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SKETCHES
B
of Leadership o o o o >
r
@
idging the Gap
Acts 17:16-34
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the
city was full of idols.
17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout
persons, and also in the market-place every day with those who happened to be
there.
18 Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said,
`What does this babbler want to say?' Others said, `He seems to be a proclaimer of
foreign divinities.' (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the
resurrection.)
19 So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him,
@
`May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20 It sounds rather
strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.'
21 Now all the Athenians
What do you notice about Paul's strategies to
and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing
present the Gospel in Athens?
something new.
22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, `Athenians, I see how extremely
religious you are in every way.
23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at
the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an
unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands,
25 nor is he served by human hands,
as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and
all things.
26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and
he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they
would live,
27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and fi nd
him--though indeed 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 too are his
offspring."
29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like
gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.
30
While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people
everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fi xed a day on which he will have the world
judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given
assurance to all by raising him from the dead.'
32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, `We
will hear you again about this.'
33 At that point Paul left them.
34 But some of them
joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman
named Damaris, and others with them.
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #54
B
SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
r @
idging the Gap
Chronology
of Events
Paul's Method
The Outcome
Notes
Explores: Paul surveys the
Paul develops compassion
Paul is Concerned
culture of the city and observes for the Athenians
their pervasive idolatry
Argue: Paul creates a stir by
Paul Tests
He sees their interest.
arguing in the synagogue
Space: Paul gives the Athe-
Paul Waits
nians time to think about his
Athenians have questions
arguments.
Affi rms: Paul affi rms their
Paul bridges the gap be-
Paul Responds
desire to worship a "god" and
tween Athenian piety and
helps them know his God.
divine revelation.
Clarifi es: Paul points them past Paul leaves many of them
Paul Proclaims
their generous syncretism to
more curious about Jesus
unique claims of Jesus
and his resurrection
Assess How Much Trust You Have
To help you think through how much trust you currently have with a friend or family member, consider:
1. Do they call you when they have a problem?
2. Have they ever asked you for advice?
3. Can you just have fun and laugh together?
Soul Aw @
akening Events that can help the openness process. (From Coming to Faith)
How would you feel if you could invite your curious-but-not-yet-open friends to an event that would help them consider becoming open to spiritual
things? These type of pre-evangelism events can be very helpful in the process of coming to know Jesus. But it is essential to remember that folks at
this threshold are not yet seekers. It is better to think of them as skeptics or cynics. How would you create an event in order to serve those far from
the Kingdom? The principles would have to be different from seeker events.
1.
Choose Relevant Topics. Select topics that they are already thinking about. Movies, pop music, and current events are a good place to start.
Romantic relationships never seem to fade as a relevant topic.
2.
Find Unique Angles. Surprise them in how you come at these topics. Put yourself in their shoes and come at the topic from their perspective,
asking their questions. Jesus always had an unexpected word for those who came to him. Similarly, seek God for an unexpected word for them.
3.
Use the Arts. We use music and art and drama because they connect deeply and move souls. The arts are a gift from God, and God can side-
step our skepticism when the arts stir new feelings within us. The soul is supposed to cry out to God, and we can create events that help people
experience these yearnings for the Living God.
4.
Create a safe place. In contrast to seekers, the not-yet-open often need a place of anonymity. They need to feel safe to explore spiritual things
at an arms distance, until they warm up to God.
5.
Lead, Don't Pressure. They need to be led toward God, but not pressured. There are two mistakes in this regard. On the one hand, we can
mistake them for seekers and offer them repeated alter calls. People in this threshold often feel weird about altar calls and can misinterpret them
as manipulation or cultish. Swinging to the opposite extreme, we can create environments with no leadership at all. They meander with no help
from us at all.
Spend some time in groups thinking about a soul awakening event for your campus. What would raise curiosity on your campus?
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #54
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
SKETCHES
B
of Leadership o o o o >
r
@
idging the Gap
Acts 17:16-34
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the
city was full of idols.
17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout
persons, and also in the market-place every day with those who happened to be
there.
18 Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said,
`What does this babbler want to say?' Others said, `He seems to be a proclaimer of
foreign divinities.' (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the
resurrection.)
19 So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him,
@
`May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
20 It sounds rather
strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.'
21 Now all the Athenians
What do you notice about Paul's strategies to
and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing
present the Gospel in Athens?
something new.
22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, `Athenians, I see how extremely
Paul goes to a new place and is look-
ing around at what he sees. His concern
religious you are in every way.
23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at
leads him to "argue" in the synagogues,
the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an
a strategy very familiar to the Athe-
nians. They are not angry--they are
unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24
more interested and give Paul the fl oor!
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth,
When Paul gets the fl oor he affi rms their
religiousness, specifi cally in relation to the
does not live in shrines made by human hands,
25 nor is he served by human hands,
unknown god that they worship and uses
as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and
this as a connecting point to talk about
who this unknown God they worship
all things.
26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and
actually is. As Doug Schaupp (Coming to
he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they
Faith) says, "He sees his role as affi rming
kingdom impulses within them, and then
would live,
27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and fi nd
pointing them to Jesus. This is a power-
him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us.
