The Athens Blueprint: Engaging a Lost Culture with Compassion and Truth

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
There have always been people who led the way before us.
[00:04:07] Men and women who believed God could do more than they could see, and who gave so the next generation could know His presence.
[00:04:17] In 1 Chronicles 29, King David stepped forward first, giving generously so God's house could be built.
[00:04:26] When his leaders saw his faith, they gave.
[00:04:30] And when the people saw their leaders, they rejoiced and followed.
[00:04:35] That's how God's work has always advanced, through faith, generosity, and vision.
[00:04:41] And now it's our turn.
[00:04:43] On Friday, November 7th, from 630 to 730 p.m., we will gather for worship, prayer, communion, and commitment.
[00:04:52] It's our Advanced Commitment Night for the Pathway Project.
[00:04:55] You might be asking, why an Advanced Commitment if we have a Commitment Sunday scheduled for November 16th?
[00:05:03] Because moments like this build momentum.
[00:05:08] When some people step out first, it strengthens the faith of everyone else.
[00:05:12] Advanced Commitment Night is where vision becomes visible.
[00:05:17] Where we come together to pray, to worship, and to lead with faith.
[00:05:23] You know, even if you're not ready to make your commitment, come anyway.
[00:05:27] Come and see what God is doing.
[00:05:30] Because sometimes just being in the room is how faith begins to grow.
[00:05:36] This night is more than about giving.
[00:05:38] It's about becoming the kind of people God can use to shape the future of Peninsula.
[00:05:46] So join us Friday, November 7th at 6.30pm for our Advanced Commitment Night.
[00:05:52] Let's step forward together.

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Good morning.
[00:06:02] It's good to see you guys in the house of the Lord.
[00:06:04] Let's stand together and let's just worship Jesus this morning.
[00:06:08] God is good.
[00:06:08] Amen?
[00:06:09] Amen.

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
Without your goodness I would be desperate Without your love, slave to the darkness If it wasn't for the cross You have won me with your kindness
[00:07:02] She'd speed down when I was lost Where would I be if it wasn't for the cross Hallelujah, thank you Jesus I was a prisoner, now I'm not
[00:07:32] with your blood you bought my freedom hallelujah for the cross all my shades
[00:08:01] The mercy will be my song And oh the glory, oh the power of the cross Hallelujah, thank you Jesus I was a prisoner
[00:08:29] With your blood you bought my freedom Hallelujah for the cross And by your stripes I'm healed
[00:08:47] By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, it is done By your strife I live By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, it is done By your strife I live By your death I live
[00:09:15] The power of sin is overcome in His finished hallowing You'll strive to sign me by Your death I live The power of sin is overcome in His finished hallowing Thank You Jesus, I was a prisoner, now I'm not
[00:09:46] With your blood you bought my freedom Hallelujah for the cross Hallelujah Thank you Jesus I was a prisoner Now I'm alive With your blood you
[00:10:53] Thank you Jesus, I was a priest Now I'm not with your blood But my freedom, hallelujah, for the cross

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
Amen.
[00:11:23] You may be seated for just a moment.
[00:11:26] He is definitely worthy of our praise and thank you for singing out on that as we're worshiping together, beginning our hearts, kind of trying to let the outside world kind of fade away so we can come in here and worship our King of Kings and Lord of Lords together as we're here today.
[00:11:44] We have a special time of our service today where we're going to allow the
[00:11:49] The children dedication, child dedication.
[00:11:52] And so I'm going to take this time to have these parents come out on the stage.
[00:11:57] And we're going to turn this time over to Lisa Mooney.
[00:11:59] Lisa serves as our director of Faith at Home Ministries.
[00:12:03] And Lisa, you can explain what they're looking at here and what's happening.

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
and run this portion of the service thank you thank you pastor daniel um good morning this is child dedication and this is where we kind of begin our partnership with families to disciple children to know god and to know his word and to follow them and so we are so excited this morning to have six families with us who are dedicating these young babies um to the lord and what we've done this week is we've gotten together with these families
[00:12:35] and we kind of opened the scripture together and we looked at ways that the scripture points us to disciple our children.
[00:12:43] Godly characteristics that we want to develop in them.
[00:12:46] Who do we want these children to become when they're 18 and 20 years old and they're launching out of our homes?
[00:12:52] and so we call this that session begin with the end in mind and so the we look together at the scripture and each of these families kind of highlighted some practices and some rhythms that they want to implement in their own homes to be able to disciple their children at home
[00:13:08] and so they're coming this morning to commit to that before us but also because we are going to partner with them so church as they commit to the Lord we also are asking you to commit to the Lord to partner with these families first of all in the discipleship of the parents who are standing here as they continue to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and their knowledge of scripture and their commitment to him and then also partnering with them
[00:13:32] in discipling their children.
[00:13:34] They are the primary disciples in their home, but church, it is our job to come alongside of them and to pray for them and to encourage them and to teach preschool classes on Sunday morning and to teach Awana on Sunday evening and youth small groups so that together we can disciple these children in hopes that they will come to know Jesus as their Savior and that they'll follow Him and commit their lives to Him.
[00:13:56] So one of the things that we have to do this is we've got some gifts for them.
[00:14:00] I'm going to introduce each family to you, and Annabeth Hinton, our Preschool Ministry Director, and Mark Smith, our Discipleship and Connection Pastor, are going to hand the gifts to them, and then we'll pray for these families.
[00:14:10] So first we have Stephanie and Nick Carapresso, and they are dedicating Julie, but also with them is Elias, Aria, and Leah.
[00:14:19] and we have Casey and Willis Cashin and they are dedicating Bennett and with them is Adalyn and then we have Laura and Brian Cashin who are dedicating Emsley and then we have Jordan and Miles Horton they are dedicating Hallie with big brothers Judah and Micah along too
[00:14:37] We have Kelsey and Andy Mueller, and they are dedicating Esther.
[00:14:42] And then we have Eve, Big Sister Eve is there with them too.
[00:14:46] And we've got Nicole and David Whitaker dedicating Luca, and Big Brother Rhett is there as well.
[00:14:51] So we've got gifts for each of these families.
[00:14:54] And again, these are discipleship tools that they can use in their home with their children and for themselves as well.
[00:15:01] And now I'd just like for you to ask you, church, to join us in praying for them as they begin this discipleship process with their children.
[00:15:10] Father, we are so grateful to you.
[00:15:12] God, you deserve our honor, you deserve our praise, you deserve our worship.
[00:15:17] And it's such an exciting thing to see six parents who are dedicated, successive parents,
[00:15:23] who are dedicated to raising their children to know and follow you and god we know this is a work that can only be accomplished by you you direct us to do this you command us to do this and we desire to be obedient to you but god we know ultimately that you are the one who draws hearts and lives to yourself and so we pray for each of these families god i pray that you would give the parents faithfulness
[00:15:46] To continue their discipleship process of knowing you and following you and that in turn, God, that their homes truly would be places where discipleship happens on a regular basis and that each child who is on the stage this morning, God, would come to know you as their Savior and would grow in their knowledge of who you are and their love for you, God, and their obedience to you.
[00:16:09] and we're so grateful God just for our church family who is so dedicated to partnering together with other families and serving and leading to help make that happen we ask all of these things in your powerful and mighty and precious name Jesus amen amen let's give these families a hand sorry

[00:16:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
I was in the way of some pictures there.
[00:16:32] I don't want to do that.
[00:16:34] And I really don't want to be in your picture.
[00:16:35] That's really what it is.
[00:16:38] Thank you for coming up here, families.
[00:16:40] You can go down.
[00:16:41] That's so special.
[00:16:43] That is a great way to build the church, isn't it?
[00:16:45] Through little ones.
[00:16:47] Okay, so I thought that was kind of a funny thought, but maybe not.
[00:16:51] Maybe not so.
[00:16:53] We will walk alongside these families over the course of the life of those children through our milestone initiatives that we have put in place.
[00:17:00] The way our milestone initiatives are is when we see a particular milestone coming up in someone's life.
[00:17:08] It's like life is a highway.
[00:17:09] You're on the highway of life.
[00:17:10] The church comes alongside you, gets off on the interstate with you, and says, Hey, pull over at the next exit.
[00:17:15] We want to talk for just a moment.
[00:17:16] and then we introduce a new milestone as we walk through with the end in mind graduating them from high school launching them into life to be able to go be disciples who make disciples as well well today in Acts chapter 17 I am excited about the passage we're going through is going to be like Paul's
[00:17:35] Masterclass on how to share the gospel with people that are in our lives how to influence the walking through being able to share the gospel with others no matter where they are in their faith journey and so I'm looking forward to that you know there's a lot of people that say that mountains can't be moved but we know through the name of Jesus that that mountains can be moved we just need to believe in the in the power of that name
[00:18:01] Jesus as we continue to worship together let's all stand here and in the video venue let's stand as we continue to worship together

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]:
They say these mountains can't be moved They say these chains will never break But they don't know you like we do There is power in your name
[00:19:02] There is power in your name So much power in your name Move the earth
[00:19:32] God we believe for it For in the impossible we'll see a miracle God we believe God we believe for it We know that hope is never lost For there is still an end

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
So much power in your name Move me and move above

[00:21:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
We trust in you, God, you have the final say Know the immovable, break the unbreakable God, we believe, God, we believe for it From the impossible, we'll see a miracle

[00:22:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
We did this song last week.
[00:22:08] We're going to do it again this week.
[00:22:11] We're going to worship Jesus through troubles, through technical difficulties.
[00:22:16] God is good.
[00:22:17] Amen.

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
We could fill a thousand books with the stories of your goodness, but still it couldn't capture who you are.
[00:22:30] You've been faithful every age You are Alpha and Omega The greatness of Your love sets You apart Oh let our worship sound like heaven Singing the words we'll sing forever
[00:23:02] Holy and worthy Singing glory in the highest, in the highest
[00:23:24] Since before the dawn of time You've had in this choirs of angels All singing out Your praises on and on So let our worship sound like heaven Singing words we'll sing forever And let every living creature join the song
[00:24:18] Praise the Father, praise the Spirit, praise the Risen One He who was, He who is, He who is to come Praise the Lion, praise the Lamb for all He is and all He has done We'll sing these words forever
[00:25:06] We'll sing these words forever

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Amen.
[00:26:22] You may be seated.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
We are Marshall and Erica Allen.
[00:26:34] We've been coming to Peninsula for right at a year now and we had really been searching for community and so we knew a couple people here and happened to visit one Sunday and from that point forward we never left.

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We really wanted to find a church that we could do a small group on Sundays, so that was one big appeal.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Yeah, I think our station in life had shifted a little bit.
[00:26:59] Our girls were starting to get a little bit older, and so we were looking for a church where we could kind of grow as a family and be a part of it, not just on Sunday mornings, but actively throughout the week and do life with other people.

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
My name is Connor Reddy and this is Scarlett Reddy.
[00:27:15] When I first started coming here, from the second I walked in the doors, I was just blown away with how welcoming everybody was.
[00:27:23] The smiles, the invites, just everything really just brought me in.
[00:27:28] And it encouraged me to kind of delve into some of the other opportunities that Peninsula offers.
[00:27:36] Just between the Connect classes, the volunteering opportunities, and even just the conversations in the hallways, it all just brought me in and really encouraged me to grow in my fellowship, which ultimately really propelled my faith a ton.

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
Hey guys, I'm Kevin Modlin and this is my wife Kelly.
[00:27:57] We've been members of Peninsula for about nine years now.
[00:28:01] We visited Peninsula.
[00:28:03] Our daughter Katie loved the youth and that was sort of the hook for us, so Peninsula became a really good fit for her and the youth and also for us.

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I recently just finished six years as a youth leader and helped launch a wonderful group of kids out into the post-high school world.
[00:28:20] I think Kevin, who's got
[00:28:22] Four or five years in, we also help serve the youth on Sunday mornings in more of a serving waffles kind of capacity.
[00:28:31] So I think the youth is kind of what started us here and everyone at Peninsula has kept us here.

