WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:20.339 Good morning again. As I said at the beginning, my name is Tommy. I'm delighted to be here with you. Continuing to look at the book of Acts chapter 17. It is a common thing to these days here that we live in increasingly post-Christian society. And I think in many ways that is certainly true. 00:00:20.339 --> 00:00:33.880 One of the pieces of that narrative that we hear is the declining numbers of people who are followers of Jesus, who participate in organized religion. And to a certain extent, those numbers have been true as well. 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:51.939 And yet what's really interesting is right now, something very interesting is happening that bucks that trend. There's a new trend emerging. And it's just over the last few years, a kind of increased openness and hunger to the truth of the gospel. 00:00:51.939 --> 00:01:07.759 Over the last three years, since about 2021, 2022, the number of people who say they follow Jesus, they believe in and follow Jesus in a very meaningful way, that has gone up about 12% just in the last three years. 00:01:07.759 --> 00:01:20.719 And maybe that doesn't sound like much, but statistically it's very significant. That represents roughly 30 million people over the last three years. 30 million more people in our country saying that they're followers of Jesus. 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:29.560 And what's even more interesting about that is that a lot of those people are either millennials or Gen Z. So relatively speaking, you're looking at younger generations. 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:40.099 Those of us who are, I'm Gen X, so I'm far past being able to say young, but I think millennials can still claim to be within a younger generation and certainly Gen Z. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:43.259 And so people are looking at these numbers and trying to figure out what's happening. 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:59.120 What that means for us is the chances are there are people in our lives right now where we live and work who may not be followers of Jesus, but who may very well be open to the truth and the power of Jesus. 00:01:59.240 --> 00:02:07.840 In other words, alluding to our gospel reading a moment ago, the fields are ripe for harvest, but the laborers are few. 00:02:08.040 --> 00:02:08.819 That's the problem. 00:02:08.819 --> 00:02:11.659 Why are there so few laborers? 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:19.299 Well, I think most of us who are Christians get very uncomfortable with the idea of sharing our faith with other people. 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:23.259 The word evangelism sort of makes people cringe. 00:02:23.780 --> 00:02:29.659 You get twitchy when you hear people talk about the fact that we should be doing more evangelism. 00:02:29.740 --> 00:02:31.060 You know, there's a lot of reasons for this. 00:02:31.060 --> 00:02:37.479 I think we don't want to offend people, and it feels like that's offensive to bring up faith in today's world. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:41.640 If we were to bring it up, a lot of us feel like we don't know what to say or do. 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:49.140 I think some of us are just frankly afraid of how people will respond to us or what they might think of us. 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:53.519 And so it raises this question of how do we talk to people about faith? 00:02:53.959 --> 00:03:03.099 How do we talk to people about Jesus when we live in a post-Christian society, and yet there's a hunger in the society? 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:05.219 There's a longing, a searching. 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.359 This is why we're looking at Paul's example in Acts chapter 17. 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:13.580 We started last week by talking about what it means to think theologically about the culture. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:19.660 And this week we're going to look more closely at Paul's actual approach that he takes in Athens. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.060 He's in Athens. 00:03:21.420 --> 00:03:26.080 At this point in the story, he's been invited to present the gospel at the Areopagus. 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:30.000 So that's like being invited to give a lecture at Harvard or Oxford. 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:34.940 And all the leading intellectuals are going to be there, and they're very skeptical about this message. 00:03:35.580 --> 00:03:37.620 And so we're going to look at Paul's approach. 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:39.920 These are highly educated, skeptical people. 00:03:40.259 --> 00:03:41.099 Where does Paul begin? 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:44.000 Let's pray, and then we're going to break it down. 00:03:45.259 --> 00:03:59.340 Lord, we thank you for your word, and we thank you that independently, Lord, independent of anything we might do, of any strategy we might employ, of any rhetorical devices, Lord, your word itself has power. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:05.240 And you can work through your word in ways that go far beyond what we can ask or even imagine. 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:08.200 And you know what we need better than we do, Lord. 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.719 And so I pray for myself and for those of us gathered here. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:18.800 Lord, would you do your work in us that we might, through your written word, come face to face with the living word, Jesus Christ. 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:23.319 Lord, he's the one that we are here to encounter this morning. 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:24.400 That's who we need to see. 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:26.560 We pray this in his name. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:27.100 Amen. 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:27.180 Amen. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.080 So Paul is in Athens. 00:04:30.400 --> 00:04:31.400 What's his approach? 00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:48.760 The first thing that we see Paul do, right off the bat, is to affirm the longings that he sees in these Athenians as he has observed them by walking through their streets and living in their culture. 00:04:48.840 --> 00:04:50.140 He affirms their longings. 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:59.379 The first time I was taught anything about how to do evangelism was a very long time ago, not long after I came to faith in my early 20s. 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:03.919 And we learned a kind of method called the Romans Road. 00:05:04.719 --> 00:05:07.620 And I don't know if you're, some of you, many of you are probably familiar with this. 00:05:07.659 --> 00:05:08.479 The Romans Road. 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:14.180 And that's a way of taking people through the book of Romans to lay out the gospel. 00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:24.720 But what's interesting about the method is that you begin in a place, the first thing that you tell people is that all have sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God. 00:05:24.819 --> 00:05:29.519 So the starting place is you need to recognize that you're a sinner. 00:05:29.860 --> 00:05:31.660 Now, of course, this is theologically true. 00:05:31.780 --> 00:05:35.340 We believe every word that Paul wrote in Romans. 