WEBVTT 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:05.620 This week we will be reading again in Acts chapter 17. 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:07.980 We'll be reading at the very end of this chapter. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:14.019 We've spent the last few weeks looking in detail at Paul's ministry in Athens, and 00:00:14.019 --> 00:00:19.460 here we see the conclusion of this account before Paul goes on to Corinth. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:23.980 We'll be reading starting in verse 29, and we'll read through verse 34. 00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:30.620 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:36.179 or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:43.060 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:48.299 because He's fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:53.380 has appointed, and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead. 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:58.959 Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, but others said, 00:00:59.099 --> 00:01:00.739 we will hear you again about this. 00:01:01.199 --> 00:01:07.179 So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined him and believed, among whom also 00:01:07.179 --> 00:01:11.979 were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:14.299 The Word of the Lord. 00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:16.280 Thanks be to God. 00:01:17.479 --> 00:01:23.120 So this week we come to the end of a series that we started back in September looking at 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:29.840 the gospel and culture, how the gospel brings the hope of renewal, not just to individuals, 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:34.080 but to the culture as a whole, to all cultures around the world. 00:01:34.420 --> 00:01:39.240 We've been focusing for the last several weeks as a part of this series on Paul's ministry 00:01:39.240 --> 00:01:39.960 in Athens. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:45.240 And as we've said already, Athens is a place that's a lot like Washington, D.C. 00:01:45.240 --> 00:01:47.200 It's a highly pluralistic place. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.799 It's a highly intellectual place. 00:01:49.900 --> 00:01:55.579 It's a sort of center of learning where all of the latest, greatest, most brilliant ideas 00:01:55.579 --> 00:01:57.020 are discussed. 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:04.659 And Paul is invited to speak in the Areopagus, which is the very center of philosophical and 00:02:04.659 --> 00:02:06.719 religious discourse in Athens. 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:09.099 And he's invited to make the case for Christ. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.020 All right, so you can imagine for Paul, this is his big chance. 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:15.480 He has spent time in Athens. 00:02:15.640 --> 00:02:21.880 He has expertly diagnosed and exegeted the culture. 00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:28.080 He has a deep understanding of the prevailing philosophies of the day, Epicureanism and Stoicism. 00:02:28.300 --> 00:02:29.460 He is ready to go. 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:32.500 This is the moment he was made for. 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:37.939 From the time that Jesus first encountered him on the road, Paul has been gunning for 00:02:37.939 --> 00:02:38.879 a moment like this. 00:02:39.860 --> 00:02:41.080 So how do people respond? 00:02:41.540 --> 00:02:43.620 That's going to be our focus this morning. 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:49.500 And what we're going to see is three general categories of response that we see not only 00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:53.540 in Athens, but there are essentially three categories of response that we can expect to 00:02:53.540 --> 00:02:56.820 see anytime and anywhere the gospel is proclaimed. 00:02:57.320 --> 00:03:01.900 And as we look at these responses together, I invite you, those of you here and those of 00:03:01.900 --> 00:03:07.960 you at home, to reflect on your own heart and the way you respond to the news about Jesus. 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:09.040 Some of you may be Christians. 00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:10.460 Maybe you've grown up in the church. 00:03:10.820 --> 00:03:12.080 Others may be very skeptical. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:15.240 Maybe you've stumbled on this by accident on the internet. 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:20.100 Whatever the case may be, I invite you to take a moment and just to reflect on your own 00:03:20.100 --> 00:03:22.880 response to the gospel and why you think that is. 00:03:23.220 --> 00:03:24.660 So let's pray and then we'll get started. 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:27.879 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:35.439 And as we pray every week, we thank you that it doesn't depend on us only to open and extrapolate 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:37.400 what we can from these pages. 00:03:37.579 --> 00:03:43.259 That, Lord, your spirit means that this is a living word and you are able to do your work 00:03:43.259 --> 00:03:45.759 through your word in ways that we can only begin to understand. 00:03:46.139 --> 00:03:48.079 And that's actually what we need this morning, Lord. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.000 We need you to do your work in us through your word. 00:03:51.640 --> 00:03:56.000 And so we pray that we would have open, receptive hearts to hear what you have for us. 00:03:56.160 --> 00:03:57.720 And we pray this in your son's holy name. 00:03:58.020 --> 00:03:58.280 Amen. 00:03:59.980 --> 00:04:05.600 So the first thing that we see in terms of people's response to the gospel is contempt. 00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:07.620 Verse 32. 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:12.520 Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. 00:04:13.420 --> 00:04:17.759 And I just want to point out right away, here we have probably, arguably, the greatest church 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:20.420 planner who ever lived. 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:24.240 He has seen Jesus face to face on the road. 00:04:24.340 --> 00:04:26.040 He is theologically brilliant. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.699 He's one of the most well-trained theologians of his time. 00:04:29.819 --> 00:04:32.920 He is absolutely filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:37.379 And we learn in other places in Scripture that he has spiritual gifts that other people 00:04:37.379 --> 00:04:38.580 might envy. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:41.040 And yet he gets laughed out of the room. 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:44.640 He can't even finish his sermon. 00:04:45.960 --> 00:04:51.000 Right now, if you're a Christian and you're hearing this, that's really worth thinking about 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:52.000 a whole lot more. 00:04:52.580 --> 00:04:55.360 And there are a couple of reasons why people respond this way. 00:04:56.040 --> 00:05:01.740 Specifically in Athens, this was not just a matter of people hearing Paul and thinking, 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:04.160 well, this guy's weird or his ideas are weird. 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:11.240 The idea of resurrection actually ran directly against the founding charter of the Areopagus 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:11.840 itself. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:18.960 Tradition held that the god Apollo actually inaugurated the court of the Areopagus. 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:25.100 And according to that story, when Apollo did this, one of the declarations he made was this. 00:05:25.280 --> 00:05:31.560 Apollo reportedly said, when a man dies and his blood is spilled on the ground, there is no 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:32.060 resurrection. 00:05:33.259 --> 00:05:33.660 Right? 00:05:33.699 --> 00:05:38.399 So if you knew that story, if you knew that history, you would recognize that Paul is directly 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.560 challenging one of the founding principles of the Areopagus. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:41.860 Right? 00:05:41.899 --> 00:05:43.540 There is no such thing as resurrection. 00:05:43.899 --> 00:05:45.100 Paul says, I beg to differ. 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:52.220 But even if this hadn't been the case, Scripture is absolutely clear that the default response of 00:05:52.220 --> 00:05:58.020 the world toward Jesus and thus His followers is going to be contempt. 00:05:58.700 --> 00:06:03.860 Jesus Himself says to His disciples in Matthew 10, 22, you will be hated. 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:08.880 You will be hated by everyone because of me. 00:06:08.960 --> 00:06:11.600 He doesn't say, you're going to rub some people the wrong way. 00:06:12.420 --> 00:06:17.880 He doesn't say, you know, time and here and there, people might, you know, be rude to you. 00:06:18.579 --> 00:06:22.519 He says, you will be hated by everyone because of me. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.560 And, you know, it's interesting because I think people often assume, in our day, people 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:32.819 often assume that the people who lived a long time ago in previous ages and eras were much 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:37.959 more likely to believe in silly things like resurrection because they were much more gullible 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:39.920 or much less sophisticated. 00:06:40.339 --> 00:06:40.439 Right? 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:42.000 This is what C.S. 00:06:42.060 --> 00:06:45.279 Lewis referred to as chronological snobbery. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:50.659 But the truth of the matter is that from the very beginning, from the first moment that 00:06:50.659 --> 00:06:55.139 the resurrection of Jesus was announced to the world, people responded by mocking it. 00:06:56.459 --> 00:06:56.679 Right? 00:06:56.739 --> 00:06:58.379 People mocked Jesus. 00:06:59.039 --> 00:07:00.839 People mocked His followers. 00:07:01.239 --> 00:07:03.379 People ridiculed the Christian faith. 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:09.199 People mocked it when it was a tiny sect within the Roman Empire, .00-something percent of the 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:13.319 population, and they kept right on mocking it up until it became the dominant religion of 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:13.879 the Roman Empire. 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:16.560 And they've continued mocking it ever since. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:18.040 Right? 00:07:18.100 --> 00:07:23.439 So just, we want to look at this for a second, this response of contempt, and draw out a couple 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:25.199 of implications before we move on. 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:28.139 These would be implications primarily aimed at Christians. 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:34.100 I think there are two ways that Christians go wrong when we recognize that that contempt 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:35.420 is going to come our way. 00:07:35.420 --> 00:07:38.720 The first way we go wrong is simply trying to escape it. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:40.360 Right? 00:07:40.420 --> 00:07:44.680 Trying to negotiate our way out of having to be hated. 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:50.640 Out of having to face the contempt and scorn of people who respond this way. 00:07:50.640 --> 00:07:53.900 What we need to recognize is that the gospel is inherently offensive. 00:07:53.899 --> 00:07:56.359 It's inherently offensive. 00:07:56.359 --> 00:08:02.719 I mean, it's a message that says, at your core, your core problem is that you worship 00:08:02.719 --> 00:08:05.919 false gods instead of the God who made you. 00:08:06.779 --> 00:08:10.279 And then it goes on to say, and the problem with that is that those gods are walking all 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:10.759 over you. 00:08:11.719 --> 00:08:13.339 They're taking advantage of you. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.219 They're crushing you. 00:08:15.599 --> 00:08:17.939 They're making promise after promise after promise. 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:21.939 And all they do is rob you of the most precious things. 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:22.719 Right? 00:08:22.779 --> 00:08:26.560 So if you worship intelligence, you always end up feeling stupid. 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:27.279 Right? 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:31.420 If you worship beauty, you always end up feeling like the ugly one in the room. 00:08:31.899 --> 00:08:32.100 Right? 00:08:32.100 --> 00:08:38.700 If you worship ideals like tolerance and inclusion, that actually makes you more intolerant and more 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:39.440 exclusive. 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:40.220 Right? 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:45.879 If you worship and idealize your family, you'll end up crushing the people that you love under 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:47.220 the weight of your expectations. 00:08:47.940 --> 00:08:48.240 Right? 00:08:48.300 --> 00:08:52.680 So the gospel says these false gods will rob you and rob you and rob you and leave you 00:08:52.680 --> 00:08:55.280 empty and broken on the side of the road. 00:08:55.460 --> 00:08:59.260 And then the gospel says everything about you, therefore, needs to change. 00:08:59.660 --> 00:09:00.060 Everything. 00:09:01.940 --> 00:09:02.160 Right? 00:09:02.280 --> 00:09:06.440 And then it says, it has the audacity to say, that being the case, you can't do it on your 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:06.640 own. 00:09:08.260 --> 00:09:08.660 Right? 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:11.880 So this is just one hammer blow after another on our egos. 00:09:12.060 --> 00:09:12.280 Right? 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:15.880 And then the gospel says your only hope is to repent. 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:15.919 Right? 00:09:16.539 --> 00:09:20.720 Which means to abandon your entire life project apart from God. 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:23.100 Abandon all of your attempts to be good. 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:25.340 Abandon all of your attempts to fix yourself. 00:09:25.720 --> 00:09:26.899 Abandon all of that. 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:32.399 Turn away from all of that, all of the false gods, and give yourself entirely to Jesus. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:32.559 Jesus. 00:09:33.059 --> 00:09:38.419 He's the only one who can save you because He's the only God out there who is willing to give 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:39.980 Himself for you. 00:09:40.459 --> 00:09:41.500 This is the gospel. 