To Know You

There is a place in Athens, Greece that is known as the Areopagus (aka Mars Hill). The Apostle Paul spoke there during his 

second missionary journey. This one account gives us all great insight into how to talk with others about our faith in God.

Open your Bibles to Acts 17 and scroll down to verse 16. We find Paul, waiting for his traveling buddies, Silas and Timothy.

"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace, day by day, with those who happened to be there." - Acts 17:16-17

Athens is in Greece (1,802 miles from Jerusalem), and who did the ancient Greeks worship? Verse 16 says they worshipped "idols." These "idols" were their gods - Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite to name a few. They had many gods.

So, what did Paul do here? Did he continue to wait for his boys before preaching? Or, did he get to work? He got busy! He didn't wait for a more opportune time. He shared the Gospel, wherever and whenever. 

I was at Walmart yesterday and I was wearing one of my VBS shirts (pictured above). I passed a dad and his two kids by the "Back To School" aisle, I noticed one of the kids staring at my shirt. Mission accomplished!

"My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11

If we look at these Acts 17 verses, we can "observe" Paul's evangelical checklist:

Verse 16: He observed

Verse 16: He was distressed

Verse 17: He reasoned with them

Verse 19 & 22: He met with them

Verse 23: He redirected the conversation to Jesus.

Paul had mixed results in Athens, but some believed. Then it was off to Corinth! 

Paul was obsessed with sharing the Gospel. Are we? Or do we just blend in with the crowd?