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:42.959 And if you're speaking to somebody who already has a relatively high view of the Bible and sees it as a trustworthy document, 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:50.019 if you're dealing with somebody who already feels a sense of guilt and shame and is trying to figure out what to do with that, 00:05:50.919 --> 00:05:52.739 then this would make a lot of sense. 00:05:52.739 --> 00:05:59.259 This way of laying out the gospel would be ultimately very comforting for somebody like that. 00:05:59.479 --> 00:06:01.739 But that's simply not the case in Athens. 00:06:02.799 --> 00:06:04.899 And so Paul begins in a very different place. 00:06:05.339 --> 00:06:06.279 It says, 00:06:06.479 --> 00:06:08.839 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said, 00:06:09.359 --> 00:06:13.599 Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 00:06:15.159 --> 00:06:18.659 Now, we need to understand, you know, he's not starting from a place of condemnation. 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:20.859 You're a bunch of idolatrous pagan-worshipping sinners. 00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:23.679 He starts with a compliment. 00:06:24.699 --> 00:06:28.059 He starts by affirming their spiritual hunger. 00:06:28.559 --> 00:06:30.579 I mean, this is a very positive statement. 00:06:30.739 --> 00:06:33.519 When he said, I perceive that in every way you're very religious, they would have been like, 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:34.359 Yes, we are. 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:35.680 We take these things seriously. 00:06:36.740 --> 00:06:38.420 And so he's affirming them. 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:44.800 Of course he recognizes the spiritual darkness of the idols they worship. 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:49.060 We said last week, we looked at the fact that he's deeply disturbed by them. 00:06:49.340 --> 00:06:50.920 He's deeply disturbed by them. 00:06:50.920 --> 00:07:01.360 But what we see here is that Paul also recognizes that underneath the surface, these people have very legitimate longings that all human beings share in common. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:09.840 So he's disturbed that the Athenians worshipped Athena and named their city Athena instead of the true God. 00:07:09.840 --> 00:07:15.480 But he also recognizes that under the surface, these are people who are longing for what? 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:17.180 Why do you worship Athena? 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.580 Well, you want your political leaders to have wisdom. 00:07:21.780 --> 00:07:23.780 You want political stability. 00:07:23.980 --> 00:07:25.480 You want economic prosperity. 00:07:26.180 --> 00:07:28.400 Those are things that most everyone wants. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.139 And they're longing for these things. 00:07:32.239 --> 00:07:33.299 Paul's like, I know what that's like. 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:39.259 He's disturbed by people who make offerings to the goddess Artemis instead of worshiping God. 00:07:39.259 --> 00:07:43.359 But Paul also recognizes who goes to worship Artemis. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:51.800 Well, women who are pregnant and who are terrified of an awful, painful death for themselves or their child. 00:07:52.660 --> 00:07:55.980 Because there is no technology, nothing near what we have today. 00:07:56.360 --> 00:08:03.840 And so they're going and they're making offerings because Artemis is said to be the one who can deliver them safely through childbearing. 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:07.439 And so they're going and they're putting their hope. 00:08:07.780 --> 00:08:10.240 And so Paul recognizes, you know, on the surface they're worshiping an idol. 00:08:10.460 --> 00:08:12.199 But underneath, everybody wants that. 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:15.939 Nobody wants a horrible, painful death when they're trying to have a child. 00:08:16.300 --> 00:08:20.680 And so there are these legitimate longings underneath the idol worship. 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:27.240 The people who worship the false gods of Athens are motivated by the same longings that anyone else would be motivated by. 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:28.079 They want to be safe. 00:08:28.579 --> 00:08:30.000 They want to be financially secure. 00:08:30.259 --> 00:08:32.700 They want to have meaningful relationships and a sense of purpose. 00:08:33.059 --> 00:08:36.799 They're afraid of the unknown and they want some sense of control over the future. 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:40.360 Like everybody you've ever met. 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:43.860 This is what we need to understand about idol worship. 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:54.180 When we talk about idol worship, that's just another way of saying that people tend to prioritize and devote themselves to the things they believe are most likely to satisfy those longings. 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:56.399 That's essentially what it is. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:04.379 We tend to prioritize and ultimately devote ourselves to the things that we ultimately believe are most likely to satisfy those inner longings. 00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:06.320 You see the same thing in a place like D.C. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:12.379 You know, you have a co-worker who maybe you feel like you have nothing in common with. 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:16.200 You know, they go by, you know, they use they-them pronouns. 00:09:16.420 --> 00:09:23.020 They have a whole way of seeing the world that, you know, you personally don't subscribe to that gender ideology at all. 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:24.540 And you feel like there's no common ground. 00:09:24.539 --> 00:09:31.319 And what you need to understand is that underneath the surface, that's simply someone who is just wanting to feel comfortable in their own skin. 00:09:32.219 --> 00:09:32.399 Right? 00:09:32.419 --> 00:09:38.759 It's somebody who is wanting a sense of identity, wanting a sense of belonging just like you, just like anyone else. 00:09:39.819 --> 00:09:40.219 Right? 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:45.719 The neighbor down the street who's obsessed with politics and has all the yard signs laying out all the views. 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:52.980 You know, maybe you totally disagree with their politics, but underneath the surface, that's a person who's longing for some sense of meaning and purpose. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.500 They're longing for some clear sense of right and wrong of good guys and bad guys. 00:09:57.580 --> 00:09:59.779 And they found it in the world of politics. 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:05.940 So this is where we start by recognizing and affirming the longings under the surface. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:07.960 That is the place where you will find common ground. 00:10:08.259 --> 00:10:08.580 Always. 00:10:10.340 --> 00:10:13.019 So just a couple of takeaways before we move on to the next point. 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:16.399 Don't assume that the people around you are not interested in God. 00:10:18.019 --> 00:10:20.500 Every human being on the planet is a worshiper. 00:10:22.199 --> 00:10:24.279 These are people with real spiritual longings. 00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:27.500 They're simply looking in other places to satisfy those longings. 00:10:27.879 --> 00:10:29.439 And really, this is all about posture. 