This guide is a tl t help yu lead yur grup int spiritual transfrmatin. Use it as a resurce t train yur grup int ptential disciple-makers and lead yur grup in discvering, wning, and applying the truths f Gd s Wrd. There may be aspects yu d nt want t use and there may be instances where yu just want t fcus n a particular pint r truth. Sme questins may bring ut emtins and cause peple t dwell n an aspect f their relatinship with Gd. Yur rle is t help facilitate this encunter with Gd in His Wrd with His Bdy, nt just t cmplete the guide. Use this as a flexible teaching tl nt a rigid grup task list. Relate... Begin yur grup time by engaging in relatinal cnversatins and prayer that may include the fllwing elements: Welcme a simple, brief time t greet ne anther (especially new friends), enjy refreshments, and make annuncements. Review a time t review the truths discussed last week and reprt n hw members have had success r frustratins in applying thse truths during the week. (The leader will want t prvide encuragement and shepherding during this time.) Peridically, the leader will als want t review the gspel and allw members t share reprts abut pprtunities they ve had t share the gspel. Occasinally, the leader will want t review the visin fr the grup and discuss ways t accmplish that visin better. Prayer a time f general prayer with the whle grup praying fr struggles regarding the applicatin f truths, fr thse with whm the grup is sharing the gspel, and fr understanding f tday s truths. Reflect... Use the fllwing summary and questins t review this week s message and reflect n its implicatins fr ur lives. (As a training tl, leaders might want t have varius members summarize the teachings in their wn wrds each week sharing hw they think the Scripture applied t the riginal hearers and hw the principles apply t us tday.) Message Outline Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism Acts 17:16-34 Recgnizing the nature f humanism Humanism a grup f philsphies and ethical views that emphasize the value and agency f human beings. Humanists generally elevate reasning and experience ver established dctrine r faith. Embracing and exalting man-made gds idlatry (16,23-24,29) Embracing and exalting many gds plytheism (16,18,22-23) Embracing and exalting the mind as gd intellectualism (18-21,32) Embracing and exalting pleasure as gd hednism (16,18,22-23) Embracing and exalting everything as gd pantheism (16,18,22-23) Engaging the culture f humanism Be jealus fr the glry f Gd. (16; cf. 2 Crinthians 4:15; 10:18; Philippians 2:9-11) Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 1
Be zealus fr the suls f men. (17) Sewing int the fabric f humanism Sew gspel threads alng with cmmn threads. (22-23,28) Sew gspel threads withut referencing the Bible. (24-31) The character f Gd (24-31) The sinfulness f man (27,30-31) The sufficiency f Christ (31) The necessity f faith (30-31) The urgency f eternity (26,31) Sew gspel threads thrugh the big stry f Bible. (24-31) Gd is the Svereign Lrd f heaven and earth. Gd created us t live in relatinship with him. We rebelled by replacing Gd with gds we made. Gd is patient, but nw he demands repentance. Gd has appinted a day t demand an accunt. Gd s standard f righteusness is the risen Lrd. Analyzing the respnse f humanism The gspel is a stumbling blck t thse wh have cnfidence in their flesh. (32; cf. Matthew 7:13-14; Rmans 9:33; 1 Crinthians 1:22-23) The gspel is the saving pwer f Gd t thse wh place their faith in Christ. (33-34; cf. Rmans 1:16; 1 Crinthians 1:18,24) Digging Deeper Remember t encurage thse in yur small grup t invite unbelieving friends with them t church next Sunday as we celebrate Easter. Easter Wrship Gatherings will be shrter, and Pastr David s sermn will be intentinally evangelistic. We have services at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 6:00 pm. Lead yur small grup t pray ver the next week fr thse wh will attend the Easter Wrship Gatherings. The peple Paul encunters in Athens represent different ideas and beliefs within humanism, which is a grup f philsphies and ethical views that emphasize the value and agency f human beings bth cllectively and individually. Humanists generally elevate reasn and experience ver established dctrine. Much f Western culture is heavily influenced by this philsphy, and it is likely that peple in yur small grup are influenced by a humanist wrldview and nt even be cnsciusly aware f it. With yur small grup, think abut where this influence is mst evident in ur wn culture. Lead yur grup t identify hw humanist ideas have influenced their wn lives, ur culture, and even ur church culture. In what ways is ur cntemprary culture like the traditins Paul experienced in Athens? Help them t see the difference between a humanist wrldview and a Christian wrldview. D the peple in yur small grup actively pray fr cultural renewal? What wuld cultural renewal even lk like fr us in America? Take sme time t pray fr ur culture and ur cuntry. Pray that we wuld be cnvicted f thughts, ideas, and beliefs that are cntrary t Gd s Wrd. Well, I was raised Baptist, and my wife is Cathlic. Althugh nw in my ffice at hme, I have a statue f Jesus, a statue f Buddha, and anther ne f Ganesh. I just pick ne and pray depending n my md. Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 2
