Communication changes with context, communication changes with context. In other words, you speak in a different way when you're within a different context. For example, what if Olympic announcers switched places with golf announcers? Right? Can you imagine watching the Olympics this, this past August and Caleb Dressel's getting ready to win. His race is like lane three first place, right? Or like, or the announcer going, he's walking up to the green, he could make it, he's going in. Yes, he grabs the putter. I mean, to be honest, it would make golf more exciting. But, uh, but you know that it would be crazy to, to see the exchange because it's a completely different context, right? Or what if, what if you spoke in a business meeting? How you speak to babies? Very different. Hopefully, context, right? Can imagine. Yes, you did send that email. Yes, you did. No, don't, don't, don't reply all don't reply all. No, don't do that, right? Like and like it would be kind of crazy, wouldn't it? And because communication changes, what if weddings were more like wrestling matches, right? Like instead of like elegant music walking out, it's like hardcore like a CDC du du du here comes the bridge and I went in like in the middle of the wedding, someone stands up and hit somebody else with a chair and it just starts going and, uh, it, now I think about it that would make weddings more exciting as well. Maybe we need to start this, you know, maybe you try it. If you try changing your voice with a different context and text me, let me know how that goes. But see context matters because if you are outside of your context, you might not hear everything that you were meant to hear in that moment. For example, this week, I was uh trying to undo the braids in my daughter's hair and I love being a girl. Dad. I have not mastered hair yet in any sense of the term. And so I can maybe do one ponytail and even that I struggle. And so I was trying to undo it and and my wife um did this really cool looking braid like not a normal braid ladies. I'm sure you have like thou 10,000 braids you can do. I didn't know there's really more than one braid you can do. And so she did this and I was like, wow and Chloe was like, wow, mommy doesn't mess and I was like, Chloe, you should go tell mommy that mommy doesn't mess. And so then she walks into the next room and looks at Samantha and goes, mom, you're a mess. I was like, hey, you didn't hear me and now I'm in trouble. Um So, no, um you know, sometimes we don't hear things correctly and, and we, we'd pass along something that wasn't intended by the original author. Well, why do I bring this up? Because in the word of God, the gospel never changes. But the methods to present the gospel does change based on the context And we're going to see an example of this change. And then we're gonna finish this morning's message and see. OK, how then can we best share the gospel in our context? Present day right here, North Phoenix Cave, Creek, Scottsdale Desert Ridge, right here in this area. How can we best present? What is the context that we're in? And so we're going to take a look at a very familiar passage found in Acts chapter 17 and Paul enters the city of Athens and we're gonna see, let me just give you the structure here ahead of time we're going to see in the first couple of verses here in verses 16 to 21. We're gonna see Paul's arrival and then we're going to see Paul's speech, his sermon, and then we're going to see the people's response. And so we're gonna, if you want to open up your Bibles, open up to Acts 17. If you do not have a Bible, we, we'd love to gift you one today and you can grab one on your way out there at the guest services table, but open up to acts chapter 17 and we're going to jump into it. But I want you to know that what I love about the story is that Athens, this place where this takes place is still here. Uh In fact, my sister-in-law just traveled to Greece like a month, two months ago. And so you can go and see you, you see a photo of the Acropolis, the really cool temple looking thing. And then we're gonna talk about the really Aus which is on a hill also known as Mars Hill right next to the acropolis. So you can see this temple in the background. And so you can travel to Greece, you can travel to Athens and you can see the very place where the passage we're about to read took place that we're not, we're not reading a myth, we're not reading fiction that we are reading history. And now I want you to understand the story that we talk about today took place here at Bars Hill in Athens overlooking with this temple in the background. And so you can just picture it as it goes. And so here we have, let's go ahead and start there in verse um 16. Now, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, waiting for Saul and for um or not Saul, he was Saulter and Paul, he was waiting for Silas and Timothy So he was waiting for his friends to come and continue ministry while he was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols, just imagine walking around seeing these massive statues in town. And so to understand Ath Athens that Alexander the great in the third century BC took over much of what was then seen as the modern world. And when he did that, he established Greece as this world center for language and Phil philosophical thought. So if you think of names like Socrates or Plato or Aristotle, this all comes out of this center. And in 146 BC, Rome overtook Athens overtook Greece. But at that point, its cultural impact had already reached the world. And so just how English is a well known language around the world, you can go into most countries speak English and someone's going to understand you. At that time, Greek was seen as the common language. In fact, the New Testament as we have, it was written in Greek for this purpose. And so Rome takes over Athens in 146 BC, but then leaves it as this theological educational center. So think New York City meets Boston meets Canada there. So there is, there's university, there is, there's learning, but then there's all these statues of all these pagan gods as well. And so Paul enters this town, everybody knows Greek, everybody knows this culture, but he sees all these different idols around the town. And