes because we have this new identity. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.919 And that new identity means we have a new Lord. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:36.480 We have a new master, King in our lives, King Jesus. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:45.519 Now, where this goes, changing our identity in Christ, this is what we see happening in Paul. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:55.039 That means our private faith in Jesus also becomes a public faith in Jesus. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:56.879 We can't help it. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:13:58.320 It has to be. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:00.879 If we're going to live out our new identity. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:04.000 How are we going to do that? 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:07.919 How are we going to live out our new identity in Christ? 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:21.039 Well, we find a great example in the Old Testament of a man who came to believe in Yahweh, the true God, who was a pagan. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:24.159 And he received a new identity. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.320 We can tell because of what he did. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:30.080 His name is Naaman. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:34.559 We find his story in 2 Kings chapter 5. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:43.120 I love to go and just take a break from X and go right into that story, but I'm not going to do that, even though I'm tempted. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:45.679 Let me just give you the basics. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.919 You can go back home and look at it. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:54.080 It's an amazing, amazing story given in the life of Elisha the prophet. 00:14:54.480 --> 00:15:00.320 Naaman was a pagan Gentile who was a military general in Syria at the time. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:03.360 Naaman was also a leper. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.759 He had this disease, incurable. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:16.399 And it really caused a lot of pain in his life. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:27.360 But he heard about there's a God of Israel, a prophet of the God of Israel, that he could go to, whom he might be able to be healed by. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.759 So Naaman goes to the prophet Elisha. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:34.799 And he was miraculously healed. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:43.200 After he was miraculously healed, Naaman confessed that he believed in Yahweh, the God of Israel. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:49.840 And I want to read what he says after that in 2 Kings 5, verse 15 to 19. 00:15:50.799 --> 00:16:02.480 When he returned to the man of God, meaning Elisha, with all his company, he came and stood before him and said, Behold, now I know that there's no God in all the earth but in Israel. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:05.679 So please take a present from your servant now. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:11.440 But Elisha said, As the Lord lives before whom I stand, I will take nothing. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:14.879 And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:30.639 Naaman said, If not, please let your servant, and listen carefully, please let your servant at least be given two mules load of earth from here. 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:40.879 For your servant will no longer offer burnt offering, nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.799 I'll come back to that in a minute. 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:54.559 In this matter, may the Lord pardon your servant when my master goes into the house of Ramon, a pagan god, to worship there. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:02.080 And he leans on my hand, my master leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Ramon. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:06.559 When I bow myself in the house of Ramon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.119 And Elijah said to him, Go in peace. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:12.720 So he departed from him some distance. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:15.119 Wow. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.720 You'll miss this if you read it too quick. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:23.519 Let's see. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:37.759 How a private faith becomes public to those who are converted, to those who serve a new or the true God. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:42.240 Naaman believed in Yahweh, the true God. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:43.359 What's he gonna do now? 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:50.240 What's he going to do as he goes back to Syria and has to live among pagan idolaters? 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:51.759 What's he gonna do? 00:17:52.880 --> 00:18:02.400 Um is he gonna keep his new faith secretly and privately to himself and act like nothing's different? 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.039 I don't have leprosy anymore. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:10.240 Um there are two things Naaman does not do. 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:17.519 He doesn't say, Elisha, wow, I appealed. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:20.240 Please let me stay here with you. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:24.400 I don't want to go back among those pagan idolaters. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:29.599 I have to go into the temple of Ramon with my king and I have to bow down. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.279 He doesn't say that. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.079 Let me stay with you now. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:39.200 Second, he doesn't say, thank you for the healing. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:39.839 No problem. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.200 I got my healing, nothing else has changed. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.680 I got my job, and it won't make any difference whatsoever. 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:49.440 I thank you for the healing. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:51.680 He doesn't say that either. 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:01.839 Naaman doesn't avoid his culture, nor does he capitulate to it. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:06.880 Very important principle, even for us Christians. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:13.920 He doesn't run away from his culture and he doesn't privatize his faith. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.039 What did Naaman say? 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:20.400 He said to Elijah, please forgive me. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:26.480 When my master goes into the temple of Ramon to bow down, and I have to bow down too. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.319 Here's what I'm gonna do. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:37.599 Give me some dirt from here, from Israel, that two mules could carry. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:44.160 So your servant will not make any sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:48.240 Here's what Naaman is saying and doing in principle. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.559 He's saying, Elisha, I'm going home and I'm gonna do my job. