Lesson 10 Review: Mission to the Unreached: Part 1

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “ ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built with hands’ ” (Acts 17:24, NIV).

Paul refused to be only satisfied with working among only his own people. He had been called to reach others as well. There are lessons from Paul’s attempt to reach people other than his own people which we will learn this week.

What lessons can we draw from Paul’s winding up in Athens?

As believers, we should not feel comfortable when we see people going in the way of destruction. As Paul, we are to seek to save these people on the path to destruction. God wants everyone to be saved even non-Christians. When reaching out to people whose background has nothing to do with “the Judeo-Christian” heritage, we need to adapt, we need to take an approach that might work fine, even as Paul did with the Athenians.

What were some of the different ways that pagans in the marketplace in Acts 17:18-21 reacted to Paul’s speaking and questioning?

Some said, “What does the babbler want to say?”, some said Paul was a proclaimer of foreign gods. He was brought to Areopagus.

What lessons can we learn from Paul’s experience in Areopagus?

Total reliance on God for gifts such as eloquence, passion, and intelligence is important, especially when promoting strange ideas to a people who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

What lessons can we learn from Paul’s use of the concept of the “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”?

Paul used an approach that was respectful, he told them about how he walked around and looked carefully at the objects of worship. He did not appear as one with all the answers that these people needed. Paul took advantage of what could be seen as common ground, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23, NKJV), Paul recognized the good side of these people, these people put effort into worshipping something. Christians can follow this pattern; we can find a talking point that will pique the interest of those we are trying to reach.

What are the concepts of Paul’s speech to the people of Areopagus?

1.       Paul first complimented their current spiritual awareness and sincerity.

2.       Next he showed that he had studied their belief and that he found some things that he respected from what they learned.

3.       He then told them about one particular thing that he had discovered in his study of their religion that they admitted they did not understand.

4.       After that, he shared the aspect of God that he knew they desperately needed, which is the fact that God exists and that He loves them and is not far away.

5.       Finally, at the end of his speech, Paul moved to warning them of what it means to reject the knowledge of this God they did not yet know.

How did the men of Areopagus respond to Paul’s speech?

The men of Areopagus took their first baby steps toward a God of love in contrast to the Greek mythology-in which the gods, were unpredictable, self-centered and cruel.

What powerful method of reaching people is highlighted in Thursday’s lesson?

In seeking to reach others, having a familiarity with what they believe and seeking points of common ground can be a powerful ground for reaching people.

What is the key in the story of Paul’s encounter with the Areopagus?

What is key in the story of Paul’s encounter with the Areopagus is that all of them listened, by listening, they would understand just what they are accepting or rejecting.

In Conclusion,

It is a powerful method to find common ground with the unreached people you want to reach and, in love, present your message. I pray that God gives us the wisdom to best reach out to the unreached in Jesus’ name.