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.779 And some of you get this and you do this naturally so well. 00:10:33.699 --> 00:10:42.439 But when you start this way with people, your posture is such that you're not talking down to somebody from a position of spiritual superiority. 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:44.939 Or as though you're the one with all the answers. 00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:49.259 You're coming alongside that person as a fellow pilgrim. 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:50.720 Right? 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:52.480 You care about those things. 00:10:52.579 --> 00:10:53.799 I care about those things. 00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:56.220 We both care about the same things. 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:58.419 We both want the same things for ourselves and our families. 00:10:59.399 --> 00:10:59.600 Right? 00:10:59.659 --> 00:11:01.620 We're heading in different directions as a result. 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:03.240 But underneath, there's common ground. 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:05.379 So this is where Paul starts. 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:06.860 Wow, I perceive that you're very religious. 00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:09.080 You're asking good, big, hard questions. 00:11:09.180 --> 00:11:10.320 You take these things seriously. 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:10.879 Well done. 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:14.259 And then, Paul finds an opening. 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:15.419 It's the second thing he does. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:16.240 He confirms the wrong ease. 00:11:16.299 --> 00:11:17.060 He finds an opening. 00:11:17.899 --> 00:11:18.519 He says, 00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:21.360 As I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:24.259 I found also an altar with this inscription. 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:26.120 To the unknown God. 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:26.799 Verse 23. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.579 Now, this is remarkable. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:32.819 The Athenians, despite their vast pantheon, 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:39.599 still sensed that there was something missing. 00:11:40.819 --> 00:11:41.199 Right? 00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:44.219 Despite all of the options on the religious buffet, 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:48.879 they still have this altar to the unknown God. 00:11:48.959 --> 00:11:52.799 They still sense there has to be more. 00:11:54.079 --> 00:11:56.179 Something still felt incomplete. 00:11:57.559 --> 00:12:00.639 So they left a space open, a kind of placeholder, 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:05.099 for whomever or whatever that thing might be. 00:12:06.219 --> 00:12:07.979 And, you know, as we said a moment ago, 00:12:08.099 --> 00:12:10.139 people tend to prioritize and devote themselves 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:15.579 to the things they believe are most likely to satisfy their longings. 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:17.279 But here's the next thing we need to see. 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.639 Inevitably, anything we devote ourselves to other than God 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.959 is going to fall short. 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:27.400 It's going to make promises that it can't deliver on. 00:12:29.060 --> 00:12:30.180 Just to give one example, 00:12:30.420 --> 00:12:32.360 there's nothing wrong with wanting to be successful. 00:12:33.540 --> 00:12:36.820 There is a kind of good and godly form of ambition 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:39.080 that drives us to work hard, to get up early, 00:12:39.800 --> 00:12:42.000 to put our best effort into things. 00:12:42.560 --> 00:12:43.960 But there are countless people 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:48.639 who are completely devoted to success and status. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:51.059 It's not just important, it's become ultimate. 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:52.740 It's become a kind of idol. 00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:55.100 I don't know who I am 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:57.419 or what value I have if I'm not successful. 00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:59.539 I can't imagine my life being worth living 00:12:59.539 --> 00:13:00.460 if I'm not successful. 00:13:01.259 --> 00:13:02.379 They've crossed a line. 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:05.960 What's interesting is to talk to people 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:08.840 when they have achieved success and status, 00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:11.179 when they finally get what they're after. 00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:11.620 Right? 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:12.939 If you don't, then you can always say, 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:14.299 well, if only I had been successful then. 00:13:14.339 --> 00:13:15.859 But what happens when people actually get it? 00:13:16.939 --> 00:13:18.519 And there's so many examples 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:20.979 of people saying versions of the same thing. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:22.620 I think of, this is an old reference now, 00:13:22.699 --> 00:13:23.359 but Tom Brady, 00:13:23.719 --> 00:13:25.819 back when he only had three Super Bowl rings, 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:27.459 saying, 00:13:28.139 --> 00:13:29.759 why do I have three Super Bowl rings 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.459 and still think there's something greater out there for me? 00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:35.339 And he says, it's got to be more than this. 00:13:36.819 --> 00:13:37.539 And what he says, 00:13:37.620 --> 00:13:39.099 like, he's won three or four more. 00:13:39.099 --> 00:13:39.799 Right, so he said, 00:13:40.439 --> 00:13:44.199 I think of Brad Pitt in a Rolling Stone interview saying, 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:45.839 I got everything I thought I wanted. 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:47.299 And it was empty. 00:13:48.939 --> 00:13:50.699 I think of Jim Carrey saying, 00:13:50.939 --> 00:13:52.699 I think everybody should get rich and famous 00:13:52.699 --> 00:13:54.439 and do everything they ever dreamed of 00:13:54.439 --> 00:13:56.719 so they can see that it's not the answer. 00:13:58.959 --> 00:14:00.019 All of these people, 00:14:00.099 --> 00:14:01.199 if you read interviews with them, 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:01.879 if they're honest, 00:14:01.979 --> 00:14:02.740 again and again and again, 00:14:02.839 --> 00:14:03.799 people who you look at, 00:14:03.979 --> 00:14:04.740 or I look at, 00:14:05.059 --> 00:14:06.439 and we think they're at the top, 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:07.199 they're at the apex, 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:07.879 they have done it, 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:08.599 they have made it, 00:14:08.599 --> 00:14:10.439 they've gotten everything they ever wanted. 00:14:10.740 --> 00:14:11.939 And those are the people who are saying, 00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:13.099 there's nothing here. 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:14.680 It's all empty. 00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:15.460 It's all vanity, 00:14:15.680 --> 00:14:18.259 to use the phrase from Ecclesiastes. 