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Going to a Connect class really makes it intimate where you get to know these people and walk with these people and understand their lives.
[00:28:44] So that's why I really love going to Archonnect class because we're really able to grow relationships with everyone in that class and when we welcome new people in they really get somewhere that they can feel safe and known and it helps introduce new people to the church as well.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Building relationships with people is so hard we can't do it by ourselves and so being able to be a part of those groups and know that you have people that have your back that have the same beliefs and can give you solid godly advice when when you need it and kind of help steer us in the right direction is so important to us as not only as individuals but as husband and wife and as a family.

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
We're so excited about the Pathway Project and we've just already started talking about how we're going to get involved and be able to support this initiative.
[00:29:32] We truly think it's just such a big opportunity for the entire congregation to get involved and be able to spread what God has done for us inside these walls and inside our own hearts into the community around us.

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I'm looking forward to more space, more people, more involvement.

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
For us, somewhat selfishly, the youth situation isn't perfect at the moment, but we're able to power through that and I know the youth are as well because we know greater things are on the way.

[00:30:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
I think volunteering downstairs we've already seen at least like with Emmy's class they've already had to split it up I know that the current kinder class is already split up so if the kids keep growing which clearly it is where are they gonna go like we don't build where are they gonna go so I mean the need is there we can't keep getting but so crafty with the upstairs so I mean I'm excited to see what it looks like

