"Let's Go To Mars Hill!"

For this lesson I would encourage you to read Acts 17:4-32. There are almost as many responses to the gospel message as there are individuals. Each person has a different personality as they are a complex and unique individual coming from different places in life.
As we present The Gospel we must adapt our presentation of the gospel according to the person with whom we are working. For instance we do not present the gospel account to a child in the same way we may present it to an adult.
Again we would not use the same methods with a person who has no background of biblical knowledge as we would with someone who has been raised in a Christian family with a wealth of scripture recognition.

This principle is illustrated in this passage in Acts 17. The Apostle Paul approached a variety of people in a variety of ways with the message of Christ and His salvation. To the Jews of Thessalonica he reasoned logically from the Old Testament scriptures about Jesus of Nazareth to show them that the Messianic hope had been fulfilled in Him.
Earlier, to the Gentile jailor at Philippi, he simply presented the fact of salvation in Christ, knowing this man was already convinced that their message was true and he needed to hear the story of God's grace and place his faith in Christ and obey His terms of salvation.
Later, he preached to the philosophers at Athens, approaching them from the framework of their philosophical background, even quoting from one of their poets as he appealed to their general interest in religious observance as was indicated by their idol 'to an unknown God.'
However, no matter how careful we are to approach a person in the proper way, there will be differing and varied responses. Some will mock as those who rejected Paul at Mars Hill. Others will become angry like the Jewish rioters in Thessolonica. Hopefully many will respond as the more noble folks did at Berea.
In this lesson we can find three basic responses to the gospel as well as a variety of reactions among major groups who have their own ideas and philosophies. The three major responses we find in scripture are;
1) Acceptance...Acts 17:4, 34,
2) Rejection...Acts 17:5, 32
3) Curiosity and Indifference...Acts 17:18, 32.

Let's notice these. Even among those who believed, the response could have been motivated by some other incentive. They could be led to conviction for different reasons. Scripture clearly indicates that the majority of Bereans had open minds and were teachable. They did not seem to be prejudiced with preconceived ideas about this Messiah of whom Paul spoke.
They were willing to listen to the evidence. However they were not gullible to anything that came their way that simply sounded good to their ears. They did what many are NOT willing to do today, they searched the scriptures to see if what Paul said was actually true, comparing Paul's words to what they held in their own minds.
These kinds of people are often the easiest to reach for Christ. There is no barrier from previous convictions to come between them and what The Lord has to say in His Holy Word. Yet they examine the evidence carefully to make sure before they act or react.

They are not moved by simple emotions that are only temporary feelings and are a weak foundation for Christian faith and living. Those willing to search and study make strong and faithful Christians and how the world needs more like them. These folks know what they believe and biblically they know why.
When a person is initially moved by emotions alone, I find at this point many want to press for a decision before they allow the prospect to come to a true and sure understanding of what God expects as they make their next decision.
Too often we are in a hurry to get someone in the baptistry before we teach them what is expected before and after they follow through. If we build a church on emotions it will crumble far too soon as the emotions fade.
Some who believed, like Dionysius and Damaris, may have been motivated by fear of judgment and hope of eternal life, since Paul's message on Mars Hill contained a reference to both of these aspects of the Christian faith.
These two areas of the gospel cannot be left out of the message as we share the truth of Christ's Word with others.
Among those who rejected, their response was still varied. Some at Berea no doubt rejected, but they left it at that. But those at Thessalonica rejected the message and were bitter and violent. They were not content to reject it and walk away, they felt they had to persecute those who taught such things and were unwilling to search to see if it just might be true.
Today we may not receive physical persecution from those who reject Christ's message, but we might face their opposition in other forms. Some will openly mock while others will simply walk away.
Some may listen out of curiosity and put it off until a later time like the philosophers at Athens. Whatever opportunities come your way, use them and do not be ashamed to share and show Christ in your life. Your eternity and theirs depends on what is done with The Christ who has risen in us.
When curiosity is strong and evidence is made available, faith often is the result.

God bless and go do the right thing...

'United or Divided?'

What do you think God's ideal plan is for us? Is it to be united or divided? Well, the answer to this question can be found in many places.

One example is found in Psalm 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"

God has always wanted His people to be united and to be of the same mind when it comes to worshiping Him.

Just as Paul says in Philippians 1:27 "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,"

God wants every individual Christian to be united in 'The Faith' of 'The Gospel.' God has always been very serious when it comes to obeying His commands and not straying from His truth. For example in the Old Testament we notice what God tells Joshua.

Joshua 1:6-8 we read "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

God didn't want the children of Israel inventing their own commands and He certainly didn't want them to follow only part of His word.