so he, 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. And some of the epicurean and stoic philosophers conversed with him. Now I want to pause here. So Paul went to the synagogues. So with the religious people, then he goes to the marketplace and he speaks with the business people. And now he's speaking with the epicureans and the stoic philosophers. So now he's speaking to the academic people and I love this, that the gospel works in religion, in business, in academia, in health care, in blue collar, in communities, in sports and entertainment. The gospel works in every context. And so we see Paul reasoning in all these different places. And epicureans were these people that believed pleasure was the chief goal in life that your goal in life is to be as happy as you can. And that it's all about self. Does that sound like a culture we know today? And in the stoics, they loved nature, they were the tree huggers of the day, but also they believed in self reliance. Does that remind you of any culture today? Yeah. Uh America feels like the combination of these two, doesn't it? That it's all about pleasure and then self reliance and independence and free thought. So this is the setting. These are the people that Paul is preaching to. And this is very different than the early sermons of the church. In acts chapter two, the first sermon of the church, Peter preaches to a bunch of Jewish people who are just part of those who killed Jesus. And so when Peter gets up to preach, he can point to them and say you killed Jesus and all this old Testament stuff, all these things that you thought were about something else, they were about Jesus, but you can repent and be saved. And so he's very direct and he's speaking right to religious people. But acts chapter 17 is very different than Acts chapter two. Why? Because it's a very different context. We're no longer in front of a group of religious Jews who are looking for the messiah. We are now way far away in the city of Athens where everybody is seeking new knowledge, everybody is seeking new thought, new ideas, worshiping their own gods, focusing on self reliance and on pleasure. So notice his approach is going to be different. And so these epicureans and stoic philosophers conversed and said, what does this babbler wish to say to us the original language here? For the word babbler actually represents a bird almost like a chicken that pecks at grain on the ground. So they called Paul a bird or a chicken that pecks. You could almost say, ok, pa pa pa pa. All right, like this babbler who is this guy, I think he is just like giving us a new idea, a new thought. Ok? Just tell us then, oh, preacher, oh educated one because Paul was successful in academia and in religion and in business. And so he could speak into these different worlds. And he says he's preaching Jesus or it says others seem that he's a preacher of foreign divinities because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And then in verse 19, and they took him and brought him to the Arepas saying, may we know that this new teaching where we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting says for you bring strange things to our ears. Oh Paul, little old Paul, I don't know how tall he was. But um he's like, oh, this tell us something new, right? So this is strange. We wish to know therefore what these things mean. Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who live there would spend their time in nothing except telling and hearing something new. Doesn't that sound a little bit like social media today? For us? It's not the same. But how many of us are just waiting to hear something new, right? They, they spend all day just in their case, physically scrolling, see what I did there. All right. And uh through the latest teachings, there are the things called scrolls, you would roll them. I know the joke doesn't get better, the more you focus on it, but just let it sit for a little bit, you'll laugh on your way home. So they're scrolling through new ideas from, from academic world and pagan gods and all this stuff. And so Paul, here he is, he's gonna stand up and here's the sermon. It's gonna be very different than acts two. Why? Different context. And so Paul standing in the midst of the Arepas said, men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious for as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship. I found also an altar with the inscription to the unknown God. What therefore you worship as unknown. This I proclaim to you 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 if he needs anything. I love that phrase. He is not worshiped in temples made by man. Where is he standing again, surrounded by pagan temples? And then he says, he's not served by human hands. I am so grateful to everyone who served this morning this weekend, getting things ready. But what's interesting is that God actually doesn't need your service, change your heart. John Piper put it this way. The central message of the Gospel is not help, wanted. It's help is available mark 1045. It says that the son of man did not come to be served but to serve. So why did Paul say this? He's not preaching against service. But in fact, what he's saying is that your salvation does not come through knowledge. Your salvation does not come through service because God doesn't need anything. He doesn't need a temple. He doesn't need your service. He doesn't need your money. What he wants is your heart. What he wants is to give you life and forgiveness and purpose is that the God who spoke everything into existence did so to love you and to love me and to show you what is life it says since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything and he made from one man, every nation of mankind to live o on all the face of the earth. Having determined the allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. Athens was seen as a central figure in world history. You think of wars between them and Sparta and Persia. There's a lot of movies out there covering that, that they, they wanted to wrestle for this very valuable and beautiful piece of land. Well, Paul is coming in saying, look what you worship as unknown. I worship is known and how the Romans are currently ruling and how