Sharing Christ With A Christless Culture

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). City and Government:

• (a). It was a key city.

• (b). It was an unusual city.

(2). Method and Message:

• (a). He ‘reasoned’ with them (vs 2)

• (b). He ‘explained’ or opened these passages (vs 2)

• (c). He gave evidence (vs 2)

• (d). He ‘announced’ or proclaimed. (vs 2)

(3). Response and Escape:

• (a). The response (vs 4)

• (b). The Opposition (vs 5)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Several years ago, American Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man;

• Decided he wanted to see his locality from a new perspective.

• So he went down to the local army surplus store;

• And bought forty-five used weather balloons.

• That afternoon he strapped himself into a garden chair,

• And several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons.

• He took along a six-pack of beer, a sandwich, & a Bull-bearing gun,

• Figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.

• Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air,

• But he was caught off guard;

• When the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky.

• This took him smack into the middle of;

• The air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport.

• Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons,

• He stayed airborne for more than two hours,

• This forced the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon,

• Causing long delays in flights from all over the country.

• Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police,

• Reporters asked him three questions:

• First question: “Where you scared?”

• He replied “Yes.”

• Second question: “Would you do it again?”

• He answered “No.”

• Third question: “Why did you do it?”

• “Because,” he said, “you can’t just sit there.”

That is the message that the book of Acts is saying to us in these verses:

• In a world with no idea who the real Jesus is

• In a world with no idea what the real message of Christianity is,

• In a world with no idea what the good news of the gospel is,

• The book of Acts is a constant reminder;

• That you and I “Can’t just sit there.”

• Reaching people for Jesus requires action!

Quote: ‘Why Christians Sin’ by J. K. Johnston.

• “Christ met unbelievers where they were.

• He realized what many Christians today still don't seem to understand.

• Cultivators have to get out in the field.

• According to one count, the gospels record 132 contacts that Jesus had with people.

• Six were in the Temple, four in the synagogues

• And 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life.”

• TRANSITION:

• The book of Acts (history book of the early Church) is a constant reminder;

• That you and I “Can’t just sit there.”

• Reaching people for Jesus requires action!

• We need to be out there with people in the mainstream of life.”

• If you want an example of that;

• Then look at the example and life of the apostle Paul,

• And for a case study this morning we are looking at Acts chapter 17 verses 1-10.

PAUL AT THESSALONICA (VS 1):

• The apostle Paul, was one of the first people to travel widely telling people about Jesus.

• He is considered the first missionary,

• The word missionary means:

• ‘A person sent on a religious mission,

• Especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country’

• The apostle Paul was certainly the first missionary to Gentile people.

• That title ‘apostle’ means, ‘One who is sent out’.

• Both those titles suggest both going and sharing the good news of Jesus!

The apostle Paul made three missionary journeys:

• You can read about his first missionary journey in Acts chapters 13 and 14.

• This first expedition lasted at least two years,

• His second missionary journey is found in Acts chapter 16, 17 and 18.

• This trip is likely to have lasted at least three years.

• You can read about his third missionary journey in Acts chapter 19, 20 and 21.

• This trip lasted about five years.

Note: In Acts chapter 17 we are breaking in to Paul’s second missionary journey:

• Where we are told in verse 1:

• “When they had passed through Ampipolis and Apolonia, they came to Thessalonica.”

• This was a long stretch of the journey – that involved over 100 miles of walking;

• Yet Dr Luke dismisses it way in a single sentence, just a few words.

• Notice: That they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia without preaching;