Sharing the Gospel

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. Acts 17:22-23

Paul was extremely gifted as an evangelist. Not only did he possess a deep and zealous faith which energized him for long journeys, suffering, and persecution, he also had tremendous ability to relate to different kinds of people. Paul was raised in Hellenistic culture which enabled him to understand the worldview of the Gentiles. He was also Jewish and received extensive schooling in the Jewish faith and traditions. In other words, he was able to be all things to all people (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23) in order to proclaim the gospel. When Paul was with a Jewish audience he could use his vast knowledge of the Hebrew bible to make a compelling case for Jesus. When he was among Gentiles he could refer to their cultural and religious history to persuasively share what God was up to in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Athens, Paul walks around and sees shrines to many different gods. The shrine to the unknown god in particular caught his attention. At some level, the Greeks were anxious that the plethora of gods they worshipped was insufficient. They may not have known what god was missing but they knew they may not be covering all their bases. Paul speaks directly to their culture and tradition and tells them that the god they do not know is the God made incarnate in Jesus. Paul connects to them from where they are and then shares the gospel. Rather than having one great sermon that gets delivered the same way to all people, he customizes the message for those he is trying to reach.

Churches can learn a great deal about connecting to people if they internalize Paul’s evangelism strategy. Too often churches operate on the basis of a “come and see” mentality. They expect new people to come and see them, and when they arrive the tacit message is for new folks to assimilate and adapt to the existing group. Paul went to the people and spoke their language and understood their culture. We need to bring the church to the people and connect to them where they are rather than wait and see approach. Paul was not always successful in reaching new people but he faithfully went out and out and out sharing God’s love with all he met. In our post-Christendom age we must recover this missional impulse. The church is not a building that people come to. The church is God’s people (the body of Christ) share God’s love in the world. May we go forth to meet God’s people!

Reception and Resistance

The missionary journeys of Paul, as articulated in the books of Acts, were filled with adventure, danger, and drama. Among other things, Paul was arrested, stoned, persecuted, escaped from prison, and shipwrecked. His deep commitment to proclaiming the gospel and sharing God’s love compelled him to persist and persevere.

In many places Paul had success in sharing the gospel, but just as often he found resistance. This pattern emerged on Paul and Barnabas’ first journey.  Paul’s first sermon came at a synagogue in Antioch (13:13-16) after e had been invited to share.  Paul proclaims the gospel by recalling the mighty works of God throughout history and situating Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises (13:17-41).  When he was finished the people initially responded well and asked them to return the following Sabbath.  By the time the next week came, the initial welcome given to Paul and Barnabas had shifted:

The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.^{* 45}But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. Acts 13:44-46

The leaders of the Jewish community turned against Paul because of jealousy. The gospel was compelling to the people, but the leaders felt threatened and insecure. Paul and Barnabas were driven from the city (13:50) so they continued to the next community. 

This pattern of initial success followed by deep resistance was the norm for Paul in his mission work. It is no surprise the leaders would find Paul to be a threat to their power and self-interest.  What is surprising is the deep faithful witness and persistence of Paul.  Despite the many setbacks and tribulations, he keeps going for years and years. He never stops believing that the gospel is a message worth sharing. He never stops putting his trust in God to deliver him from danger—and churches sprung up throughout the Gentile world because of it.

Very often those who are called to serve God face such resistance.  Both within the church and outside of it, people resist deep change. But transformation and change are the inevitable result of encountering Jesus Christ. The gospel reminds us of God’s unfailing love for us, but following Jesus calls us to a new kind of life—a life of faithfulness, a life of service and sacrifice. The example of Paul should give leaders and faithful followers inspiration and hope. His life demonstrates that trust in God and persistence allow us to reach our full potential. His message of grace and love remind us that God’s mercy and forgiveness are available when we fall short.

The Difficulty of Conversion

All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Acts 9:21

The so-called conversation of Saul is a powerful story about transformation. Saul goes from being the most ardent opponent of the nascent Christian church, to becoming its most successful evangelist. This transformation was the work of God, which brought Saul to his knees (9:4), blinded him (9:8), and filled him with the Spirit (9:18).  Saul was chosen by God to become an “instrument” to bring the Gospel to the world.  Saul’s zeal for persecuting the church gets channeled into an unquenchable desire to share Jesus Christ with the world. 

This is a story of how God can change lives; how no one is beyond redemption; no one is unreachable; that there is hope for all people. It is also a story which reminds us how difficult it is for a transformed person to be accepted.  When Ananias is told by the Lord to heal Saul, he hesitates saying: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.” (9:13)  (See also Ananias and the Conversion of Saul) And later when Saul is brought to the disciples (9:19-21) they cannot believe that he is changed.  Saul has become a different person, or perhaps more correctly he has become the person he was created to be, but he is not easily accepted.  The disciples who had seen the miracles of God, who had witnessed the work of the Spirit, could not wrap their brains around the fact that Saul had become an instrument of God—a faithful believer in Christ. 