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
I think anytime you start to talk about change, change can be scary, it can be a little bit uneasy, and it looks like it's going to be a big plan, but I know we serve a big God, and so I'm really excited to see how this all comes together and how God uses us, not only here in Morrisville, but the greater kingdom as well.
[00:30:51] So I think there's just tremendous opportunity here, and I'm excited to see kind of how God uses the church, the people within it, and this community as well.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
The common thread that I pick up out of those three couples talking is their place to connect.
[00:31:16] Place to make friends, place to be with like-minded believers, to be able to share with one another.
[00:31:21] And quite honestly, I couldn't imagine others in Mooresville who want to find that not being able to have a place here.
[00:31:28] So we want to be able to expand to give space for people to be able to experience what these three couples have talked about.
[00:31:36] And I know that many of us here can identify with what they're talking about.
[00:31:40] Having a place to worship on Sunday that sticks to the Word,
[00:31:43] We're going into Acts 17 today.
[00:31:51] We're going to finish chapter 17.
[00:31:55] We're going to kind of like just kind of move through these chapters a little bit.
[00:31:58] After Thanksgiving, we'll pick up the pace.
[00:32:01] We do anticipate finishing the book of Acts on the last Sunday of December.
[00:32:06] And so as we're moving through that, you can kind of like
[00:32:09] The next book has been picked already, but I'm going to keep that a secret.
[00:32:16] But know that we're going somewhere.
[00:32:17] January 4th, we're starting a new book, and we're excited about where that's going to take us.
[00:32:22] And I'm just praying through the excitement of where that is, what we're doing.
[00:32:27] There's a few things that we need to think about with Acts chapter 17 today.
[00:32:31] It's standing firm in a shifting culture.
[00:32:34] We've talked a lot about that.
[00:32:35] How many of you in here by show of hands would say that the culture is shifting?
[00:32:40] Raise your hand if you'd say the culture is shifting.
[00:32:43] Used to, you would think that the culture would shift.
[00:32:48] In fact, there's a lot of sociological studies out there that says that culture used to shift about every seven to eight years.
[00:32:56] Culture would shift.
[00:32:58] Then it kind of went down probably about...
[00:33:01] 15 years ago it went down, it was shifting about every two to three years.
[00:33:06] Now it seems like it's every week.
[00:33:09] I mean, you're like, what are we fussing about now?
[00:33:12] What is going on?
[00:33:13] What are we trying to push now?
[00:33:15] What's on the agenda now?
[00:33:16] It's just difficult to keep up.
[00:33:18] Back in my youth ministry days when I was doing youth ministry, when I first started into youth ministry, I tried to keep up with the clothing trends.
[00:33:27] And about one year into trying to do that, there were two things I realized.
[00:33:32] Number one, I couldn't afford it.
[00:33:34] There's no way I could afford to keep up with the clothing trends.
[00:33:37] And number two, I just wasn't that cool.
[00:33:40] And so I never could pull off the clothing trends.
[00:33:42] So I just, I have like five things in my closet now that I wear.
[00:33:47] But the clothing trends would always change and I was always behind the times.
[00:33:51] So, by the time I figured out what the clothing trend was, and I would go buy it, and I would put it on, I'd walk in there, you know, the youth were like, that was so yesterday, man, what are you doing?
[00:34:01] And so, I just, I stopped trying.
[00:34:04] But then, what was really magical about it was, I was in the middle of a, I was leading a youth group in Lincolnton, is where I had my first ministry that God called me to, and I was leading a youth ministry.
[00:34:18] Then, while I was there, I got married.
[00:34:20] The reason I'm telling you that is that something very funny happened.
[00:34:24] I was teaching a Bible study, in the middle of a Bible study, just a good Bible study with the teenagers, and you know how teenagers are sometimes, their minds wander, right?
[00:34:34] But anyway, right in the middle of the Bible study, one of the guys raises his hands, and I said, yes, I'm thinking he's got this, you know, I'm really teaching, he's got this good theological question he wants to ask, and we're really getting to the Bible study and everything.
[00:34:45] He said, hey, can I just make a comment?
[00:34:48] I said, sure.
[00:34:48] He said...
[00:34:50] Since you've been married, you dress really nice.
[00:34:58] I was like, that is messed up.
[00:35:01] Can we get back to the Bible now?
[00:35:04] Fleshed that out a little bit later, I found out that since I got married, I actually matched.
[00:35:09] Like, I'm slightly colorblind.
[00:35:11] I'm not completely colorblind.
[00:35:12] I am slightly colorblind.
[00:35:13] And close colors that I think go together do not go together.
[00:35:19] When Kimberly and I were dating I was in the music department there and I had to perform quarterly or each semester I had to perform in front of the student body a piece that I had worked up because I was a voice major and I had performed that morning and wore the same thing all day long and didn't see Kimberly until that night and I'm just sitting there talking to her and all of a sudden she goes
[00:35:43] What are you wearing?
[00:35:45] And I said, well, what?
[00:35:46] She goes, none of that matches at all.
[00:35:49] Like, you've got colors that are clashing.
[00:35:51] I'm like, that's a thing?
[00:35:52] I didn't know.
[00:35:54] So trying to keep up with the trends is difficult.
[00:35:56] Trying to keep up with the trends of the culture and what the latest thing is can be difficult.
[00:36:01] But there are some common threads that go through culture.
[00:36:04] There are common things that we can know that even what next week's fuss is going to be over, we can know that there's some common things that are going on.
[00:36:14] Let's simplify it really, really easy.
[00:36:17] The number one thing that we know is going to be going on is that the first problem in the world is lostness.
[00:36:25] That is the biggest problem in the world is lostness.
[00:36:29] And that's what we as believers who are not lost, we've been found, that we need to keep in the forefront of who we are.
[00:36:39] And this is kind of the way Paul rolled with how he did life.
[00:36:45] We're going to pull out some things in this text.
[00:36:46] It's going to be verses 16 through 34.
[00:36:49] It says, How do we stand firm in our own shifting culture?
[00:36:52] It's kind of where we're going and what we're talking about.
[00:36:55] Probably about 15, 20 years ago, we had opportunity within the youth group to go do a mission work in New York City.
[00:37:04] How many of you have been to New York City?
[00:37:06] Alright, it is the city, literally the city that never sleeps.
[00:37:11] There's something going on in that city.
[00:37:13] It is big, it is massive.
[00:37:15] But one of the nights when we had free, we were able to go.
[00:37:18] They said, hey, do you want to go see Times Square?
[00:37:20] And I said, yeah, I've never been to Times Square, I want to go see it.
[00:37:22] So we got to go to Times Square.
[00:37:24] And in Times Square, on one end of it, there is a set of bleachers.
[00:37:28] They're red.
[00:37:29] They've got red lights on them.
[00:37:30] Anybody been to Times Square?
[00:37:31] Do you know what I'm talking about with the bleachers?
[00:37:33] And this is a picture from Times Square, looking out across Times Square, up on the bleachers.
[00:37:39] And I just sat there for an hour, just mesmerized at the cross-cultural experience that was scurrying all around me.
[00:37:49] And just the lights.
[00:37:51] There are no street lights there because they don't need them because of the billboards.
[00:37:54] That's the only thing.
[00:37:55] Which, by the way, if you go there, I just got to kind of give you a hint.
[00:37:59] The only restroom in the area is underneath the golden arches there.
[00:38:03] And you must make a purchase to use the restroom there.
[00:38:06] So anyway, just kind of like heads up on that.
[00:38:08] Unless they've changed it since then.
[00:38:09] It's been a while since I've been there.
[00:38:12] But I couldn't help but reflect on this particular thought thinking that on a much smaller scale, but it's kind of the same idea, this is what Paul walked into when he walked into Athens.
[00:38:26] Not nearly this big, obviously not the lights, but this type of sentiment that was going on in the city, this hustle and bustle with all kinds of things along the street.
[00:38:38] In fact, Paul points out what those are in just a few moments, but it made me think about Paul and what he would have faced.
[00:38:46] This is what he would have been in in the middle of Athens, but he wasn't taken aback by it.
[00:38:53] He actually used their culture to move into a gospel conversation.
[00:38:59] So remember when Paul was, people were fussing about him and they sent him out of Berea and they kind of took him out and snuck him away.
[00:39:09] And then he sent for Silas and Timothy.
[00:39:12] He said, I want you guys to come join me in Athens.
[00:39:15] And so that's where we join in.
[00:39:16] In verse 16 it says, Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that city was full of idols.
[00:39:27] Can I pause there for just a moment?
[00:39:29] This is not what the topic is about today, but something that's glaringly jumping off the page there at me is that the spirit provoked him.
[00:39:38] That is glaring at me for two reasons.
[00:39:42] One is, Paul allowed the Spirit to lead him into his engagement in gospel conversations.
[00:39:48] But the second thing that leaps out at me here is this.
[00:39:53] When is the last time the Spirit of God has provoked you because of someone's lostness?
[00:40:04] That jumps out at me because we have to understand that if we've got lost people around us, have we glazed over it so much or made it so commonplace in our minds that we don't even think twice about it?
[00:40:20] The Spirit provoked him because he saw the city was full of idols.
[00:40:26] So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
[00:40:35] So he went to anybody there.
[00:40:37] He did the Jews first, which was his habit, to go into the synagogue first and talk to the Jews.
[00:40:44] Then he talked to the other intellects and then out in the marketplace.
[00:40:48] Whoever would carry on a conversation with him, he would carry on a conversation with them about Christ.
[00:40:54] Some of the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers also conversed with him.
[00:40:59] And some said, what does this babbler wish to say?
[00:41:02] I'm going to pause there.
[00:41:03] I looked at the original word babbler there.
[00:41:07] That is not a compliment at all.
[00:41:12] In fact, if you look at what the word there that we translate babbler means, because it's fitting into the context of the sentence, it actually kind of points to the crow that picks up pieces.
[00:41:25] They were calling him a scavenger that was looking for some type of inn.
[00:41:32] So they were not complimenting him at all.
[00:41:35] And let me just kind of pause there and say that when we move forward with the gospel, we're going to get people that push back in that way.
[00:41:42] What are you ranting about?
[00:41:45] Are you talking about religion again?
[00:41:47] You're just going to get people that look at us that way, but it should not shut us down.
[00:41:51] It certainly didn't.
[00:41:53] Paul, because as others said, he seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
[00:42:02] Now look what it says, And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus.
[00:42:07] Now I'm going to say that that word is not only a place,
[00:42:12] It stands for a people too.
[00:42:14] So it was a place, we call it Mars Hill, right outside of Athens there.
[00:42:19] It would have been a rocky place where people met, but the Areopagus were a group of people, kind of like a city council.
[00:42:26] They were the intellects that would lead the city.
[00:42:29] So it's both, and you'll see in just a moment that they're using it as he's talking about the people, not the place, here in just a moment, saying, May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
[00:42:41] For you bring some strange things to our ears.
[00:42:45] What's that now?
[00:42:47] You bring some strange things to our ears.
[00:42:50] I just think that's a funny way to say it.
[00:42:51] I'm going to start using that phrase.
[00:42:52] If I don't understand somebody, I'm going to say, What was that?
[00:42:55] What you just said was strange to my ears.
[00:42:57] I don't know.
[00:42:58] It's just funny.
[00:42:59] We wish to know, therefore, what these things mean.
[00:43:03] What an open door.
[00:43:06] So apparently, the babbler...
[00:43:09] 1.
[00:43:10] An opportunity to talk to the city council about the gospel of Jesus Christ, remembering that he was provoked within his spirit.
[00:43:21] Verse 21, now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling and hearing something new.
[00:43:30] They wanted to show their intellectual prowess.
[00:43:34] They wanted to show how
[00:43:35] So Paul was just kind of going to blend right in with them.
[00:43:40] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, and that's in the midst of the people, the council, said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
[00:43:56] By the way, this is a brilliant, brilliant writing.
[00:44:00] When I say master class of how to share the gospel,
[00:44:02] It is just brilliant.
[00:44:04] We could spend a month on looking at this text.
[00:44:09] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription to the unknown God.
[00:44:20] What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
[00:44:27] The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
[00:44:46] And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him.
[00:45:04] Yet He is actually not far from each one of us.
[00:45:09] Paul is just taking them on a path.
[00:45:13] He's like, I've got your ears, I'm going to take you on a path.
[00:45:16] He starts, by the way, in what I call the entire gospel, he starts all the way back at creation.
[00:45:21] And he's walking them through the moment.
[00:45:23] For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring.
[00:45:34] Paul knew the people of Athens.
[00:45:36] He had done his homework.
[00:45:38] Over the course of his life, he knew what they studied.
[00:45:41] Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
[00:45:54] You know they were gripped to this.
[00:45:58] Because He is pointing out their culture, their lifestyle, and He's walking them through to the true God.
[00:46:06] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.
[00:46:14] Why?
[00:46:14] Because Christ has come, Christ has died, and Christ has rose again.
[00:46:21] Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.
[00:46:29] And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
[00:46:34] Now when they heard of the resurrection of dead, some mocked.
[00:46:40] That's to be expected.
[00:46:42] But others said, we will hear you again about this.
[00:46:46] What's that mean?
[00:46:47] They were like, we kind of need to marinate on what you've said so far.
[00:46:50] But we want to talk again.
[00:46:53] So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite.
[00:47:03] Now that means that one of the council people bought into this, and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
[00:47:13] So I want to walk back through this passage and look at what Paul did because many people I know don't share their faith because they're not quite sure how to do it.
[00:47:26] We don't want to turn other people off by saying something dumb.
[00:47:32] We don't want to lose the opportunity with someone because we didn't handle it well.
[00:47:38] But I can tell you that if we handle it like Paul just handled it, there will be people that come to saving faith
[00:47:45] In Christ because of our desire to boldly proclaim Him before them.
[00:47:52] So let's look at this.
[00:47:52] Verses 16-21 is perceiving the cultural idols.
[00:47:57] This is what he was doing.
[00:47:58] He was perceiving the cultural idols that he had just walked into.
[00:48:03] He knew that he was a foreigner.
[00:48:05] He knew that they would know he was a foreigner.
[00:48:09] And so it says, Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city was full of idols.
[00:48:21] Paul wasn't sightseeing.
[00:48:23] He was spiritually burdened.
[00:48:25] The word provoked means deeply stirred like a fire within him was beginning to grow.
[00:48:31] And Athens was a city that was obsessed with knowledge and philosophy and art and yet beneath the beauty was a deep spiritual emptiness.
[00:48:43] You can see it on people's face.
[00:48:45] On the outside they look and act like they're really good but when you look into their eyes you can see that empty loneliness in who they are.
[00:48:55] Paul's reaction wasn't anger or disgust.
[00:48:59] It was actually compassion.
[00:49:02] He didn't rant about how bad things had gotten.
[00:49:05] He allowed what he saw to move his heart.
[00:49:09] And that's the first step for us, perceiving the idols of our culture with a compassionate heart.
[00:49:15] He reasoned in the synagogue, engaging the religious.
[00:49:20] He reasoned in the marketplace, engaging the secular.
[00:49:24] He even caught the attention of the Epicureans who were the pleasure seekers and the Stoics who were the rationalists.
[00:49:32] Paul was willing to go wherever people gathered.
[00:49:37] He didn't retreat into isolation.
[00:49:40] As followers of Jesus, we can't influence a culture that we don't see.
[00:49:46] We must look with spiritual eyes at the people around us.
[00:49:51] We must see the idols within our own city, our homes, and even our own hearts.
[00:50:00] What are the idols of today?
[00:50:01] It's not statues that we're putting out.
[00:50:04] It's not gold and things that we're building.
[00:50:06] It's different types of idols.
[00:50:08] Like here are a few to think about.
[00:50:10] The idol of self, where it says, I define truth.
[00:50:16] The idol of success, I am what I achieve.
[00:50:20] Or the idol of comfort, I deserve to be happy.
[00:50:25] When Paul saw idols, he didn't panic, he actually engaged.
[00:50:31] When we see confusion in our world, it's not a reason to retreat, it's an invitation to represent Christ in the middle of the chaos.
[00:50:41] This past Friday night,
[00:50:43] We waited at the end of our driveway for people in our neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods to walk up to us and talk to us.
[00:50:53] Here's a picture of what we do every Halloween.
[00:50:58] We serve popcorn.
[00:51:00] There's about three neighbors on our cul-de-sac that come out and everybody else, the lights are off, the doors are open.
[00:51:05] People walk all the way down from what I call the stop sign, you'd have to know our road to understand it, to the end of the cul-de-sac where we live to get popcorn.
[00:51:14] And I've got to tell you that Halloween night is not my favorite night.
[00:51:21] But this passage teaches me to do this.
[00:51:26] To engage where they are.
[00:51:29] The popcorn in our neighborhood is something that we have done for years.
[00:51:32] In fact, there was a young man who said, How long have you guys been doing this?
[00:51:39] Well, quite a while.
[00:51:39] And he said, I remember coming down here when I was a kid.
[00:51:44] and getting popcorn.
[00:51:46] We are able to meet neighbors.
[00:51:49] We are able to have conversations with people.
[00:51:52] Now, you say, well, that's great, Daniel.
[00:51:54] You're using that as an example.
[00:51:55] How many strong gospel presentations have you really had out of this?
[00:52:00] And I'll tell you, for me personally, zero.
[00:52:07] So, what does it do?
[00:52:08] Every year, my wife and I go, hey, are we going to skip this year or are we going to do it?
[00:52:12] And then we always are like,
[00:52:15] We're going to do it.
[00:52:16] We're going to continue to rub elbows with our neighbors.
[00:52:19] But let me tell you what it has done.
[00:52:22] We've had opportunity to pray with neighbors.
[00:52:26] We've seen neighbors out in the grocery store that go, Hey, you're the popcorn people.
[00:52:32] We're building a rapport with them so that we can have an opportunity one day, prayerfully, to share the gospel with them.
[00:52:42] It's being the hands and the feet
[00:52:45] Generosity begins here.
[00:52:47] Generosity begins with presence.
[00:52:49] Being present.
[00:52:51] I could have every excuse under the book as a pastor of the gospel to be able to say, Halloween night, I'm leaving town.
[00:52:59] I'm going to bar up the doors and I'm going to turn all lights off and I'm not going to do anything.
[00:53:03] I could have an argument to do that.
[00:53:06] But Paul didn't isolate himself from the idols.
[00:53:09] He actually used the idols to start a conversation.
[00:53:14] So that he could win the opportunity to share the gospel.
[00:53:19] Paul gave his attention, his time, and his heart for the people that needed to hear the gospel.
[00:53:27] So he proclaimed common ground.
[00:53:30] Verse 22-28, Men of Athens, he says,
[00:53:33] Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
[00:53:37] Paul's speech there is what's teaching us how to have missional engagement.
[00:53:44] He starts with observation, not accusation.
[00:53:49] He connects before he corrects.
[00:53:53] That's what's going on here.
[00:53:55] That's the example of who we are and what we're to do.
[00:53:58] He says, I even found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God.
[00:54:05] What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
[00:54:11] That is just brilliant.
[00:54:15] Hey, men of Athens, I can tell that you are a religious people.
[00:54:21] I have walked up and down your streets.
[00:54:23] I've seen altars.
[00:54:25] I've seen statues of many different gods.
[00:54:28] I can tell that you are seeking spirituality.
[00:54:32] But I noticed one of your statues said, To the unknown God.
[00:54:37] And let me tell you, I know who that unknown God is.
[00:54:44] That's just brilliant.
[00:54:46] Then he goes on, and after claiming common ground, they share a sense of mystery and longing for transcendence, so to speak.
[00:54:55] He leads them toward the one true God, and the way he does that is he quotes their poets.
[00:55:01] He still has them there.
[00:55:02] It says, In him we live and move and have our being, for we are indeed his offspring.
[00:55:08] Paul understood their culture but didn't compromise the message.
[00:55:14] You say, well, you know, if that's the argument you have, then it sounds like we need to compromise who we are as a people.
[00:55:20] No, I don't partake in what other people do because I'm trying to win an opportunity with them.
[00:55:26] I recognize their idols.
[00:55:27] I recognize the culture.
[00:55:29] And I let them talk about it and I don't shut them down immediately about it.
[00:55:34] I actually let them have their say and when the opportunity opens up, I will share where I am in my walk with Christ.
[00:55:43] Paul understood their culture.
[00:55:45] He didn't compromise the message and he met them right where they were to show them where they needed to go.
[00:55:52] That's why I say God loves us where we are and refuses to leave us there.
[00:55:58] That's everyone in the world.
[00:56:01] Everyone in the world.
[00:56:03] God loves us right where we are and He refuses to leave us there.
[00:56:07] He wants us to take the next step with Him.
[00:56:09] We live in a culture searching for truth in all the wrong places.
[00:56:14] People are not uninterested in spirituality.
[00:56:18] They're just uncertain where and how to find it.
[00:56:24] We can follow Paul's example by listening before speaking.
[00:56:30] Listening before debating and loving before confronting.
[00:56:36] It's not about us winning.
[00:56:39] It's about bringing that person on a path so that they will be willing to hear the gospel of Christ.
[00:56:46] I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand, but I am almost positive that if I said raise your hand if you have someone in your life that you know is lost, that probably 99% of this room would raise their hand.
[00:56:57] We all have people in our lives that we know are lost and we need to meet them where they are so that we can take them to where they need to be.
[00:57:07] Common ground doesn't mean common compromise.
[00:57:09] It means finding points of connection that open the door for gospel truth.
[00:57:17] Understanding.
[00:57:19] When we seek to understand someone's story or their worldview, before sharing ours, we reflect the patience and kindness of Christ.
[00:57:28] It's not weakness, it's wisdom.
[00:57:33] When someone goes, hey, I believe this, and we know that it doesn't line up with Scripture at all, we don't need to immediately jump on and go, well, the Bible doesn't say... We don't need to do that.
[00:57:43] We can say, hey, tell me a little bit more about why you feel that way.
[00:57:47] I would love to hear how you got to there.
[00:57:50] Allow them to share.
[00:57:51] Allow them to open up.
[00:57:52] Allow them to be able to talk about it so that common ground becomes a way to move them.
[00:57:58] Every conversation, every relationship, every act of compassion is an opportunity to reveal God's nearness.
[00:58:07] He says in verse 27, He is actually not far from each one of us.
[00:58:13] He's saying he's right here.
[00:58:14] That's the good news Paul brings.
[00:58:16] And it's still true for us today.
[00:58:19] The people that we know in our lives that are lost, we need to show them that God's not far away.
[00:58:26] He's right there.
[00:58:28] We just need to walk them to it.
[00:58:30] And so then he proclaims the gospel boldly.
[00:58:34] Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone is what Paul says.
[00:58:44] So here's kind of what he's doing after building a bridge of understanding, Paul crosses it.
[00:58:52] So he's kind of built this bridge of understanding so they can know that he's relating to them.
[00:58:57] He's not shutting them down.
[00:58:59] But then he crosses that bridge and he moves from dialogue to declaration.
[00:59:04] He's not condemning anybody yet.
[00:59:05] He's just saying, here's the truth.
[00:59:08] From philosophy to faith is where he's taking them.
[00:59:11] He boldly confronts their false ideas and points to the risen Christ.
[00:59:16] He patiently waited to share Christ, but he was going to get there.
[00:59:22] He was going to always get there to point them to Christ.
[00:59:26] The times of ignorance, he says, God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.
[00:59:36] That's not just ancient Athens, by the way, that's every generation.
[00:59:42] God calls us to turn from idols to Him.
[00:59:46] Paul finishes with the resurrection, the event that separates Christianity from all other faiths in the world, even to this day.
[00:59:55] The one thing that makes our faith different than any other faith in all of the world, in all of history, and in the future to come, is a risen Savior.
[01:00:11] Verse 31 he says, He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
[01:00:26] Some mocked when he said this.
[01:00:29] Some just made fun of him.
[01:00:31] Others delayed, but a few believed.
[01:00:35] And that's always the pattern.
[01:00:37] The gospel is both confronting and inviting.
[01:00:42] We need to know that.
[01:00:43] Some people you're going to share the gospel with are going to mock you.
[01:00:46] Some people you share the gospel with are going to delay.
[01:00:49] But some people you share the gospel with are going to step into faith in Christ.
[01:00:56] Standing firm in a shifting culture means we don't water down the truth to be accepted.
[01:01:02] We declare the truth because we've been accepted by grace.
[01:01:07] We speak boldly but with humility.
[01:01:11] We live differently not to condemn but to compel people toward Christ.
[01:01:18] And as this world shifts, our foundation remains Jesus Christ crucified and risen.
[01:01:27] True loving of other people is not measured by what we give but who we give.
[01:01:35] Paul gave them Christ, the ultimate gift of truth and life.
[01:01:41] So let's take a look at this pattern.
[01:01:43] I told you it was a master class.
[01:01:45] You can actually pull out of this the master class of what he's done here in a chart that I've put together.
[01:01:51] that we can go through very quickly.
[01:01:52] Let's look at this chart.
[01:01:54] I don't know if you can see it or not because it's a lot in there, but I'll read through it very quickly.
[01:01:58] The first column is movement, the second column is focus, the third column is key truth, and then the last column is core gospel theme.
[01:02:06] So I'm just going to go through in that direction.
[01:02:08] The connection.
[01:02:09] The movement was connection.
[01:02:10] He connected with them.
[01:02:12] And then he showed common ground.
[01:02:14] Hey, we're both spiritual people.
[01:02:16] What the key truth was.
[01:02:17] What you worship as unknown, I proclaim.
[01:02:21] And then it's to start where they are.
[01:02:24] So if you've got someone lost in your life, you start where they are.
[01:02:28] You don't try to start where you are because they're not there yet.
[01:02:31] You start where they are to be able to share the faith with them.
[01:02:33] Next was creation.
[01:02:35] He went there with, that's what I call the full gospel.
[01:02:37] He went all the way back.
[01:02:38] Because they have all these gods and everything that they're, these false gods that they're worshipping.
[01:02:42] He went back and said, I know the one that actually created all this anyway.
[01:02:46] He took it all the way back to the very beginning.
[01:02:48] God made all things.
[01:02:50] God is Creator and Lord, and He's showing His authority.
[01:02:54] That's what He's doing.
[01:02:55] He's establishing that.
[01:02:56] Next was Providence.
[01:02:58] God sustains all life.
[01:03:00] He gives life and sets boundaries.
[01:03:01] Remember He said in the text, He's the one that gives you breath.
[01:03:06] Everybody that's breathing, everyone that's alive, this God that did it, this one you're calling the unknown God, and then Dependence.
[01:03:13] So He created all things, He's authoritative over everything, and we need Him to be alive.
[01:03:20] Then it's Revelation.
[01:03:22] God can be known.
[01:03:23] He is near and relational.
[01:03:26] Incarnation is what he's talking about there.
[01:03:28] Then accountability.
[01:03:29] God commands repentance.
[01:03:31] He is holy and just.
[01:03:32] Sin and repentance was the theme there.
[01:03:35] He walked them to that.
[01:03:37] It's not just a God that created.
[01:03:38] It's not just a God that sustains.
[01:03:40] It's not just a God that we needed.
[01:03:42] It's a God that is going to judge.
[01:03:45] And we need to repent before him.
[01:03:47] If we don't, then we're going to fall underneath that judgment.
[01:03:50] That's exactly the gospel of what he's talking about there.
[01:03:53] And then consummation.
[01:03:55] Christ is risen.
[01:03:56] Judge and Savior.
[01:03:58] The resurrection is proof.
[01:03:59] Salvation through Christ.
[01:04:02] One of the best and clearest gospel presentations that I think you can find in the book of Acts with a brilliancy is right there.
[01:04:13] of what He unfolded for us, of how we're to influence the people that are in our lives.
[01:04:21] So what we need to do is kind of a call to examine our influence in other people's lives.
[01:04:31] You know the Great Commission, go therefore and make disciples.
[01:04:36] was not just spoken for the apostles' ears only and they were the only ones that needed to do it.
[01:04:42] It was spoken for every believer to follow suit.
[01:04:48] We, as believers in Christ, are supposed to be going to make disciples.
[01:04:54] Can I share something with you?
[01:04:56] I believe, and I have said it many times, discipleship begins before salvation.
[01:05:05] We find common ground with that person that's lost.
[01:05:08] They're spiritual.
[01:05:08] You know how I know they're spiritual?
[01:05:10] Because God created them and they're made in His image.
[01:05:13] So they're spiritual.
[01:05:14] They just don't know yet that somewhere down the path your relationship with them is going to bring them to a divine appointment to where you have won the opportunity to share the gospel with them.
[01:05:26] And I think here's something we've done wrong in the American culture.
[01:05:29] Well, you know, I really like this person.
[01:05:31] I love hanging out with them.
[01:05:32] And if I have a Christian conversation with them, it's going to ruin the fun we have.
[01:05:39] You know, when I say it up here like that, it sounds really awful, doesn't it?
[01:05:43] But it's kind of how we live.
[01:05:45] I don't want to turn them off.
[01:05:49] Understand, created in God's image, they're lost, and they're spiritually looking.
[01:05:54] They just don't know where to look.
[01:05:56] And if we remain silent, we're not truly their friend.
[01:06:04] So we need to find common ground, get them talking about the things of faith, find out who they are in their faith.
[01:06:10] Have they ever thought about faith things?
[01:06:12] If not, why?
[01:06:13] And then allow that to start building up to a conversation that takes them down a path.
[01:06:19] This week, by the way, we're having a week of prayer.
[01:06:22] It's our third annual week of prayer.
[01:06:24] It's going to be Monday through Thursday at 6 a.m. And it's going to be in the Youth Center from 6 to 7.
[01:06:31] We'll have coffee.
[01:06:32] We'll have something to eat as you go out the door.
[01:06:35] And we hope you'll come.
[01:06:36] We're going to pray for the ministries of this church.
[01:06:39] We're going to pray for our local partnerships.
[01:06:41] We're going to pray for our international partnerships.
[01:06:44] We're going to pray for the Pathway Project.
[01:06:46] We're going to pray for one another.
[01:06:47] And we're going to pray for the lost people in our lives.
[01:06:52] So I'm hoping you can be here.
[01:06:53] 6 a.m.
[01:06:54] I know it's early.
[01:06:56] I'm setting my alarm a little bit earlier than normal and it makes me a little bit sleepy-eyed by the end of the week.
[01:07:01] And then we're going to end the week on Friday night with an advanced commitment night of worship and communion as we move forward with where God's taking us.
[01:07:10] Luke allowed us to see a part of Paul's life here that showed that
[01:07:19] He was living in a culture that was full of idols, and we need to look at the idols that are in our own lives first.
[01:07:28] Here's some questions that we can ask.
[01:07:30] What idols compete for my attention or affection?
[01:07:36] We all have them, by the way, so don't say, well, I don't have any idols in my life.
[01:07:40] Okay, lying is your first idol.
[01:07:45] Image, maybe that's what you're going for.
[01:07:46] Maybe image is your first idol.
[01:07:49] Where have I been silent when I should have spoken truth and love?
[01:07:54] And how might God use me this week to represent His heart in my world?
[01:08:01] Your circle of influence.
[01:08:04] Your opportunity to win a gospel conversation with other people.
[01:08:14] Seek the idols of our culture with a burdened heart.
[01:08:17] Seek common ground to share the truth and speak the gospel boldly and compassionately.
[01:08:24] That's who we should be.
[01:08:26] The gospel is still unstoppable.
[01:08:31] Let's pray.
[01:08:34] Father, thank you for this passage that shows us how you, through your Spirit, called Paul to boldly go into a group of people he had never spoken with before to share the gospel.
[01:08:47] Help us to be encouraged in it, to understand that there are some steps we can take to begin to win others over to that conversation.
[01:08:55] So help us flip the script on our relationships that we have with others, to be present with them, to talk with them, to laugh with them, to find out what the common ground is so that we can lean into an opportunity to share the gospel with them.
[01:09:12] And then when that time comes, for some it may be this week.
[01:09:16] When that time comes, give us boldness to not compromise the truth, but to share it with humility and love.
[01:09:27] Father, I look forward to you moving in hearts this week to allow us to have an opportunity to see your grace and your faith in us as your people moving forward.
[01:09:39] In Jesus' name we pray.
[01:09:41] Amen.

