This summer the Lord has allowed me to facilitate a most exciting study. God has given me a new friend who has a heart for the lost, and she invited many of her friends who have summer homes here. In the beginning I heard so much skepticism, but that is changing. These are women that often have what the world thinks we need to be happy: beauty, wealth, and prestige. Yet this summer they are realizing their need for Jesus and God is transforming hearts. My friend, like Paul, saw their real need and had compassion.
It’s so fun to witness heart transformations. This isn’t just for becoming a Christian, but growing in Him, something I see God doing in us here on this blog.
This week Keller shows how to have the kind of heart Paul had, and the kind of heart Jesus has. For indeed, it’s all about the heart. Remember Paige’s series: It’s the Heart, Stupid!
Next week we will prepare for Paige, and the following week dive into Paige.
Sunday:
- How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
Monday: The Text
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Tuesday: Feeling what Paul Felt
Keller quotes John Stott today. Stott is often considered the founder of evangelicalism. I saw Christ in him — the love, the humility, the wisdom, and the passion.
Stott said:
“The reason we can’t speak the way Paul speaks is that we can’t see the way Paul sees , and the reason we can’t see the way Paul sees is we don’t feel the way Paul feels.”
Begin listening and reading. Here is a link to the sermon. Start at 19 minutes:
Now somebody’s going to say, “Okay, tell me. How do I do this?” There are three answers, but they’re mainly principles. Here’s what you get. First of all, look at what Paul felt. He was greatly distressed. The first thing I’m going to tell you by way of practical application is when you go to the Bible, some of us are so practical that we’re impractical, and we miss what the Bible says.
In general, when you ask the Bible for guidance, when you say, “I need guidance. I need to make this and that decision. I need to know whether I should go to school or not go to school. I need to know whether I should marry this person or not marry this person. I need to know this. I need guidance. How do I do it?” In general, the Bible does not tell you how to get God’s guidance; it tells you the kind of person who discerns the will of God.
We don’t like this. We’re very Western. You say, “How can I face death? How can I face suffering? How can I have the wisdom? How can I understand these things?” The Bible continually says, “Here’s the kind of character, here’s the kind of heart, here’s the kind of person who works through these things.” You say, “But I need this tomorrow. Wait a minute, the kind of person, character … You’re talking about reflection, you’re talking about prayer, you’re talking about habits of heart, you’re talking about time. I need this tomorrow!”
How Western. How sad. So let’s get started. It probably means you won’t be ready for tomorrow, but if you don’t get started now, you won’t be ready for next year, or the year after that, or the year after that. Most of you are young. Now look. The first thing we learn here is Paul had deeply complex feelings.
John Stott, a commentator on the book of Acts and this passage, says something like, “The reason we can’t speak the way Paul speaks is that we can’t see the way Paul sees, and the reason we can’t see what Paul sees is we don’t feel what Paul feels.” The feelings … I know this is going to be incredible for some of you to hear a Presbyterian talk about feelings, but the first principle is you must have the feelings Paul had if you’re going to be effective in the marketplace.
Now the trouble with this word is it’s a word that is kind of hard to translate. Every translation will do it differently. If I give it to you in the Greek, the literal Greek doesn’t help much, because it’s the word paroxyno, from which we get our word paroxysm, which means a seizure. That tells us something about the depth of the feeling, but it doesn’t really tell us about the nature of the feeling.
A lot of people think it means he was just simply angry. That’s not what it means. You’ll find, if you do a careful study, that this word tends to be associated in the Greek Old Testament with places where it talks about how God feels when he sees people worshiping idols. But when God says, “This provokes me,” when he talks about his feelings, he says, “The reason I am so provoked, the reason I am so distressed, is that I am a jealous God.”
People really react to the places in the Bible where it says God is jealous, because when we think of jealousy, we think of the kind of selfish jealousy. We think of the proud jealousy that says, “I don’t like you because you have something I want.” But there’s a healthy jealousy, there’s a pure jealousy; there really is.
In fact, the biblical word for jealousy, the idea of a jealous God … I think we know it, but it is so profound because it shows us that love is not just sweet feelings but thunderous feelings. If you love somebody and you see them ruining their life, or if you love somebody and you see somebody wooing them in the wrong direction, you don’t just say, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh …” You get mad.