00:14:19.680 --> 00:14:21.300 There's a lot of people who are devoted 00:14:21.300 --> 00:14:22.820 to the search for identity, 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:23.759 to give another example. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.279 And they're trying to discover their true self, 00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:28.159 and so identity is the thing that they're after, 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:28.899 and they're searching, 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:29.600 and they're seeking, 00:14:30.420 --> 00:14:31.940 and that's the thing they care most about. 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:33.860 It was interesting, 00:14:33.980 --> 00:14:35.320 I read a personal story 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:36.960 that someone shared anonymously 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.480 in The Guardian last year, 00:14:38.580 --> 00:14:39.480 and I saved it, 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:42.820 because it was just incredibly powerfully personal. 00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:44.899 A woman, presumably, 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:46.060 is sharing about the fact 00:14:46.060 --> 00:14:48.039 that she came out as gay in her late 20s, 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:50.019 and she says in the article, 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:52.360 in her disclosure here, 00:14:52.420 --> 00:14:52.980 she says, you know, 00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:53.759 that when she did that, 00:14:53.820 --> 00:14:55.180 she hoped that that newfound freedom 00:14:55.180 --> 00:14:58.080 would bring kind of a greater sense 00:14:58.080 --> 00:14:59.220 of identity and self-worth. 00:14:59.920 --> 00:15:00.300 Right now, 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:02.259 I'll be free to live out who I truly am, 00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:04.779 and I'll get that thing I'm after. 00:15:04.779 --> 00:15:06.459 But she says instead of that, 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:08.039 that actually led to more depression 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:10.480 and more confusion over her identity. 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:13.819 Despite trying on all different labels, 00:15:14.459 --> 00:15:16.339 she says she still felt lost. 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:18.220 And then she says this, 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:20.100 and this is why I saved the article. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.379 I'm now in my mid-30s, 00:15:22.779 --> 00:15:24.319 and I'm worried that this exploration 00:15:24.319 --> 00:15:26.500 of different lovers and ideologies 00:15:26.500 --> 00:15:28.240 and roles within sex 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.120 is taking me further away 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:31.539 from what I actually want, 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:33.379 love and intimacy. 00:15:33.379 --> 00:15:35.460 And I just thought 00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:36.439 that was really powerful 00:15:36.439 --> 00:15:37.399 because there's somebody 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:37.919 who's saying, 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:39.080 I've been looking and looking 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:39.860 and looking and looking, 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:40.700 and I realize that there's 00:15:40.700 --> 00:15:41.759 a longing under the surface, 00:15:41.860 --> 00:15:42.860 and here's what I really want. 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:44.200 I want love, 00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:45.419 and I want intimacy. 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:46.340 And I'm like, 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:47.259 every single human being 00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:48.120 on the planet wants that. 00:15:49.419 --> 00:15:51.299 So these are examples, right? 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:52.340 You know, Jim Carrey 00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:54.939 and Tom Brady and Brad Pitt 00:15:54.939 --> 00:15:56.500 and then this anonymous woman. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:58.059 These are all examples of people 00:15:58.059 --> 00:15:59.720 who have devoted themselves 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:00.879 and they've prioritized things 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:02.019 they think are going to satisfy 00:16:02.019 --> 00:16:02.779 those longings. 00:16:03.379 --> 00:16:04.939 only to discover 00:16:04.939 --> 00:16:06.000 that there's still something missing. 00:16:07.700 --> 00:16:09.220 So metaphorically speaking, 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.159 they find within themselves 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:13.980 an altar to an unknown God. 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:16.220 Right? 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:16.840 They're struggling 00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:18.100 and this or that 00:16:18.100 --> 00:16:18.620 and the emptiness 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:19.460 of where they are 00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:20.000 and they're trying 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:20.980 and then they realize 00:16:20.980 --> 00:16:21.840 that there's an altar 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:22.779 to an unknown God 00:16:22.779 --> 00:16:23.340 in their heart. 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:25.899 There's a kind of placeholder, 00:16:26.759 --> 00:16:28.080 a spiritual placeholder. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:29.540 It's a space 00:16:29.540 --> 00:16:30.440 that they can't fill up 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:31.600 no matter how hard they try. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:35.860 And sometimes, 00:16:36.060 --> 00:16:37.139 people who were never 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:38.460 previously open 00:16:38.460 --> 00:16:40.280 to the possibility of Christ, 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:41.920 when they reach a point 00:16:41.920 --> 00:16:42.440 in their life 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:43.480 where their idols 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:44.440 have let them down 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:45.720 and when they have begun 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:47.460 to see that altar 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:48.520 to an unknown God 00:16:48.520 --> 00:16:49.520 inside themselves, 00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:50.820 that's when they start 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:52.259 to become spiritually open. 00:16:52.259 --> 00:16:54.259 You know, 00:16:54.319 --> 00:16:55.059 another example 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:55.500 of someone 00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:56.600 who made an idol of success 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:57.899 is Lecrae, 00:16:58.100 --> 00:16:58.240 you know, 00:16:58.299 --> 00:17:01.259 the Grammy winning artist, 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:02.419 rap artist. 