[01:09:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Let's stand together.

[01:09:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.
[01:10:08] The greatness of mercy and love at the feet of Jesus We cry holy, holy, holy We cry holy, holy, holy
[01:10:33] Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb We fall down, we lay our grounds at the feet of Jesus
[01:10:59] The greatness of His mercy and love at the feet of Jesus We cry holy, holy, holy We cry holy, holy, holy
[01:11:23] Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb

[01:11:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
We want to say thank you for being here to worship with us today.
[01:11:45] And as we go, we do want to remind you we are back tonight for our Sunday evening equip time for our preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, and our adults.
[01:11:53] We'd love to see you this evening at 5.
[01:11:55] Also, we'd love to see you tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. We said earlier, we even got an extra hour of sleep kind of leading into the week.
[01:12:02] So, love to see you bright and early for that tomorrow morning.
[01:12:06] But as we go, I want to lead us in reading a verse together.
[01:12:09] from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and just being reminded of God's goodness and His grace that He is sending us out in this week.
[01:12:18] So let's read together 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58 where Paul says, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
[01:12:35] church families we go into our week be steadfast immovable abounding in the love of the Lord not because we can just do our own but because God's grace gives the ability and he sends us out to carry his love and grace and hope to others have a great week

[01:13:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
God of my future, you write my story, you hold it all to me

[01:29:37] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let's pray.

