Starting Where People Are, Part 2

Jamie Greer now some of you are listening to this right now as well but I just don't know as much.

As you all. So what should I do study is what you should, if you care about the people around you, then why would you not figure out a way to communicate. Greer Pastor of the Summit church in Raleigh, North Carolina. I'm your host Molly events wondered how bank teller spot a counterfeit bill. I can tell you that it's not by spending all their time looking at the fake dollar bills.

Instead, they spot fakes by investing their energy and studying the real bells and pastor JD shows us that as Christians the same principle applies if we want to share God's redemptive plan and a counterfeit culture. We've got to know God's word.

The real deal. More than anything else.

Pastor Jenny titled the message starting where people are.

Remember, you can find all the messages in this study in the book of acts JD clear.com. Now let's get started. 70 number 16 this passage I read a few verses often makes points of memos were whale without a verse 34. That way, number 16 now while Paul while Paul was waiting for them at Athens.

This is not Athens, Georgia this is Athens Greece for 70 usually reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, which seems to be where he always started his evangelism in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. The marketplace is not just the boys. They shopped. Paul's not hanging out of the your checkout aisle target, you know, asking awkward questions on this is like a cultural center for them, for they discuss new ideas, and so he is there engaging them. He's been provoked by their idolatry, which leads me to number one. If you're Christian like this down for the Christian grieve over idolatry and do something about it.

There is my question for you when you see idolatrous structures in our society. What is your reaction when you watch things like the Oscars or the Grammys. What emotion fills your heart.

Is it admiration is all.

Is it a sense of repulsion or is it compassion and heartbreak. You see, cannot provoked by the idolatry. If you're not provoked by the sensuality that means you are.

Here's an old word worldly majors very home in the world and his idols are really you acknowledge it or not her, the idols of your heart what they want is what you want but if you're one of the ones receives all those things I just gets angry and says no to hell with the world but you don't really get the gospel Summit church in Paul we see a picture of what we need to be people who are deeply aware of our culture able to dialogue with it but untainted by which means we gotta get to know our culture. We had to pay attention to it. The only way Paul was upset by the idolatry of the culture is.

He spent time getting to know many of us are all peeved and ticked off about where our culture is headed or not actually listening to what people are safe now. I'm not advocating that you sit around and watch filthy movies and call that cultural research but that you be engaged to stay engaged in the culture for the purpose of reaching people because you're going to see that Paul's presentation of the gospel is built on how much he is listen to them and understood the question that they're asking you do that because that's what Jesus did with you. Jesus did not see your idolatry. It was provoked by but he did not run away from it did not desire to be accepted by us. He ran straight to us. He confronted us and he showed us the futility of idolatry and that there was a gap between what we were doing what God wanted for us just number one verse 18. Stoic philosophers also conversed with him in some so what is this battle was to say no babbler is a very derogatory term literally means a bird who picks up seeds and spits them out without digested and think like that you check verse 22 so Paul standing up in the midst of Mars Hill. The Areopagus admin about things I perceive that you are in every way very religious as a compliment or an insult. That's the beauty of it, you don't know the word religious in Greek literally means spiritual want to be a compliment or give me superstitious, which would be an insult. They think he means spiritual survey taken as a compliment. Paul probably a twinkle in his eyes as he met the double entendre. Oh, you're very religious so they're like oh yes, we are given notice in verse 23 as I pass along observed the objects of your worship. I found also in altar with this inscription to the unknown God. This was there just in case God just in case the real God represented in the thousands of other gods. We got ears you unknown God acts 17 to when you walk into a synagogue.

It's as he opened the Scriptures, and reason with them: open the Bible on Marseilles why they don't recognize the authority of the Bible, so he knows he's got to reason with them to get them to pay attention to what the Bible says we start not with chapter and verse.

He starts with their questions and the only way you'd start with her questions as he knew what they were number two Paul file and Paul found points of agreement are. Here's what he said. I can see your searching for God now will Paul's about to do in the next few verses is to start pointing out little logical problems with their approach to God lately. Verse 24 but God, the real God who made the world and everything in it be Lord of heaven and earth doesn't dwell in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he gave the mankind life and breath and everything they need Greek and Roman gods. You see, were always a means to some other thing you worship and serve them because you want something they can give you whatever you are looking for prosperity, money, sex, smoother bowel movements. Whatever whatever was importing you you worship God to get that thing the real God. Paul says is so glorious and transcendent that he is his own reward not sought as a means to anything else. Paul was quoting from things embedded in their popular culture being then God's offspring. Just like your Pulitzer said we are not the think of the divine being is like gold or silver or stone an image form of the art in the imagination of man number three and four together number three Paul reason with them is your approach to life refers to God, is it working for you as soon as she questions up to be honest with yourself. See before Paul presents Jesus as the solution was to show them other current solutions are really working but their current answers are working.

