The Culture: Idolatrous but Intrigued

Transcription

1 SESSION 11 The Culture: Idolatrous but Intrigued Summary and Goal Paul understood that the gospel must be presented in a way that is comprehensible to people in different cultures. As a result, when Paul reasoned with those in Athens, he found points of contact between the biblical view of the world and that of Greek culture. Then he proclaimed that all nations came from the first Adam and that the second Adam, Jesus Christ, will judge all nations. Paul s message focused on the risen Jesus and included a fervent call to repentance. Like Paul, we need to allow ourselves to be provoked by the idolatry of our culture so that we can boldly and sensitively proclaim the gospel into it. Main Passage Acts 17:16-34 Session Outline 1. Know the culture and grieve over its idolatry (Acts 17:16). 2. Affirm the good, rebuke the bad, and proclaim the truth (Acts 17:17-31). 3. Expect some to laugh, some to ask questions, and others to believe (Acts 17:32-34). Theological Theme The gospel must be presented in a way that is comprehensible to people in different cultures. Christ Connection When Paul reasoned with the men in Athens, he found points in common between the biblical view of the world and that of Greek culture. Then he proclaimed that all nations came from the first Adam and that all nations will be judged by the second Adam Jesus Christ. His message focused on the risen Jesus and included a fervent call to repentance. Missional Application God calls us to be provoked by the idolatry of our culture and to proclaim with boldness and sensitivity the gospel of His Son. Date of My Bible Study: LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

2 Session Plan The Culture: Idolatrous but Intrigued For Further Discussion What sort of questions can we ask our non-christian friends and neighbors to discern what their idols might be? How does getting a sense of a person s idols help with presenting the gospel to that person? Pack Item 10: The Promise of Acts Call attention to this poster of the Holy Spirit s ministry working through the apostles and disciples of Jesus to share the good news of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Then ask the following questions: How might your community resemble Paul s experience in the city of Athens? How does Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit and the power of His ministry that we have already seen through previous sessions encourage you to testify to the good news of Jesus salvation for sinners in your city? What part are you playing in the inevitable spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth? Introduction Share the story of the Irish worship band traveling to Pattaya, a city in Thailand known for sex tourism, as an example of how Christians can respond to a broken and dark world (leader pp ; PSG p. 110). What are some songs that have become the prayers of your heart? Why have they become so? What will it look like for us today to live in the world but not be of it? Summarize this session about Paul s proclamation of the gospel in spiritually dark Athens (leader p. 143; PSG p. 111). 1. Know the culture and grieve over its idolatry (Acts 17:16). Note what happened in Thessalonica and Berea in the preceding verses, and then read Acts 17:16. Show how God prepared Paul to minister to Greeks in Athens by using his previous experiences (leader pp ; PSG pp ). When has God used your past circumstances to prepare you for your next steps or to have a conversation with another person about the gospel? What were the results? Emphasize Paul s grief over so many idols in the city, which provoked him to begin sharing the gospel (leader p. 144; PSG p. 112). Ask groups of 3-4 to work through the questions in the table in the PSG. After a few moments, reconvene and allow time for responses to be shared with the group (leader p. 144; PSG p. 113). 140 Leader Guide