Listen, the opposite of love is not anger. The opposite of love is indifference. Anybody who has ever been deeply in love, just filled with love for somebody or something, knows that there’s a sweetness, you’re melted, you’re filled with compassion and you’re filled with indignation all the time. If you’ve loved children, if you’ve loved a spouse, if you’ve loved parents … It’s both.
You see, the reason God says, “I am continually provoked in my heart when I see you worshiping idols …” That’s the complexity of love. On the one hand, he’s outraged at the dishonor, but on the other hand, jealousy means, “I love you. I want you in my arms. I don’t want you in the arms of that.” When Paul was filled with great … This is all in this word greatly distressed. Paul has a deeply, deeply complex and very strong mixture of both indignation and compassion. It’s both, it’s both, it’s both. You have to have both.
- What, according to Keller, is the opposite of love?
- Paul was jealous for them, as God is jealous for us. How can jealousy be a good thing? Give an example of a good kind of jealousy.
- Why can’t we be both in the arms of an idol and the arms of Jesus?
- What else stands out and why?
Wednesday: TRUTH AND TEARS
See, on the one hand, you can see the compassion, because … What did he do out there in the marketplace? Did he get up? Did he say, “You dirty idolaters”? It says he reasoned; he dialogued. He did such a good job, actually, that he was invited in to talk to the Areopagus. These were the philosophers; these were the culture-brokers. If you go ahead, if you read, you’ll see that his speech starts out very civilly, very, very respectfully. So there was compassion; there was gentleness. But there’s also indignation.
Here’s why Paul was effective. If you’re not filled with indignation, you will not have the courage to do what he did. If you are only filled with indignation, you won’t have the gentleness; you won’t be able to give people the impression that you care about them. You won’t be able to get into their questions. You won’t be able to understand them. They won’t feel respected. They’ll turn you right off.
Do you remember the place in John 11, where Jesus comes to Mary and Martha, whose brother Lazarus just died? One of the most astounding insights I got when I listened to a tape on this once, was that Jesus walks up to Mary, and Mary says, “If you had been here, he’d be alive,” and he wept. That’s all Jesus did. He just wept. And Martha comes up to him and says the same thing: “If you had been here, my brother would be alive.” And Jesus says, “I am the life.”
In one case, he’s filled with tears. In the other case, he gives a stern lecture. Here’s why. Jesus Christ is a man just as much made of truth as of tears. That’s not true of the rest of us. We all have our temperaments. Some of us are full of sweetness, and some of us are full of thunder, but nobody does them both well. Some of us are great at the ministry of tears; some of us are great at the ministry of truth.
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
Here’s what I want you to know. If you are only one or the other, if you are only indignant or compassionate, you won’t change anybody’s life. You’ll go out in the marketplace and you’ll be utterly ineffective. What’s the solution? Let me say something to both Christians and to people who are not sure where they stand.
First of all, Christians, I want you to know something. If you go by your natural proclivity, if you follow your natural temperament here, you will be ineffective, and you won’t make good choices in the marketplace. Ninety-eight percent of everything we say publicly … Ninety-eight percent of all our public expressions of Christianity in the public realm are either obnoxious or cowardly. Paul was neither, because he was filled with holy, loving jealousy. We’re not. We’re either too afraid to open our mouths, we’re too cowardly, or else when we do, we’re obnoxious. We’re filled with either indignation or compassion.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
You say, “How in the world do we overcome that?” The answer is this. This is how Paul must have done it. Paul said to the Corinthians, “When I first came to you I was filled with fear and trembling [which is, by the way, the first right thing], and I resolved to know nothing but Christ and him crucified when I was among you.” Paul looked at the cross. He burned it into his heart.
Somebody says, “Why? What does that mean?” I’ll tell you why. The cross is the only spot in any religion that shows us a God who is so utterly, completely, relentlessly, absolutely, and infallibly holy that he has to pour out wrath and divine justice on evil and sin, and at the very same time the cross shows us a God who is so absolutely, completely, utterly, relentlessly, perfectly, and infallibly loving that he’d do it on his own Son rather than lose us.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
Thursday: ONLY CHRISTIANITY HAS TRUTH AND TEARS
If you don’t have a cross in your understanding, if you say, “I don’t understand the cross” or “I don’t believe in the cross …” If you don’t have a cross in your religion, you will either have a moralistic religion or a relativistic religion. You will either have a God who is very demanding, and that’s it, “Live up or else,” or you’ll have a God who is so completely accepting but whose love for us cost him not a thing.
