In the early 1940s a young graduate of Wheaton College went to a small Baptist church in a Chicago suburb. His name was Billy Graham. Although he felt his gifts were more in the area of evangelism, he agreed to give it a go. Within several months, the church was growing, and so was his popularity. A popular Christian radio broadcast heard in several states called “Songs in the Night” approached the rookie pastor about becoming their weekly speaker. Sensing the hand of God in this invitation, he agreed.
The program attracted an increased number of listeners and since the station over which the program was aired was a secular one, Billy knew there were seekers and atheists listening. He engaged the wide spectrum of listeners by making sure that they referenced the culture. Let me quote from his autobiography, Just As I Am:
“I built my radio talks around the events of the day. Keeping up with current events through newspapers and radio news programs, I began each message with a reference to something people would have been hearing and talking about that very day. Then I moved into a biblical message, showing that God and the Scriptures are relevant to every problem. . . .” The popularity of this broadcast flowed from this unique approach to sharing God’s word used by Billy Graham.
From “Songs in the Night” to the “Hour of Decision” radio broadcast to the stadium crusades all over the world, Billy Graham has consistently followed the formula that he established back in 1943. Start with the common denominator of cultural happenings and establish a point of identity with your audience.
Yet even before Billy Graham, in the 1870’s the Salvationists in England used Brass Bands to promote their preaching of God’s Word. “At Salisbury, England, [in]1878, four members … were enlisted to assist the fledgling Salvation Army, in its outdoor meetings, by playing brass instruments. … Brass bands were a popular medium in England and it was only natural that Salvation Army brass bands would become established.” In Leighton Buzzard, England the band was formed in 1889 to mixed reviews from the local press. Yet referencing the popular culture wasn’t new with William Booth for we saw in Acts 17 that this is exactly what the Apostle Paul did as he preached in Athens.
My hope is that as we leave here and go through this next week of our Spiritual Adventure that we will be more willing and better able to connect with our world for the sake of Jesus.
Connect with a Purpose:
Did you notice the purpose for our connection? It is for the sake of Jesus. It’s not for the sake of Kenton. It’s not for the sake of the denomination. It’s not even for our own sakes. We seek to connect with the unbelievers, the non-churched; those who live next door to us because Jesus would have us do that.
Herb Miller writes a newsletter called The Parish Paper and in this months issue he reports on a 25 year study that says congregations are healthy and effective when they ask three questions. Who is our neighbor today? USA Today reports that 29.4 million Americans identify themselves as having no religion. That’s 14% of the US. In 1990 it was 9%. Who are we (the congregation) at the faith level? In other words do we really believe the Great Commandment—You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). And do we believe in Jesus’ Great Commission—Go, make disciples of all nations…(Matthew 28:19) ? The third question is How can we connect our faith with our neighbors in our community? The answer to many of the myths and issues in any local congregation, Miller says, is how well a congregation carries out these “Great Callings”; Christ’s “command” and “commission” in our life as individuals and congregations?
It may seem simplistic but if we don’t connect with our world in a way they understand we won’t be able to love them or make disciples. That’s what Paul meant when he said ;
“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. (1 Cor 9:20-22).
When we know what the reason is that we’re trying to connect with our world then we are free to take the next step in the process.
Connect with discernment:
I don’t want anyone to think that we should just go out there into the world and expose ourselves to everything and anything. We connect with a spiritual discernment about what is and isn’t OK. Paul wasn’t tempted to become in idol worship as he viewed the myriad of temples and statues in Athens. His upbringing and faith was strong and it wasn’t a temptation. And though it angered him and distressed him greatly he was able to see the city through Jesus’ eyes.
In one of our previous 50-Day Spiritual Adventures we were to journal the various “God sightings” we had each day. We were to ask God to show Himself to us in some way during the day. And we asked Christ to keep us attuned to seeing what he had for us to see. That’s exactly what Paul did here. He was tuned into God so strongly that he was able to see how even this horrible idolatry could be touched with Jesus’ mercy. Did you hear how Paul starts out his sermon?
“Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 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.(Acts 17: 22-23)”
Paul’s ability to tie in his presentation of the gospel to a roman altar didn’t just happen. It was a lesson cultivated in his soul as he spent hours listening to God in prayer and exploring God’s word. And that’s true for us too.
Connect with intentionality:
It’s not just a statue that Paul draws attention too. He also quoted from a couple of the Greek poets whom the Athenians would know. Epimenides lived about 600 years earlier and is credited with writing “In him we live and move and have our being.” Aratus who lived alongside Alexander the Great wrote a work penned “We are his offspring.” I doubt these poets were part of the required studies for Rabbis in Tarsus. But the scholar in Paul may well have drove him go out of his way to inform himself of those literary works his would-be converts knew.
And before we think this is the only place Paul does this look at the cultural references he makes elsewhere. In First Corinthians, he quotes from an ancient Greek comedy written by the poet Menander when he says, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). In his Titus, Paul again quotes Epimenides “Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." (Titus 1:12) as a way of putting his message in context.
A fellow pastor, Bill Richardson, sees three characteristics of Paul in this passage that we do well to copy.
Ø Be Attentive—don’t just go through life but do it with intentionality and prayer asking God to show us how we can connect with our world.
Ø Be Positive—A wife and husband arrived late for a church business meeting and as they walked in the president of the congregation was asking for the Nay votes. The late comer sang out a hardy “NO”! As they sat down his wife asked, “What were they voting on?” The husband quietly said, “I don’t know but I’m ag’in it.” It’s easy to be against something. It’s much harder to be in favor of what you can be so as to win a hearing.
Ø Be Bold—there is nothing apologetic about Paul’s response. He doesn’t say “You’re right, there are other ways to Heaven.” He proclaims Jesus as the ‘unknown God’ who they need to know.
Take a look at the insert in your bulletin. It asks two questions of us. Both of which go back to my opening statement about my purpose for this message, that we will be more willing and better able to connect with our world for the sake of Jesus.
The first question simply starts us asking the question about what non-Christians populate our lives. You may have an ongoing friendship with someone who doesn’t believe. Maybe all your friends go to church and believe (the two aren’t the same). Perhaps the non-believers are those you have contact with at the bank, the beauty salon, bowling alley, or post office. It could be a receptionist in a doctors office or a person at Shari’s. Whoever it is start being aware of those around you and asking God to show you how to and with whom to build a relationship.
The second question builds on this. What do you have in common with these people? What is that that knit you together? Perhaps it’s something as small as living on the same street for several decades. Maybe it’s as major as being married into the family. It is at these common points in your shared world culture that you need to look for those links that allow you to say a good word for Jesus.
Our success at Kenton at living out the “Great Callings of Christ”—to love God and others; and to make disciples—will be evident only as each of us take on the task of living out these Great Callings in our daily lives.
http://www.avalon.nf.ca/army/band.html
http://www.leightonsa.org.uk/band/band%20history.htm
Reported on Presbyweb.com 3/07/02 “Charting the Unchurched in America” http://www.usatoday.com/life/2002/2002-03-07-no-religion.htm