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:03.919 And he says 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:05.539 in one really candid interview 00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:06.619 that for a long time, 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.379 he was completely devoted 00:17:08.379 --> 00:17:10.039 to success and status. 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:11.059 He lived for that 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:11.500 and he wanted 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:12.799 all the trappings of that, 00:17:13.180 --> 00:17:13.960 the drugs and women 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:14.859 and fame 00:17:14.859 --> 00:17:15.980 and all that comes of that. 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:16.799 And yet, 00:17:16.879 --> 00:17:18.099 just like all the other examples, 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:19.480 he sort of reached a place 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:20.160 where he realized 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.120 all of that was empty. 00:17:22.120 --> 00:17:23.059 But for him, 00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:24.700 that ultimately opened him up 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:25.519 to the possibility 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:26.700 of the gospel 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:27.680 and of Christ 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:28.440 and it completely 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:29.519 reoriented his life. 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:30.200 And he says 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:30.720 in an interview, 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:32.640 I had to lose 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:34.519 everything I idolized 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:36.140 to see Jesus clearly. 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:38.220 You know, 00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:38.799 I had to, 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:39.400 I had, 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:40.759 the idols had to come down, 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:41.360 I had to see 00:17:41.360 --> 00:17:42.299 the emptiness there 00:17:42.299 --> 00:17:43.920 and then I was able 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:44.740 to see Jesus clearly. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:45.819 He's probably somebody 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:46.839 who had heard the gospel 00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:48.240 thousands of times 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:49.339 and it just bounced off. 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:49.980 Like toughness. 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:52.339 But then he saw 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:53.459 the altar to an unknown God 00:17:53.459 --> 00:17:53.939 in his heart 00:17:53.939 --> 00:17:54.359 and he realized 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:54.779 the emptiness 00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:55.359 of the idols 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.099 he had been chasing 00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:57.859 and then he became open. 00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:00.759 So just to stop here 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:01.559 before we move on 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:02.240 to the final point. 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:04.240 If you're here 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.019 and you're not a Christian 00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:05.619 and you're struggling 00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:06.279 in your faith 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:07.039 or you know people 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:07.359 who are, 00:18:07.459 --> 00:18:09.359 consider these questions. 00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:10.419 Right? 00:18:10.639 --> 00:18:10.759 Now, 00:18:10.939 --> 00:18:12.099 first question would be 00:18:12.099 --> 00:18:14.519 where are the altars 00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:15.139 of devotion 00:18:15.139 --> 00:18:16.159 in your life? 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:17.299 Where are the things 00:18:17.299 --> 00:18:17.459 that, 00:18:17.579 --> 00:18:18.099 what are the things 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:19.480 that you're most prioritizing 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:20.279 and devoted to? 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:21.879 Religiously. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:24.219 Maybe you've built 00:18:24.219 --> 00:18:25.480 an altar to your career 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:26.899 or to being liked 00:18:26.899 --> 00:18:27.740 by everybody 00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:29.519 or to your own comfort 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:30.439 or to the safety 00:18:30.439 --> 00:18:30.919 and well-being 00:18:30.919 --> 00:18:31.759 of your family 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:33.859 or to security. 00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:34.219 See, 00:18:34.259 --> 00:18:35.179 these are good things 00:18:35.179 --> 00:18:36.279 but have they become 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:37.139 things that you 00:18:37.139 --> 00:18:38.339 are devoted to? 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:39.559 And then the second question 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:40.459 I would say is this, 00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:42.179 is there also 00:18:42.179 --> 00:18:43.599 an altar 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:44.639 to an unknown God 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:45.400 in your life? 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:48.120 Are you absolutely 00:18:48.120 --> 00:18:49.180 certain that this 00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:49.940 is all there is 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:50.440 that you figured 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:51.000 it all out? 00:18:51.520 --> 00:18:52.759 Or are you open 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:53.540 to the possibility 00:18:53.540 --> 00:18:54.620 that there may be 00:18:54.620 --> 00:18:55.520 a God out there 00:18:55.520 --> 00:18:56.440 who made you 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:58.120 and that he's the one 00:18:58.120 --> 00:18:58.620 you've been looking 00:18:58.620 --> 00:18:59.500 for your whole life? 00:19:01.600 --> 00:19:02.040 So, 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:02.860 here's where we are 00:19:02.860 --> 00:19:03.380 so far. 00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:04.880 Deep down, 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.920 everybody has spiritual 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:07.020 longings and desires 00:19:07.019 --> 00:19:08.220 and the gospel 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:09.240 does not say 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:10.720 your desires are wrong. 00:19:11.879 --> 00:19:12.900 The gospel says 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:14.039 they're misdirected. 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:16.980 Most of the time 00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:17.379 they're good 00:19:17.379 --> 00:19:18.299 and godly desires 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:20.539 but they're misdirected. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:21.619 We're looking 00:19:21.619 --> 00:19:22.379 in the wrong places. 00:19:22.660 --> 00:19:22.779 So, 00:19:22.859 --> 00:19:23.460 Paul's approach 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:25.180 is affirm those longings 00:19:25.180 --> 00:19:26.539 and then find an opening. 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:27.900 Find people 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:28.379 who are in a place 00:19:28.379 --> 00:19:28.839 in their lives 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:29.299 when they realize 00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:29.960 something is missing. 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:30.819 Find people 00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:31.359 who have realized 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:31.839 that the idols 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:32.400 are not delivering 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:33.160 what they promise. 00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:34.539 Find the altar 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:35.460 to the unknown God. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.240 And then, 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:37.000 and only then, 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:38.000 does he begin 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:38.579 to reveal 00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:39.539 the true God? 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:41.440 That's the third thing 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:42.000 we see here. 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:43.339 So, 00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:43.879 then he says 00:19:43.879 --> 00:19:44.879 after he observes 00:19:44.879 --> 00:19:45.359 that altar 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:45.980 to an unknown God 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:46.180 he says, 00:19:46.299 --> 00:19:46.819 what therefore 00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:47.400 you worship 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:48.019 is unknown 00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:49.759 this I proclaim 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:50.259 to you. 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:52.759 See what Paul 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:53.220 does here. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:54.119 He's connecting 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:55.019 their desire 00:19:55.019 --> 00:19:55.859 to worship. 00:19:57.700 --> 00:19:58.500 He's connecting 00:19:58.500 --> 00:19:59.099 that desire 00:19:59.099 --> 00:19:59.779 with the truth 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:00.299 about God 00:20:00.299 --> 00:20:01.019 found in Jesus. 00:20:01.139 --> 00:20:01.500 The gospel 00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:02.879 always is best 00:20:02.879 --> 00:20:03.359 presented 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:04.460 as the answer 00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:05.099 to a question. 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:07.139 an answer 00:20:07.139 --> 00:20:07.819 to a question 00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:08.339 that somebody 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:09.000 is already 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:09.799 asking about 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:10.579 their life, 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:11.959 about the world. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:13.399 So, 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:13.839 this is what 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:14.339 Paul does. 00:20:14.459 --> 00:20:15.379 What you worship 00:20:15.379 --> 00:20:15.779 is unknown 00:20:15.779 --> 00:20:16.819 I proclaim 00:20:16.819 --> 00:20:17.259 to you. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:17.980 And as we're 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:18.279 going to see 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:18.779 next week, 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:19.039 we're going to 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:19.539 look much more 00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:19.859 in depth 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:21.159 in what he says. 00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:22.279 This is not 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:23.099 syncretism. 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:23.579 In other words, 00:20:23.639 --> 00:20:24.099 this is not 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:24.639 Paul saying, 00:20:24.919 --> 00:20:25.019 well, 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:25.559 you have your 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:26.139 path to God 00:20:26.139 --> 00:20:26.579 and I have 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:27.459 my path to God 00:20:27.459 --> 00:20:28.399 and look, 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:28.799 they're all 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:29.639 basically the same. 00:20:29.699 --> 00:20:30.099 That's not 00:20:30.099 --> 00:20:30.679 what he's doing. 00:20:31.100 --> 00:20:31.580 He's not 00:20:31.580 --> 00:20:32.380 simply affirming 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:33.000 their religion. 00:20:33.820 --> 00:20:34.580 He's affirming 00:20:34.580 --> 00:20:35.539 their longings 00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:35.980 and desire 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:36.759 to know God 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:37.279 and then he 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:38.519 calls them 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:38.980 very clearly 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:39.460 to worship 00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.259 the true God 00:20:40.259 --> 00:20:40.860 instead of 00:20:40.860 --> 00:20:41.360 these idols. 00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:44.019 But this is 00:20:44.019 --> 00:20:44.900 not coercive. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:45.980 He's simply 00:20:45.980 --> 00:20:46.640 offering an 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:47.279 alternative to 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:47.880 people who are 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:48.600 already looking 00:20:48.600 --> 00:20:49.019 for one. 00:20:49.860 --> 00:20:50.380 Some people 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:50.820 are not going 00:20:50.820 --> 00:20:51.259 to be looking. 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.320 It's okay. 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:52.720 They're going 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:53.200 to reject it 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:53.500 outright. 00:20:53.820 --> 00:20:54.380 Paul experiences 00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:54.640 that. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.060 We'll see that 00:20:55.060 --> 00:20:55.320 in a couple 00:20:55.320 --> 00:20:55.720 of weeks. 00:20:56.340 --> 00:20:56.920 But there are 00:20:56.920 --> 00:20:57.320 some people 00:20:57.320 --> 00:20:58.000 who are looking 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:58.420 and Paul, 00:20:58.539 --> 00:20:59.080 for those people, 00:20:59.160 --> 00:20:59.840 is offering them 00:20:59.840 --> 00:21:00.340 an alternative 00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:01.019 that maybe 00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:01.439 they've never 00:21:01.439 --> 00:21:02.240 considered before. 