8. Explain why Christianity alone has both truth and tears.
A moralistic or relativistic view of God, a thunder religion or sweetheart religion, never has changed anybody. Never. Only the cross. Only the gospel, that Jesus Christ had to die (God is that holy), and Jesus Christ had to die (he’s that loving). When that is burned into Paul’s heart, it turns him into the thing that basically we’re not.
Now you say, “I thought you were going to tell me how.” No. I said sometimes we’re so practical that we’re impractical. The Bible says this is the kind of person who will make smart decisions out there: a person filled with holy jealousy, loving zeal, somebody who thinks so highly of God and so highly of people that he wants them in each other’s arms, and he’s outraged and he’s broken-hearted until he sees it. That’s what you have to do.
I said I want to say something here to people who aren’t sure they believe. Do you know fanatics? I guess you do. I understand the latest polls show that 75 percent of Americans would not like to have a fundamentalist living as their next-door neighbor. Considering what I think most people think of when they think of the word fundamentalist, I probably would say the same thing.
9. Do you think your neighbors are glad to have you as a neighbor? Why or why not?
But here’s what I want you to think of. Surely you’ve been turned off by Christians who were clumsy in their expression, who were harsh, who sounded condemning, and so forth. You see people who say, “I’m a Christian,” and they do things like that. What do you think the solution is? You’re absolutely right to be turned off; you’re absolutely right to be upset. What do you think the solution is?
The reason I’m bringing this up is I’m using this as a little learning tool for you. I think what’s very typical is people say, “Yeah, the gospel. Yes, Jesus Christ. That’s fine. But don’t go overboard. That’s fine, the gospel, cross, Jesus, fine. But be more moderate. Don’t go overboard. Fanatics are people who go too far.” No. See, this shows that you don’t understand Christianity.
I’m not saying you have to accept it here today. I wish you would, but I do insist you understand it. Anybody who says they’re a Christian and is harsh or condemning … Their problem is not that they’re too fanatically devoted to the gospel but that they’re not fanatically devoted enough, because the real gospel I just gave you is the only place, the only religion, the only spot where we see a God who is not more fundamentally holy than fundamentally loving.
If you understand the real gospel, that turns you into somebody who is both thundering and sweet, somebody who is absolutely gentle, because look at Jesus. Somebody who is a fanatic in the sense of being harsh, you know, the person you’re worried about … that person isn’t too much like Jesus; they’re not enough like Jesus. They see the Jesus who says, “I’m Lord of heaven and earth,” but they don’t see the Jesus who says, “A bruised reed I will not break. A low-burning candle I will not snuff out in my ministry to you.” They see a moralistic or a relativistic … They don’t see the whole picture.
Martin Luther King Jr. understood this. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up against racism, and how did he do it? Every New Yorker loves Martin Luther King Jr. I wish they would listen to him. What did Martin Luther King Jr. say? Did he get up and say, “Do you know the trouble with racism? Do you know how we can deal with racism? People are too religious. You’re overly religious; you’re overly into this Christianity. We need to get rid of that. That will get rid of bigotry”?
Absolutely not. What did he say? He said racism is not in line with the gospel. He said to the churches of the South, “You’re not being true to the gospel. Get more gospel-oriented. Go to Jesus more. Be more fanatically like Jesus Christ.” Do you see? He understood. Anybody who looks harsh (and probably they are) and condemning, and you say, “They need less of religion …” Maybe they need less of various religions, but not of Christianity. They need more.
If you think a person who is absolutely sold out for the gospel … if you think a person who is in a sense obsessed with what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross is a boring person, if you think that person is insensitive, is harsh, is going to always make you feel small, you haven’t met one who really has. It’s not that they’re too fanatical; they’re not fanatical enough. Those are the people who are effective in the marketplace.
10. Are you fanatical enough to lay down your lives for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive?
Friday: What Paul saw and did
What did he see? He saw idols under everything. You say, “Of course he saw idols.” He was distressed because he saw idols. Heck, you go to Athens today, you’ll see idols everywhere. There’s Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. There’s Ares, the god of power and war. There’s Apollo, the god of music and art. There’s Bacchus, the god of fraternities. You can go to all of these and say, “Of course, they were out there. They were statues. You know, everybody can see them. They were statues. They were all there.”