This was a respnse f a student in a graduate level literature seminar at a large public research university t a questin asked by ur prfessr. We were reading a certain text that dealt with lts f Jude-Christian imagery. My prfessr said that the religius beliefs we held wuld greatly affect ur reading f the text, s if we felt cmfrtable, she wanted us t g arund the rm and tell everyne what we believed. The afrementined respnse was typical fr the grup. One student claimed t be a Christian/Buddhist a few thers were prfessed atheists. One yung wman said she believed there is truth in all religins and saying ne is right is simply ignrant. A few thers admitted that they grew up in church, s they guess that made them Christians. There were a multitude f religius beliefs all held in equal wrth and esteem. I was the last persn t talk, and in a rm f thirty graduate students, I was the nly persn wh prfessed Christ in a life-changing way. Thugh I did nt use this pprtunity like Paul t prclaim the gspel t a large grup f peple, I was able t use what I heard that day t have ne-n-ne gspel cnversatins with several members f the class thrughut the rest f my time in schl. Many even apprached me wanting t knw what I believed abut Jesus! S far as I knw, nne have cme t saving faith, but Gd granted them the pprtunity t hear the truth. Listening t them helped me t knw which nes were pen t speak abut spiritual things. All f the students in the stry abve are wrldview humanist. Humanistic ideas and values have cmpletely penetrated the way we all think and believe. When talking with yur small grup this week, remind them that humanism is a pervasive, encmpassing wrldview rather than a single religin r traditin. The humanistic thughts f the cllege students changed frm persn t persn. Humanism will nt lk the same every time we encunter it. Pastr Jim nted several ways in Acts 17 that humanist ideas present themselves. Spend smetime reviewing these as a grup. Try t identify sme mdern examples f each f these. Idlatry Embracing and exalting man-made gds. Plytheism Embracing and exalting many gds. Intellectualism Embracing and exalting the mind as gd. Hednism Embracing and exalting pleasure as gd. Pantheism Embracing and exalting everything as gd. In what ways is each belief incmpatible with the threads f the gspel? As the members f yur small grup have been weaving threads, have they encuntered any peple wh believe r hld t these idelgies? Ask a few peple t share their experience. Brainstrm with the grup hw we can weave gspel threads int ur cnversatins with thse wh embrace each f these streams f humanism. What types f questins can we ask t determine if a persn falls int ne r mre f these categries? Hw can we mve ur cnversatins with these peple frm the tempral t the eternal? Sme peple in yur grup may feel intimidated r uncmfrtable sharing the gspel with peple like thse wh Paul ministers t in Acts 17. What are cmmn bjectins peple may have t sharing with these individuals? Graciusly remind the grup that the Great Cmmissin is a cmmand t share the gspel with all peple. Hw can yu encurage each ther t share the gspel with a variety f peple? Is there any ne in yur grup wh is particularly gifted r called t share the gspel t peple with humanist beliefs? Or is there anyne wh has experience respnding t cmmn intellectual bjectins t Christianity? If there are thse amng yu wh feel cmfrtable sharing the gspel with humanists, hw culd they cme alng side thers in the grup wh are less cmfrtable? As we seek t share the gspel with a humanistic culture, discuss Paul s example in Acts 17. Take ntice f hw the Apstle Paul met and shared with multiple individuals frm humanistic traditins. Luke shws hw Paul engaged the culture f humanism and sewed gspel threads with many peple. Paul was jealus fr the glry f Gd. This shuld be ur mtivatin fr sharing the gspel. What des it mean t be jealus fr Gd s glry? D all f the small grup members have a passin fr Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 3