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:47.959 And what you, I hope you hear in this, is that gospel, by design, directly challenges the 00:09:47.959 --> 00:09:50.259 core idols in our lives. 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:52.639 And guess what happens when you challenge somebody's idols? 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:59.759 They respond with severe anger and hatred and contempt. 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:03.399 In fact, this is how you can tell what your idols are. 00:10:03.500 --> 00:10:09.120 When somebody challenges your idols and they're really your core idols, you respond with disproportionate 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:09.539 anger. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:12.740 And you ask, why am I getting so upset about this? 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.200 It may be because one of your core idols is being threatened. 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:17.259 We don't like that. 00:10:17.259 --> 00:10:17.620 Right? 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:24.860 So, any preaching of the gospel that doesn't directly challenge idols is incomplete. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:27.899 It's an incomplete gospel. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:33.460 And over the centuries, there has always been the temptation felt by individuals, churches, 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:40.879 and entire denominations to domesticate the gospel, to remove anything that might be offensive, 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:46.939 which often means removing anything that might challenge the prevailing idols of the culture. 00:10:47.259 --> 00:11:00.179 And what that basically means is that there's this temptation to put out a version of Christianity or the Christian gospel that simply allows us to continue worshiping our idols. 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:00.919 Right? 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.460 Which, if you understand Christianity, is ridiculous. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:07.759 That's like a version of veganism that says you can keep eating at McDonald's every day. 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:09.879 But you can call yourself a vegan. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:11.080 Right? 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:13.360 Now, this is the first way we go wrong. 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:16.660 We say, maybe there's some way I can escape this. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:22.960 Maybe there's some way I can negotiate my way into being liked and approved of, but also preaching the gospel. 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:30.120 The other way we go wrong is basically to respond with our own contempt. 00:11:31.060 --> 00:11:32.460 And this is the other point that we need to make. 00:11:32.540 --> 00:11:37.940 Just because the gospel is inherently offensive doesn't give Christians the right to be inherently offensive. 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:45.960 And I would go so far as to say, and anybody who knows me knows I'm a fan of nuance, but it's kind of nice when we don't have to be nuanced. 00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:48.460 Here's a very un-nuanced phrase. 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:53.240 Christians should never, ever, under any circumstances, ever treat others with contempt. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:55.760 There's no exception to that. 00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:00.380 Christians should never, under any circumstances, treat others with contempt. 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:02.500 We should never treat other Christians with contempt. 00:12:02.660 --> 00:12:05.000 We should never treat other Christian denominations with contempt. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:11.539 We should never treat people who we perceive to be off the rails in their doctrine with contempt. 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:18.799 We should never treat the enemies of the church, people who mock and hate and heap contempt on Christians, we should never treat them with contempt. 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:22.860 We should never, under any circumstances, respond with contempt. 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:26.799 1 Peter 2, verses 21 to 23, says this, 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:46.179 What's that example you say? 00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:50.139 Verse 23, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:59.899 When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:03.979 When we're treated with contempt, when we're mocked for our faith, when we're mocked for what we say, 00:13:04.939 --> 00:13:10.219 we entrust ourselves to the one who judges justly, and we go right on loving. 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:12.920 And we go right on preaching. 00:13:14.820 --> 00:13:14.980 Right? 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:17.759 So this is the first response for us to reflect on. 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:19.240 Contempt is inevitable. 00:13:19.460 --> 00:13:24.840 This is the default response of the world toward the Christian faith, and it's because of their hatred of Jesus. 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:26.200 Right? 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:29.800 If that wasn't the case, the cross wouldn't have been necessary. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:31.759 Right? 00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:32.399 So that's the first thing. 00:13:32.560 --> 00:13:36.019 There's a second group of people, and the way they respond is slightly different. 00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:39.180 Others said, it says, we will hear you again about this. 00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:40.299 They want to hear more. 00:13:40.439 --> 00:13:42.259 They want to talk more with Paul. 00:13:42.339 --> 00:13:44.779 They want time to consider the things that he said. 00:13:45.079 --> 00:13:50.739 And certainly, I want to make it clear, there are legitimate reasons why people may want to discuss this more 00:13:50.739 --> 00:13:58.839 and investigate the claims of Christianity and ask a lot more questions as they're deciding whether or not they want to believe the gospel. 00:13:59.019 --> 00:14:02.120 And I just want to be clear, I think that we should always ask lots of questions. 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:08.039 You know, Christianity does not ask people to make a blind leap of faith. 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:10.719 It's a faith that's actually based on evidence. 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:12.360 It's based on eyewitness testimony. 00:14:12.599 --> 00:14:17.079 There's an enormous amount of credibility to the claims behind the Christian faith. 00:14:17.500 --> 00:14:22.439 And it's had a rich intellectual history spanning the last 2,000 years. 00:14:22.719 --> 00:14:29.559 And some of history's greatest thinkers have been Christians, people who never stopped asking questions. 00:14:29.819 --> 00:14:31.500 And so we need to make that clear. 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:35.200 So it may be the case that some of these people genuinely want to know more. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:36.620 They genuinely want to understand. 