[01:34:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
There have always been people who led the way before us.
[01:34:07] Men and women who believed God could do more than they could see, and who gave so the next generation could know His presence.
[01:34:17] In 1 Chronicles 29, King David stepped forward first, giving generously so God's house could be built.
[01:34:26] When his leaders saw his faith, they gave.
[01:34:30] And when the people saw their leaders, they rejoiced and followed.
[01:34:35] That's how God's work has always advanced, through faith, generosity, and vision.
[01:34:41] And now it's our turn.
[01:34:43] On Friday, November 7th, from 6.30 to 7.30 p.m., we will gather for worship, prayer, communion, and commitment.
[01:34:52] It's our Advanced Commitment Night for The Pathway Project.
[01:34:55] You might be asking, why an Advanced Commitment if we have a Commitment Sunday scheduled for November 16th?
[01:35:03] Because moments like this build momentum.
[01:35:08] When some people step out first, it strengthens the faith of everyone else.
[01:35:12] Advanced Commitment Night is where vision becomes visible.
[01:35:17] Where we come together to pray, to worship, and to lead with faith.
[01:35:23] You know, even if you're not ready to make your commitment, come anyway.
[01:35:27] Come and see what God is doing.
[01:35:30] Because sometimes, just being in the room is how faith begins to grow.
[01:35:36] This night is more than about giving.
[01:35:38] It's about becoming the kind of people God can use to shape the future of Peninsula.
[01:35:46] So join us Friday, November 7th at 6.30 p.m. for our Advanced Commitment Night.
[01:35:52] Let's step forward together.

[01:36:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Well, good morning.
[01:36:02] It's so good to see you guys in God's house.
[01:36:04] Let's stand together and let's worship Jesus this morning.

[01:36:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
I would be hopeless without your goodness I would be desperate without your love Slave to the darkness if it wasn't for the cross You have won me
[01:37:00] With your kindness you chased me down when I was lost Where would I be if it wasn't for the cross?
[01:37:21] Hallelujah
[01:37:23] Thank you Jesus I was a prisoner now I'm not with your blood you bought my freedom hallelujah for the cross
[01:37:55] All my shame was met with mercy, and Your mercy received my song Oh the glory, oh the power of the cross
[01:38:21] Thank you Jesus I was a prisoner and now I'm not with your blood
[01:38:45] By your stripes I'm healed By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, it is done By your stripes I'm healed By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, it is done By your stripes I'm healed
[01:39:13] By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, it is done By your stripes I'm healed By your death I live The power of sin is overcome It is finished, hallelujah Thank you Jesus I was a prisoner
[01:39:47] with your blood you caught my freedom hallelujah for the cross hallelujah thank you jesus
[01:40:51] Hallelujah Thank You Jesus I was a prisoner Now I'm not With Your blood You bought my freedom Hallelujah for the cross

[01:41:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
If you remain standing, we're going to have prayer here in just a moment.
[01:41:28] It is because of the cross.
[01:41:29] And only a people who have been saved and redeemed can say the word Hallelujah for a cross.
[01:41:36] Right?
[01:41:37] And so we get together to worship and to praise Him today.
[01:41:40] Today we're coming out of Acts chapter 17.
[01:41:42] We're going to be getting a master class in how to share the gospel with other people from Paul.
[01:41:47] As Luke recorded, Paul going into Athens.
[01:41:49] I'm excited about this particular text.
[01:41:51] This particular text changed the way I interact with people in the culture, and I'm hoping that we'll get the same out of that.
[01:41:59] You know, the culture says that mountains can't be moved, but they don't know our God.
[01:42:04] Amen?
[01:42:05] And that when we're coming into life facing hardships, facing difficulties, it's the mention of the name Jesus that changes things in our own hearts, but changing things in our own lives as we continue to worship
[01:42:16] After the prayer, let's sing out praising the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords together.
[01:42:21] Will you go with me to the Lord in prayer?
[01:42:23] Father, we thank you so much for your grace and mercy that allows us to be able to claim redemption to the Creator of the universe.
[01:42:32] Father, we praise your name for sending your Son.
[01:42:35] And Jesus, we thank you for saving us and for the Spirit sealing us to be
[01:42:40] God bless you.

[01:43:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]:
They say this mountain can't be moved They say these chains will never break But they don't know you like we do There is power
[01:43:43] We've heard the tide will never change They haven't seen what you can do There is power in your name So much power in your name

[01:44:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
God we believe God we believe for it from the impossible we'll see a miracle
[01:46:11] and we believe

[01:46:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
We did this song last week.
[01:46:53] We're going to do it again this week.
[01:46:54] We're just going to keep worshipping Jesus.
[01:46:55] Amen.

[01:47:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
We could fill a thousand books with the stories of your goodness And still it couldn't capture who you are You've been faithful every age You are Alpha and Omega
[01:47:22] The greatness of your love sets you apart Oh let our worship sound like heaven Singing the words we'll sing forever Singing holy
[01:48:01] In the highest, in the highest Since before the dawn of time You've had endless choirs of angels All singing out Your praises on and on
[01:48:27] And let every living reach join the song
[01:49:02] Praise the Father, praise the Spirit, praise the Risen One He who was, He who is, He who is to come Praise the Lion, praise the Lamb for all He is and all He has done Let's sing these words forever
[01:49:28] Praise the Father, praise the Spirit, praise the risen one He who was, He who is, He who is to come Praise the Lion, praise the Lamb for all He is and all He's done We'll sing these words forever We'll sing these words forever We'll sing these words forever
[01:50:38] And we're singing glory

[01:51:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
You may be seated.

[01:51:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
We are Marshall and Erica Allen.
[01:51:22] We've been coming to Peninsula for right at a year now and we had really been searching for community and so we knew a couple people here and happened to visit one Sunday and from that point forward we never left.

[01:51:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We really wanted to find a church that we could do a small group on Sundays, so that was one big appeal.

[01:51:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Yeah, I think our station in life had shifted a little bit.
[01:51:46] Our girls were starting to get a little bit older, and so we were looking for a church where we could kind of grow as a family and be a part of it, not just on Sunday mornings, but actively throughout the week and do life with other people.

[01:51:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
My name is Connor Reddy and this is Scarlett Reddy.
[01:52:02] When I first started coming here, from the second I walked in the doors, I was just blown away with how welcoming everybody was.
[01:52:10] The smiles, the invites, just everything really just brought me in.
[01:52:16] And it encouraged me to kind of delve into some of the other opportunities that Peninsula offers just between the Connect classes, the volunteering opportunities, and even just the conversations in the hallways.
[01:52:30] It all just brought me in and really encouraged me to grow in my fellowship, which ultimately really propelled my faith a ton.

[01:52:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
Hey guys, I'm Kevin Modlin and this is my wife Kelly.
[01:52:44] We've been members of Peninsula for about nine years now.
[01:52:48] We visited Peninsula.
[01:52:51] Our daughter Katie loved the youth and that was sort of the hook for us, so Peninsula became a really good fit for her and the youth and also for us.

[01:52:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I recently just finished six years as a youth leader and helped launch a wonderful group of kids out into the post-high school world.
[01:53:07] I think Kevin, who's got
[01:53:10] Four or five years in, we also help serve the youth on Sunday mornings in more of a serving waffles kind of capacity.
[01:53:18] So I think the youth is kind of what started us here and everyone at Peninsula has kept us here.

[01:53:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Going to a Connect class really makes it intimate where you get to know these people and walk with these people and understand their lives.
[01:53:31] So that's why I really love going to Archonnect class because we're really able to grow relationships with everyone in that class and when we welcome new people in they really get somewhere that they can feel safe and known and it helps introduce new people to the church as well.

[01:53:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Building relationships with people is so hard we can't do it by ourselves and so being able to be a part of those groups and know that you have people that have your back that have the same beliefs and can give you solid godly advice when when you need it and kind of help steer us in the right direction is so important to us as not only as individuals but as husband and wife and as a family.

[01:54:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
We're so excited about the Pathway Project and we've just already started talking about how we're going to get involved and be able to support this initiative.
[01:54:20] We truly think it's just such a big opportunity for the entire congregation to get involved and be able to spread what God has done for us inside these walls and inside our own hearts into the community around us.

[01:54:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I'm looking forward to more space, more people, more involvement.

[01:54:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
For us, somewhat selfishly, the youth situation isn't perfect at the moment, but we're able to power through that, and I know the youth are as well, because we know greater things are on the way.

[01:54:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
I think volunteering downstairs, we've already seen, at least like with Emmy's class, they've already had to split it up.
[01:54:57] I know that the current kinder class is already split up.
[01:55:01] If the kids keep growing, which clearly it is, where are they gonna go?
[01:55:06] Like, if we don't build, where are they gonna go?
[01:55:09] So, I mean, the need is there.
[01:55:12] We can't keep getting so crafty with the upstairs.
[01:55:14] So, I mean, I'm excited to see what it looks like.

[01:55:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
I think anytime you start to talk about change, change can be scary, it can be a little bit uneasy, and it looks like it's going to be a big plan, but I know we serve a big God, and so I'm really excited to see how this all comes together and how God uses us, not only here in Morrisville, but the greater kingdom as well.
[01:55:38] So I think there's just tremendous opportunity here, and I'm excited to see kind of how God uses the church, the people within it, and this community as well.