Francis Schaeffer, who was a very famous Christian philosopher that was probably really popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He since gone on to be with with the Lord but I Frank Schaeffer call this blowing the roof off somebody's house means that before somebody doesn't know they need to seek seek shelter in Jesus until you blow the roof off the shelter. There currently in Teresa we get it will be under first voyage of Jesus is the answer is go to some of the current answers are really working. He said you do that just by asking questions of whether Paul bit. For example, I've asked activists who were concerned about global suffering but are seeking to address global surfer suffering apart from the gospel now so you know it's awesome that you want to give food and education for everybody but this thing secure the problems of mankind go to the places that have lots of food and education. Are they for your problems is our country for your problems. Every utopian attempt in history has ended in tyranny. That's what human history the ash heap of utopian attempts, doesn't that show you that we need a solution that's greater than just external changes and more prosperity. I've asked people who say no. Evolution explains everything we have no need of God, because you think evolution explains everything that given enough time and space that nature will naturally does work itself in the higher and higher levels of complexity and ultimately perfection nature get that quality to begin with. If I wanted nature itself come from, why is there something rather than nothing yard interview years ago with with Carl Sagan who is that you gotta famously said the universalism was and never will be, and he's talking about basically good and back to the Big Bang because everything just came from there.

That's where this all began, and work itself in the complex.

We have the day and the guy that was interviewing him, not a Christian but is okay for the Big Bang come from is a will.

That's where science stops because it just always was to go farther back you must know that I'm thinking you can't stop there. You can't tell me a nothing times. Nobody was everything just accept it come from is not really a satisfying answer that, but yes it just all just it always was, always will be. Just came from nothing and just develop into what it is when I talk to people who say that all roads lead to God. Whatever.

What you choose Gothic amount in order. We will get the top of the you you orbited this question I asked Ms. you know that what you tell me. All roads lead up the mountain to the same places that you can see the whole mountain and the very thing you're not allowing me to do a single mountain of God. So you're doing the very thing that you will let me do, which is how you can tell me that my road given the same place of Enders Road get into this that really make sense is that fair when I talk to those who say that all moral values are equal. Whatever morality you choose is good for you Mike you really believe that because you know I live in a society for two years. It was, you know, a Southeast Asian society that genuinely believe that life works better if you keep women uneducated and get them home you will say that those moral values are equal to ours.

You know they fill client work for them when I see that somebody is given themselves to an idol. I just ask, is it working for you because I know it's not my do the people that have the dog your searching for.

They look like happy satisfied it was like I fast-forward look down, but if you get everything you're looking for. You will money the people who have all the money they would like happy satisfied people you Paris Hilton. She looked like well-balanced happy person what happens. Wall Street crashes again. What happens if the whole financial system goes the plot. What happens if you die you are. These exhibits sustain you after death.

And if I can call their own profits to show them that than I do that you guys are me do that in here, don't you, for example, you probably "a number of times that that will line I saw fortune 500 CEO said this in Forbes magazine where he said you asked for my entire life, climb the ladder of success. I finally got to the top of it, only to find out it was leaning against the wrong building is your God worth of things are sacrificing for is people like you and your God's money than you sacrifice your integrity separation families that were the two God's comfort doing like a good gets on your nerves.

You sacrifice her divorce her so that you can maintain comfort in your kids dislike human is not really worth it. Is it worth avenger sacrifice of what I just asked questions because I know that God has placed eternity in every human heart.

In the Bible, which is going to cheat sheet for me tells me that only Jesus truly addresses that need.

So I know that last questions long enough. I'm going to expose that.

Now some of you are listening to this right now is that well yeah but I just don't know as much as you are Paul. So what should I do study is what you should do if you care about the people around you, then why would you not figure out a way to communicate the gospel of it does not make any sense to me that you would actually believe the gospel and then just be lazy in your abilities to communicate with people you know and I don't know how to do sign language you know why it's not because it's hard because it really is hard for the reason on the sign language is nobody in my immediate family that hearing-impaired there's nobody that I've ever wanted to communicate with so badly that it forced me to learn sign language.