making Gd knwn? Gd desires His glry and wrth be knwn by all peple (Jhn 3:16; 1 Timthy 2:4; 2 Peter 2:4). This passin is nt smething we can manufacture urselves. We must be utterly dependant n Gd. What des it reveal abut ur belief in Gd if we d nt take the time t share the gspel with thers? Pray that everyne in yur grup wuld be passinate abut making Gd knwn amng all peple. Paul was zealus fr the suls f men. Paul shared the gspel with the realizatin that Gd will judge the wrld (Acts 17:30-31). When we share the gspel, the eternity f the peple whm we are sharing with hangs in the balance. If we d nt actively share the gspel with thse arund us, what des that reveal abut ur cnfidence in the gspel? Paul did nt wait fr peple t apprach him. Much like Jesus in Jhn 4, Paul sught peple regularly t speak the gspel t them. Cntinue t encurage thse in yur small grup t take the initiative t be where lst peple are. Paul was s zealus fr the suls f men that he even wished that he might be cut ff frm Christ that thers may be saved (Rmans 9:1-3). Help yur small grup t see the gravity f this. Pray that the Hly Spirit wuld give yu an awareness f thse wh need t hear the gspel and an increasing cnvictin t share it with thers. Paul identified cmmn threads. Paul did nt talk dwn t the humanist. While it is bvius he disagreed with them, he never criticized them. T the cntrary, he shwed them mre respect than they were willing t shw him (Acts 17:18). He recgnized cmmn threads within their petry and philsphy (Acts 17:28). Sew gspel threads alng with cmmn threads such as: Spiritual Interest The peple f Athens were ntably religius and interested in spiritual things, and Paul capitalized n this as he interacted with the Athenians. Fr us, this culd be as simple as asking smene if they have any spiritual beliefs and, based n their respnse, fllwing up with mre questins abut what they believe and why. Thelgical Ignrance When Paul saw the altar t the unknwn gd, he used this display f their ignrance t discuss the One True Gd with them. Humanists d nt have all the answers, and while yu may encunter intellectual humanists, they are ignrant f Gd because they are nt in relatinship with Him. Therefre, tell them abut the Gd yu knw. Cultural Identificatin While Paul did nt endrse the idelgies f Epimenides r Aratus whm he qutes in verse 28, he knew the culture f the peple and used culture t talk t the peple abut Gd. Hw can we use culture (i.e., the arts, literature, mvies, etc.) t talk with peple abut Gd? Remembering the five types f humanism mentined abve, identify cmmn elements that exist between them and Christianity. Hw can yu use the fabric f culture and experience t begin weaving gspel threads? Has anyne dne this in the last few weeks? Ask yur small grup t cnsider the peple they have placed n their lists. What natural cnnectins can we use t start having spiritual cnversatins? Pray that Gd wuld allw us t use these cnnectins f the next week. Paul did nt reference the Bible. This may seem cunterintuitive t us at first, but many peple with a humanist wrldview ften deny r have n knwledge f the authrity and inspiratin f Scripture. Imagine if a Muslim tried t cnvince yu f the truth f Islam by using the Qur an. We d nt believe in the authrity f the Qur an, s arguments based upn it wuld nt be cnvincing. This is hw many humanists view the Bible. Hwever, this des nt mean that we d nt speak Scriptural truth. Cnsider the verses frm the previus weeks assciated with each thread f the gspel. Hw wuld yu express the truth f these verses withut directly referencing the Bible? Paul did nt cmprmise the truth f the gspel; rather, he presented it in a way that his hearers wuld understand. Paul presented the gspel by giving the big picture f the Bible s stryline. Instead f sharing the gspel by systematically quting Scripture, Paul hits the high pints f the big stry that the Bible tells. While sme peple may nt be willing t let us run thrugh many verses f Scripture, mst peple are willing t listen t a stry. Hw well d the members f yur small grup knw the big picture stry f Scripture? Hw wuld yu sum up the stryline f the Bible? Lead them t think abut hw t share the gspel in this way. What high pints wuld yu hit? If smene has experience in ding this, ask them t share with the grup. A helpful resurce in understanding the stryline f Scripture is Graeme Gldswrthy s bk Accrding t Plan. Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 4
Message Summary While last week s sermn highlighted hw Jesus shared the gspel with a cultural believer, this week s sermn illustrates hw Paul engaged the humanistic peple f Athens in Acts 17. Paul s audience in Athens represented different strands within the philsphical wrldview f humanism, and Western sciety tday is greatly influenced by humanistic ideas and beliefs. Paul recgnized the great number f idls in Athens, and ut f jealusy fr Gd s glry and a genuine care fr the suls f men, he spke the gspel. He sewed gspel threads by identifying cmmn threads with the culture, by sharing gspel truth withut explicitly referencing the Bible, and by fcusing n the big picture f the Bible s stry. By ding this, Paul was able t speak the whle gspel t the crwds at the Arepagus. Grup Discussin Use the fllwing questins t help review the applicatin f Gd s Wrd t ur Head (What des Gd want me t knw?), t ur Heart (What des Gd want me t desire/value?), and