For those who have had a life-changing transformation, it is often very difficult being accepted by those who knew you prior. You are different and changed but others cannot easily accept it. Perhaps it is more prudent to be skeptical of those who purport to be “a changed man” lest we be taken advantage of and conned.  But what if the Lord really can and does change people?  Do we believe it is possible?  And if it is but our hearts are hardened, can we truly say we believe in redemption?  The fact is, most of us want Saul (and those like him in our life) to pay a penalty for his misdeeds, or at least have a probationary time where he proves himself.  But God’s grace comes to Saul—as he is—and gives him new life.  And so it is with us, God’s grace comes to us without pre-conditions or probation.  Saul didn’t deserve it and neither do we, and thank God for it!  May we be thankful for God’s grace, be gracious to one another, and on the look-out for God’s transforming work in the world.   

God's Inclusive Love

 

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  Acts 10:34-35

As Peter met with the centurion Cornelius (Acts 10) and saw the evidence of the Spirit’s work in his life he was compelled to proclaim that God shows no partiality among people.  This was a remarkable statement that was pivotal for the development of the Christian church.  Prior to this moment, the early Christians were all Jewish in background.  As faithful Jews they knew that God had formed a special relationship with them.  God had a chosen people, people who had a covenant with God that was not available to other groups. 

When Peter sees God’s work in Cornelius, he comes to understand that God shows no partiality—God has a deep desire to be in relationship with all people, everywhere.  The implications have had a profound and lasting effect and cannot be overestimated.  The successful missionary work among the Gentiles flowed from this understanding, and continues today as the Christian faith flourishes in all cultures, languages, and locations.  Peter, moved by the Spirit, saw that God’s love was inclusive not exclusive; God’s love was for all people not some people; that the boundaries of who is in and who is out are now obliterated.    

We see the inclusivity of God in Jesus’ ministry as he seeks out the lost, the marginalized, the forgotten, and the invisible.  Jesus spends time with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors.  He touches lepers, breaks purity laws, and heals on the Sabbath (cf. Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew 12:1-14, etc.The Letter v. Spirit of the law) all to share God’s love with those who have felt excluded. 

The inclusive love of God tells each of us that we matter to God and are loved just as we are.  This is good news for us and for the world, good news worth getting excited about as the Ethiopian Eunuch does in Acts 8:

As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36-37

The eunuch was excluded from worship in the temple and was socially marginalized.  But when hearing of the story of Jesus and God’s amazing love and grace and being included in God’s kingdom, he is so excited and filled with joy that he cannot wait to be baptized.  The exuberance of being included changed his life forever.  May we too see that we are included in God’s love and that all people, everywhere are as well. May have the strength and courage to live our lives accordingly.

See also: The Promise of God: Inclusive or Exclusive

Peace Producing Faith

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. ⁵⁵But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 5:54-56

Stephen was the first martyr of the church (other than Jesus) and as he stood before an angry mob with rocks in their hands, he was at peace.  Stephen had a vision of God in the midst of great personal danger and from the scripture we can only imagine that at that moment he had no fear or anxiety, but a profound sense of God’s presence and peace.  Stephen spoke God’s word to those who were gathered, he spoke prophetically and powerfully.  The crowd chose to respond with anger and hate, rather than to receive his words in faith.  But Stephen boldly proclaimed the word and gave complete trust that God would handle the rest.  How can we develop this kind of trust?  How can we have this deep and abiding sense of God’s presence which produces peace? I believe the story of Acts gives us clear picture of how this kind of faith journey develops.

As the apostles gathered and waited in Jerusalem for Jesus’ instructions, they had no idea what the future might entail.  After the promise of the power of the Spirit (1:8) is fulfilled in the Pentecost story (2:1-13), they began to proclaim the word as the Spirit gave them ability.  3,000 people responded and the church was formed, with the believers sharing all things in common and growing in faith, by the power of the Spirit (2:37-47).  Peter then heals a crippled man in the name of Jesus (3:1-11) and defends the proclamation of gospel before the religious leaders (chapter 3 and 4).  Conflict then embroils the early church as hypocrisy (5:1-11) and division (6:1-7) threaten to derail the unity of the nascent believers.  But the Spirit interceded and provided ways forward which allowed the conflicts to be resolved and for the church to continue to grow.  From this, the early church would have developed a profound sense of God’s work in their lives.  They would have witnessed miracles, deliverance from danger, lives transformed, and new leaders emerging.  The early church was filled with the presence and power of the Spirit and everyone would be aware and attentive to it.  From this emerged Stephen, who was chosen from the Hellenists to be a leader, who as a witness to the Spirit’s work and from the great storehouse of faith and trust goes forward to boldly proclaim the gospel.  Stephen was not extraordinary and did not develop his faith overnight, but over time the Spirit helped him discover his potential and embolden him to follow and serve.

