Paul didn’t come to Athens as a sightseer but as a soul-winner.  He saw thousands in a religious city without a savior.  Let’s see what he did?

The city full of pagan ideas (16-21)

• A city of idols
  
• A city of philosophy
  

2 philosophies dominated in that time period, they tried to consider the meaning of life

               *Epicureans

They followed the ideas of Aristotle.  They taught that pleasure and the avoidance of pain are the chief end of man.  They did not deny the existence of the gods, but believed they did not interfere in the affairs of man.  They were taught to enjoy life now for there is no after-life. 

               *Stoics

They followed the ideas of Plato.  They taught that self-discipline is the greatest virtue.   They believed self-discipline came from being indifferent to both pleasure and pain, reaching the place where one feels nothing.  In contrast to the Epicurean’s Deism, the Stoics were pantheists. 

A city of architecture and art

• Areopagus
  
• Mars Hill
  

The communication to philosophical intellectuals (22-34)

• He shared God’s g_______________ as the creator (24)
  
• He shared God’s g_______________ as the provider (25)
  
• He shared God’s g_______________ as the ruler (26-29)
  
• He shared God’s g_______________ with a savior (30-34)
  

The consideration for practical interacting

   *4 ways to approach our culture with the Gospel

• Approach the Gospel from the audience’s p_______________________________ (22)
  
• Use the familiar to introduce the __________________ (23)
  
• Develop the theme _______________________ (24-29)
  
• Apply the truth to the ____________ of the audience (30-34)
  

   *3 common responses to the Gospel

• I_____________________ rejection (18) 
• I_____________________ acceptance (34)
• I_____________________ (32)
  

9-27-2020  Crosby Chapel

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