3 2. Affirm the good, rebuke the bad, and proclaim the truth (Acts 17:17-31). Read Acts 17: Call attention to how Paul started with the Athenians worldview and then laid a foundation for sharing the gospel with them (leader pp ; PSG pp ). What are some ways we can affirm the good we see in our culture as preparation for sharing the gospel? Ask a volunteer to read Acts 17: Show how Paul contrasted manmade idols with the self-sufficient God of Scripture. Then connect this truth with our twenty-first century context (leader pp ; PSG pp ). Read Acts 17: Make it clear that the resurrection of Jesus marks a new level of accountability for the nations, which missionaries are to proclaim as they call people to repentance and faith in Christ (leader p. 147; PSG p. 115). What attitudes and actions should repentance involve? How does a repentant life display the work of the gospel to a lost world? 3. Expect some to laugh, some to ask questions, and others to believe (Acts 17:32-34). Read Acts 17: Discuss the Athenians varied responses to Paul s gospel proclamation, especially to the idea of physical resurrection, and how we should respond. Instruct them to intercede for those who reject, ridicule, or laugh, that God would soften their hearts. Encourage them to dialogue with those who are interested in asking questions. Advise them to connect individuals whom God transforms by the gospel to a local church that can disciple them (leader pp ; PSG pp ). When have you seen these various responses yourself (perhaps even from yourself)? How did you respond? What biblical truths regarding human nature must we keep in mind to respond appropriately to various kinds of responses to the gospel? Conclusion Communicate that the gospel is not only for knowing but for sharing. Encourage the group to meet non-christians where they are but not to leave them there present the gospel in a compelling manner so some might believe (leader p. 149; PSG p. 117). Apply the truths of this session with His Mission, Your Mission (PSG p. 118). Conclusion Option Consider closing the group meeting by listening to and singing along with the song God of This City highlighted in the Introduction (performed by Chris Tomlin in the link below). watch?v=cefgr1s8ska Christ Connection: When Paul reasoned with the men in Athens, he found points in common between the biblical view of the world and that of Greek culture. Then he proclaimed that all nations came from the first Adam and that all nations will be judged by the second Adam Jesus Christ. His message focused on the risen Jesus and included a fervent call to repentance.... Missional Application: God calls us to be provoked by the idolatry of our culture and to proclaim with boldness and sensitivity the gospel of His Son. 141

4 Expanded Session Content The Culture: Idolatrous but Intrigued Voices from Church History Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible. 2 Karl Barth ( ) Introduction Years ago a small and relatively unknown worship band from Belfast, Ireland, sensed God calling them to go to a city in Thailand that receives over 10 million visitors per year Pattaya. While many people visit Pattaya for its beaches and shopping malls, many more do so for sex tourism. In fact, Pattaya is known as the sex tourism capital in the world. 1 This city is full of women and men living in captivity and in the grips of the evil one. When this band arrived in Pattaya, they went about praying and singing over the city. As they were walking around, they passed by a bar that asked them to play a two-hour set. Now I m sure that this bar was so excited that a bunch of white Irishmen were going to play for them that they probably did not care what type of music they were going to play. Providentially, this was not any ordinary bar; it was actually a brothel. So when this worship band from Belfast got up on stage, they just began singing praise and worship songs over the people in the bar, as well as prophetically into the city. As the night went on and as they continued to worship God in such a dark place, God s light broke through and He birthed a new song in their hearts. You might have heard it before it s called God of this City and that night, they began proclaiming this song over Pattaya as a prayer. What happens to your heart when you see the brokenness in our world? When you see the idolatry in our culture, how do you react? Do you have a posture of judgment? An attitude of indifference? A desire to run away? Or an urge to act and do something? In church history, we read about people who believed that the world was so evil that they had to get away and separate themselves from it as much as possible. These kinds of people were often called ascetics. As a result, many lived in the desert and created monastic communities where they could guard and protect themselves from the idolatries in the culture. There were even some who believed that their bodies were such a source of temptation and evil that they would mortify their bodies. 142 Leader Guide

5 According to Acts 17, however, we are not to separate ourselves from our culture but to distinguish ourselves from it with a biblical worldview that we maintain and the gospel message we proclaim. We are to be in the world but not of it (see John 17:14,16). What are some songs that have become the prayers of your heart? Why have they become so? What will it look like for us today to live in the world but not be of it? Session Summary We should pay careful attention to how Paul interacted with the men and women of Athens since this has many parallels for us today. Paul understood that the gospel must be presented in a way that is comprehensible to people in different cultures. As a result, when Paul reasoned with those in Athens, he found points of contact between the biblical view of the world and that of Greek culture. Then he proclaimed that all nations came from the first Adam and that the second Adam, Jesus Christ, will judge all nations. Paul s message focused on the risen Jesus and included a fervent call to repentance. Like Paul, we need to allow ourselves to be provoked by the idolatry of our culture so that we can boldly and sensitively proclaim the gospel into it. 1. Know the culture and grieve over its idolatry (Acts 17:16). In the preceding verses, Paul was preaching and proclaiming the gospel in a Jewish synagogue at Thessalonica. Some Jews were convinced, but it was the God-fearing Greeks and the leading women in the city that experienced much of the transformation (Acts 17:4). As a result, many Jews in the city became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city (v. 5). This led the disciples to send Paul and Silas off to Berea, where they were able to continue to share the gospel in the Jewish synagogue. In Berea, many more people heard and accepted the gospel, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men (v. 12). However, once the troublemaking Jews from Thessalonica heard that the gospel was being proclaimed in Berea, they also went there and stirred up the crowds. This is how Paul made it to Athens. 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. Voices from the Church What if I told you that every sin you are struggling with, every discouragement you are dealing with, even the lack of purpose you re living with are because of idolatry? 3 Kyle Idleman Further Commentary Visitors to Athens today who view the masterpieces of the great architects and sculptors of the age of Pericles are free to admire them as works of art: to no one nowadays are they anything more. But in the first Christian century they were not only admired as works of art: they were temples and images of pagan divinities. Temples and images of pagan divinities were no new thing to a native of Tarsus, but this native of Tarsus had been brought up in the spirit of the first and second commandments of the decalogue. Whatever Paul may have felt in the way of artistic appreciation and his education had not fostered any capacity for this the feeling that was uppermost in his mind as he walked here and there through the violet-crowned city was one of indignation: the city was full of idols, dedicated to the worship of gods that were no gods for what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God (1 Cor. 10:20). 4 F. F. Bruce 143