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:56.319 I'm a general in the Prime Minister's army. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:04.880 But when I go into the temple with him, I'm gonna have some dirt from Israel, and my servants are gonna spread it out. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:13.279 I'm gonna kneel on that so everyone who sees it will know I'm serving the God of Israel, not Ramon. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:26.400 The dirt's not superstition, it's a symbol, a witness of Naaman's faith in Yahweh, his new identity. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.839 It just moves me and challenges me. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:56.000 Because we also are able to do things to make our faith public and not privatize it. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.720 Not to just go about as nothing ever happened to me. 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:10.400 You know, I've always thought of ways to do this. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:12.400 I I believe in this principle. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:23.039 Um to not privatize my faith, to let people know I I love and serve Jesus Christ. 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:27.519 I honor the scripture, the Bible in my life, and so on. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.480 I used to carry my Bible to work with me. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:40.000 And you know, sometimes people would comment about it, but I uh I just testified to my faith. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:41.279 You know what? 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:48.400 I don't I don't take my Bible to work anymore because it's already here, but I used to take it. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:59.759 Uh sometimes I've shared stories with friends I meet about how God answers. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.440 My prayers. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.240 I've done that so many times. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:11.359 Just to evidence, witness, I serve the true God and Jesus Christ. 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:16.720 I people have shared with me some of the issues in life they're going through. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:18.640 So can I pray for you? 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:23.119 I've seen amazing ways God's answered my prayers. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:24.319 What am I doing? 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:29.200 I'm taking, I'm not privatizing my faith, I'm making my faith public. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.119 That's what Naaman was doing. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:35.920 This is what Paul's doing. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:38.000 Why? 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:40.799 Because his identity's changed. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:44.880 He's no longer the same Pharisee Saul. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:58.079 Private faith made public is a result of a change in our identity, our spiritual identity. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:05.599 And Naaman figured out how that works out in his life. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:09.039 All right, I'm gonna take some dirt and I'm gonna make it clear. 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:12.000 Ramon is not my God anymore. 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:20.880 Now, you and I have to decide what does that mean for us? 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:28.160 How do we make our faith public and reflect our new identity? 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:34.240 It may not involve bringing dirt to work like Naaman, but it involves something. 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:41.039 Our faith was never meant to be privatized. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:43.200 We are ambassadors for Christ. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.119 Never meant to be privatized. 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:47.359 Why do we privatize fear? 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:54.079 Fear of rejection, fear of this, fear of that, ostracization. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.279 How do you say that word? 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:00.880 I can't emphasize this enough. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:02.640 It's part of the faith. 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:08.720 It's really recognizing and embracing our new identity in Christ. 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:13.359 Because if we don't do that, we're still living in the old creation. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.359 Very important. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:29.759 But we see in the life of Paul how as ambassadors for Christ, we not only have been given a new identity in Christ, we've also, God wants us to gain a new concern for people, just like happened with Paul. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:35.440 We see the Apostle Paul live out his new identity as Christ's ambassador. 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:36.880 I love this. 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:38.960 He's just dropped off in Athens. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:41.839 He's just, he's sitting there alone. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.400 He's dropped off there, and he's waiting. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:49.039 They're gonna, his team is gonna join him a little later, but he's just sitting there waiting. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:25:04.000 By the way, he was dropped off in Athens because uh his friends were concerned for his safety in Berea, where he was last. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.200 There were threats to take his life and so on. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:09.519 So he said, all right, we need to get you out of here. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.200 We're just gonna drop you in Athens. 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:13.279 We'll we'll come to you later. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:13.920 Okay. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.200 He's never been to Athens before. 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:27.759 But something happened to Paul while he was waiting for his friends to join him. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:29.519 Acts 17, 16. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:40.319 Now, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:45.359 He saw all these idols. 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:47.279 I'll say something about that in a minute. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:51.599 And it's it's an interesting way to put this. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.200 Uh, his spirit was provoked within him. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.359 That's a very strong Greek word. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.759 We don't have an E equivalent in English. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:00.400 We don't. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.240 It's hard to translate. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:06.720 Uh parascuno, strong word. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:10.640 It it can mean it is translated all kinds of different ways. 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:14.799 It can mean angry, it can mean irritated, it can mean greatly distressed. