Paul can help you know how to do it without fear. Do what? Well, go and share your faith in a way that gets the Message across.
"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…'" ~Paul, Acts 17:22-27, nkjv
There are two types of people today, 1.) Those who have found the love of Jesus Christ in a born again experience and 2.) Those who are still looking for the love of Jesus (..even if they don't yet realize what they are really looking for).
There are two types of Christians in relation to this as well, 1.) Those who are worshiping and fishing right in Jesus, and 2.) Those who basically need a divine kick in their lazy blessed assurance ..or something even more fitting than that.
I'm out to see Solution meet up with Answer today.. to see spiritual Christians meet up with lonely open unbelievers today. When these things happen, America will see the Change it's been voting for and not before. Face it, we are beyond the point of no return and no amount of decent politicians are going to fix our Land. America (and your country too wherever that is..) needs witnessing believers praying and a genuine spiritual awakening again!
Hey gang, got a moment to look at effectual fishing-communication? This will be part of it! Got a lifetime to think and practice compassionate missional living? Let's take another look at the four sermons that Doctor Luke recorded in the book of Acts today. What happened with that early church out amongst their community of seen-it-all-skeptics is exactly what I am talking about!
Don't cha love how the Holy Spirit used Pete, Steve, and Paul to effectively connect with their hearers back then? You can do that too! You know, an effective fisher, by the wooing wise Spirit of truth, will go for touching a heart before they call for a response.
To me it is interesting when I read different books in the Bible to see how God, the ultimate missional Fisher ..coming from a totally different culture if you will, is the Initiator in entering and addressing the culture and minds of blind people. Yup, the people are the responders (which is totally opposite from what we typically see today on speak-it-to-see-it-happen, give-more-to-get-it, push-to-get-to-the-next-level, and praise-harder-to-snag-your-blessing Christian TV ..here in the Western world). Don't laugh; you know it's true!
We look in the Word and first read about all that God did for needy people, and then subsequent to all that He calls them to do such and such but not before (i.e., See Ephesians). What a great Example Fisher we serve.. "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 Jn. 4:19)!
Don't you love how Paul followed the Lord and His example well? In Acts 17, Paul showed how he understood Greek society, loved sinners and could relate to their most important needs. Why not check out how a wise fisherman reaches out and connects with those he seeks to net…
He opened with genuine affirmation minus all flattery and deception.
He wasn't going for their wallets first, but for pleasing Jesus and doing the will of God.
He quickly and accurately built a bridge to his hearers using what was already familiar to them.
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