Evangelism and Football
By Paul Dietz
Evangelism and Football
We are now in the midst of one the hottest seasons of the year. No, I'm not talking about the weather and its accompanying temperatures. After all we have just finished having our two weeks of “summer” this past week and autumn is upon us. Our Trees are past their peak and most have dropped their leaves. The colors are quickly fading.
The season I am referring to is none other than one of America's favorite pastimes: football. I and millions of other Americans love the game. I don’t know if many of you can get as fanatical about football as I can. For years, I could not wait to get home from Church so I could watch the game. Even when I lived in Saipan, and the games were aired early Monday mornings on my local time, I would go through all kinds of difficulties to watch the games. Even When I was in Iraq, I would download a special program that would allow me see the games and I would wait for hours for the program to download and buffer so I could watch!
We think nothing of spending hundreds of dollars to be able to attend a pro-game in Boston, Buffalo or New York or various other franchises. It is nothing for us to spend all day Saturday or most of the afternoon on Sunday or Monday nights in front of the television rooting on our personal choice of team or player. And as for the Super Bowl: It is one of the nation's most watched television programs of the year.
When it comes to the sport of football, America is hooked! We love all the tackles, fumbles and interceptions.
It is nothing for us to sit on the edge of our seats or stand or even jump up and down during the play. We scream to the top of our lungs to cheer the players on the field as to encourage their fullest participation in the game.
We get so worked up over a few ounces of air wrapped in pig-skin, don't we? We definitely are fans, the great spectators that sits on the bleachers or stand beside the sidelines expecting the tremendous win of the season. We watch players become injured, coaches become angry and referees become belittled all over an oblong, brown ball and who makes the best use of it to win the big game.
What about the game of life? Are we any different when it comes to whether an individual knows how to make all the right moves on the field of life to become a receiver of God's love and compassion? Do we get concerned about who achieves and who fails in discovering a true relationship with the Christ in the end-zone of life? Or do we just sit on the sidelines (sit in the church pews) watching the world (the lost) pass by and allow their souls to be tackled by satanic forces and therefore struggle to secure the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus?
Is our church nothing more than a bunch of spectators or are we full participants in this “game” of reaching out to the community with the message of God's love?
This morning we continue our study in Acts and we will be looking at Acts 17:16-31. In Our passage we see Paul and his band of missionaries and evangelist continue to share God’s Good News with the lost and continue to be persecuted for it. I urge you to read Acts 17 on your own, as we will not have time to read all of it this morning.
I want to show you several aspects of Pauls ministry that I believe we should be quick to emulate in our personal lives and in the DNA of our Church. First, Let’s look at Acts 17:16
Acts 17:16
ESV
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
As Paul and his group traveled, because of persecution and trouble, we see that they had to split up. Paul finds himself arriving in Athens before the others. He has some time to look around, pray, and seek what God would have him do.
We see that He had a Burdened Heart of Missionary. What is missionary? We had Andrea Eaton here last week. Did you notice something about Andrea? I did. She was burdened for the people of Romania, specifically the children that have been discarded and are unwanted. She is burdened. A missionary is burdened for the lost. Are you burdened for the lost?
I. The Burdened Heart of a Missionary
(Acts 17:16)
Paul's Distress: The city full of idols. Paul was distraught over the lostness he saw. Everyone that he saw in Athens was commited to a lifestyle that had Zero to do with God. They worshiped everything and everything except God. They had never heard of Jehovah much less of Jesus Christ.
We should be equally distraught over our surroundings. If you are going to be burdened for the lost you need to:
Examine Your Environment
Recognize the spiritual climate around you, as Paul did in Athens.
Look around, see the the various "altars" and beliefs in our community. It shouldn’t be that hard, it is really kind of obvious. What can you identify as idols in our culture in 2023? Wealth? Sex? Power? Prestige? Possessions? Comfort? Beauty? Just to name a few!
This is the Church's Challenge: Recognizing the idols of today. But we have to do like Paul, and actually leave our homes, leave our churches and GO out into the places of this world so we can observe. So we can see! So we can allow God to move our spirit!
If we do, If we are obedient in the “GO” part of the great commission, it will lead to Emotion. And that emotion will lead to Action: Letting our hearts be moved by the spiritual state of our surroundings.
Look at Acts 17:22-23
Acts 17:22–23
ESV
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
I love what Paul did right here! He looked around, learned what he could about what made his target audience, the people Athens, what made them tick. And then he adapted his message to them so that they would understand. He didn’t change the truth. He didn’t alter the truth of the Gospel, but he adapted to a language, to a metaphor that the Athenians would understand.
