Areopagus

Practical Ways to Share Bible Stories

Message begins around 14:50

Practical Ways to Share Bible Stories
Global Missions Emphasis 2021
Ryan and Bethany Reedy

Key passage: Acts 17:16-34

What Stood Out?

  • Paul’s grief about the idols

    • Acts 17:16 (provoked, upset)

  • Paul took time to understand the culture.

    • Acts 17:23 (unknown god)

  • Where Paul went

    • Acts 17:17 (synagogue, public square)

  • Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection

    • Acts 17:18

What question might someone have about this story? 

  • What is an Areopagus?

    • Acts 17:19 - a place to discuss religion, culture, philosophy

    • Acts 17:18

      • Epicureans: focused on pleasure, pain avoidance. Agnostic.

      • Stoically: Pantheistic. Strived for virtue.

  • Who are these poets Paul mentions?

    • Acts 27:28 - Paul learned their culture to connect with the people he was ministering to.

What do we learn about people?

  • The people love to discuss and debate ideas.

    • Acts 17:21

  • We are committed to the idols and gods that we’ve created in our own lives.

    • Acts 17:22-23

  • Two different response to truth.

    • Rebellion - Acts 17:32, 18

    • Humility - Acts 17:34

  • People need to repent

What did we learn about God?

  • There is one true God

    • Acts 17:24-25

  • God isn’t made by human hands or imagination.

    • Acts 17:29

  • God made us to know, love, and honor him

    • Acts 17:27

  • God has been patient, but he will eventually judge us.

    • Acts 17:29

Two Ways to Live

How do I live out what I learned?

  • Are we following the one true God or the idols of our own making?

  • How do we respond to this truth?

  • Do we have a burden/conviction for the people around us who are caught up in their own idolatry?

Who can you tell this story to this week?

  • Pray and ask God to convict and burden our hearts to share this good news with others.