6 Voices from the Church Across all our many religions and philosophies, people display a great zeal to find what is true. We should be ready to dialogue with those who believe differently than we do and present a reasoned and thoughtful defence of the truth. 5 Africa Study Bible It is amazing how God prepares us for our next steps. In and through Paul s ministry in Thessalonica and Berea, God was preparing him to minister to the Greeks in Athens. After all, though he was preaching in the synagogues to the Jews, the God-fearing Greeks were the main ones with softened hearts who experienced transformation through the gospel. When has God used your past circumstances to prepare you for your next steps or to have a conversation with another person about the gospel? What were the results? When Paul arrived in Athens, things were quite a bit different from the previous cities. Paul had experience in cities where people worshiped idols, but Athens was on another level. This is why we read that Paul was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols (v. 16). Paul was not troubled in the way that a teenager is troubled when they realize that they forgot to study for an exam. Paul was not fearful of the idols nor the quantity of them in the city. Rather, Paul was grieved that there were so many idols in the city. This provoked him to stop waiting for Silas and the others to join him and instead to go out and begin sharing the gospel in the synagogue and in the marketplace. How did Paul know that the city was full of idols in the first place? Did he read the latest copy of Lonely Planet for Athens? Did he read a brochure in the town s welcome center? Or did he look up the city on Google? No, Paul studied the city. He walked around and observed the culture. He became aware of his surroundings. Instead of running away, closing his eyes, or returning back to a safer city, he allowed himself to grieve over the idolatry in the city. He allowed the Holy Spirit to move his heart, which was the foundation and impetus for what he did next in the following verses. What idols would you say are present in your city? How are these idols destructive to those enslaved by them? 144 Leader Guide

7 2. Affirm the good, rebuke the bad, and proclaim the truth (Acts 17:17-31). With his heart grieved and his eyes opened to the mass idolatry and lostness in the city, Paul could not take it anymore. So he did what he knew to do he went to both the synagogue and the marketplace to reason with the Jewish and Greek Athenians and to proclaim the gospel to them in hopes they would believe in the one true God. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, What is this ignorant show-off trying to say? Others replied, He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting? 20 Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean. 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. 22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: To an Unknown God. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. When Paul reasoned with the Athenians, he did not expect them to come to faith the way he did by first becoming a devout Jew and then a Christian. Instead, he started with their worldview and with what they knew. Then he laid a foundation for sharing the gospel with them. After Paul was brought into the Areopagus to explain his message to them, he started his speech by affirming the good that he saw. He applauded the Athenians for wanting to explore and seek the truth since they gave him the opportunity to talk about the gospel to a large group of them. They even gave him center stage in their meeting hall to hear his teaching, which was very new to their ears. He commended them for being religious and for understanding that life was more than just the here and now. In a spiritual conversation, sharing the common ground that the spiritual even exists is a good thing. There was plenty that was wrong in the way the Athenians expressed their religious convictions, but at least this was something Paul could work with. Further Commentary Paul s strategy of reasoning for the gospel with the Athenians is instructive. His message does not contain direct quotations or appeals to the Old Testament as did his talks to Jews and God-fearers. Such appeals would have meant nothing to hearers who did not accept the authority of the Scriptures. But in spite of that, the message was thoroughly scriptural. As Bruce writes, His argument is firmly based on biblical revelation; it echoes throughout the thought, and at times the very language, of the Old Testament. Interestingly, Paul quoted from writers whom the Athenians looked up to (v. 28). Of the two statements in verse 28 there is a question whether the first is actually a quotation, but the second certainly is. Paul would not, of course, have agreed with the philosophical system out of which the statement arose, but he did agree with this individual statement and thus used it to buttress his argument. 6 Ajith Fernando Further Commentary Trials were held at the Areopagus; there, some five centuries earlier, Socrates had faced those who accused him of deprecating the Greek gods. 7 Tyndale Bible Dictionary 145