I guarantee you that one of my children were hearing-impaired I would know sign language is like that I would study why because I want to communicate with them. If you are not learning to be able to express the gospel to people around you in ways that are effective either a don't really believe it's true or be you don't care about those people at all.

So you need to study me to dig good in this.

You need to learn never fail to tell you like what I don't want to do. Just ask questions anybody can ask questions I just asked questions. I keep asking questions on that guys keep asking until he says of Mike Derrida's writer you've laid out and just keep asking questions because that's what Paul is doing.

That's how he's exposing what's in the heart. Here's number four do it together. Number three, Paul demonstrated to them. God is greater then you imagine he demonstrates to them, and God is greater than made.

Imagine you see less of this.

One of the chief characteristics of all false religions listen is a truncated or shrunk down view of God such hope all goes after your view of God. He says to small God is not someone that you can manipulate to get something else you want, like prosperity or power. The real God. Paul says, is never just a means to an end.

The real God would be sought for his own sake.

Any God so big he created the universe. You use that God is a means to get something else he would be the thing worth knowing. He's so glorious that you use everything in life, what you say to them is if there really is a God who is powerful enough to create all universe that God would not seek as a means to a better life now that God is better than money is better than power is better than prosperity is better than could say no, your God with your small you tell people the real God Mrs. seas will pulsate here to the road is not somebody you can easily explain what I told the people who got questions about God you ever talking about the infinite God, wouldn't we expect that there are certain things that that God does that are to be beyond our immediate ability be beyond our immediate ability to explain that you know the there's a thing called the problem of evil is a reason that a lot of people say they don't believe in God way. If there's a good God how can there be suffering that Darla hardly goes like this. If God is all loving he would not want suffering to exist if God is all-powerful and he could make suffering ceased to exist because suffering exists. That means that God is either not all loving or not all-powerful and of God is not a loving or not all-powerful. He's not really God therefore suffered through there can be no God to bow that because there is suffering a means God.

He did not all loving and all-powerful. Because exist.

Therefore, must be no God. Here is the hole in that that is almost so obvious.

If God is infinite in power is infinite and love is also to be infinite in wisdom and if his wisdom is as high above mine as his power is above mine. I think about how much greater. A God who created the galaxies how much greater his powers and yours God speaks the world into existence. I can't figure out how to sync my phone with the Bluetooth thing in my car and I got an instruction manual. When thinking about a God who creates the complexity of atoms in a God who has trouble seeking a Bluetooth device that's a pretty big gap between his power in mind right if the gap between God's wisdom and mine is as great as the gap between his power and mine to see it just makes sense to me that there's gonna be a few things in life that are just not make sense to me was read no floss for the other day who said that the reason he doesn't believe in God's purpose was evil. He said if evil had a purpose. I could concede that God may be allowed to have exhibit there is no purpose for a lot of evil. Therefore, God does not exist. Again, here's problem with that is assuming that whatever purpose that God has his mind can grasp another philosopher in and out implanting a answer in this place as well is imagine that you're out in the woods camping in your in a single person tent and I cannot even say is there a camel in your tent. There is no camel in my tent because if there was a camel my tent.

I could see him.

He said if I came up to you and said, however, is there a coda new CM part of that we always hold chiggers when I was a kid be little tiny things that like you know that our winter camp and I'll be miserable for you that your bike you did I ask you is there a new CM in your tent and you turn around and take a glance and say no there were no serums in the tent because Noto seems to me that because I can't see him. He would say I think you're missing the point of the name know CM is that we call the museums because you can't see him. Your eyesight is not good enough to see them even though there so that's not a good reason for you say that there are no new CM sisters you can't see them because are smaller than your eyesight can proceed. If there is a God who is infinite in his wisdom, then maybe some of the things that he dies has a purpose that your mind is not crass as I was with like it's a big job. If there really is a God is going to be beyond some of these questions he saying that the philosophers are asking.

I will admit to you that is frustrating to me because I do not like unanswered questions, but I just understand that God is infinitely wise and of course it can be things about Evan's plan that I Always grasp immediately by Columbus Day the regular this if God were small enough to be understood. He would not be big enough to be worshiped.

