REPRESENTING CHRIST IN A PLURALISTIC WORLD

Acts 17

What is pluralism?

Old pluralism = people have the right to believe what they want and to practice their religion

New pluralism = must not only respect people’s beliefs, but ALSO affirm that all beliefs are equally valid…

The New Pluralism…

Video - The Worship of Po

Big Idea

Transformational churches intentionally represent Christ in a pluralistic world.

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

Audience = religious people

who gave credibility to the Bible (OT)

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

Common Ground =

respect for the Bible (OT)

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

Interactive Dialogue to help them

understand WHY to believe

in Christ

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

Clear Proclamation to

help them understand

WHAT to believe

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

Personal Persuasion to

help them understand

HOW TO RESPOND

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

In a Thessalonican Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

“As in Pisidian Antioch and Philippi, it is the God-fearing Gentiles who are the key. They are more receptive than the Jews and the pagan Gentiles. On the one hand they seem to have been more spiritually open to the message of grace than were the Jews. On the other hand, their belief in the God of the Bible made them more open to calls to surrender and obedience than were the pagans. Therefore, the moral, Bible-believing Gentiles were the strategic key to church planting for Paul. Why? First, because they were, humanly speaking, “easier” to share the faith with than others, and second, because they had extensive personal relationships and connections to both believing Jews and pagan Gentiles.”

(Tim Keller)

In a Thessalonian Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

In a Thessalonican Synagogue

Acts 17:1-5 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

“The Jews were accustomed to seeing themselves as having a privileged position due to their faithfulness to the law and their history. The gospel, however “levels” and brings everyone into the kingdom on an equal footing. We must be careful not to think that 1st century Jews were unique in this! Throughout history, the most moral and respectable and community “pillars” have had a) a high regard for religion in general, but b) a deep distaste for the gospel of grace.”

(Tim Keller)

In Pluralistic Athens

Acts 17:16-21 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods."

In Pluralistic Athens

They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Audience in Athens

Jews & God-fearers in the synagogue “Average” people in the marketplace Cultural & intellectual elites

Epicureans – everything due to chance; no judgment; pursue pleasure

Stoics – god is in everything; world determined by fate; resign selves to own duty & fate

Areopagus – council of greatest philosophers of the day…opinion leaders of society

Paul’s method with “unchurched” Athenians

Established Common Ground Acts 17:22-23 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting

of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Complimented their curiosity Took something from their world to use as

a bridge Highlighted their void

Paul’s method with “unchurched” Athenians

Clarified what God is really like Vs. 24 - "The God who made the world and

everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” He is Creator He is Master He is Untameable

Vs. 25 – “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” He is not needy…He is the GREAT GIVER

Paul’s method with “unchurched” Athenians

Clarified what God is really like Vs. 26-27 – “26 From one man he made every

nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” He is Sovereign He desires relationship with each of us (but wants

us to seek Him) He is very near to us

Paul’s method with “unchurched” Athenians

Dissected & exposed their belief system Vs. 28 – “'For in him we live and move and have

our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'” Even your own authority sources point to this

Vs. 29 – “29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.” It is ignorant & foolish to think that you can

create a god

Paul’s method with “unchurched” Athenians

Called them to respond Vs. 30 – “In the past God overlooked such

ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” You need to be done with this foolishness (REPENT!)

Jesus is your Judge…you are not His judge Vs. 31 – “For he has set a day when he will judge the

world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

Does the New Pluralism really stand up to reality?

Video – The Validity of Beliefs

Conclusions & Applications

Our city is full of people who need to be rescued from falsehood.

Are you prepared to dialogue with people?

Do we really care? Are you trying to make your own god? Do you see the shallowness of the new

pluralistic fad? Are you following the God who is really

there?