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:38.559 They genuinely want to ask questions, right? 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:44.220 But many commentators look at this, and because of the way it's structured, the way it's written, 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.480 many commentators read this as a kind of form of procrastination. 00:14:49.100 --> 00:14:52.100 In other words, these are people who are sort of giving the polite no. 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:52.700 Right? 00:14:53.700 --> 00:14:59.899 They're putting off ever really deciding what they think about Paul's message. 00:15:00.040 --> 00:15:01.659 Well, let's keep talking, Paul. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:03.340 Interesting idea. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.200 I'll go home and think about it, right? 00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:07.000 But it's a form of procrastination. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:11.600 And we need to recognize this because there are a lot of reasons why it's really tempting 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:16.200 to put off ever deciding what we believe about the gospel. 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:17.960 I mean, the first reason is a cultural reason. 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:23.240 It's the fact that we live in a culture that idolizes open-mindedness. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:30.240 We live in a culture that says if you're sophisticated, if you're smart, you're going to always be open-minded, 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:34.019 as though this is the only way to ever have any intellectual integrity, 00:15:34.280 --> 00:15:37.340 just remain perpetually open-minded about everything. 00:15:37.400 --> 00:15:39.879 As long as you're asking questions, you're sophisticated. 00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:42.320 But if you land on any convictions, you're naive. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:46.540 And we need to remember the words of G.K. Chesterton, who said, 00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:48.780 an open mind is a lot like an open mouth. 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.840 It's meant to be shut again on something solid. 00:15:53.860 --> 00:15:58.340 And if you live your life and you're never prepared to ever close your mouth on anything solid, 00:15:58.460 --> 00:15:59.080 guess what's going to happen? 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:00.340 You're going to starve to death. 00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:03.580 And the same is true spiritually. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.300 The same is true with your mind. 00:16:05.299 --> 00:16:11.000 If you're always asking questions, but you're never prepared to receive an answer, 00:16:11.199 --> 00:16:13.459 to grab onto and hold onto a conviction, 00:16:14.719 --> 00:16:17.219 spiritually you're going to starve to death. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:22.099 But we live in a culture that very much says as long as you're open-minded, 00:16:22.219 --> 00:16:25.019 as long as nothing is settled for you, no settled convictions, 00:16:26.319 --> 00:16:27.199 you're more sophisticated. 00:16:28.259 --> 00:16:31.779 Also, there's a sort of a personal reason why people procrastinate. 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:35.459 I think a lot of us believe that as long as we don't have solid convictions, 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:37.679 we can't be held accountable to those convictions. 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:43.079 So over the years, just in our community, 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:45.799 I've seen people who were steadfast in their faith. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:49.419 I've seen people who were rock solid, who were leading in the church. 00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:50.620 They were deeply involved. 00:16:50.939 --> 00:16:52.240 All of a sudden, fade away. 00:16:54.299 --> 00:16:58.299 And they start saying, you know, well, I have tons of doubts. 00:16:58.379 --> 00:17:00.519 I'm just not really sure what I believe anymore. 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:03.500 And, you know, sometimes that's a genuine faith crisis. 00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:07.559 But more often, I've seen that this happens right around the time 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:08.940 that they decided to move in with somebody. 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:12.119 Right? 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:14.160 They don't want to leave the faith entirely, 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.900 but they can't reconcile the faith with their lifestyle. 00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:22.519 And so the answer is to embrace a posture of sort of perpetual uncertainty. 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:28.720 You know, so there's a number of incentives that we would have to procrastinate. 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:30.980 Now, I'm not really sure what I believe about that doctrine. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:34.059 I'm not really sure what I think the Bible actually says about that. 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:37.980 And if that's accompanied with a genuine desire to explore that, 00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:39.500 then it might very well be honest doubt. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:41.079 And there's definitely a place for that. 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:47.139 But more often than not, it's a perpetual uncertainty. 00:17:48.439 --> 00:17:50.399 It's a perpetual agnosticism. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:52.399 Right? 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:55.740 So what we need to understand is if we respond this way to the gospel, 00:17:55.919 --> 00:17:59.779 that we're actually misunderstanding the very nature of Paul's message. 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:00.159 Right? 00:18:00.379 --> 00:18:02.240 So, I mean, if you're at a wine tasting, 00:18:02.579 --> 00:18:03.659 and somebody says, you know, 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:05.779 I really think that the Pinot is better than the Cab, 00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:09.300 you would say, okay, I'll take that into consideration. 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:10.460 I'll think about that. 00:18:10.540 --> 00:18:11.660 I'll see for myself. 00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:13.620 And let's talk more about that. 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:13.840 Right? 00:18:14.040 --> 00:18:16.259 But if the bank calls and the bank says, you know, 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:17.759 you're late on your mortgage payment, 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.100 you're not going to say, well, thanks for the input. 00:18:20.259 --> 00:18:21.560 I'll take that into consideration. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:22.720 Let's talk more about that. 00:18:22.800 --> 00:18:22.960 Right? 00:18:23.320 --> 00:18:24.800 When it comes to the gospel, 00:18:25.120 --> 00:18:30.080 you need to be able to recognize that the essence of the message demands a decision. 00:18:30.460 --> 00:18:31.840 It demands a response. 00:18:31.940 --> 00:18:32.080 Right? 