And so it is with us.  We may not all be called to become martyrs of the faith.  But we all have a high and holy calling in our lives.  We are created in God’s image; created for a purpose; created for something bigger than ourselves.  In order to get there we must develop a deep and abiding faith in God.  We must allow the Spirit of God to lead us to places we would never go on our own.  We must trust that God’s presence will surround us even in the midst of great adversity and danger.  This kind of faith is transformational for our lives and the lives of those we touch.  May God gives the courage and strength to trust God and develop into the person we were created to be.

The Spirit Forms and Sustains Community

All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:44-45

After the awe-inspiring experience of Pentecost, Peter preaches his first sermon and 3,000 people come to faith in Christ and are baptized (2:41), marking the beginning of the church.  The shared experience of the Spirit brought these newly baptized believed into a relationship of community.  They devoted themselves to the spiritual practices of learning, fellowship, worship, and prayer (2:42) and lived together, sharing all things and ensuring that all people were adequately cared for.  It was the Spirit of God which called this community into existence and the Spirit of God which inspired them to voluntarily give up their individual possessions and live a shared life with their brothers and sisters in faith. 

On our own, we human beings are selfish and have to be taught the value of sharing.  Even then we will share with others usually to the extent that they will share with us.  The story of the early church is much different.  Individuals sacrificed for the sake of the whole and for a broader witness to the community—the early Christians lived differently.  Today we might label such a group a cult or weird or suspicious, but this is the history of the church and for me proves the work of the Spirit.  It took divine a miracle of God for the community of faith to be established (Pentecost) and divine inspiration for it to be maintained (shared life).  The witness of the early church community is threatening to our way of life because it calls us to put the needs of our neighbor ahead of our own.  But it is a mistake to disregard our history because it shows the revelation of the heart of God: that we live in relationship with God and one another.

It also readily apparent that the early church’s sharing of community life was Spirit led by how briefly it lasted.  By chapter 5 of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira are holding money back from the community and lying about it (Acts 5:1-11) and in chapter 6 old factions re-emerge causing the most vulnerable to be neglected:

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. Acts 6:1

In other words, it doesn’t take too long for the humanness of the church to appear.  The Spirit institutes the church but without regular renewal and intervention the church becomes less Spirit led and more human.  The challenge for the church today is not to seek out a replication of an Acts 2 church where we all share everything and have no individual property or wealth.  No, the challenge is to remain perpetually open to the leading of the Spirit and fully trusting that the Spirit will provide solutions when conflict does arise.  Let us pray for the Spirit to lead our lives and our church and may we have the faith and courage to trust the Spirit.

Empowered to Witness

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8

As Jesus prepared to leave the disciples and ascend into heaven, he first offers them a promise and a mission.  The mission or task that they are given is to be witnesses of what they had seen and experienced to the ends of the earth.  They are told to share the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and tell the world of God’s amazing love and grace.  They are called to do this work, but are given the promise of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit will give them the power to be witnesses, the power to go all over the world and share the story of Jesus.  On their own, the apostles may not have the courage, strength or faith to go and tell, but the Spirit will give them what they need to accomplish this divine calling.

We too have a divine calling to be witnesses for Christ in the world.  While we may not have firsthand experience with Jesus’ death and resurrection, we do have experience with God that we can share.  Whether we are in the beginning of our faith journey or been walking with the Lord our whole life, God has been present in our lives—God is at work in us and if we have open eyes and hearts we begin to see the awesome ways God has always been there.  We can witness to our faith by sharing our blessings, telling of times of deliverance or instances when God helped us endure suffering and loss.  Too often we believe the lie that we have nothing to offer and nothing to say—but we do!  God has called us to bear witness to God’s work in our lives and promises to provide the Spirit to give us the power to speak.  In fact, God will often send people into our lives at just the right moment when our witness can be God’s word to them.  God will use us to bring light into the world if we will follow the nudge of the Spirit and trust God to give us the words to speak. 

The story of Pentecost illustrates God’s opportunistic empowerment perfectly:

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:4

God promised the apostles that the Spirit would give them power to be witnesses and then at just the right moment (the festival of Pentecost) the promise of the Spirit is fulfilled in a miraculous and life-changing way.  The Jewish pilgrims from all languages and countries who gathered in Jerusalem were able to hear the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in their native language (2:6) This was the beginning of the church as 3,000 people heard Peter’s sermon and became followers of the Way of Jesus.  But the miracle is also that the disciples believed that they could speak and the people would hear.  When they opened their mouths to share their witness expecting that God could and would do something powerful is a miracle of faith.  May we too believe that our witness might be life-changing; that our words might touch the lives of those who hear; that the Spirit might show up in our conversations and help others know the love, mercy, and grace of God.  May God give us the faith and courage to be witnesses and may those we meet receive God’s word and be blessed.