before that it was the Greeks and all these different leaders, God gave those allotted periods of time. It says then in verse 27 that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us for in him, we live and move and have our being. I love this part here. He say, no, you go to Jesus, not to, not just to get something, not because he needs something from you, but rather you go to Jesus because he is life and then he's gonna quote their own philosophers and poets back to them. I love that. He says, and even some of your own poets have said for we are indeed his offspring, verse 29 being, then God's offspring. We ought not to think that being the divine being is like gold or silver or stone. An image formed by the art and imagination of man. Again, remember this visual that he's preaching in front of says, the times of ignorance got overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent because 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 the raising him from the dead. He's referring to Jesus. So Paul's message starts out with connection. He doesn't come out shouting at him. He says, look, I've walked around, I've seen the idols, I've seen the gods. I see that you're very religious and that you're searching. Let me tell you about the God that you're really searching for. So he starts with connection. Then he moves to correction saying, hey, God doesn't need these temples. God doesn't need you to serve him because he came to serve and to give you and I life. And then he finishes with the gospel and with Christ and referring to Jesus about the resurrection. And so everyone's super interested and you got to think to yourself, ok, if you are Paul and you've lived this crazy life, you were the anti-christ, you were persecuting Christians. You had your hands in the religious world, the business world, the academic world, you get saved. Now you're preaching the gospel and you come in and you say here's Jesus. Now you could think to yourself man, every single person's gonna get saved, right? But let's see the response. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, huh? That's not a good start. But then others said we will hear you again about this, ok? I'll listen one more time. So some people are curious but then he goes on there and then it says, but some men joined him and believed and it lists the people in these verses and, and some join the movement. Do you know people responded to Jesus that way too. One example, John six, Jesus had just fed the 10,000 men potentially up to 20,000 people if you include women and Children and then he preaches that I am the bread of life. And a lot of people leave and then he turns to Peter and says, are you going to go too? And he says, where else am I gonna go? You have the words of eternal life. And it's interesting to me that this response that you see happen, happens with all of the disciples. Almost all the times that they preach some mock, some are curious, but some belief. And this is the response that we can expect as Christians that our focus is not on those who mock us, but rather those who want to hear more and those who are ready to respond. And so I don't focus on those who are against us. I focus on those who got us for and that who are going to respond. This is why we start the church. Why do I share this story today? If you're taking notes, write this down. Christ works in your context. Christ works in your family, in your friendship, in your job. It doesn't matter if you're ceo of a business start up or you're a construction worker, health care teacher, stay at home parent, whatever level you are, whatever level you engage with in sports, in music and entertainment. I promise you, Christ works in your context. Christ works outside of this political system, believe it or not. Christ works in different and outside of one particular political party. Some of the fastest growing areas in Christianity are in places where governments are oppressive to their people. And this is not a commentary on politics right now or on political parties. What this is saying is that Christ works in every context. This means for us that God has called us for this very moment in watching the Olympics, one of my favorite and also kind of confusing cause I don't really understand swimming that much. We got some swimmers in the room but uh are the medley, the the swimming medley where they had different strokes, different strokes for different folks. And so they were swimming and you got the, you know, you have the fly you have but you know you have the butterfly, you have breaststroke, you have the freestyle and, and you have these different people, men and women swimming different strokes. And so the idea was that you put the best person for that particular stroke for that rotation of the medley. Why do I sh share this? Because in the context of history, for whatever reason, God has chosen you and chosen me to swim the COVID lab. Like, have you ever at, at any point in the last year and a half? Have you ever thought to yourself? Man? I just wish this was done. I just, I just wish this was done and we were back to whatever normal was. I have. I've also had thoughts of man, God, I don't, I don't know what we're gonna do. Have you had that as a church? Where we're gonna meet, how we're gonna reach people, people aren't responding, people aren't interested. What, what's maybe you've experienced that health wise, job wise, relationship wise. And you just think God, I, I don't know what to do here, but I want to encourage you with this, that God has perfectly prepared and placed you for this very moment. What if it's not the trial? That's the issue. What if God actually is saying you're ready for that trial? What if it's not the trouble at work, but rather God has positioned you in work to bring light and to solve that problem, or maybe he's pushing you out of one situation because he's actually called you to something greater. I don't know what it is. But what I do know is that we don't have a God of coincidence. We don't have a God of just random chance. I do see a God of second chances and sec and thankfully, 3rd and 4th and 5th and 6th and 7th and 77 chances for some, right? And I see a God who works in every context. How amazing is it that we