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:33.339 It's the kind of thing, you know, 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:34.460 if somebody comes and says, 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:36.679 there's a wildfire and it's headed for your house, 00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:38.579 you don't say, well, let's just keep talking. 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:41.039 You know, you have to figure, 00:18:41.159 --> 00:18:43.099 you run out of your house and you look, 00:18:43.179 --> 00:18:45.079 and if you see the smoke and you see the fire 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:47.539 and you see the helicopters in the sky, 00:18:47.779 --> 00:18:49.279 then you pack your stuff and you get out. 00:18:50.919 --> 00:18:53.519 Or you decide that none of it's true and you do nothing. 00:18:54.159 --> 00:18:57.000 But the one thing you don't do with a situation like that 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:58.639 is to just procrastinate about it. 00:18:59.980 --> 00:19:00.199 Right? 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:04.640 And so we need to understand that procrastination is not the proper response 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:07.600 to the kind of message that we're hearing from Paul. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:11.660 Right now, God has fixed a day where He's going to judge the world 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:13.299 and He's calling everyone to repent. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.580 This is your moment. 00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:15.680 This is the time. 00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:17.019 What's your decision? 00:19:18.660 --> 00:19:18.819 Right? 00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:19.859 So we have contempt. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:21.639 Some people just respond with mockery. 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:23.379 Some people respond with procrastination. 00:19:23.379 --> 00:19:27.460 And then we have this third response, the response of faith. 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:29.519 It says in verse 34, 00:19:29.619 --> 00:19:31.379 but some men joined Him and believed, 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:33.779 among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite, 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:35.220 and a woman named Damaris, 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:36.639 and others with them. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:40.080 And so some hear Paul's words, 00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:42.000 some hear Paul's message of the gospel, 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:43.120 and they believe. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.500 The Greek word is pistouo, 00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:47.680 which can also be translated faith. 00:19:47.820 --> 00:19:49.520 So this is the response of faith. 00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:52.100 And we're told of two converts by name. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.320 We hear about Dionysius the Areopagite, 00:19:54.780 --> 00:19:58.640 and being a member of the Areopagus was a very high honor. 00:19:58.740 --> 00:20:01.440 You had to be invited to be a member of the Areopagus. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:03.940 You had to be really smart, really well respected. 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:06.059 And so this is sort of like someone 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:08.400 who's on the faculty of Harvard or Oxford. 00:20:08.980 --> 00:20:10.360 And then we hear about Damaris. 00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:12.740 And what we know of the culture, 00:20:12.860 --> 00:20:15.940 she must have been a woman of relatively high standing 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:18.240 to be allowed in the Areopagus. 00:20:18.340 --> 00:20:20.380 If she even was in the Areopagus, 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:23.460 it could be that she heard Paul on an earlier day 00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:25.380 preaching in the marketplace at Athens. 00:20:25.620 --> 00:20:27.779 But we have a sense that she's probably a woman 00:20:27.779 --> 00:20:28.880 of very high standing. 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:31.020 And they're mentioned by name, 00:20:31.320 --> 00:20:33.240 which suggests that they're not only people 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.020 of high standing in Athenian society, 00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:37.640 but they're probably people who were very highly regarded 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:39.200 in the early church. 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:41.220 The way this is written suggests 00:20:41.220 --> 00:20:43.180 that the original audience of Acts, 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:45.240 they would have known exactly who these people were. 00:20:45.320 --> 00:20:47.020 Oh, that's where Damaris came to faith. 00:20:47.120 --> 00:20:48.960 Oh, that's where Dionysius came to faith. 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:50.820 So they're mentioned by name. 00:20:51.340 --> 00:20:52.620 And so then we have to ask, 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:55.080 well, what does it mean to respond in faith? 00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:56.540 Christians often talk about faith, 00:20:56.540 --> 00:20:58.160 but what exactly does that mean? 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:03.980 Modernism in the last century was highly rationalistic. 00:21:04.220 --> 00:21:08.340 It very, very, very highly prized reason and rationality. 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:11.400 And so definitions of faith that come out of modernism 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:14.660 often sound like little more than intellectual agreement 00:21:14.660 --> 00:21:15.840 with a set of premises. 00:21:16.940 --> 00:21:19.120 And that carried all the way into the 20th century. 00:21:19.260 --> 00:21:22.840 Somebody might make a decision for Christ as a child. 00:21:23.260 --> 00:21:25.580 But then that never really gets translated 00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:26.660 into their lives at all. 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:28.400 You ask somebody, well, what makes you a Christian? 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:30.220 Well, I made a decision when I was 12. 00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:33.080 And that's the essence of my Christianity. 00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:34.600 It was an intellectual decision that I made. 00:21:35.360 --> 00:21:37.240 And then postmodernism comes along, 00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:39.100 and the pendulum sort of swings 00:21:39.100 --> 00:21:41.180 really far in the other direction. 00:21:41.320 --> 00:21:44.320 And so now the emphasis has moved away from rationalism, 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:47.100 and it's moved entirely into the realm of the emotions, 00:21:47.259 --> 00:21:48.259 and the realm of feelings. 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:52.480 So it depends on what feels right in a given moment. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.660 So people say, well, I'm feeling my Christianity right now, 00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:58.519 but it could change tomorrow. 00:21:58.700 --> 00:22:01.559 It's just what feels right for me in the moment. 