00:21:03.379 --> 00:21:04.119 When your heart 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:04.519 is closed, 00:21:04.619 --> 00:21:05.019 no amount 00:21:05.019 --> 00:21:05.519 of persuasion 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.399 can ever convince 00:21:06.399 --> 00:21:06.779 a person 00:21:06.779 --> 00:21:07.220 the gospel 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:07.639 is true. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:08.319 But when your 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:09.059 heart is open, 00:21:09.959 --> 00:21:10.779 when you are 00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:11.559 spiritually hungry, 00:21:11.699 --> 00:21:12.159 that's when the 00:21:12.159 --> 00:21:12.740 gospel starts 00:21:12.740 --> 00:21:13.500 to make sense. 00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:15.079 You begin to 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:16.500 realize that 00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:17.339 the idea that 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:18.220 there is a God 00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:19.019 who made us 00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:19.879 and who loves us 00:21:19.879 --> 00:21:20.439 and who has a 00:21:20.439 --> 00:21:21.339 purpose for us 00:21:21.339 --> 00:21:22.879 is beautiful. 00:21:23.579 --> 00:21:24.359 You begin to 00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:24.959 realize that even 00:21:24.959 --> 00:21:25.379 though we have 00:21:25.379 --> 00:21:26.000 turned our backs 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:26.419 on him, 00:21:26.679 --> 00:21:27.279 he has enacted 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.259 a plan to save 00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:29.199 and restore us 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:30.220 through the 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:30.519 death and 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:30.860 resurrection 00:21:30.860 --> 00:21:31.420 of his son, 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:32.559 that begins 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:33.039 to mean 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:33.960 something to you. 00:21:34.779 --> 00:21:35.420 When you begin 00:21:35.420 --> 00:21:36.200 to realize that 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:36.700 God is not 00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:37.600 only saving us, 00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:38.160 but he plans 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:38.580 to put the 00:21:38.580 --> 00:21:39.000 whole world 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:39.559 right again, 00:21:39.620 --> 00:21:40.120 that starts 00:21:40.120 --> 00:21:40.840 to matter. 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:42.559 The beauty 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:43.200 and the grandeur 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:43.960 of that story 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:44.660 starts to 00:21:44.660 --> 00:21:45.200 outshine 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:46.120 everything else. 00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:48.600 Ultimately, 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:49.200 the gospel 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:50.920 confirms the 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:51.740 deep longings 00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:52.539 of every human 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:52.900 heart, 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:53.940 regardless of 00:21:53.940 --> 00:21:54.480 their culture. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:54.519 nature. 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:55.519 The gospel 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:55.940 says, 00:21:56.460 --> 00:21:56.880 you're right 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.440 to desire 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:58.160 these things, 00:21:58.259 --> 00:21:58.579 but you're 00:21:58.579 --> 00:21:59.019 just looking 00:21:59.019 --> 00:21:59.440 in the wrong 00:21:59.440 --> 00:21:59.920 place. 00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:01.460 To paraphrase 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:02.120 the theologian 00:22:02.120 --> 00:22:02.940 Daniel Strange, 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:04.299 he says, 00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:04.839 the gospel 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:05.500 offers what 00:22:05.500 --> 00:22:05.960 all human 00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:06.880 hearts rightly 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:07.360 need. 00:22:09.140 --> 00:22:10.059 In the gospel 00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:11.019 we find meaning, 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:12.519 but it's a kind 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:13.019 of meaning 00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:13.740 that suffering 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:14.360 can't take 00:22:14.360 --> 00:22:14.660 away. 00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:17.140 We find 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:17.940 satisfaction, 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:19.620 but it's a kind 00:22:19.620 --> 00:22:20.380 of satisfaction 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:20.980 that is not 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:21.920 dependent on our 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.880 present circumstance. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.760 you find 00:22:24.760 --> 00:22:25.320 freedom, 00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:25.900 but it's a kind 00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:26.340 of freedom 00:22:26.340 --> 00:22:26.880 that doesn't 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:27.720 break down 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:28.560 community. 00:22:30.180 --> 00:22:31.000 You find 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:31.640 identity, 00:22:31.800 --> 00:22:32.300 but it's a kind 00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:32.740 of identity 00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:33.320 that doesn't 00:22:33.320 --> 00:22:34.120 elude you 00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:35.660 or crush 00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:36.620 you or 00:22:36.620 --> 00:22:37.540 lead you 00:22:37.540 --> 00:22:38.340 to exclude 00:22:38.340 --> 00:22:38.940 others. 00:22:40.420 --> 00:22:41.180 You find 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:41.900 relief from 00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:42.840 shame and guilt, 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:43.480 but it's a kind 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:44.140 of relief that 00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:44.760 doesn't resort 00:22:44.760 --> 00:22:45.620 to relativism. 00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:48.180 You find 00:22:48.180 --> 00:22:48.660 hope, 00:22:48.780 --> 00:22:49.280 but it's a kind 00:22:49.280 --> 00:22:49.840 of hope that 00:22:49.840 --> 00:22:50.620 can enable you 00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:51.660 to face anything 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:52.780 with poise. 