Using What You Have
(Acts 17:16-34)
The more things change,
the more they stay the same!
The Epicureans
The Stoics
• Emphasized the
neutrality of a god or
gods; they do not
interfere with human
lives or care
• Everything happened
by chance
• No afterlife
• Pleasure is the chief
end of man and only
thing to pursue
• God is everything; the
universe and nature,
but not a personal
Creator
• Everything is based on
reason and knowledge
rather than on
religious belief or
emotion
• The ideas of good and
evil were man-made
concepts
How do we bridge the gap
with the Gospel?
1. We accept the Gospel
2. We live the Gospel
3. We seek to understand and
articulate the Gospel
How do we bridge the gap
with the Gospel?
The Gospel has three main functions:
1) Jesus removes the penalty of sin.
(Justification)
2) Jesus removes the separation
caused by sin. (Reconciliation)
3) Jesus removes the power of sin.
(Sanctification)
How do we bridge the gap
with the Gospel?
Acts 17:22-23
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of
the Areopagus and said: "Men 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. Now
what you worship as something
unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
What do the approaches of
Paul & Jesus have in common?
Matthew 4:18-20
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea
of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon
called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake,
for they were fishermen. 19 “Come,
follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send
you out to fish for people.” 20 At once
they left their nets and followed him.
What do the approaches of
Paul & Jesus have in common?
Matthew 6:25-30
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more than food, and the
body more than clothes? 26 Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap
or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not much more valuable than they?
What do the approaches of
Paul & Jesus have in common?
Matthew 6:25-30
… 28 “And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. 30 If that is how God clothes the
grass of the field, which is here today
and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you—you
of little faith?
What do the approaches of
Paul & Jesus have in common?
They both used something that was
familiar to the audience as a stepping
stone to convey a message
How do we bridge the gap
with the Gospel?
We accept the Gospel
We live the Gospel
We seek to understand and
articulate the Gospel
We use what we have to proclaim
the Gospel (contextualization)
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Point of contact
Common interest
Felt need (sickness, insecurity, marital
problems, debt, parenting, etc.)
Acts 17:24-34
Three Main Reactions:
1) Some mocked
2) Some said “we want to hear this
again”—Put off their decision
3) Some believed