28 For "In him we live and move
fully disarming habit, forging bonds of
real trust."
and have our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his
offspring."
29 Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like
Hard to know exactly what Paul's goal
was but here are some thoughts. It could
gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.
30
be that Paul was disturbed by how the
While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people
Athenians didn't get it and he used that
to test the waters a bit and see how the
everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fi xed a day on which he will have the world
Athenians would respond. His arguing
judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given
seems to be a culturally relevant as does
his "sermon". The results are not what
assurance to all by raising him from the dead.'
we are used to seeing in Acts--relatively
32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, `We
small--but that doesn't seem to be the
point the author is making. Paul sees the
will hear you again about this.'
33 At that point Paul left them.
34 But some of them
Athenians are misguided and he chooses
joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman
to test the waters to see if they want
truth.
named Damaris, and others with them.
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #54
SKETCHES
B
of Leadership o o o o >
r @
idging the Gap
Chronology
of Events
Paul's Method
The Outcome
Leader's Notes
Paul is not oblivious. He chooses to look and engage not just
Explores:
Explor
Paul surveys the
es:
his mind, but his heart. Paul's preaching in Athens is so differ-
Paul develops compassion
Paul is Concerned
culture of the city and observes
ent from his preaching anywhere else. He has taken time to
for the Athenians
their pervasive idolatry
observe and become a student of the culture. He could have
become judgmental, but he doesn't.
Argue: Paul cr
Argue:
eates a stir by
Paul's goal is to raise curiosity. Arguing in the synagogue is
Paul Tests
He sees their interest.
arguing in the synagogue
the method he chooses and an effective one for Athens.
Space: Paul gives the Athe-
Space:
Athenians respond as Paul hoped, they have questions, they
Paul Waits
nians time to think about his
Athenians have questions
are curious: they arrange for him to speak in a setting where
arguments.
he can further draw out their interest.
Affi rms:
Affi
Paul affi
rms:
rms their
Paul bridges the gap be-
Paul uses this as an opportunity to connect with the Athe-
Paul Responds
desire to worship a "god" and
tween Athenian piety and
nians. He has the sense that the Athenians want to know
helps them know his God.
divine revelation.
God and he demonstrates familiarity with their own poets.
Paul goes beyond his affi rmation of them to point out how
Clarifi es:
Clarifi
Paul points them past
es:
Paul leaves many of them
they are misled. He affi rms their desire to know this un-
Paul Proclaims
their generous syncretism to
more curious about Jesus
known God and fi lls in the gaps for them. He makes unique
unique claims of Jesus
and his resurrection
claims for the place of Jesus as LORD.
Assess How Much Trust You Have Leader's Notes: Have students assess their level of trust privately and then in groups work
on a potential soul awakening event for their campus using the parameters given.
To help you think through how much trust you currently have with a friend or family member, consider:
1. Do they call you when they have a problem?
2. Have they ever asked you for advice?
3. Can you just have fun and laugh together?
Leaders's Notes from the book Coming to Faith.: In any friendship trust develops over time. This could take anywhere from one day to a whole year,
depending on how much distrust the non-Christian is carrying. And trust in any friendship is dynamic. There's no guarantee once that we only cross
the "trust line" with someone once.
Soul Aw @
akening Events that can help the openness process. (From Coming to Faith)
How would you feel if you could invite your curious-but-not-yet-open friends to an event that would help them consider becoming open to spiritual
things? These type of pre-evangelism events can be very helpful in the process of coming to know Jesus. But it is essential to remember that folks at
this threshold are not yet seekers. It is better to think of them as skeptics or cynics. How would you create an event in order to serve those far from
the Kingdom? The principles would have to be different from seeker events.
1.
Choose Relevant Topics. Select topics that they are already thinking about. Movies, pop music, and current events are a good place to start.
Romantic relationships never seem to fade as a relevant topic.
2.
Find Unique Angles. Surprise them in how you come at these topics. Put yourself in their shoes and come at the topic from their perspective,
asking their questions. Jesus always had an unexpected word for those who came to him. Similarly, seek God for an unexpected word for them.
3.
Use the Arts. We use music and art and drama because they connect deeply and move souls. The arts are a gift from God, and God can side-
step our skepticism when the arts stir new feelings within us. The soul is supposed to cry out to God, and we can create events that help people
experience these yearnings for the Living God.
4.
Create a safe place. In contrast to seekers, the not-yet-open often need a place of anonymity. They need to feel safe to explore spiritual things
at an arms distance, until they warm up to God.
5.
Lead, Don't Pressure. They need to be led toward God, but not pressured. There are two mistakes in this regard. On the one hand, we can
mistake them for seekers and offer them repeated alter calls. People in this threshold often feel weird about altar calls and can misinterpret them
as manipulation or cultish. Swinging to the opposite extreme, we can create environments with no leadership at all. They meander with no help
from us at all.
Spend some time in groups thinking about a soul awakening event for your campus. What would raise curiosity on your campus?
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #54
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
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