00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:54.260 Even death 00:22:54.260 --> 00:22:54.720 itself. 00:22:56.180 --> 00:22:56.820 You find 00:22:56.820 --> 00:22:57.260 these things 00:22:57.260 --> 00:22:57.760 that everybody's 00:22:57.760 --> 00:22:58.420 looking for, 00:22:58.800 --> 00:22:59.420 but you find 00:22:59.420 --> 00:22:59.820 them in a way 00:22:59.820 --> 00:23:00.080 that you're 00:23:00.080 --> 00:23:00.340 never going 00:23:00.340 --> 00:23:00.620 to find 00:23:00.620 --> 00:23:01.020 them anywhere 00:23:01.020 --> 00:23:01.500 else. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:03.220 And we're 00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:03.540 going to look 00:23:03.540 --> 00:23:04.300 more in detail 00:23:04.300 --> 00:23:05.020 next week at 00:23:05.020 --> 00:23:05.480 what Paul 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:06.480 actually says 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.440 about God, 00:23:07.500 --> 00:23:07.940 but here's 00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:08.580 this approach 00:23:08.580 --> 00:23:09.260 in a nutshell. 00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:10.040 He affirms 00:23:10.040 --> 00:23:10.800 their longings, 00:23:11.360 --> 00:23:12.140 he finds 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:12.820 the openings, 00:23:13.380 --> 00:23:14.220 and then he 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:14.880 reveals the 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:15.500 true God. 00:23:15.760 --> 00:23:16.160 So think 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:16.760 back to the 00:23:16.760 --> 00:23:17.580 statistic that 00:23:17.580 --> 00:23:17.980 we talked 00:23:17.980 --> 00:23:18.500 about at 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:19.440 the beginning 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:19.920 of all of 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:20.060 this. 00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:20.880 30 million 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:21.700 more people 00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:22.220 in the last 00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:23.260 several years 00:23:23.260 --> 00:23:23.800 saying they 00:23:23.800 --> 00:23:24.840 follow Jesus. 00:23:26.040 --> 00:23:26.740 There are 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:27.420 people in our 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:28.280 lives right now 00:23:28.280 --> 00:23:29.080 who are searching 00:23:29.080 --> 00:23:30.120 for that which 00:23:30.120 --> 00:23:31.400 is true and 00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:31.840 real. 00:23:32.260 --> 00:23:33.140 And so as we 00:23:33.140 --> 00:23:34.300 look around our 00:23:34.300 --> 00:23:35.480 city, our 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:35.860 neighborhood, 00:23:36.260 --> 00:23:37.300 our jobs, 00:23:37.760 --> 00:23:38.800 we need to be 00:23:38.800 --> 00:23:39.640 asking as Christians, 00:23:39.760 --> 00:23:40.280 friends, where 00:23:40.280 --> 00:23:41.160 are the openings? 00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:43.420 Where are the 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:44.140 altars to an 00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:44.640 unknown God? 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:45.180 Where are the 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:46.060 little snippets 00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:47.139 and pieces of 00:23:47.139 --> 00:23:48.039 conversations that 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:48.720 we're having day 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:49.339 in and day out 00:23:49.339 --> 00:23:49.899 where we're 00:23:49.899 --> 00:23:50.659 sensing that there 00:23:50.659 --> 00:23:51.299 are some people 00:23:51.299 --> 00:23:52.200 in our lives who 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:53.179 may be questioning 00:23:53.179 --> 00:23:53.859 things? 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:54.740 I think that's 00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:55.099 been happening 00:23:55.099 --> 00:23:56.500 quite a lot in 00:23:56.500 --> 00:23:57.079 the last several 00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:57.500 years. 00:23:58.279 --> 00:23:59.379 Where are those 00:23:59.379 --> 00:23:59.839 openings? 00:23:59.980 --> 00:24:00.460 And for those of 00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:00.779 us who are 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:01.859 Christians, may 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:03.179 Paul's example 00:24:03.179 --> 00:24:04.220 give us courage 00:24:04.220 --> 00:24:05.899 and boldness to 00:24:05.899 --> 00:24:06.819 be willing to 00:24:06.819 --> 00:24:07.839 proclaim Christ to 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:08.440 those who are 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:09.679 ready to meet 00:24:09.679 --> 00:24:09.899 him. 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:11.659 Let's pray. 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:15.179 Lord, we're 00:24:15.179 --> 00:24:15.700 talking about 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:16.220 something that 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:16.940 only you can 00:24:16.940 --> 00:24:18.600 accomplish, and 00:24:18.600 --> 00:24:19.799 that is to work 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:20.480 in the hearts of 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:22.220 people, to bring 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:23.819 about change and 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:24.519 transformation. 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:25.960 But Lord, before 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:26.779 we can be a part 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:28.080 of this work, we 00:24:28.080 --> 00:24:29.319 need to be not 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:30.319 only convinced of 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:31.019 the truth of these 00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:31.640 things, but 00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:32.140 passion. 00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:33.900 Lord, we pray 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:34.460 that the Holy 00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:35.740 Spirit would move 00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:36.900 in our community, 00:24:37.059 --> 00:24:38.380 would impassionally 00:24:38.380 --> 00:24:40.299 molden us, to 00:24:40.299 --> 00:24:41.620 see the openness, 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:43.299 to see the, 00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:45.680 through your eyes, 00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:46.420 the people of 00:24:46.420 --> 00:24:47.240 formalized, and 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:47.720 the work to 00:24:47.720 --> 00:24:48.059 teach. 00:24:49.059 --> 00:24:49.580 Lord, we pray 00:24:49.580 --> 00:24:51.180 this for their 00:24:51.180 --> 00:24:51.779 good, and for 00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:52.240 our good, and 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:52.819 all the good 00:24:52.819 --> 00:24:53.279 of your name, 00:24:53.340 --> 00:24:53.779 and for our 00:24:53.779 --> 00:24:54.140 God. 00:24:54.580 --> 00:24:55.360 We pray this in 00:24:55.360 --> 00:24:56.039 Jesus' name. 00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:56.480 Amen.