t ur Hands (What des Gd want me t d?). In Acts 17, Paul cnfrnts the culture f his day. Thugh the Bible des nt explicitly address every specific issue f ur time (i.e., drug culture, abrtin, etc.), hw des the Bible speak t ur culture? Hw des the truth f Scripture apply t situatins that are nt specifically mentined in Scripture? Humanism is a wrldview that is rted in the self-sufficiency and ingenuity f men. Hw is this different frm a Christian wrldview? What types f ideas and beliefs are reflective f a humanist wrldview? We ften think abut idls as physical bjects f wrship like the nes Paul encuntered in Athens. What d the idls f ur culture lk like? What is plytheism? Pastr Jim said the wrship f many gds is actually the wrship f n gds. Why is this true? Read Acts 17:18. The peple in Athens believed that Paul was a seed-picker wh put tgether many different ideas and pinins and claimed that they were true. Hw wuld yu respnd t smene wh believed this abut Christianity? When sewing gspel threads, why is ur mtivatin mre imprtant than ur methdlgy? What des it mean t be jealus fr the glry f Gd? Hw is it different than human jealusy? Hw wuld yu explain the jealusy f Gd t a nn-believer? Hw d we nurture a desire t see everything thrugh the lens f the glry f Gd? What practices have helped yu shape this desire? What can yu begin t d this week t fster a desire t make Gd knwn? Read Acts 17:17. Paul respnds t the idlatry in Athens with a desire t spread the gspel amng the peple in Athens. When yu visit a new place, d yu see it in terms f its uniqueness r its lstness? Hw culd yu use traveling t a new place as an pprtunity t weave gspel threads? What types f questins culd yu ask t identify cmmn threads? As Paul is sharing in the Arepagus he never explicitly mentins Scripture, but he shares the whle gspel. Why wuld he d this? Wuld Paul s apprach be helpful in sharing with certain peple yu are praying fr? Hw culd yu use this apprach t share the gspel? Paul utilized the big picture f Scripture t weave gspel threads. What are the high pints f the Bible s stryline that yu wuld share in a spiritual cnversatin? Hw wuld yu explain this stryline t a child? T a neighbr? T smene wh has little knwledge f the Bible r Christianity. Where wuld yu start? Hw wuld yu cnclude? What wuld yu share in between that beginning and end? Read Acts 17: 32-34. What is the respnse f the crwd in Athens? Hw is the secnd respnse in verse 32 still a rejectin f the gspel? Are there peple in yur life wh are embracing a humanist wrldview? Hw can yu begin t share the gspel with these individuals? Pray that Gd wuld use yu t share the truth f His wrd with these peple. Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 5
Respnd... Encurage yur grup t break ut int smaller, same-gender grups where they will respnd t the truths f tday s study. These grups will share with ne anther based n the fllwing questins and then clse in prayer: What are sme f the main truths that Gd wants yu t knw frm this study? Hw d yur thughts need t adjust t align with these truths? Accrding t the truths frm this study, what des Gd want yu t desire/value? Hw d yur values need t change t align with His values? What actins des Gd want yu t take accrding t the truths f this study? What is an actin that yu can start t implement tday r tmrrw? What is ging t be the mst difficult aspect f this study t persnally apply? Clse this time by praying fr each ther, specifically fr strength t apply these truths, fr persnal needs, fr the lst peple with whm yu are seeking t share the gspel, and fr ur weekly prayer fcus as a church. Weekly Prayer Fcus (frm ur wrship guide) Church: Praise Gd fr the truth f the gspel and the peple in yur life He used t reveal t yu the gspel and call yu t repentance and faith. Ask the Hly Spirit t guide understanding f Paul s presentatin t the Arepagus in Acts 17, specifically t recgnize hw he mdeled weaving gspel thread int cnversatin with unbelievers. Pray fr thse arund yu wh d nt knw Christ. Ask Gd t grant yu pprtunities t share the gspel with them. Pray fr Gd t help yu maximize pprtunities t saturate cmmn cnversatins with the gspel. Lcal: This week we are praying fr all in ur city during this Easter seasn. Many Brk Hills members are inviting their internatinal friend t jin us fr ne f ur Easter Wrship Gatherings. We are als praying fr Christ City Church and David Nasser, Pastr. Glbal: This week we are praying fr Brk Hills Lng-Termers the Maytte family, serving in Suth Africa. Steve and Daria Maytte serve the juveniles incarcerated at Pllsmr Prisn in Cape Twn, Suth Africa. There they wrk with Hpe Prisn Ministry prviding supprt t prisn inmates, cmmunities, and the Department f Crrectinal Services thrugh Bible-based disciple-making prgrams. Jin us this week as we pray fr Steve, Daria, and their tw bys Ethan and Jude. Weaving the Gspel int the Fabric f Humanism, March 24, 2013 Page 6