But that’s not what the word see is. The text could easily have used a simple Greek word for see, blepo or something, just “take a look.” But the word Luke uses to describe what Paul was doing there is the word theoreo, the word “to theorize” or “to get underneath.” What the gospel will do, and this is actually the key to working out how to be a Christian in the public world …
Paul saw that underneath all the art, underneath all the business, underneath all the government, underneath all the philosophy, were idols, that the real problem with the world is not the bad things but the good things that have become the best things. He saw what we should see, and this is how it changes the way we do things, that under every personality are idols, under all psychological problems are idols, under every culture are idols, under all moral problems are idols, under all social problems are idols, under all intellectual problems are idols.
I’m going to do a Q and A afterwards, and if somebody really wants to press me on this I’ll spell it out. First of all, theoreo means he saw underneath everything. This is how a Christian does it. When Naaman went back and said, “I’m going to go into the temple of Rimmon, but I’m not going to sacrifice to Rimmon,” somebody says, “That’s awful,” but you see, boy, he was smart.
What was the god Rimmon? It was the god of Syria. What are we talking about here? Here’s what’s going on. They were worshiping their country. Rimmon was the god of Syria. They were worshiping Syria. The reason there was so much bloodthirstiness in the old days was that everybody had their own god, and therefore, they saw themselves as superior to other people.
Here’s what Naaman said: “What I’m going to do is go back and be the prime minister and serve my country, but I will not worship my country.” It’s very typical for Christians to make a big mistake here. Some people know that they’ve made an idol out of their career. Apollo is the god of art, right? Is there anything wrong with art? No. Is there anything wrong with worshiping art? Yes. How do you worship art? When you say, “This is my whole meaning in life.” And artistic acclaim is, for me as an artist, what gives me an identity.
Is there anything wrong with business? Is there anything wrong with competition? Is there anything wrong with a party (Bacchus)? But when that’s where I get my integration point, when that’s where I get my meaning, when that is the thing I live for … My dear friends, the gospel shows us that everybody is worshiping something. You don’t use the word worship, but you’re living for something.
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
Let me put it to you this way. Everybody has something that, if they lose it, means they won’t even want to live life anymore. Whatever that is, is the thing you’re worshiping. Now here’s what Paul did. Paul said, “I can get out now, and I can recognize and understand how everything changes.” You’re a Christian, and you suddenly realize now that you’re saved by grace and not through your being an artist. What are you going to do?
You can run away and say, “Oh my gosh, the art world! Oh my word, look at all these people … Look at that! Look at all the hubris! Look at the people who get their very definition from being artists! Look at how they look down their nose at everybody who’s not! Look at how they live and die by what the critics say! Look at all that! I want nothing to do with that!” So you pull on back.
Naaman didn’t do that. On the other hand, he didn’t just go back and say, “Now I have peace in my private life.” He says, “I will serve my country, but I will not worship my country. I will serve in my career, but I will not worship my career.” If you have to run away from something that used to be an idol, you’re actually still enslaved to it. You shouldn’t just be emancipated; you have to be even emancipated from your emancipation. It’s not enough just to say, “I’m free from that,” meaning, “I can’t even be involved in it anymore.”
You have to say, “Jesus Christ is my glory, is my beauty, is my goodness, is my righteousness, is my love, is my meaning.” Then what happens? You’re going to do things differently than other artists. You’re going to dance differently than other dancers. You’re going to do business differently than other businessmen and women, because like Naaman, you’re going back into the temple, but you’re letting people know, visibly and in your heart, everything you’re doing is for God. God comes first.
Do you think that Naaman was as bloodthirsty as he would have been before? Do you think he was the racist he was before? How could he be? Because now he had the God who is the God of all human beings. His live wasn’t broken into pieces the way paganism does it, but his life was united in a whole. Dear friends, Paul saw idols under everything. If you want to understand the intellectual trends in your field, see the idols. If you want to understand what’s going wrong with your field, see the idols. If you want to understand dysfunctional families, see the idols.
I watched Great Expectations the other day (the 1946 version, the good one). Here’s Miss Havisham, and she is miserable. Why? Because she has made an idol out of marriage. Here’s Pip, and he’s miserable. Why? Because he made an idol out of Estella. Estella is miserable. Why? Because she has made an idol out of her emotional independence. She will not give her heart to anybody.
And why does she have that as an idol? Because Miss Havisham raised her up that way, because she hates men, because of her idol of marriage, to wreak vengeance on the male gender with Estella, the beautiful Estella. That’s life. Idols beget idols beget idols, and Paul said, “With the gospel I could look underneath, and I could see everything. Suddenly I figured it out, and I knew how to go about everything differently. I listen to music differently. I respond to my neighbors differently. I do my job differently. Everything is new.”