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:04.160 And there are really deficiencies with both, right? 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:06.120 If your faith is purely intellectual, 00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:08.500 then it's going to remain cold and lifeless. 00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:09.660 It's never going to touch your heart. 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:11.000 It's never going to change you. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:13.640 But if your faith is purely emotional, 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:16.599 it's going to come and go with every change of mood. 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:19.180 It'll depend on your circumstances. 00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:21.259 It'll depend on how well you slept the night before. 00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:22.940 It'll depend on whether or not you had breakfast. 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:24.720 Right? 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:26.440 As C.S. Lewis says at one point, 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:29.180 our moods will rebel against our true self. 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:31.599 He says, if you're a Christian for any length of time, 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:33.420 you recognize that you have these experiences 00:22:33.420 --> 00:22:36.420 where your convictions are over here, 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:37.660 and your mood, your feeling, 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:38.700 you're just not feeling it. 00:22:38.980 --> 00:22:39.539 And they're at odds. 00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:40.700 I'm not feeling this at all. 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:42.759 He says, we have to expect that as Christians. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:44.200 And so what he goes on to talk about 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.240 is the fact that faith involves the intellect, 00:22:46.460 --> 00:22:47.660 and it involves the emotions. 00:22:47.859 --> 00:22:49.779 They deserve a place at the table. 00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:53.379 But faith is actually more than either of these. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.259 And the best way to think about it 00:22:55.259 --> 00:22:56.240 is that faith is a habit. 00:22:57.559 --> 00:22:59.240 Faith is a habit that we cultivate. 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:03.019 If you look at the metaphors used in the Bible 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:04.119 for conversions, 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:06.460 you see things like this. 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:07.619 A change of citizenship. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.700 Or a marriage. 00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:13.019 Or an adoption. 00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:14.720 Right? 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:15.980 So all of these involve 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:18.980 both an initial decisive moment of commitment, 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:22.379 but then that is followed by a lifestyle 00:23:22.379 --> 00:23:23.819 filled with habits 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:25.740 that reflect that commitment, 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:27.559 that deepen that commitment. 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:30.039 And so marriage is a great example of this, right? 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:31.799 You fall in love with someone, 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:34.680 and you decide to commit yourself. 00:23:35.400 --> 00:23:36.720 There's emotion involved. 00:23:36.839 --> 00:23:38.240 There's an intellectual decision involved. 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:40.019 You decide to commit yourself. 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.639 You say, this person is worth it. 00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:43.599 I want to give the rest of my life to this person. 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:46.039 And then you have the wedding. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:47.440 But then after the wedding, 00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:49.019 marriage involves an entire lifestyle 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:50.980 that's meant to uphold 00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:53.619 and cultivate that intimacy 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:54.740 and that connection. 00:23:54.900 --> 00:23:56.200 So it doesn't work in marriage 00:23:56.200 --> 00:23:56.619 for you to say, 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:58.339 I'm just not feeling married today. 00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:00.660 You know, just this weekend, 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:02.700 I'm just not feeling very married to you. 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:04.579 So I'm going to go do my thing, 00:24:04.639 --> 00:24:05.559 and I'll see you Monday. 00:24:05.700 --> 00:24:07.259 That doesn't work for marriage, 00:24:07.259 --> 00:24:09.359 because your entire life 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:11.160 is meant to align with that commitment 00:24:11.160 --> 00:24:13.200 that you made, right? 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:14.640 And so you cultivate habits 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:16.839 that continually renew the vows 00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:18.240 that you made to one another 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:20.960 over and over and over every single day. 00:24:21.259 --> 00:24:24.259 One that has been a longstanding habit 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:26.720 for my wife and I, Laura and I, 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:28.539 is no matter what's going on, 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:29.859 no matter how busy the day is, 00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:31.140 we have three kids, 00:24:31.379 --> 00:24:33.920 but we try, after the kids go down, 00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:34.940 even if we're really tired, 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:36.880 we try to at least get 20 or 30 minutes 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.960 where the devices are off, 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:40.019 the TVs are off, 00:24:40.320 --> 00:24:42.140 it's as quiet as we can make it 00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:43.019 in a house of three kids, 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:44.360 where we just make eye contact 00:24:44.360 --> 00:24:45.440 and we just have a conversation. 00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:47.600 And we just try to really talk to each other. 00:24:47.840 --> 00:24:48.440 How are you doing? 00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:49.059 How are you doing? 00:24:49.100 --> 00:24:50.200 We try to talk about emotions. 00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:52.539 I'll give you a bit of advice. 