Reference the Culture to Share God’s Love

When we contemplate the ministry of Apostle Paul we see a man who was a zealot from the very moment we are introduced to him.  Though playing for “the wrong team” at the time, he pursued the Christians all over Jerusalem, and then made arrangements to go to Damascus and pursue them!

After being converted on the road to Damascus his zeal, if anything, grew in intensity.  It caused him to be stoned.  It caused him to be imprisoned.  And, it caused him to be ingenious!  That’s why Paul was the first one who was able to Reference the Culture to Share God’s Love!

You probably remember the story.  Paul is hanging out in Athens when his spirit is terribly troubled by all of the idolatry that was taking place.  Acts 17:16-34 tells us that members of a number of different philosophies were gathered there, Epicureans and Stoics to name a few.  “Pleasure” was one of their main life goals, and one of the things that pleased them the most was learning new things.  So, when Paul started preaching they gathered around to hear what he had to say.

Now, this is where Paul is able to Reference the Culture to Share God’s Love.  Instead of yelling and screaming and telling them they were all fools, he found the statue they had made to the unknown God and, in essence, told them that he served that God, that He was the one true God, and that His name is Jesus.  Now, when the smoke cleared away most of them mocked him, and he left the city!  but, because Paul was able to Reference the Culture to Share God’s Love, Acts 17:34 tells us that some believed and left with him.

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