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:27.839 Originally in Greece, in Hellenistic culture, it was used to describe an epileptic seizure in medical terms. 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:35.200 What I'm saying is it's a very strong emotion in response to something Paul saw. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:52.799 And I think we can get an idea of that strong emotional response as we look at the scripture, because it's the same kind of response God had to people who were rebelling against him. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:55.440 In the Old Testament. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:08.240 For instance, Isaiah 65, verses 2 and 3, God says, I've spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts. 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:16.640 A people continually provoke me to my face, offering sacrifices in gardens, burning incense on bricks. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:25.200 Almost universally in the Bible, God is provoked when his people turn from him to worship idols. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:38.400 For instance, 2 Kings 22, 17, God says, Because they've forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands. 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:41.359 Therefore my wrath burns against this place. 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:43.599 It shall not be quenched. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:46.799 Jeremiah 11, 17. 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:59.759 The Lord of hosts who planted you has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke me by offering up sacrifices to Baal. 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:07.920 This was the thing in God's heart that he could not tolerate. 00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:21.359 Leaving the fountain of many waters for broken cisterns that aren't going to give you what you think they will, like the God of Israel, the true God, will give you. 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:29.039 When God is provoked because of idolatry, it's because he loves his people. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:33.759 He wants them back. 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:40.000 Deuteronomy, Moses said it in Deuteronomy 32, verse 16. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:44.799 He said, They made him jealous with strange gods. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:49.519 With abominations, they provoked him to anger. 00:28:51.839 --> 00:29:03.920 Now, you see, God's spirit that lives in the Apostle Paul is provoked within him because of all the idols he sees. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:16.559 And Paul's probably remembering his history with his own people and how God was provoked so many times because of their lostness, their sin. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:29.039 Now, it's interesting because it shows a fundamental change in Paul as Christ's ambassador. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.200 Because keep in mind, here's Paul, he's dropped off in Athens. 00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:36.640 What's he looking at? 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:46.400 You got to remember, Athens was a breathtakingly beautiful city in the ancient world. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:58.799 If Paul were just a tourist, he would have been enthralled by the architecture, the sites in the city. 00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:03.440 Ancient Athens had many beautiful buildings. 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:05.839 Why wasn't he taken up with that? 00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:09.759 Why didn't that just capture his tent? 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:13.759 And just he could be marveling at it. 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:18.720 There were temples and shrines and statues and altars. 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:32.160 Throughout the city there were images of the whole Greek pantheon of gods, Apollo, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Bacchus, Neptune, Diana, and all the others. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:33.759 The gods of Olympus. 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:35.200 They're all there. 00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:37.759 And marvelous statues. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:38.640 They were beautiful. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:43.920 They're not only made of stone and brass, but gold and silver, ivory and marble. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.200 They were fashioned by the best Greek sculptors. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:49.039 Sculptors. 00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:54.240 Paul was not blind to the beauty all around him. 00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:56.960 God was giving Paul a new concern. 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:08.640 With those who were slaves to idolatry, their lostness. 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:12.400 It really got to him. 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:21.440 It's interesting because Xenophon, a writer in ancient Greek, said that there were more gods in Athens than in all the rest of the country. 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:25.440 He said it was easier to find a god in Athens than a man. 00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:30.640 Paul had a new concern. 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:36.480 Paul is deeply moved how lost, how far away people were from the true God. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:40.880 And that emotional response led him to do something. 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:53.359 Which, by the way, anytime we have any kind of deep emotional response usually leads us to do something, no matter what it is. 00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:57.279 But he has a new concern now. 00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:02.079 And it leads him to a new mission, the third part of his identity. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:10.240 That mission is to reach others with the good news of the gospel of Christ, and that was Paul's fanatical passion. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:11.519 Freedom. 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:20.400 Paul jumps in again to where people are in Athens, first in the synagogue, then he goes right into the marketplace. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:33.519 There are three words here that describe what Paul did in his gospel mission: reasoning, conversing, and preaching, which we can pick up things from each of those. 00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:43.680 First, in verse 17, it says he began reasoning with the Jewish people in the synagogue and with everyone who was available in the marketplace. 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:47.359 What does it mean to reason with someone? 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:54.000 It means he gave a logical, rational, historical presentation of the gospel. 00:32:56.240 --> 00:33:02.240 Second, in verse 18, he began conversing, says with the Greek philosophers who were there. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:07.039 These were the educated and scholarly people in Athens. 00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:16.559 And the word conversing is a funny Greek word, soon balan, which means to throw something back and forth. 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:19.440 What's he doing? 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:22.000 He is debating. 