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:54.940 What we used to do 00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:57.519 is to talk a lot about the content of our day, 00:24:57.620 --> 00:24:59.180 what we did, who said what. 00:25:00.299 --> 00:25:01.920 We realize that there's a lot more 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:03.500 that can happen with a lot less time 00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:05.140 if you focus on your feelings. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:08.440 You know, I was really feeling insecure today. 00:25:09.859 --> 00:25:11.660 A person said something 00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:12.880 and it really made me feel small. 00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:16.900 When you focus on the feelings, 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.299 you don't really need a whole lot of time 00:25:18.299 --> 00:25:20.140 to have a lot of connection. 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:23.259 And so this habit over the years 00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:26.460 has deepened and strengthened our connection. 00:25:26.619 --> 00:25:28.839 It's deepened and strengthened our intimacy. 00:25:29.140 --> 00:25:30.700 And that's the kind of thing 00:25:30.700 --> 00:25:32.000 that we need to think about 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:32.980 when we think about faith. 00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:34.880 It's the same exact thing with faith. 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:36.900 You know, faith is not just a decision 00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:38.880 that we made at one point in our lives. 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:40.740 And it's not just a feeling 00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:42.259 that you may have and you may not have. 00:25:42.700 --> 00:25:45.900 Faith is something that has to be fed continually, 00:25:46.259 --> 00:25:48.120 like intimacy in a marriage. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.620 Now, somebody might object and say, 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.779 well, the way you're talking about this 00:25:51.779 --> 00:25:52.440 is kind of weird. 00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:54.079 I mean, I always thought faith was a gift. 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:56.079 And isn't faith something that God gives you? 00:25:56.120 --> 00:25:56.940 And I would say, absolutely. 00:25:57.339 --> 00:26:00.180 God gifts us with the capacity for faith. 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:03.000 And some people may have a much larger capacity 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:03.799 than other people. 00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:05.700 God gives us the capacity. 00:26:06.360 --> 00:26:10.000 But it's still something that we need to cultivate it. 00:26:10.060 --> 00:26:11.799 We need to put it into practice. 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:13.940 We need to have habits that feed it 00:26:13.940 --> 00:26:15.420 and strengthen it, right? 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:18.019 And so we have to continually build 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:19.279 our connection with God 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.680 through things like reading Scripture 00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:23.779 or prayer or worshiping together. 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:25.920 And this is partly why faith is something 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.599 that by design, it can't be cultivated alone. 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:32.220 Faith requires the support of a community. 00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:34.980 And there is no doubt that Damaris and Dionysius 00:26:34.980 --> 00:26:36.680 joined the local church. 00:26:36.819 --> 00:26:38.339 I mean, number one, in this day and age, 00:26:38.359 --> 00:26:39.920 it would have been utterly inconceivable 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.240 for anyone to come to faith 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:42.819 and not join the local church. 00:26:42.899 --> 00:26:44.039 So it's absolutely certain 00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:44.920 that they would have done that. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:46.899 And then on top of that, 00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:49.079 the fourth century historian Eusebius 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:51.019 actually writes that Dionysius went on 00:26:51.019 --> 00:26:54.660 to become the first bishop of the church in Athens. 00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:58.139 You know, I can't prove it, 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:01.680 but I have a hunch that the majority of people 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:04.740 over the years whom I have seen leave the faith, 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:07.139 I've seen people come to faith, 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:08.240 but I've also, very sadly, 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:10.339 I've seen people leave the faith, leave the church. 00:27:10.819 --> 00:27:12.220 I can't prove it, 00:27:12.819 --> 00:27:15.180 but I have a hunch that the majority of those people 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:17.059 who have left the faith 00:27:17.059 --> 00:27:18.799 didn't leave the faith 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:22.440 because of some clear intellectual break with the faith. 00:27:22.879 --> 00:27:24.000 They didn't have a moment where like, 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:25.639 you know, I just, for these reasons, 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:27.000 I don't believe this anymore. 00:27:28.460 --> 00:27:31.119 They simply allowed their faith to starve to death. 00:27:32.500 --> 00:27:33.799 They simply did nothing. 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:36.460 They never fed their faith. 00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:40.299 And it just faded and faded and withered and died. 00:27:40.379 --> 00:27:41.839 And this is the thing that we need to recognize. 00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:43.940 If you don't feed your faith, 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:45.059 it will wither and die. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:47.379 Simple as that. 00:27:47.380 --> 00:27:49.580 And this is why, 00:27:49.780 --> 00:27:50.960 starting in the season of Advent, 00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:52.760 starting next week, 00:27:53.780 --> 00:27:55.240 we at Church of the Advent 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:57.820 are going to be embarking on a journey, 00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:00.600 sort of coming out of all the tumult 00:28:00.600 --> 00:28:02.220 of this past year, 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:05.380 recognizing that there have been so many aspects of life 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:06.420 that have been disoriented. 00:28:06.900 --> 00:28:07.680 We've recognized, 00:28:08.040 --> 00:28:08.860 and as we've prayed, 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:10.540 we've felt the Spirit prompting us, 00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:13.680 we need to go back to the foundations of our faith. 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:16.380 We need to root ourselves 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:19.400 in the things that give life to Christians. 