As we see from the text we are not to turn to the right or to the left, we are to simply keep God's commands as they are written.

We are told exactly how we are to accomplish this goal. Notice he says that we are to meditate on His commands day and night. This is what used to be referred to as 'plain common sense.'

The more we think about and study God's Word, the easier it will be for you and I to know what we are called to do and how we are to live. It will help to keep you from turning to right or to the left.

This same principle is taught in the New Testament. In fact Paul was continually emphasizing the need to hold fast to sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 1:13 "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

Then in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul says "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Paul wanted to make sure that only 'The Truth' would be taught and that it would be passed down through the generations. I believe there is a great need for people today to understand that we must live our lives and worship God according to His Divine Truth.

Man is not to rewrite God's Word and make a new denomination or religion but man is simply to accept God as He has already spoken.

God set up a pattern in the New Testament that we are to follow and the first century Christian understood the necessity of following God's authority even if it meant death.

For example, when Peter and John were arrested for speaking in the name of Christ, the opposing Jews tried to keep them quiet by threatening their lives but notice their response.

Acts 4:19-20 "But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 

This is what you call being dedicated to God's truth no matter what the cost. There have been many Christians who have lost there lives because they were willing to die for 'The Truth'. 

Today we see people sacrificing God's Written Truth to resurrect their own point of view to life, and they will lead many down the same path of destruction.

As we look around in our world and notice all the ways to be tempted, we can see that there is a great need for us to handle the Word of God with care and do our best to worship God in spirit and in truth 24/7 never removing our priestly garment.

Again Paul emphasizes the need for us as Christians never to turn to the left or to the right when it comes to God's Word.

Galatians 1:6-12 "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."

No gospel is 'The Gospel' if it came any other way than by The Holy Spirit through His inspired men. If any man or even an angel from heaven (Satan) preach anything other than 'thus says The Lord', reject it and study deeper.

May God bless until our next time...

'A Zeal For God'

The apostle Paul prayed to God for the salvation of those who had a misunderstanding of what it means to have a proper Godly zeal.
In Romans 10:1-3 we read, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God."

The apostle Paul was showing his concern for his own people who in their religious zeal had rejected God's righteous provision for their own self- righteousness.

In their own eyes they were very religious, but they did not have the true knowledge of God. They were running, religiously speaking, but they were running in the wrong direction.
They worked and struggled to do good deeds, but they had the wrong goal in mind. They were religious, they were sincere, they were even dedicated, but in all the effort they put forth, they would miss their eternal reward.

"They have a zeal for God." You and I have met people like this in our own lives. In their religious zeal, they may knock on your door with good intentions but very poor knowledge as they have been misled.

Paul knew religious zeal and enthusiasm as good things. However, many are zealous in their religious ceremonies, prayers, observances, holy days, fasts, visitation, teaching, etc., but far too often this is "not in accordance with knowledge" from The Holy Word of God. 

There is no use being zealous if you are zealous for the wrong reason or with the wrong knowledge. It will not help you if you are going in the wrong direction spiritually.

The apostle Paul was writing from his own personal experience. He had been very zealous for the Law, and in his enthusiasm for the law he knew and believed, he killed men and women who had a different 'knowledge' than his.

He had a mistaken zeal. He believed sincerely, but he was sincerely wrong. He had been zealous, but his zeal was focused in the wrong direction with false knowledge.

Then there came a day when he gained true knowledge of the righteousness of God, and he counted all his self-righteousness, in his own words, 'as dung' and received salvation by grace through his active, obedient faith in God.

Paul's zeal began to be refocused 'with knowledge' when he met the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus and was told by Christ to go speak to one of God's messengers who would tell Paul what to do to be saved.

Before Paul learned of Christ he did not know about God's righteousness and he was out to establish his own. In Philippians 3:4-6 he tells about that self-righteousness.

In Philippians 3:8 he said, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

He gave up his self-righteous zeal that he might "be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;" (v. 9).

It's easier to get a sinner out of sin than it is to get a self-righteous man out of his self-righteousness.

Any form of self-righteousness will not save you. Simply believing something very strongly will not mean heaven as your eternal home.

Many people will say at the death of someone famous or 'liked' by public opinion, "They are in heaven now, standing at the pearly gates..." All that person's life there was never a mention of God or giving of glory to Him.

Just the opposite, that person is often completely ungodly in their speech and life and activities. But at their death, as though heaven is privileged to have them, they are raised by false knowledge to be where they never aimed to go. They had a self-righteous attitude, but many believe they now have and share the righteous of Christ! 

How sad and how disrespectful toward God and all He has spoken.
"Going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

If you need to be properly lead to Christ, look to God's Word for every answer. God bless...