Third about Buddhism

Transcription

1 Third about Buddhism I don't have personal experience, (name), relating to those who practice Buddhism, like Rachel does. She s a teacher in Xiamen, from a family of devout Buddhists. Now she s a follower of Jesus. My childhood was spent in a Christian home, with the Bible and Christian songs and church worship. My personal experience is different from hers. Still, we share one thing in common she and I both have God's Word, the Bible. I gave her biblicalconcepts to help her understand how God taught us to consider idols. Apostle Paul's experience, part 1: During a trip, the missionary Paul travelled to Athens, a significantgreek city. While waiting for his team to join him, he gave an speech to the leading intellectuals in the city. It's useful to study his speech, because it's about idols. Athens was steeped in idol worship. Paul illustrates how to talk to people who worship idols. Here's how the story begins: While Paul was waiting for them [his team] in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. (Acts 17.16)...deeply troubled... What a good attitude! It s important for those who follow Jesus to react to idols. It should irritate us to see people use a substitute for God, pray to it, give offerings to it, and depend on it for help. They re rejecting the real God, missing so much from him and opening themselves up to evil spirits. We should ask God to make us bothered about this, (name). Idol-worship doesn't help people; it harms them. People get deceived and deceive themselves. That should upset us.

2 If you re like Paul, you d feel strongly about your friends idol-worship. Use that emotion to pray to God about them. Pray against the evil forces that blind your family or friends to the true God. Keep praying, like Jesus said, ask, seek, knock, because God can use your prayer to open the eyes of Buddha-followers. What else can we learn from Paul? Find ways to talk to others about their religion and God....[he] went to the synagogue [Jewish worship center]... spoke daily in the public square... (v. 17) Everywhere Paul went, any chance he had, he tried to persuade people to worship the true God. Ask God to help you do the same. Take any opportunity you can find to tell your family and friends about the real God. Will they listen? Let's see what Paul discovered: He [Paul] also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers [Greek intellectuals]. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, What s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he s picked up? Others said, He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods. (v. 18) Some made fun, calling Paul a "babbler". Others were confused, not understanding his beliefs. That happens today, (name), when you tell others about Jesus. Some laugh, some argue, some even mock you. Others will be puzzled. Still we should try, like Paul did. Ask God to give you courage and opportunities to talk about Jesus. The intellectuals like today's university professors - invited Paul to give a presentation. They wanted to discuss his teachings more. I hope you have these kinds of conversations with people who are seeking the real God. As Paul spoke, God gave him wisdom to connect with idol-worshippers. Let's study his approach. Build a relationship

3 Paul didn't start by arguing. Instead, he complimented: So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines [worship places]. (v a) This is true of your Buddhist friends and family, (name). They're religious, unlike most in China who have no religion and no faith. It's good to find common ground, and give compliments if we can. Their desire to worship is good. God made us with this longing for him, to worship him. However, the one we worship is very important. Sadly, they ve made the wrong choice. Research their beliefs Paul studied their religion to find a bridge to talk about the real God. He took the time to understand what the citizens believed. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: To an Unknown God. This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I m telling you about. (v. 23b) Paul used their beliefs as a spring board to talk about God, about Jesus. When he observed an altar for worshipping the Unknown God, it gave him a powerful bridge to communicate with them. Look for a "bridge" from Buddha to Jesus. It's hard work to find this, because you need something that makes Buddhists curious about the real, true God. Here s some questions to ask as you research: What part of Buddhism could I talk about that would help them want to know Jesus? Maybe their concern about pain and suffering. What if they could meet the God who suffered with us and for us, like Jesus did? Maybe they desire to get rid of all desire, the goal of Buddhism. What if we can't get rid of desire? How does a person "desire to get rid of desire"? It doesn't work.

4 Instead, let s help them realize it's bad desires, evil and selfish ones, that are wrong. They can find the right desire, to know and love God, through Jesus. Maybe they long for someone to listen to their needs, hear their prayers. We all want that! The Buddha they worship is an object made from rock or wood. It can't hear or communicate with them. It's totally impersonal. Buddha worshippers know this. What if they discovered there's a God who can hear them? A God who's personal as well as infinite? He s right here to listen because God is spirit - he's not limited by time and space. Pray that they ll be curious to know more about this personal-infinite God. Perhaps your bridge is a story, how Jesus showed you what God is like. He really cared for people, listening to their needs and using his power to help and heal. He had compassion for the poor and hungry, the sick, the foreigners, the broken. Make them curious, in other words. By doing so, you ll help them take a step away from Buddha. So they can walk the bridge that is Jesus. You'll have to think and pray for wisdom to find these "bridge", (name). Have faith that God will show you he will! Walk across the "bridge" together Paul took them on a journey to discover who this God is. He walked them step-by-step away from their idol-worship and took them across the bridge of "the unknown God" with him. How? He gave them details about God: He's the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn t live in man-made temples, and human hands can t serve his needs for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. (vv )

5 They must realize that God is the Creator. They can't "make" him, like crafting an idol, because he always existed. He was never made. To the contrary, he made everything. God doesn't need a home like a temple nor a shrine to burn incense to him. It's a waste of time or money to build him these things. He neither needs nor wants them. If there's a Creator, then fate is not a factor. Fate doesn't determine everything, God does. Paul talked more about this in his speech. It's important for Buddhists (and other Chinese) to know that God, not fate, is most important. Paul explained that no one can give God anything. Not money, not time. There's nothing God needs. We can't make him dependent on us. We re dependent on him! He gives us everything, including life and breath. Stop and take a breath, (name). God gave you that. Every breath till you die is a gift from him. You could do that as you talk to Buddhists. Tell them to take a breath God gave it to them. This is important for a Buddhist to realize. All their rituals, gifts and prayers... they don t help. We can't bribe God with gifts, can't get his attention or impress him. Instead, we come to him humbly through Jesus, thankfully, to get our needs met. We must find out what gifts he has to give us, not try to give to him. To do that, we must learn what God is like first. We ll learn more from Paul's speech, but let's stop now. You're trying to help your family and friends move step-by-step away from idols. You can accompany them, bringing them to Jesus, to the cross, and resurrection. I hope you're already getting some ideas. Again, a good reminder: think and pray. Ask God to help you find a bridge from Buddhism to God for your family. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

6 Paul