8 99 Essential Christian Doctrines 87. Evangelism It is the duty and privilege of every Christian and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man s spirit by God s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all thus rests upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle. At this point, Paul began to make the transition from their culture s idea of the divine, which included multiple and various and probably contradictory deities, to the bedrock of biblical monotheism. Paul wanted to acknowledge that he understood where the Athenians were coming from before he shared the gospel with them. He wanted to explain that he was not ignorant about their ways before critiquing their beliefs. Instead of introducing the one God that they had never heard about, he pointed out the fact that they already knew something was missing in their belief system. After all, why would they have an altar with the inscription To an Unknown God? Just let that roll around in your mind for a minute To an Unknown God. Here was a people who lived in a city full of idols for deities in charge over every aspect of nature we can think of, and yet still they lived with a concern that some god was left out, which would no doubt anger said god. So to cover their bases, they built this altar. In striving for acceptance from their deities, they had to acknowledge their ignorance of the divine. Paul would gladly use this opportunity to enlighten them to the only Deity they needed to know and fear. What are some ways we can affirm the good we see in our culture as preparation for sharing the gospel? 24 The God who made the world and everything in it he is Lord of heaven and earth does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is 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 also his offspring. 29 Since we are God s offspring then, we shouldn t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. 146 Leader Guide

9 Here Paul builds further toward sharing the gospel with the Athenians. Notice the way that he does it. He starts by sharing how manmade idols are not necessary. After all, why would anyone want to worship a god that they could make? The true God, on the other hand, cannot be contained, nor does He need human beings to provide for Him. He is self-existent and independent of all of creation, but all of creation, including human beings, is dependent upon Him. In other words, Paul proclaimed the existence and self-sufficiency of the God of Scripture. Paul was rebuking the plethora of idols throughout Athens, saying that they were useless and meaningless. How could a divine being be encapsulated in the stuff of earth (i.e. gold, silver, stone), and that molded and shaped by the imagination of a human being? Instead, the real divine nature is both holy and above us, all-knowing and all-powerful, personal and intimate. This is the type of God the Athenians were made to worship and adore. The same is true for us today in the twenty-first century. As cliché as it might sound, there is a hole in each of our hearts that only God can satisfy and fill. The world tries to convince us that filling it with idols of our own making such as sex, fame, money, possessions, drugs, and alcohol will satisfy, but it never works. These are our modern-day shrines. The only thing that will truly satisfy is the true and living God who created and sustains the world, not the idols of the human imagination. 30 Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus marks a new level of accountability that God extends to the nations as He sends missionaries like Paul to enjoin them to believe the gospel message. Just as Paul preached in the first century, so it is today true satisfaction in God begins with repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, the One who will judge the world in righteousness. Further Commentary In Paul s day, Greece was no longer a political and military power [but] remained a crossroads between the eastern and western sections of the Empire Athens gained new notoriety as a university city. Plato s Academy still flourished and young men, especially from Rome, came to acquire some knowledge of philosophy and rhetoric The Athens that Paul saw was still a bustling city. Athenians lived in the open and daily gathered in the agora to conduct business or exchange the latest gossip. The agora was also the place where many philosophers congregated. Stoics, Cynics, and Epicureans regularly gathered in the agora and espoused their different philosophies. Cynics questioned whether knowledge was attainable. Epicureans wished to attain a state of detachment: a life free of pain and stress, whereas Stoics believed all living things possessed the divine principle of life (the logos). They saw this spark of divinity as the cohesive rational principle that binds the entire universe together. People gathered around the speakers seeking either to be enlightened or entertained. 8 Gary M. Poulton, Biblical Illustrator What attitudes and actions should repentance involve? How does a repentant life display the work of the gospel to a lost world? 147