[01:55:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
I want to say thank you to those three couples that were willing to share and one of the common threads that I heard as they were talking about was the connection that they felt here the fellowship the community they have with one another and as we grow we want to make sure that we're not turning anyone away from that community so we want to create space for people to
[01:56:14] Be able to be equipped and to connect with one another and do life with one another as one of them put, other people in your life that believe like you that have your back.
[01:56:24] I thought that was a good way to put it.
[01:56:25] And so as we walk through this faith journey together, looking forward to what this Pathway Project is going to bring forward as we unveil a little bit more of what God's doing through our own lives.
[01:56:37] This Monday through Thursday we're having our annual, third annual week of prayer.
[01:56:42] It's Monday
[01:56:42] We're going to pray for the lost friends in our lives and we're going to pray for one another.
[01:57:11] Hopefully you can come and be a part of that, but it's from 6 to 7.
[01:57:14] Then on Friday night we're having our advanced commitment for the Pathway Project.
[01:57:19] So excited, big week ahead of us.
[01:57:22] But before then, we're going to finish out Acts chapter 17.
[01:57:25] Does that sound good?
[01:57:27] So we're going to walk through that together.
[01:57:30] About 15 years ago I read this article that said that the trends...
[01:57:39] The cultural trends change about every eight years.
[01:57:43] Well, that was 15 years ago.
[01:57:45] And then about, probably about seven years ago, an article came out that said the cultural trends are changing about every two years.
[01:57:54] And then I'm waiting for the article to come out to say that currently the cultural trends are changing every day.
[01:58:02] How do we keep up with what the cultural trends are?
[01:58:04] How do we keep up with what people are worried about or what people are dealing with?
[01:58:11] When I was thinking about this message and cultural trends, I had to laugh at myself.
[01:58:16] When I first entered the ministry, I entered into youth ministry.
[01:58:20] I was a youth pastor for many years.
[01:58:22] And when I first entered into the ministry, I tried to keep up with the cultural clothing trends.
[01:58:28] That whatever was the hottest thing you wear, the shoes, the shirt, whatever it may be, how you wore those, I tried to keep up with that cultural trends.
[01:58:35] I learned two things about myself.
[01:58:38] Number one, I could not afford to keep up with the cultural trends.
[01:58:42] It was just way too expensive.
[01:58:44] The second thing that I learned that I was never really cool enough to pull it off.
[01:58:49] Although I thought I was, and so once I learned that about myself, I kind of like just settled into about five good strong outfits.
[01:58:56] You know what it is.
[01:58:57] You've got 30 outfits in your closet, but you go back to the same five every time.
[01:59:01] Because, you know, and so I don't know why I just don't clean the rest of those out and give them to Goodwill or something.
[01:59:07] When I was thinking about clothing, I was talking with Kimberly.
[01:59:09] She was reminding me of some really funny, funny things.
[01:59:12] So, I told you that I entered into youth ministry at the very beginning.
[01:59:18] and I was single and so I was just doing my thing then I got married and after I got married I was doing a Bible study with about 30 teenagers and we were just sitting around the room talking everything serious and everything and all of a sudden in the middle of the Bible study this one guy raises his hand and I'm thinking to myself why he's really getting into this Bible study he's got something really cool to say but no it had nothing to do with the Bible study whatsoever this is what he said to me he said
[01:59:46] Hey, can I make a comment?
[01:59:47] And I said, yeah, sure, go ahead.
[01:59:48] He said, since you've been married, you like dress really nice.
[01:59:57] I was like, really?
[01:59:59] But here's the funny thing about that.
[02:00:01] I'm slightly colorblind, and so my problem has always been matching things, especially close colors.
[02:00:07] I can't match them.
[02:00:07] And so if I ever clash, if you ever see me wearing anything that's like, that outfit just clashes, just know that it didn't pass the Kimberly inspection before I went out the door.
[02:00:17] When I was in college, I was majoring in music and I was a voice major, and every quarter within a semester, twice a semester, I had to sing what was called a student recital.
[02:00:29] So I had to perform a piece in front of the student body in the morning.
[02:00:33] And so that one day I had sang my piece that morning, going through my whole entire day, saw Kimberly that night at her dorm and was talking to her and everything.
[02:00:42] And all of a sudden she steps back and she goes, what are you wearing?
[02:00:45] And I said, well, she goes, how long have you been wearing that?
[02:00:48] And I said, well, since breakfast.
[02:00:49] She went, oh my word.
[02:00:51] She said, nothing you're wearing matches at all.
[02:00:54] And here I am horrified thinking that I stood up in front of the student body with this bright light shining on me, not matching.
[02:01:00] So I was like, we need to get married so you can fix that.
[02:01:05] Is that a good way to propose?
[02:01:07] Keeping up with cultural trends is difficult.
[02:01:11] We don't know what the latest argument is, but there is one common thread that we can pull that has been across all the generations.
[02:01:19] We know for sure that those who are walking with Christ and believing in Christ have a need to share their faith, and those who are not walking with Christ are lost.
[02:01:36] Lostness is the number one problem in this world period.
[02:01:42] That's the problem.
[02:01:44] Everything that we are dealing with in our culture today stems from lostness.
[02:01:52] It is Christ that's the answer and Paul walks into Athens into the middle of lostness
[02:02:02] And he doesn't react how we tend to sometimes in today's modern culture on our social media and things.
[02:02:08] He didn't react in a negative, put you in your place way.
[02:02:12] He actually had a heart for what was happening there.
[02:02:17] So I want to talk a little bit today of how do we stand firm in our own shifting culture.
[02:02:23] And there is a simple way that Paul kind of paints it out for us today as we look at this in Acts chapter 17.
[02:02:32] Before we do that, though, as I was thinking about Paul walking into Athens, trying to put myself in his shoes of what he was experiencing, the closest thing that I could find, although I know it's on a much larger scale, was about 15, 16 years ago, I was able to take a group of teenagers to a mission project in New York City.
[02:02:52] And during one of the evenings while we were there,
[02:02:56] They said, hey, do you guys want to go to see Times Square?
[02:02:58] And I was like, yeah, I want to go see Times Square.
[02:03:00] I've never seen Times Square before.
[02:03:02] So we went, and on one end is the big where they drop the apple at New Year's, and then on the other end is a set of risers that you can walk up on and just sit down on these risers and just observe.
[02:03:14] This is a picture from those risers.
[02:03:17] And there's no need for street lights, by the way, because of all the billboards and everything that's hopping.
[02:03:23] I sat there for an hour just absolutely dumbfounded by what I was seeing.
[02:03:30] At first, I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing.
[02:03:32] I was just...
[02:03:32] Just looking at scurrying, cross-cultural people just coming and going and acting like they had somewhere to be.
[02:03:39] But I'm thinking, it's 10 o'clock at night.
[02:03:41] Why are they in a hurry?
[02:03:42] Where are they going?
[02:03:43] It was just crazy.
[02:03:44] The things that was popping up on the billboards, begging for attention.
[02:03:49] They have figured out a particular algorithm of the amount of time that something needs to be on the billboard and how it needs to change to grab your attention.
[02:03:59] So if you ever go to Times Square and you're standing in the middle of Times Square and suddenly you go, what is going on over here?
[02:04:05] And you look at one of the billboards, their algorithm worked.
[02:04:09] It got your attention.
[02:04:10] Everything's vying for that attention and trying to pull on it.
[02:04:14] I had to kind of think that on a much smaller scale and not with the lighted billboards, this is kind of a similar setting that Paul walked into.
[02:04:24] Multicultural people scurrying around.
[02:04:26] A lot of things on the streets that he's going to point out in this text that we're going to talk about.
[02:04:30] Just this idea of embracing a culture that's flashy all around him.
[02:04:37] So let's look at this particular scripture text.
[02:04:39] Many of you have already read.
[02:04:40] Let's walk through it now and kind of see what we can pull out of this of how we're supposed to be sharing the faith with other people.
[02:04:49] Verse 16.
[02:04:50] Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, remember he called for Silas and Timothy to come, and now he's waiting for them in Athens, but he wasn't waiting idly.
[02:05:00] He was actually waiting and allowing the Spirit to speak to him.
[02:05:03] It says his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
[02:05:09] I want to pause there and throw a challenge out there for us to think through.
[02:05:14] There are two things that rise to the top for me when I see that the Spirit provoked him.
[02:05:20] The first thing is that what we're going to see after this, what's going to follow is the Spirit's guiding in what Paul does and we can learn from that.
[02:05:29] We can learn from what he does and we can take note and we can do the same because it was a Spirit-led thing.
[02:05:35] The second thing I had to ask though is this.
[02:05:39] We really need to explore this question.
[02:05:43] When is the last time the Spirit of God
[02:05:49] has provoked us because of someone else's lostness.
[02:05:56] Have we gotten cold to the lostness around us?
[02:06:01] Because I guarantee that if I were to ask you to raise your hand, which I'm not going to, but if I were to ask you to raise your hand, how many in this room has someone in their life you know is not a believer, 98% of the room would raise their hand?
[02:06:17] And so what do we do with that?
[02:06:18] Do we wait for the Spirit to provoke?
[02:06:22] Are we sensitive to the Spirit provoking?
[02:06:25] Verse 17, So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
[02:06:36] Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him, and some said, What does this babbler wish to say?
[02:06:44] I'm going to pause there for just a second.
[02:06:47] I kind of wanted to see what they meant.
[02:06:49] We translated the word babbler.
[02:06:52] I wanted to see what the original word meant.
[02:06:56] Can I just tell you, it was not a compliment.
[02:07:00] They were being pretty mean about Paul.
[02:07:04] When they said babbler, they were actually saying he was like a crow picking up crumbs.
[02:07:11] Like they recognized him as a foreigner and he's over there just kind of like saying his thing and they're like, what?
[02:07:16] Who is this babbler that's just going on?
[02:07:19] But it didn't stop Paul.
[02:07:20] That's what I want to point out.
[02:07:23] That we're going to get that kind of reaction when we share our faith with other people.
[02:07:26] We're going to get that kind of reaction.
[02:07:29] We're going to get that attitude of, what are you going on about?
[02:07:33] Why are you still talking about this?
[02:07:35] You're going to get that attitude.
[02:07:37] Remembering that the Father draws people to himself.
[02:07:42] And so when we are sharing the gospel with other people, we're testing the waters to see if the Father's drawing them.
[02:07:50] And for those he's not drawing, they're going to go, what are you babbling about?
[02:07:53] What are you going on about?
[02:07:55] Don't be offended by that, by the way.
[02:07:58] The Father hasn't got them there and you never know when you might reach someone it is.
[02:08:01] As others said, he seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
[02:08:11] And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus.
[02:08:17] How do you say that?
[02:08:19] I just say that differently.
[02:08:21] Aeropagus.
[02:08:22] Aeropagus.
[02:08:23] That's the word I was looking for.
[02:08:24] Aeropagus.
[02:08:25] The reason I wanted to stop there was not because I couldn't pronounce it.
[02:08:29] The reason I wanted to stop there is because that actually pertains to not only a place, but it pertains to a people.
[02:08:36] It was talking about the people that were of the council.
[02:08:40] They were
[02:08:41] The stately people that were leading the city, the mind thinkers that were there.
[02:08:47] So it's not only a place, it's also the people saying, May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
[02:08:57] For you bring some strange things to our ears.
[02:09:01] I'm going to use that this week sometime.
[02:09:02] When somebody says something I don't get, I'm going to go, you're bringing some strange things to my ears.
[02:09:07] I cannot wait to use that.
[02:09:09] Probably be somebody in my family, so brace yourself.
[02:09:13] We wish to know, therefore, what these things mean.
[02:09:16] Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
[02:09:24] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said,
[02:09:46] What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
[02:09:50] The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by men, nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
[02:10:09] And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him.
[02:10:26] Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being.
[02:10:34] As even some of your own poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring.
[02:10:43] Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art of imagination of man.
[02:10:54] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.
[02:11:02] Why?
[02:11:03] Why has He overlooked it?
[02:11:04] Because now Jesus has come.
[02:11:06] Jesus has died and Jesus has rose again.
[02:11:09] This is what's changed.
[02:11:11] Because he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
[02:11:26] Paul just separated himself from every other religion that was there.
[02:11:31] With that one statement.
[02:11:33] And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked.
[02:11:38] But others said, We will hear you again about this.
[02:11:42] So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius, the African...
[02:11:52] This guy was a part of the council.
[02:11:54] I'm not even going to try to say that again because I'm butchering that thing and I can't get my brain to click on it.
[02:11:58] So what I'm saying is this was someone who was a part of the council.
[02:12:03] So someone that had influence in...
[02:12:05] The city and the woman named Demarius and others with them.
[02:12:12] So Paul steps into a crowd of people who doesn't know anything at all about Christ.
[02:12:22] Apparently, as he's talking to them, it kind of indicates they've not even heard the news of a risen Savior.
[02:12:30] And so he is leaning into this and he's going to walk them through it.
[02:12:34] So I want to walk back through this and show how he does this and then we'll break it down on how we can present the gospel to other people.
[02:12:43] Number one, perceiving cultural idols.
[02:12:48] Perceiving cultural idols.
[02:12:50] It says, Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
[02:13:00] Paul wasn't sightseeing.
[02:13:03] He was spiritually burdened for the people there.
[02:13:07] The word provoked means deeply stirred.
[02:13:10] There was a fire rising up within his heart.
[02:13:14] Athens was a city that was obsessed with knowledge, philosophy, and art.
[02:13:20] And yet beneath it all was a deep spiritual emptiness.
[02:13:25] You know those kind of people.
[02:13:27] They look put together on the outside, but when you talk to them and you look them in the eye, you see the emptiness.
[02:13:34] You see the kind of the longing in their heart.
[02:13:38] And you want to be able to tell them what it is, but sometimes you just don't have that opportunity to share at that moment
[02:13:44] Paul's reaction, it wasn't anger or disgust.
[02:13:48] It was compassion.
[02:13:50] He didn't rant about how bad things had gotten.
[02:13:54] He allowed what he saw to move his heart.
[02:14:00] That's the first step for us, perceiving the idols of our culture with a compassionate heart.
[02:14:07] He reasoned in the synagogue, engaging the religious people.
[02:14:11] He reasoned in the marketplace, engaging the secular people.
[02:14:16] And he even caught the attention of the Epicureans, who are the pleasure seekers.
[02:14:21] Their motto is, Eat, live, and be happy today, for tomorrow you surely die.
[02:14:27] And then the Stoics, who were the rationalists.
[02:14:31] Paul was willing to go wherever people gathered,
[02:14:35] And He didn't retreat into isolation.
[02:14:39] And as followers of Jesus, we can't influence a culture that we don't see.
[02:14:46] We have to see it.
[02:14:47] We've got to look with spiritual eyes and we need to identify the idols of our city, of our home, and even our own hearts.
[02:14:58] Here are three examples of what the idols might be for us today.
[02:15:01] The idol of self, which says, I define truth.
[02:15:06] The idol of success, which says, I am what I achieve.
[02:15:10] And then the idol of comfort that says, I deserve to be happy.
[02:15:16] You might say, well, that's good.
[02:15:18] I don't really have any idols at all.
[02:15:21] I just don't have idols in my life.
[02:15:23] And I would say, well, your first idol is lying.
[02:15:27] or Image.
[02:15:28] Your first idol is Image because you're thinking that you're above the need for a Savior when you say that.
[02:15:35] Paul saw the idols.
[02:15:36] He didn't panic.
[02:15:37] He actually engaged.
[02:15:40] When we see confusion in our world, it's not a reason to retreat or to run from it.
[02:15:46] It's an invitation to represent Christ.
[02:15:50] This past Friday night was Halloween, and our family did something that we do every single year.
[02:15:56] We've been doing it for many, many years.
[02:15:58] We allowed our neighborhood to walk up to the end of our driveway at the end of the cul-de-sac so that we could engage them in conversation.
[02:16:07] This is what we did this past Saturday.
[02:16:10] Friday, I mean.
[02:16:11] We serve popcorn every Halloween.
[02:16:16] Can I tell you that Halloween is not really my favorite day of the year?
[02:16:21] In fact, Kimberly and I every year talk to one another about, are we going to do that this year?
[02:16:28] But we do because we want to be present.
[02:16:33] We want to have a presence with our neighbors so that they can learn a face, they can learn a name.
[02:16:40] You might say, well, you do this and you give out popcorn, and it is so that our names can be known, we can learn their names, we have people from other neighborhoods coming over.
[02:16:52] We had one young man say, how long have you guys been doing this?
[02:16:56] And we said, well, a long time, I don't know the number of years.
[02:16:59] And he said, I remember coming here when I was a little kid.
[02:17:02] and Getting Popcorn.
[02:17:04] Another little kid said, this is all we have set up by the way.
[02:17:07] We have a few pumpkins over in front of our door and everything.
[02:17:10] That's all we have set up is just the popcorn and a few pumpkins.
[02:17:15] And every year a kid or two says, this is the best house in the neighborhood.
[02:17:21] It's just like, yeah.
[02:17:22] I've seen people out and about and talk to them and they go, oh, you're the popcorn house.
[02:17:26] So we're known as the popcorn people, I guess.
[02:17:28] I don't know.
[02:17:29] And you might ask, well, how many gospel conversations have you gotten because you've done this?
[02:17:35] And I'll just be completely transparent with you.
[02:17:37] Zero.
[02:17:41] But at least I'm putting out there the opportunity.
[02:17:45] I don't know what's going to come of this, but I'm telling you I'm willing to play the long game.
[02:17:50] That if 10 years from now I run into somebody and they go, oh, you were the house on the end.
[02:17:54] Why did y'all do that?
[02:17:56] Why did y'all do popcorn and everything?
[02:17:59] Or maybe we sense the difference in how you interact.
[02:18:02] I don't know what it'll be.
[02:18:03] I don't know if God will use it in that way.
[02:18:05] Perhaps God has us do this because it reminds me every year for weeks after I have a greater sensitivity to the lostness in the world.
[02:18:17] Because I can see it in a lot of their faces when they're talking.
[02:18:21] I can hear it in the conversations they have.
[02:18:24] It reminds me.
[02:18:25] Maybe God is having us do this because He's just reminding me that I'm not above that.
[02:18:31] Because somewhere out there, someone shared the gospel with me.
[02:18:37] If you are a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ, what if
[02:18:42] The people who shared the gospel with you would have remained silent or isolated themselves away from you.
[02:18:51] We need to be thankful for those who are willing to share the gospel with us as the Father was drawing us.
[02:18:57] They could explain to us what it meant to be saved and how we could step into relationship with Christ.
[02:19:06] Presence, a willingness to step into the brokenness around us with grace and truth.
[02:19:12] Paul gave his attention, he gave his time, and he gave his heart.
[02:19:18] So that brings us to proclaiming common ground.
[02:19:20] This is one of the things he did.
[02:19:21] He claimed common ground.
[02:19:23] It says in verse 22, Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
[02:19:29] This is where the brilliancy of what Paul was doing through the guiding of the Spirit starts coming into play.
[02:19:37] Paul's speech to the people there are engaging them.
[02:19:43] He starts with observation, not accusation.
[02:19:48] He connects before he corrects.
[02:19:53] That's important for us, by the way, when we're wanting to share the gospel with people.
[02:19:57] We need to find that common connection, that common ground of what we have in common with one another.
[02:20:04] And he says, I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God.
[02:20:09] What therefore you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you.
[02:20:16] In other words, you have an altar that's to the unknown God.
[02:20:20] I'm getting ready to tell you who that unknown God is.
[02:20:22] I'm going to reveal that to you.
[02:20:26] That's how we present the gospel.
[02:20:29] There are people
[02:20:30] In this world, many people...
[02:20:33] In fact, I would say all people are not uninterested in spiritual things.
[02:20:41] All people have some interest in spiritual things.
[02:20:44] They're just looking in the wrong place.
[02:20:46] And they need someone that wants to engage them in conversation to point them to the things of God.
[02:20:53] Paul begins with common ground.
[02:20:55] There he shared a sense of mystery with them, that longing for transcendence, and he leads them toward the one God.
[02:21:01] In other words, he meets them where they are, and he's going to show them where they need to go.
[02:21:06] That's how you share the gospel with someone.
[02:21:10] You meet them where they are and then you start working and showing them where they need to go.
[02:21:15] With some people that might be a ten year process.
[02:21:18] With some people it might be a five minute conversation.
[02:21:21] You let the Spirit lead in that.
[02:21:25] Then he quotes their poets.
[02:21:26] He says, In him we live and move and have our being, for we are indeed his offspring.
[02:21:31] It kind of shows that they knew there was a higher power out there.
[02:21:35] They just didn't know what it was and Paul's revealing it to them.
[02:21:38] So he understood their culture, but he didn't compromise the message just to be liked by them.
[02:21:45] He met them where they were and then he showed them where they needed to go.
[02:21:48] That's why you hear me say, God loves us where we are and refuses to leave us there.
[02:21:55] We live in a culture searching for truth in all the wrong places.
[02:22:01] So we can follow Paul's example by listening before speaking, listening before debating, and loving before confronting.
[02:22:14] This is what Paul... Paul had nothing to gain or lose at this moment other than gaining more people into the faith.
[02:22:20] He wasn't going to be offended by being called a babbler because he knew he held the truth in his heart and he was looking for those who were being drawn to it.
[02:22:34] Common ground doesn't mean common compromise.
[02:22:36] It doesn't mean we have to step in
[02:22:37] To anything, any other idol, any other sin that other people are doing just to be liked by them.
[02:22:43] It just means you recognize, you hear what they've got to say.
[02:22:46] If someone says to me, well I believe such and such, instead of me saying, well I need to believe that too to win you, I say, tell me a little bit more about that.
[02:22:56] How did you get to that point?
[02:22:58] Where did you get that from?
[02:22:59] I'm very interested in where you got that concept from.
[02:23:03] You want to hear their story.
[02:23:04] You want to give them an opportunity to open up, to soften their heart, to be able to be open to the truth.
[02:23:10] Every conversation, every relationship, every act of compassion is an opportunity to reveal God's nearness.
[02:23:22] He says He is actually not far from each one of us.
[02:23:25] And that's the good news that Paul was bringing to them, and it's good news for today as well that hasn't changed.
[02:23:32] So then we look at proclaiming the gospel boldly.
[02:23:35] He says, Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone.
[02:23:43] He just challenged every altar out there, every idol out there.
[02:23:48] So this is kind of the flow.
[02:23:50] This is a longer sentence, but I want to walk through it.
[02:23:53] After building a bridge of understanding, that's what Paul did.
[02:23:57] After building a bridge of understanding, Paul crossed it.
[02:24:01] In other words, he built the bridge of understanding.
[02:24:03] Hey, I get where you're coming from there.
[02:24:05] I understand it.
[02:24:06] I can see that.
[02:24:07] That's a good argument.
[02:24:08] I hear this.
[02:24:09] That's the bridge.
[02:24:10] Then he crossed it.
[02:24:11] He moves from dialogue to declaration.
[02:24:15] I hear what you're saying.
[02:24:16] I can see that you're a people that's religious.
[02:24:20] He quotes their poets and then he crosses and he starts to say, but let me tell you who the unknown God is.
[02:24:27] From philosophy to faith, he boldly confronts their false ideas and points to the risen Christ.
[02:24:35] He does it kind of in a unique way too because he starts all the way back with
[02:24:39] He's saying that this God, the unknown God, is the one that created everything that you see anyway.
[02:24:47] And He walks through that.
[02:24:48] I'm going to show you how that flows in just a moment.
[02:24:51] God calls us to turn from idols to Him.
[02:24:57] Everyone.
[02:24:57] It's not just an ancient thing.
[02:25:00] It is for every generation.
[02:25:02] And Paul finishes with the resurrection.
[02:25:04] That's what gives us the opportunity.
[02:25:05] He says in verse 31, He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
[02:25:19] Some mocked, some delayed, but some believed.
[02:25:26] That's always the pattern of the gospel.
[02:25:28] It's both confronting and inviting.
[02:25:33] Standing firm in a shifting culture means that we don't water down the truth to be accepted.
[02:25:38] It just means we declare the truth by meeting them where they are because we've been accepted by grace.
[02:25:46] We speak boldly but with humility.
[02:25:48] We live differently not to condemn but to compel.
[02:25:52] Our lives
[02:25:54] should be to compel others to seek God through Christ.
[02:26:01] As the world shifts, our foundation remains Jesus Christ crucified and risen.
[02:26:08] All of Scripture comes back to that truth.
[02:26:10] All of Scripture points to our risen Savior.
[02:26:14] It's not what we give away, it's who we are giving to them, and it's Christ.
[02:26:19] So I want to walk through kind of the concept of how you share the gospel in this chart.
[02:26:24] You may not be able to see it from where you are, but I'm going to walk through it with you.
[02:26:28] Or you can get your binoculars out and look at it.
[02:26:31] You've got four columns here.
[02:26:33] The movement, the focus, key truth, and the core gospel theme that is going on.
[02:26:37] This is how we can share gospel with other people.
[02:26:39] And this is what you see Paul doing.
[02:26:42] First column is the movement.
[02:26:43] Connection.
[02:26:45] He makes a connection with them first.
[02:26:46] That's what you're going to do with someone who's lost.
[02:26:48] You're going to look for a way to connect to them.
[02:26:51] The second column is common ground.
[02:26:53] What are the things we do have in common?
[02:26:56] What is that transparency moment that we need to have with that other person to say, yeah, I'm human too.
[02:27:01] I'm in need of a Savior too.
[02:27:02] What is that common ground?
[02:27:03] The next one is what you worship as unknown, I proclaim.
[02:27:08] What you think you're seeking in this life, I've sought in this life too.
[02:27:13] But I found something better.
[02:27:14] I found something different.
[02:27:16] And then start where they are.
[02:27:18] That's the whole core gospel thing there.
[02:27:20] The next is creation.
[02:27:21] He goes all the way back to the gospel.
[02:27:23] And the reason he's doing that is because he's going to establish the authority of God.
[02:27:27] You've got all these idols, but there's one that allowed you to create these idols.
[02:27:31] It's kind of what he's saying.
[02:27:32] So you've got God made all things.
[02:27:34] God is Creator and Lord.
[02:27:35] That's his authority.
[02:27:37] So you start where they are, then you establish the authority of God, then you see the providence.
[02:27:42] God sustains all life.
[02:27:43] He gives life and sets boundaries.
[02:27:45] He gives you the breath you breathe.
[02:27:47] He's not as far away as you think He is.
[02:27:49] You're breathing today because God is allowing you to breathe.
[02:27:52] That's basically what Paul is saying, and that's dependence.
[02:27:57] So you start where they are, you show God's authority, then you show our dependence on Him, then Revelation.
[02:28:02] God can be known.
[02:28:05] He is near and relational.
[02:28:08] It's the incarnation.
[02:28:11] He came and dwelt among us.
[02:28:14] Emmanuel.
[02:28:16] And then accountability.
[02:28:18] God commands repentance.
[02:28:20] He is holy and just and we're not.
[02:28:23] It's basically what Paul is saying.
[02:28:26] Sin and repentance.
[02:28:28] A repentant heart is what brings about the movement of salvation in one's life.
[02:28:33] You have to repent of the sin.
[02:28:35] You don't just say, I believe in Jesus and move on and you never change anything.
[02:28:38] You repent of the brokenness that's in your heart.
[02:28:41] And then consummation.
[02:28:43] Christ is risen, judge and savior.
[02:28:46] The resurrection is proof.
[02:28:47] Salvation through Christ.
[02:28:49] This is the flow.
[02:28:50] This is how you walk through the gospel presentation with someone.
[02:28:56] Some people this week are going to have an opportunity to do this very thing with someone.
[02:29:03] And as soon as that person starts having a spiritual conversation with you, you're going to be like, where am I supposed to start?
[02:29:09] It's okay.
[02:29:11] Just be where they are.
[02:29:12] Find that common ground.
[02:29:15] And then reflect why you chose Christ and what Christ has done for you.
[02:29:20] And then allow the Spirit to do its work in that person's heart.
[02:29:26] As we head into this particular week, which is our prayer week for the next Monday through Thursday, I want us to have a reflective moment of asking questions of ourselves.
[02:29:38] Here are some questions that we need to ask based on this text for ourselves personally.
[02:29:44] What idols compete for my attention and affection?
[02:29:52] And I can't answer that for you.
[02:29:55] But you can ask that of God.
[02:29:57] What idols compete for my attention and affection?
[02:30:02] Second, where have I been silent when I should have spoken truth in love?
[02:30:07] That doesn't mean putting someone in their place.
[02:30:10] That means just telling the truth of the Scripture.
[02:30:14] Having the truth in our hearts and sharing with other people is a loving thing.
[02:30:19] How might God use me this week to represent His heart in my world?
[02:30:25] We all have a sphere of influence that we can lean into.
[02:30:30] This week when we pray, we're going to pray for, I've told you already, we're going to pray for the ministries of the church, we're going to pray for our local partners, we're going to pray for our international partners, we're going to pray for the Pathway Project, but we're going to pray for the lost people in our lives.
[02:30:49] That God would give us an opportunity to have a gospel conversation with those people
[02:30:55] Because all of this stuff in this world we cannot take with us.
[02:31:01] The only thing that we can take with us are other people.
[02:31:07] That's the only thing we're taking to heaven with us are other people.
[02:31:11] So do our priorities need to shift a little?
[02:31:15] What are we pursuing?
[02:31:16] What are we chasing?
[02:31:17] What are we wanting to gain next week?
[02:31:21] Maybe we need to look at it a little bit differently.
[02:31:25] So from Paul's example, we need to see the idols of our culture with a burdened heart.
[02:31:32] We need to seek common ground to share the truth, and we need to speak the gospel boldly and compassionately.
[02:31:40] And here's what we need to remember.
[02:31:43] The gospel is still unstoppable.
[02:31:49] Let's lean into it.
[02:31:51] Let's pray.
[02:31:54] Father, we thank you so much for your grace and your mercy.
[02:32:01] Father, I personally thank you for the people in my life that walk me down a path of understanding who you are and who Jesus is and my need for Him.
[02:32:13] Father, I thank you for the people that you've put in my life today that encourage me, that walk with me, that strengthen me and build me up.
[02:32:24] To help me to be able to face the world as I know it.
[02:32:29] But I also thank you for those people that I may come in contact with this week that do not know you.
[02:32:36] Help me to have a heart that explores whether or not you're drawing them.
[02:32:39] And if you are drawing them, the boldness and the courage and the patience.
[02:32:48] To flesh it out and to talk with them and to give them opportunity to ask questions and to seek your face.
[02:32:59] Father, you're bringing, just as it was spoken, as Paul pointed out, there's the boundaries of places and times and people's lives.
[02:33:07] You're bringing more people here.
[02:33:09] And we have opportunity to share with others the gospel.
[02:33:14] So challenge us as your people.
[02:33:17] To look for opportunities this week because there could very well be divine appointments this week.
[02:33:23] So thank you for the opportunity.
[02:33:24] Thank you for the stories to come.
[02:33:26] Thank you for your goodness.
[02:33:28] And thank you for holding us.
[02:33:32] In Jesus' name we pray.
[02:33:34] Amen.
[02:33:36] And then the gospel presentation always turns into a special presentation of baptism.
[02:33:42] Please turn your attention to the baptistry.