00:28:19.840 --> 00:28:21.980 And so we're going to be embarking on a journey 00:28:21.980 --> 00:28:23.120 at Church of the Advent, 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:24.799 and one of the things that we'll be doing right away 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.620 is you'll be hearing about a prayer guide, 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:27.880 and you'll be receiving one of these, 00:28:28.220 --> 00:28:30.100 that Pastor Kevin worked on 00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:31.420 and adapted for our use. 00:28:31.900 --> 00:28:34.620 But this prayer guide is meant to be one of the ways 00:28:34.620 --> 00:28:35.680 that we encourage everybody 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:38.500 to root themselves down 00:28:38.500 --> 00:28:41.519 in these habits that feed our faith. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:44.220 And my personal heartfelt goal for our community, 00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:45.940 and the thing that I sort of come back to 00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:47.660 when I pray again and again and again about our church, 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:49.160 is that I would love to see the day 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:51.180 where every member and regular attender 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:52.019 of Church of the Advent 00:28:52.019 --> 00:28:54.859 is reading their Bible and praying every day. 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:57.440 That that is the norm. 00:28:58.420 --> 00:28:59.559 That that's the norm. 00:29:00.859 --> 00:29:01.079 Right? 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:03.740 In order to be the kind of gospel-proclaiming, 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:06.099 justice-seeking, holy-fear-it-spilled, 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:07.819 God-glorifying community 00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:09.559 that God has called us to be in the city, 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:11.339 we need a well-fed faith. 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:14.399 We can't do it without that. 00:29:16.139 --> 00:29:16.319 Right? 00:29:16.379 --> 00:29:17.899 So these are the three responses 00:29:17.899 --> 00:29:19.779 that Paul gets in Athens, 00:29:19.940 --> 00:29:21.259 just to kind of pull all this together. 00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:26.200 Contempt, procrastination, and then faith. 00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.480 And listen, for those of us who are Christians, 00:29:29.639 --> 00:29:31.579 who are hoping to see the culture renewed, 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:33.980 I think this passage does a really good job 00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:37.279 of helping to set and manage our expectations. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:40.039 There will always be those who mock. 00:29:40.779 --> 00:29:43.480 There will always be those who procrastinate. 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:45.759 But then there will always be people 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:48.639 like Dionysius or Damaris. 00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:52.220 People whom we might least expect 00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:54.399 whose hearts are being opened 00:29:54.399 --> 00:29:56.980 by the ministry of the Holy Spirit 00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:59.920 in ways that maybe aren't even apparent on the surface. 00:30:00.139 --> 00:30:01.539 And you won't know that 00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:02.839 until you preach the gospel. 00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:05.919 And then you recognize 00:30:05.919 --> 00:30:08.259 that you have just stepped into a process 00:30:08.259 --> 00:30:09.379 that's been happening spiritually 00:30:09.379 --> 00:30:10.459 maybe for years. 00:30:10.619 --> 00:30:11.619 And you just have the honor 00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:12.659 of being there in the right time 00:30:12.659 --> 00:30:13.199 and the right place. 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:15.779 And that's really what successful evangelism is. 00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:17.119 It's I just happen to be here 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:18.459 in the right time and the right place 00:30:18.459 --> 00:30:20.819 experiencing the fruit of a work 00:30:20.819 --> 00:30:22.799 that God begun in a person years ago. 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:24.899 And I just happen to be here for it. 00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:27.759 And if Paul had quit because of the mockery, 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:28.720 if he had been intimidated, 00:30:29.299 --> 00:30:30.839 if he had allowed himself to be shut down, 00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:32.799 if he had quit because of the procrastination, 00:30:32.879 --> 00:30:34.379 these people will never make up their minds. 00:30:35.319 --> 00:30:37.599 He would have missed out on the opportunity 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:39.579 to see these people come to faith. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:44.379 And this is perhaps the best point to end on 00:30:44.379 --> 00:30:46.599 as we think about the gospel and culture. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:49.679 Our calling is to be faithful 00:30:49.679 --> 00:30:52.359 with all that God has entrusted to us. 00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:55.919 But we must always trust him for the outcome. 00:30:57.220 --> 00:30:57.859 Let's pray. 00:30:57.859 --> 00:31:01.139 Lord, we thank you for your word 00:31:01.139 --> 00:31:03.519 and we thank you for your ministry in our midst. 00:31:03.779 --> 00:31:05.879 And we thank you that even though the kingdom 00:31:05.879 --> 00:31:08.539 is not often something that arrives 00:31:08.539 --> 00:31:11.079 with a big bang and an explosion and lights, 00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:14.679 that your kingdom advances one person at a time, 00:31:15.339 --> 00:31:19.000 one heart at a time, one soul at a time. 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:22.199 Like leaven, it spreads throughout the world. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:25.740 The kingdom is growing up in our midst, Lord. 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:27.339 I pray that you would enable us 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:29.519 to have this kind of spiritual lens 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:32.140 through which we view the culture around us. 00:31:32.359 --> 00:31:34.519 And we pray that we might have the courage, 00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:37.759 that we might have the kind of well-fed faith 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:40.779 that enables us to respond in faith 00:31:40.779 --> 00:31:42.279 and to be part of what you're doing here. 00:31:43.220 --> 00:31:45.559 And yet we pray always that we would trust you 00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:47.460 and rely on you and depend on you 00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:50.120 to do the things only you can do. 00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:52.779 So that this might not be to our glory, 00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:55.519 but for your everlasting and eternal glory, Lord. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:57.660 And it's in the name of your glorious son, Jesus, 00:31:57.740 --> 00:31:58.859 that we pray, amen.