12. Choose one of the above examples from Naaman or Great Expectations and explain the idol beneath the sin.
He preached Jesus and the resurrection. I guess this is just 60 seconds on this. What did Paul actually bring out in the marketplace? First of all, he brought out the objectivity of Christianity. He was willing to get up in the marketplace and say, “Resurrection.” He was willing, back then, to become utterly vulnerable. He based the truth of what he was teaching about Jesus Christ on a historical event.
There’s that great place where he’s talking to Festus and Agrippa. I love it. Paul says, “Jesus Christ was raised from the dead,” and they scoff, and he turns to Festus and says, “Ask Agrippa.” Agrippa, of course, was Jewish, and he was in Palestine, and he had been there for years. Festus was a pagan from elsewhere. Festus says, “Come on, resurrection from the dead?” What does he do? He turns to Festus and says, “Ask Agrippa. He knows about these things, for these things were not done in a corner.”
What he means is … Paul says, there is no religion that made itself so vulnerable, no religion that came up and said, “The reason you can know it’s true is that hundreds of people saw Jesus Christ physically raised from the dead after he had been crucified.” Paul was willing to get into the marketplace with that.
13. What evidence does Paul give for the truth of Christianity?
He was willing to come up and do apologetics (that’s the old term). He was willing to come out and say, “Christianity isn’t true because it’s relevant; it’s relevant because it’s true. Christianity isn’t true because it changes your life; it changes your life because it’s reality.” That’s what he said. He got out in the marketplace and was willing to say, “Come on, ask me why this is true.”
Other religions don’t want to do that. They say, “Well, you’ll find peace within.” Golly, a dirty sock will give you peace within if you smell it long enough and you think good thoughts. Peace within … people get peace within. He doesn’t do that. He lifts up the objectivity in the marketplace. But the other thing he does is lift up Jesus subjectively. I love the way he puts it, don’t you? He was preaching the good news of Jesus. Not Jesus Christ; Jesus. How personal! John Donne said:
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
Paul was jealous. What Paul wanted was for you to be in love with Jesus and for you to know how much Jesus can be in love with you. Paul was willing to pick that up and pull it up, not just the objective but the subjective, and say, “The only way you’ll be free from idols in your life is if you’re ravished with him. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. You have to experience him.”
That’s what Christianity is. It’s not just an abstract truth or just a mystical experience. It’s an experience of truth, because the truth became a person, and now relationship is the way in which the truth comes in, and my whole life is changed and everything else is changed. Do you understand that? Are you the kind of person who feels the way Paul felt? Are you the kind of person who is able to see what Paul saw, able to do that kind of analysis, now seeing everybody trying to save themselves through idols?
See, the gospel gives you that kind of analysis. You’re no longer up there looking and saying, “There are the religious and the irreligious, the good and the bad.” No, no, no. There are the people who are trying to save themselves through idols and the people who have finally given themselves to Jesus. Those are the only two kinds of people in the world.
If you’re here and you’re not sure if you’re a Christian, you say, “I’m kind of neutral. You Christians have faith. I wish I had that kind of faith,” my dear friends, you already have incredible faith. You couldn’t be living without putting your faith in something. It’s not Jesus, that’s all. What is it?
It’s your career, or it’s your sexual attractiveness, or it’s partying, it’s Bacchus, it’s Ares, it’s Aphrodite, or it’s Apollo, or it’s something. All I can tell you is those gods, if you fail them, will never forgive you, and if you get them, they’ll never satisfy you. This is the only God who will. Jesus and the resurrection. Let’s pray.
14. How does Keller show everyone has faith in something?
Father, we ask you’d help us take these very, very difficult, (well, I shouldn’t say difficult), these wonderful principles and help us to work them out in our lives, work them out in the marketplace, work them out in the areas where right now we very often find it difficult to know how to express our Christian faith.
I know, Lord, everybody here has to figure out, “Where do I spread the dirt? How do I do what Naaman did? How do I do what Paul did?” And I ask you would give people some insight right now. As they meditate on these things during the offering, I pray they might see that their cowardice or their insensitivity, their lack of compassion, or their lack of indignation, their lack of courage or their lack of competence, can be healed with the gospel.