10 Further Commentary Paul s return to his starting-point provoked the scorn of some of his hearers. Although Greeks believed in the immortality of the soul, the idea of a bodily resurrection was alien to their thinking, since the body was increasingly regarded as earthly and evil in comparison with the soul which was the seat of the divine in man. Not only was the cross folly to Gentiles, but so also was the resurrection. Others of Paul s hearers said that they would hear him on another occasion; this is often interpreted as simply a more polite form of dismissal, but the contrast expressed with the first group may suggest that this was a more positive reaction, and that these people longed that what Paul said was true. This verdict is confirmed by the fact that after Paul had left the gathering he did gain some converts. One in particular was a member of the Areopagus called Dionysius. This indicates that Paul s audience certainly contained members of the court of the Areopagus, whether or not we identify the occasion as a meeting of the court. 10 I. Howard Marshall 3. Expect some to laugh, some to ask questions, and others to believe (Acts 17:32-34). So far we have looked at Paul s motivation for reaching the Athenians as well as his message for them. Now we will consider the response of the Athenians to Paul s message. The important thing to note is the different types of responses that people gave to Paul s gospel proclamation, as Luke recorded for us in Acts 17: 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, We d like to hear from you again about this. 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. When Paul affirmed the good in their culture, this opened the door for him to rebuke the bad and then ultimately proclaim the truth of the gospel to the Athenians. The Athenians responses varied. Some ridiculed him because resurrection was such a far-flung concept to them in their culture. As one commentator put it: The Athenians, to whom the idea of physical resurrection would have been repugnant, began to sneer, and the reported speech comes to an abrupt end. 9 When you share the gospel with those who are far from God, you need to entrust the results to God. Consider what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9: What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God s coworkers. You are God s field, God s building. To those that reject, ridicule, or laugh, your best response to them is to end the conversation and begin interceding for them. Pray that God would soften their hearts to the truth of the gospel and that He would bring them to their knees circumstantially. Pray that He would open their hearts and change them. Pray also that He would bring other followers of Christ into their lives so that they can experience the love of Christ from many in the body of Christ. 148 Leader Guide

11 When you share the gospel with others, you will encounter some who will want to continue the discussion and ask more questions, just as some of the Athenians responded. In situations like these, don t allow yourself to go on a preach off or a monologue. Let them ask questions and do your best to answer them. If you do not know an answer, then find it together with them. Let the process be a part of the journey, but always start and end with a study of the Scriptures. God s truth will guide your way and the conversation. Last, if you faithfully and consistently share the gospel with others, you will possibly see God transform many individuals. When this happens, make sure that they are a part of a local church that can disciple them from the get-go. Invite them into your Bible study, get them involved in the life of the church, and meet with them one-on-one. When have you seen these various responses yourself (perhaps even from yourself)? How did you respond? What biblical truths regarding human nature must we keep in mind to respond appropriately to various kinds of responses to the gospel? Conclusion Sadly, many Christians in our churches know what the gospel is but fail to share it with others. The gospel is not only for knowing but also for sharing. So pray for the lost in your neighborhood. Engage with them, develop friendships with them, and look for opportunities to share the gospel with them through both word and deed. Like Paul, meet non-christians where they are, but don t leave them there. Present the gospel in a compelling manner so that some might believe. Voices from the Church God uses everyday people like you and me to make His children into mature, world-affecting disciples. This statement is nearly unfathomable. That the God of the universe concluded that we would be the primary earthly tool through which someone begins to look more and more like Him is a mystery beyond comprehension. Yet that s exactly what He chooses to do. 11 Philip Nation and Rick Howerton Voices from Church History It is wounding work this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving Conversion is not the smooth, easygoing process some men seem to think it. 12 John Bunyan ( ) CHRIST CONNECTION: When Paul reasoned with the men in Athens, he found points in common between the biblical view of the world and that of Greek culture. Then he proclaimed that all nations came from the first Adam and that all nations will be judged by the second Adam Jesus Christ. His message focused on the risen Jesus and included a fervent call to repentance. 149