[02:33:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Good morning.
[02:33:47] What a privilege we have as a church family to be able to witness the death, burial, and resurrection, the picture of that in baptism of four folks here today who are proclaiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
[02:34:00] I'd like to introduce to you first, this is John Merlihan.
[02:34:05] I'll make sure I say his name properly.
[02:34:07] Come on in here, brother.
[02:34:10] John and his wife came to us from the Battle Creek, Michigan area.
[02:34:16] And they actually kind of made their way from the Michigan area down all the way here to North Carolina because John is a part of the Air Force National Guard.
[02:34:26] And because of that, he is, yes, amen.
[02:34:32] As because of that, he's a resident here in the Mooresville area, he and his family, and he's not too far back from getting from a deployment from guitar.
[02:34:40] And so we're just glad that you're here and that you and your family, family of five, but three of the five today are getting baptized, and you as the dad are that spiritual leader
[02:34:51] who are the who's the one who God has placed that wonderful responsibility of showing who Jesus Christ is in your life so you and your wife both what a privilege it is that you get a chance just to share these with these three wonderful little children that you have so John let me ask you a couple questions do you believe that Jesus has done everything to be able to save you has he done it all through the cross his death burial and resurrection amen he says yes
[02:35:19] Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin and put your faith and trust in Him to make Him the Lord of your life?
[02:35:26] Amen.
[02:35:27] Amen.
[02:35:28] Well, my brother, it is my privilege to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, buried with Christ in baptism, raised to new life with Him.
[02:35:47] Well, you met John.
[02:35:47] Now let's meet the better half.
[02:35:49] Her name is Paige.
[02:35:50] Come on in here, Paige.
[02:35:54] There we go.
[02:35:58] As I mentioned, they originated from the Battle Creek area, and they live here in the Mooresville area now.
[02:36:03] And actually, Paige is the one who heard about our weekday preschool.
[02:36:11] I'll get it out here in just a second.
[02:36:13] but she heard about this ministry that we have going on here every single week for five days and she just knew that she wanted her children to be a part of that and as a result of that they eventually became part of our congregation so they've been coming here for right around a year or so and we just praise the Lord that she and her husband now want to make this their permanent home as far as wanting to share with their church family what it means to be baptized
[02:36:40] And you get a chance to show that not only to your two little ones, but your daughter coming in right behind you.
[02:36:46] And it's all being led by mom and dad.
[02:36:49] Let me ask you a couple questions.
[02:36:51] Do you believe that Jesus has done everything for you for salvation?
[02:36:55] Amen.
[02:36:56] She said yes.
[02:36:58] And have you put your faith and trust in Him?
[02:37:00] Have you asked Him to forgive you of your sin and made Him the Lord of your life?
[02:37:05] It is my privilege to baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, baptized in Christ in His death, but raised to new life in Him.
[02:37:25] And because of the witness and the testimony of mom and dad, let me introduce you to the oldest of the three siblings.
[02:37:33] Her name is Allie.
[02:37:35] Allie, so good that you're here with us.
[02:37:36] Come on over here just a little closer.
[02:37:40] We're so glad that Allie is watching what mom and dad do in the home and is seeing an example that she wants to follow.
[02:37:47] So Allie, let me ask you a couple questions just like I did mom and dad.
[02:37:52] Do you believe that Jesus has done everything for you so that you can be saved?
[02:37:58] Yes, she says, emphatically.
[02:38:01] And as a matter of that, have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin and you believe in Him and you put your faith and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior?
[02:38:10] Oh, amen.
[02:38:11] Well, my sister, it is my privilege to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, baptized with Christ in His death, but yet she gets to live a brand new life in Him.
[02:38:31] A lot of rejoicing going on over here in this corner with this family.
[02:38:35] Now let me introduce you to one more.
[02:38:37] Our final candidate to be baptized.
[02:38:39] His name is Austin Matthews.
[02:38:40] Austin, he and his bride have been married for about a year.
[02:38:44] He's been coming here for a couple of years.
[02:38:46] As a matter of fact, Pastor Daniel did his wedding.
[02:38:49] He and his bride, her name is Ashley.
[02:38:51] She's sitting somewhere right there.
[02:38:54] Everybody wave at Ashley.
[02:38:55] Come on in here, brother.
[02:38:58] Austin and I have been in a very intentional discipleship relationship here recently, and it just kind of came up in conversation about baptism.
[02:39:09] He said, you know, I've never been baptized, but it's something that's been on my radar, something I've been thinking about.
[02:39:14] And perhaps that's some people sitting in this room today the same way.
[02:39:18] But Austin, I just told him, hey, you just think you pray about it, go home and talk to your family.
[02:39:24] And he texted me the very evening and just said, hey, I need to be baptized.
[02:39:29] And so I just praise the Lord for your obedience, brother, because that's what showing these folks the symbol of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, what a beautiful picture we get a chance to show the world.
[02:39:40] So Austin, let me ask you a couple questions.
[02:39:42] Do you believe that Jesus has done everything for you to be saved?
[02:39:46] Yes, sir.
[02:39:46] He has, that's right.
[02:39:48] Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin, put your faith and trust in Him, and made Him the Lord of your life?
[02:39:55] Oh man, what a privilege for me to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, buried in baptism with Christ, and raised to new life in Him.