II. Adapting the Message without Altering its Truth
(Acts 17:22-23)
Engage with Empathy
He found Common Ground in his Conversations. He empathized with their situation and Engaged them where they were at. The Athenians were idolators. It was the only thing they knew. Paul knew he couldn’t come out of the gate and start screaming that all their idol worship was wrong. That there was only one God. Instead he found an element of their culture that he could use to point to the true God. He was actually quite respectful in his approach. He acknowledged their religiosity, commended their willingness to debate hard topics. He showed them respect.
We can do that too in our culture. We can certainly show respect. And there are ways to connect and find things in the culture of today that we can use as bridges to share our faith in Christ, just as Paul did.
We Connect with others by finding shared values and interests.Use familiar references to bridge understanding, for Paul, that was referencing local poets and philosophers.
For us, it might be hunting, or fishing, or Football! Or Food, or travel, or the theater, or work, or a hobby!
Thy Gospel message is strange to the world. Paul used what was familiar to introduce what was unfamiliar. The Unknown God.
C. Today's Unknown God: Identifying bridges in contemporary culture to introduce the Gospel.
Self-Help and New Age Spirituality
There's a booming industry around books, podcasts, and seminars that promise spiritual enlightenment, fulfillment, or self-improvement. These resources often draw from a mix of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, but without a formal theological structure.
Nature Worship and Earth-Based Spirituality:
Some find spiritual connection through nature, the environment, or the universe. They may feel a profound sense of awe when hiking a mountain, stargazing, or simply sitting by the ocean.
Mindfulness and Meditation:
While these practices have roots in specific religious traditions like Buddhism, many in the West practice them in a secular context, seeking inner peace or enlightenment.
General Belief in "The Universe":
You might hear phrases like "the universe is looking out for me," "I'll leave it up to the universe," or "sending positive vibes to the universe." This suggests a belief in some overarching force or energy without tying it to a specific deity.
Now, Look at Acts 17:24-28
Acts 17:24–28
ESV
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Once Paul has made a connection via a comparison, he does not shy away from sharing the nuts and bolts of the Gospel message.
It doesnt matter who you are talking to. It could be a Buddhist, it could be a universalist, it could be an athiest, or a super religious lost person. The Gospel stays the same and the message applies to all.
III. The Universality of the Gospel
(Acts 17:24-28)
We have to share the essentials. That is our job, our duty, and our commission.
Express the Essential Gospel
And we have share the Message Boldly. Paul did not beat around the bush. He was respectful, but he shared truth without fear of giving offense. The Gospel will offend, but we should never be offensive.
Dave Miller of SBC Voices writes, “We preach an offensive message. It is not necessary that we be personally offensive in that proclamation. We can seek to be kind and loving in our manner. We don’t have to act like we are happy that people are going to hell. As much as is possible, we must let our message offend, not our manner.
But no matter how nice you try to be, the message will offend. And we cannot shy away from that. Our responsibility is to the truth of the gospel, not how people feel about us.”
Peter wrote in I Peter 2:8, speaking about Christ,
1 Peter 2:8 (ESV)
8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” ...
But our job remains the same, clearly communicate the foundational truths about God, the creation, the fall, the Gift of Christ, His Death, and the resurrection. Tell the Jesus story with clarity and conviction.
That is what Paul did. He taught:
A. One God, Creator of All: Debunking the multiplicity of gods with the truth of one Creator.
B. In Him We Live: The personal relationship God desires with each individual.
C. Reaching Everyone: Understanding that the Gospel is for all, regardless of culture, intellect, or background.
Then look at Acts 17:30-31
Acts 17:30–31
ESV
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Paul issues a call to repentance and and gives a warning. He explains the consequences of not turning to the one true God through Jesus Christ.
IV. The Call to Repentance and the Assurance of Judgment
(Acts 17:30-31)
A gospel presentation is not complete without asking for a response. This is my biggest issue with the model of evangelism where people say, “Well they will see how I live, they will see Jesus in me, and if they are interested, they will ask me about Him.”
Nope. That Very rarely, if ever, happens. IF you are not asking people to accept Christ, if you are not giving people the opportunity to accept or reject Christ, you are doing it wrong! In fact, you probably are not even doing it at all.
But if you do, you can:
Expect Every Outcome
we have to learn to Embrace Varied Reactions with Grace.
Be ready for mixed responses, ranging from rejection to genuine interest. Celebrate, rejoice with the "Dionysiuses" and "Damarises" who respond, but remain patient and keep trying with the skeptics.
Perhaps most important, realize that winning people to Christ is not our job. Our job is to present the Gospel and offer an opportunity for people to accept Him. It is up to God to win people to Himself and up to the individual to seek after God.