If God were small enough to be understood, it would not be big enough to be worse of the real God is transcendent and glorious baffle you sometimes and Paul says that them all to know that you have in your heart is yearning for God. It was infinite goodness and infinite power and also infinite in wisdom and your heart knows that he exists.

And you know you want to know him in that the unknown God that you're searching for and then at last boulders of the gospel.

Verse 30 the times of ignorance God overlooked Mrs. Reza God stayed on involve leaving them through their idolatrous error but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. This is given assurance for the world. There is proof approved all by raising him from the dad write this down. Number five, Paul proclaimed Jesus and then asked this question, who do you say that he is. He says the God that you are looking for came to earth, he revealed God's ways to us anything is proof of who he was. By raising from the dead. So the question now is not is Christianity a better explanation. The question is, is Christianity a divine revelation, real truth, you tell these philosophers is not achieved by idle speculation. Real truth is achieved by divine revelation. I am not asking has God given me the best explanation I am asking if this is divine revelation given to me through Holy Spirit illumination and the question becomes who do you say that he is.

You see, that's the most important question that is ever been asked in human history when Jesus will deliverable be what it says are you say that I am what I don't know what else to video I was going straight to Jesus after I've done my best asked the questions and sometimes a good job sometimes not assuming you just consider Jesus is with me, which you read the gospel with me, which you look at this man and tell me. Is he a fraud.

Is he a phony or is he really who he says he is at the end of the day. I'm not a Christian because I developed a better explanation for all the questions I'm a Christian because I believe Jesus came to divine revelation.

He told me that he was God in the flesh. He demonstrated his power.

He demonstrated his love declined to die for me across and rise again.

I believe he is an accurate.

I believe he is true. I believe he is faithful. I believe he is given to me the picture of God and so who do you say that I am I say that you were Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, religion and philosophy when asked questions like, who's got a better argument for truth to his right. The gospel says note who is Jesus asked the question religion and philosophy say which one is the best explanation Christianity. The gospel says what happened in the death and resurrection religion and philosophy asked what does God want for us.

The gospel declares look at what God has done for us creative religion and philosophy say what kind of sacrifice do I have to make again God's acceptance of the gospel says look at the sacrifice God has made for you. As you know what else to do you a bolded say hey who is knowingly heard of the resurrection of the dead. Some mocked but others said we will hear you again about this. So Paul went off in the midst of the Mike that I'll be here all week. Some men joined in the belief through reactions not serious one. Here again, joining them believed you should be getting all three of these reactions in your life.

There should be people mock you there to be people who are drawn to you. Curiously, that are coming with you and visiting your church with you and maybe reading the Bible with you there should be people who were joining you in the believing mileage should order the last one not believe him enjoyment join him in the lease, sometimes in this, contact people end up joining themselves to you before they join themselves in our idolatry and instead of condemning and writing assignment he read to last showed us our insufficiency, and then revealed the love of God for asked in his resurrection. So now it's our turn to do that for others you're listening to Pastor JD Greer here on Senate life. You know, one of the biggest themes and acts as the idea that every believer is called to be on mission think sometimes we hear the word mission.

We think it's for the pastor of the youth group or someone else, but not the case. Right, Janie. What you come to understand is yeah the word mission applies in a special way to those that go cross-cultural but in another, and maybe even more fundamental sense, all Christians are are sent to live on mission. We always say that the question is no longer if you're called in the mission.

The question is simply where and how. So what we've done is we created a companion Bible study to go along with the series on this Bible study will take you deeper into the pages of the stories of the debtor there. The book of action show you how they apply to you now offer part two that covers chapters 9 to 28 and beyond. I want to make sure that you have a chance to get volume 2, it's available right now@jdgreer.com and there's a few copies of a volume 1 still left. If you find out there how you get that one if you missed it, just get a both. We want you to be able to study the book of acts and have it transform you like it impacted us to just go and get either of these@jadenwhere.com link JD mentioned the Senate has created a Bible study that complements this series, and answer some of the questions you may have about being a missionary right wing red its volume to the personal Bible study.

If you missed volume went earlier this spring not too late to get away and saying ask for same study guide when you give a suggested donation of $25 or more to my coming 335-5226 think I will go online to clear.Molly benefits currently castigating all got time to identify the Thursday on Senate night