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:26.799 He's thrown out a question or a statement, and they're throwing it back to him. 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:30.240 Back and forth, conversing. 00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:43.359 At one point, the philosophers insulted Paul, so to speak, and they said, What is this idle babbler talking about? 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:52.240 The word idle babbler means seed picker, uh, referring to scavenging birds, just picking up scraps. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:56.880 They had a very low view of him and his his new theology. 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:03.839 Even though Paul knows that he's way out of his league talking to these philosophers. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:08.480 He's out of his league. 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:10.960 But you know what? 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:13.599 He keeps tossing things back and forth. 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:14.559 Here's why. 00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:20.639 Paul has the confidence to do that because of one main thing. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:28.079 He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus rose from the dead. 00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:35.920 Wow, that changes your life and gives you boldness and confidence to speak. 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:50.400 He could go toe-to-toe with them, knowing he is even an eyewitness to the fact Jesus rose from the dead. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:53.920 What gave this confidence to Paul is he knew this. 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:57.679 He knew Messiah had died and was raised from the dead. 00:34:57.840 --> 00:35:00.400 And that led to the third thing he did. 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:02.239 He preached. 00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:05.360 He preached Acts 17, 18. 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:11.199 Also, some of the Epicurean Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, tossing things back and forth. 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:14.159 Some were saying, What would this idle babbler wish to say? 00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:22.800 Others, he seems to be a proclaimer of strange Jesus because, because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:23.760 There it is. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:25.440 That's the gospel. 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:36.719 He was proclaiming that Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again from the dead to give eternal life to anyone and everyone who believes in him. 00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:54.880 So, what we learned today is while waiting for his friends, Paul saw people who were lost in bondage to idols and in desperate need of being reconciled to the true God through faith in Christ. 00:35:55.119 --> 00:36:04.000 So let me ask you, you know, I I want to say we all of us here from time to time, we spend a lot of time waiting. 00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:07.119 What do you see? 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:09.119 What are you looking at? 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:13.840 Who do you see? 00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:24.239 Is there an opportunity for what you see to begin a conversation to someone about who Jesus is and what he did? 00:36:24.800 --> 00:36:31.119 Or to uh take your privatized faith and make it public. 00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:32.000 Is there? 00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:47.360 Paul saw what he needed to do as Christ's ambassador because of the deep emotional response he had to their lostness and their desperate spiritual need for Christ, he found a way. 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:55.440 I believe when our spiritual eyes are open and we feel God's burden tugging in our heart, we will find a way. 00:36:55.679 --> 00:36:59.920 We'll find a way to engage people with the gospel. 00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:06.480 If it doesn't hit our heart, you see, that's an important uh description. 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:22.559 If it doesn't hit our heart, or we're indifferent, or we don't care, we won't, I'm telling you right now, it'd be really tough to live as an ambassador for Christ, having the love of Christ control us. 00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:29.519 We'll just be ambassadors for us. 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:32.639 Don't do that. 00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:42.239 Live out your new identity, explore it further, find out what God thinks of you, what Christ has done for you. 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:44.480 Changes your life, really does. 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:49.119 I ask you to consider, though, Jesus' invitation to believe in him and follow him. 00:37:49.679 --> 00:38:00.079 He promises not only eternal life with him now and forever, but also an abundant life of joy as we abide in all the facets of our new identity in him. 00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:08.079 I love the story of uh Jesus meeting with the woman at the well in John chapter 4. 00:38:08.719 --> 00:38:14.559 Um, he said a couple things to her that I think are amazing. 00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:24.079 And um even though they're kind of in a metaphor, I think we get the idea. 00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:41.679 He says to the woman in John 4 10, if look, if you knew the gift of God and who it's saying to you, give me a drink, all you'd have to do is ask him, and he would have given you living water. 00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:44.719 All you have to do is ask him. 00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:52.480 Everyone, he says, who drinks of this physical water is gonna thirst again. 00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:59.840 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst. 00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:07.280 But the water I give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:08.239 Wow. 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:12.639 I trust that you've taken a drink of that. 00:39:12.800 --> 00:39:14.559 I trust that you've asked him. 00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:16.800 I'd like this water. 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:22.719 I'd like to receive this Holy Spirit and eternal life as a gift of grace. 00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:23.599 I do. 00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:25.119 Ask him. 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:27.039 Let's pray. 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:39.199 Father, thank you that when we were lost and dead in our own sins, you didn't leave us to perish on our own. 00:39:42.559 --> 00:39:50.719 Jesus to die for our sins and recognile, reconcile us to yourself, not counting our trespasses against us. 00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:52.079 Thank you. 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:53.760 Thank you, Lord. 00:39:54.639 --> 00:40:10.960 Um now I pray, Lord, as your ambassadors in this age, I pray that you'd give us your heart for the lost that we may have the confidence and urgency to reach them with the gospel, just like Paul and his team had. 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:13.119 I pray all this in Jesus' name. 00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:14.000 Amen.