We will suffer rejection, persecution and ridicule even, but it’s worth it. Why? Because we never know what God is up to. Take this story by Lee Strobel (Author of “THe Case for Christ” for example:
Lee Strobel tells the story of a time when he felt God prompting him to go and share an Easter invitation in the business office of the newspaper where he worked. He didn’t know why. But, he listens to God. When he arrived, he saw his friend who was working in the business office.
It was an average routine day, and I was packing my stuff up to go home and I felt like God was kicking me in the butt and real specifically to go into the business office of the newspaper and invite my atheist friend to come to Easter services at our church. Because Easter was coming up, so I thought this is great. If God is really leading me to do this so specifically, this is gonna be spectacular. He's probably gonna repent right there, get on his knees and receive Christ. This is gonna be fantastic!
So, I walk over to the new business office with great anticipation. I walk in and look around. I see my friend behind his desk.
Perfect, so I said, “Hey how are you doing?”
He said, “I’m doing great”.
I said, “Hey, you know Easter is coming up?”
He said, “Lee, I’m an atheist, I don’t observe Easter”.
I said, “Yeah I know but Easter is when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead.”
He said, “No, he did not”.
I said, “Well actually there is good historical evidence he did.” I began to talk to him about the evidence historically Jesus rose from death and I'm trying to get in a bunch of stuff in and you could see his eyes are glazing over. So, I thought okay this isn't going well.
So, I took another tact, I said, “So um yeah, do you do you ever think about God?”
He said “No”.
Okay um, I said, “Do you have any questions about God”.
He said, “No”.
Okay um Hey look I said, “I know you like music, our church has got great music. Why don’t you come to Easter services, I think you’ll like the music”.
He said, “I don’t want to go to your stupid church.”
“Hey okay, um thanks. Um.. I’ll talk to you… you know where my office is if you ever have a question”.
I thought I screwed up and I thought what the heck was that. Why did God tug me so specifically to go and invite him to church and talk about Jesus and the resurrection? To this day he's still an atheist and I'm telling you this bothered me for years. But I'll tell you now the rest of the story.
Several years after that, by then I was a pastor at this church outside Chicago, I'd preached on a Sunday and a guy came up to me and said, “Can I just shake your hand and thank you for the spiritual influence you’ve had in my life.”
I said, “Well, that’s very nice. Who are you?”
He said “Well let me tell you my story. A few years ago I lost my job and I was panic-stricken. I didn’t have any money in the bank. I was gonna lose my house. I was going to lose my car. I went to the newspaper, and I said, “Hey you have any odd jobs I can do to earn a buck at the newspaper.”
And the guy said, “Well, can you tile floors?” and I said well “Yeah I’ve titled my bathroom. I think I can tile the floor.”
The guy said, “Well, we need some tiling installed and repaired at the newspaper so if you can do that we can pay you for a while”.
So, he said, I went to work at the newspaper. One day, an average day before Easter, I was in the business office of the newspaper, and I was on my hands and knees on the floor behind a desk working on some tile on the floor and you walked in the door. And I don’t even think you knew I was there. You start talking this guy about God, you start talking about the resurrection, you start talking about the historical evidence that Jesus really did rise, you started inviting him to church. But This guy was shutting you down and I’m on my hands and knees behind this desk. And my heart’s beating fast. I’m thinking I need God. I need to go to church. So as soon as you left, I called my wife. I said, “We’re gonna go to church on Easter”. She said, “What!”. I said, “Yeah”.
We came to your church that Easter. I came to faith. My wife came to faith and our teenage son came to faith. And I just wanted to thank you.”
I thought to myself, “This is a new form of evangelism.” Ricochet evangelism is where you share your faith, and it bounces off a hard heart. You just don't know where it's gonna go.
Friends this is the unexpected adventure of the Christian life. You don't want to miss this we can't do this in heaven this is our one chance so let's ask God to take us on these unexpected adventures.
Conclusion:
Ok one more story and I’ll close.
I heard a story about a guy who applied for a job as an usher at a theater in the mall. As a part of the interview process, the manager asked him, "What would you do in case a fire breaks out?"
The young guy answered, "Don’t worry about me. I can get out fine."
That’s exactly how many in today’s world respond to a lost and dying world around them. If you asked them "What would you do if Jesus came back tomorrow?" they would probably respond, "Oh, don’t worry about me. I’d be fine."
But what is all to easy to forget is that you’re an usher! It isn’t enough just to get out yourself. You are responsible for helping others know the way.
(SOURCE: From Charles Cockroft’s Sermon: Am I My Brother’s Keeper)
Remember, it is important that we learn from Paul’s experience in Athens. We need to recognize the importance of cultural awareness when sharing the Gospel. Just as Paul engaged with the philosophers of Athens, we should be ready to engage with the thinkers and influencers of our day, using their language and understanding their context, while always holding firmly to the unchanging truth of the Gospel.