are reading a passage about a sermon that a former anti Christian religious business academic guy gave in the middle of Athens 2000 years ago to where people first mocked him. Can I ask you where, where is this Greek Empire today? Where's the Roman Empire, Babylonians or Persians? I mean, pick your empire? They come and go. But the word of God stands forever. And here's what I know church is that I, I don't know the future, but I know that God has called you and me to be a part of it. What a joy and pleasure it is to be a part of kingdom work. There is no greater calling in life than to bring the light and love of Jesus into your context. Your context might be very different than mine, your personality and skill set might be very different than mine. But what I can tell you is that God is perfectly prepared and positioned you to make an impact for k His Kingdom. And that our church is right where we're supposed to be, if we're willing to be obedient and to follow him, do you feel that? Do you sense that, that God is calling you into this moment and that you can preach Christ in your context? Acts 17 looks very different than acts two. Your context might be very different than the person sitting next to you. But what I do know this is that God is real. God is here and he doesn't need temples. He doesn't even need service. What he needs is your heart because he wants to give you life. I was driving home with my daughter after one of those monsoons and this is one of the crazy ones, you know where the the road stopped for a moment and it's weird storms in Arizona because in, in other places I feel like it storms and you can't see anywhere. But here in Arizona, in the valley you can like, be driving, pouring rain and then it just stops and then it's clear and you can see storms in the distance. You know what I'm talking about? We were driving and it was completely cloudy and then all of a sudden this one ray of sunshine burst through and it was the coolest looking thing. And what my prayer is is that us as a church body, us as a church, family will be like that ray of sunshine. You know, I don't, I don't know what the next election cycle is going to do. I don't know what the next variant is going to come and be. I don't know, I don't know what next storms are going to come down the path. But what I do know is that Christ is here, Christ is powerful. Christ is true and Christ works in the context. And so if we're looking for it, there's an opportunity for us to burst through the clouds and to bring light of Jesus into your marriage, into your parenting, into your friendships, into the neighborhood. And that you can actually preach Christ in such a way that connects with people and will everybody respond? No, but we have a God that's willing to leave the 99 to go after the one we have a God who is willing to accept both the religious son and then the rebellious son and welcomes back the protocol and says, come here my child. I'm gonna throw a feast for you. My, my kid is home. That is the God. We sing to, that is the God, we pray to, that is the God who is here and he gives us the spirit to fight the battles. God has prepared you for the battle that you're in right now. And you have enough to lean into Him to not only get through it but to overcome it and to see God's glory be a part of your story and then to tell others about it, I want to challenge you today to prayerfully consider who is it that you can reach out to, to join us next week. And if they're not going to step foot on a church campus, then that's ok because you are the church. And so where you are churches. And so that means that if you're in the workplace and they're not willing to come here, guess what? You're already there. Hey, your friend is at church because we take this with us and know that Christ works in your context and he has called you for this very moment. So let us be encouraged and strengthened because even in the midst of a society that focuses on pleasure that focuses on self reliance, we have a God who is here, who is true and who has risen. And if God is for you, who can be against you, let's pray dear heavenly Father. We thank you. We thank you for everybody here serving. But God, we serve not because we need to get something, but rather we want to give life to one another just as you have given life to us. And that card you are holy and you work in every context and that you've called us at this very moment right here. When we think of a way to communicate your life and your love and your truth with the people around us and when we capture and swim this lap, swim this post COVID middle of COVID, whatever variant we're in at this point, lap. May we do it to the best of our ability and with the power of your spirit within us because God, you work in each and every season and so may we embrace the challenges. May we embrace our battles? You have prepared us and called us for this very moment. So let us go with boldness and courage. Let us look for opportunities to invite people to experience church, to experience something they've never had before. And if they never step foot in a church service where we just show them what the love and the light of Jesus looks like with how we treat them and how we love and how we speak and how we're different. May we be a blessing to others because God, you have first blessed us and we embrace this moment. Take hold of the eternal life to which you've called us in and to recognize that you have made us for right now. You have given us the strength we need for right now. There are people who are battling health issues. There are people who are battling financial issues. There are people who feel broken from a relationship issue. God may you be present and real in their life? Because the reality is is that you have made them and sustained them in the highs and the lows that you are here with each one of us. And when we walk out these doors living not just as a dismissed church service, but as sent missionaries into our workplace, into our communities, into our neighborhoods, onto our sports team, into our schools, into the different areas all to bring your light God, you are true and you are loved. You are a life and we embrace that life today and your son's name, we prayed man.