[02:40:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Let's stand together and let's worship Jesus.
[02:40:19] Continue in worship.
[02:40:21] God is good.
[02:40:21] Amen.
[02:40:21] I always love seeing new believers and their profession of faith through baptism.
[02:40:27] And let's just continue in celebrating.

[02:40:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.
[02:40:48] The greatness of mercy and love at the feet of Jesus We cry holy, holy, holy We cry holy, holy, holy
[02:41:12] Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb
[02:41:23] We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus The greatness of Your mercy and love at the feet of Jesus We cry holy, holy, holy
[02:41:50] We cry holy, holy, holy We cry holy, holy, holy Is the Lamb

[02:42:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
We're thankful for you being here with us to worship today.
[02:42:16] If you're a guest with us as well, we want to say thank you for joining us.
[02:42:20] We'd love to have a chance to say hello to you, answer your questions you might have after the service.
[02:42:24] If we haven't done so yet, the easiest place to do that is our Welcome Center.
[02:42:27] It's kind of this direction, right inside our main entrance, and we'd love to greet you after our service.
[02:42:32] So we go just two quick things first don't forget tonight we start back with our Sunday evening equip time that's our preschoolers through our adults we'll all be back this evening at five and love to see you back for that and then also I would love to see you uh not in the evening but bright and early tomorrow morning uh 6 a.m uh for our week of prayer so we look forward to that um this week one of our staff members said what time do you have to get up I said 5 25.
[02:42:56] I said they were
[02:42:57] Not pleased with that.
[02:42:58] They're like, that's way late.
[02:43:00] I said, live close, and I'm a guy.
[02:43:01] I can get ready quick, okay?
[02:43:02] So come join us.
[02:43:04] We look forward to that.
[02:43:05] It'll be a great time as a church family just to get to pray for what the Lord is doing here.
[02:43:09] But for all of us, as we go into our week, I want to lead us in reading together from 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58, being reminded of how we are being sent out together this week.
[02:43:22] Where Paul writes, 1 Corinthians 15,
[02:43:23] 58.
[02:43:24] Let's read together.
[02:43:32] Church family we go out this week and we are sent out to carry the message and hope of Christ with us not due to our efforts
[02:43:44] But we go out with the steadfast, immovable, abounding love and mercy of Christ and His power with it.
[02:43:52] So in that we are sent out this week to take the message of Christ with us as we go.
[02:43:56] Have a great week.