12 Additional Resources The Culture: Idolatrous but Intrigued References 1. Pattaya, Lonely Planet, 2017, thailand/chonburi-province/ pattaya. 2. Karl Barth, quoted in Barth in Retirement, TIME, May 31, 1963, time.com/time/subscriber/ article/0,33009,896838,00.html. 3. Kyle Idleman, Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, in The New International Commentary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) [WORDsearch]. 5. Africa Study Bible, ed. John Jusu (Oasis International LTD, 2016), Ajith Fernando, Acts, in The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013) [WORDsearch]. 7. Areopagus, in Tyndale Bible Dictionary, eds. Walter A. Elwell and Philip W. Comfort (Tyndale, 2006) [WORDsearch]. 8. Gary M. Poulton, Greek Culture in Paul s Day, Biblical Illustrator (Fall 2010): Athens, Paul At, in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, eds. Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin (Downers Grove: IVP, 2006) [WORDsearch]. 10. I. Howard Marshall, Acts, vol. 5, in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: IVP, 2015) [WORDsearch]. 11. Philip Nation and Rick Howerton, LifeWay s Disciples Path: A Practical Guide to Disciple-Making, LifeWay, 2016, com/lwbranding/disciplespath/ DisciplesPathLeader_Digital.pdf. 12. John Bunyan, quoted in John Bunyan: His Life Times and Work, by John Brown (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, and Company, 1888), Lawrence O. Richards and Gary J. Bredfeldt, Creative Bible Teaching (Chicago: Moody, 1998), 240. Study Material Get expert insights on weekly studies through Ministry Grid at MinistryGrid.com/web/TheGospelProject. Grow with other group leaders at the Group Ministry blog at LifeWay.com/GroupMinistry. -- The God Who Writes His Own Agreements Chapter 3 from The God Who Is There by D. A. Carson -- Engaging the Culture with the Gospel Article by Brian G. Hedges; find a link to this article at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources --Previous Biblical Illustrator articles, including Greek Culture in Paul s Day, can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at LifeWay.com/BiblicalIllustrator. Look for Bundles: The Gospel Project. Sermon Podcast Paul Gould: Build Bridges with the Gospel Find a link to this at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources Tip of the Week Learning by Doing People learn best when learning is applied. When a person responds to God, he discovers that truths he has learned in [the group] help him live successfully as a Christian. Such a person comes to [the group] motivated, ready to learn An effectively motivating [group] should encourage the [group member] to respond. There is something about actually applying a truth in life, seeing our lives change, that keeps us coming back for more. As [group members] apply biblical truth to life, they are motivated to go further in their understanding of the Word of God Leader Guide

13 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Leader Guide CSB Volume 6, Number 2 Winter Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer and Trevin Wax General Editors Brian Dembowczyk Managing Editor Daniel Davis Content Editor Josh Hayes Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Content Editor by to daniel.davis@lifeway.com or mail to Content Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Leader Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project : Adult Leader Guide CSB (ISSN pending; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Unit: 1 Mike Cosper is the founder and director of Harbor Media, where he develops podcasts that help Christians navigate a post- Christian world. Previously he served for 16 years as one of the founding pastors of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he oversaw Sojourn Music a collective of musicians writing songs for the local church. He is the author of four books, including (most recently) Recapturing the Wonder. Katie Orr (special session), creator of the FOCUSed15 Bible study method, is passionate about equipping busy women to experience God daily. She is a teacher, speaker, podcaster, and prolific writer for blogs, magazines, and Sunday School curriculum. A former Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) staff member and mother to three young children, she and pastorhusband, Chris, are part of the church revitalization movement. Unit: 2 Jason C Dukes (sessions 7-9) has been a church starter, a church renewer, and tries to be a disciple-maker. He s currently the Multiplication Minister with Brentwood Baptist Church near Nashville, Tennessee. He has authored books and periodically blogs, which you can learn more about at LiveSent.com. He and his wife, Jen, are thankful for their seven children. Daniel Im (sessions 10-12) serves as the Director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is also a teaching pastor at The Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts That Will Transform Your Ministry and Planting Missional Churches. He is married to Christina, and they have three children, Victoria, Adelyn, and Makarios. WRITERS