Saturday:
15. What’s your God Shot? Your take-a-way?
82 comments
1. How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
I know I’ve said it over and over again, but God blessed us for the 10 days we were out of the country, in so many ways. Thank You Lord.
My sister and I had a few of days to reconnect which was lovely. She lives far away and we only get to talk on the phone usually. She is older than I am and she is totally opposite from me. But, we share our flawed family together. She really is the only relative I have that I know well. Our brother is an alcoholic and doesn’t keep in touch with us much at all. He is a sad part of our family.
I had an encounter with a former student (10 years ago) who recognized me at a local restaurant. She waited on our table and was so kind! She reminded me of our time together at school and it was sweet. That same day I had run across an email from another former student and was reflecting on the days I taught him. I wonder if God was reminding me of a time that was good in my career for me.
As school approaches for me this week, I am trying to be confident that retiring this year is the right thing to do, and that I will have a smooth path to follow. God please guide me!
What sweet connections! I agree with your prayer for guidance on retirement.
I love that God has shown you how much your former student appreciated you, dear Laura. So thankful for a lovely visit with your sister and a good trip. You had many prayers answered.🙏❤️
My post and comment to you did the same and disappeared Laura….so I double posted too.
Laura, What sweet affirmations from the Lord as you enter this last year of teaching. Be assured God will walk with you this year and you will find Him faithful to you. He is never not faithful. Your path may not be smooth all the time but with the Lord he will shed his light on your path as you go trusting Him. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Wonderful answers to prayers, Laura!
Bev, I love this sweet truth. Thank you for the reminder and good to see you here! I’ve missed your steady, comforting voice of truth.
How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
I am so blessed by watching my daughter, Dawn, interact with everyone she meets and making them feel seen and heard. She has grown into such a lovely woman of God, who sees the good and the gifts in others.
This post from Chris also spoke so perfectly about last week’s lesson. I hope it is okay that I re-post it….too good to miss. It spoke to my heart. Thank you Chris.
From Chris last week: I love this last section where Keller says the Bible does not give us pat answers, but creates problems for us. This is so true! There is not a one size fits all method for evangelizing, being a Christian at work, deciding on cultural issues for your kids, like Halloween, tattoos, piercings, etc. How do we continue to work our way through this life and remain a good Christian example and true to God’s word? There are not explicit answers to questions like the culture brings to us. Naaman was put on the spot with his job and found a way to be a witness and true to his faith in a pagan culture. Many in the medical world today need to do the same thing and are finding ways to do it. Mom’s with little ones are finding ways to navigate the culture and bring their children up in a way that glorifies God. Teens are finding ways to beat peer pressure and stay true to their faith. The Bible does not say to hide ourselves away on some compound and live a righteous life by ourselves. We are to live in the world and be a light. I love that Keller gives us a glimpse into how the Bible teaches us to do this.
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Patti, Thank you for reposting Chris’s comments. They are so good!
Patti, I love those comments from Chris, too. I got too behind last week and wasn’t able to comment much!
Awe, thank you for your kind words, Patti. I’m living in the midst of it all! I love being here to build up my faith and keep in the truth.
Dawn learned from you!
And yes, thanks for reposting Chris’s comment.
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
They called him a “babbler” in the NLT translation. I don’t remember that.
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Paul was preaching in the city. Many different kinds of people listened to him explain that their alter “to an unknown god” was actually an alter to the one true God. He explained that God made everything and didn’t need humans for anything. He doesn’t need anything because He is God. He expects His people to find Him and repent of their sins because He would judge the Earth. He would send a man to do so. That man is Jesus, who was raised from the dead. Some people scoffed, but others were interested. Some people began to follow him and others did not.
I find the response to Paul about learning about Jesus’ resurrection, curious. Why did the people say they wanted to know more, but at a later time? I know when we are in a Bible study and are engaged with the learning, I want to know more right then! Why wouldn’t they press him to learn more about such an interesting, and unbelievable occurrence?
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
They called him a “babbler” in the NLT translation. I don’t remember that.
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Paul was preaching in the city. Many different kinds of people listened to him explain that their alter “to an unknown god” was actually an alter to the one true God. He explained that God made everything and didn’t need humans for anything. He doesn’t need anything because He is God. He expects His people to find Him and repent of their sins because He would judge the Earth. He would send a man to do so. That man is Jesus, who was raised from the dead. Some people scoffed, but others were interested. Some people began to follow him and others did not.
I find the response to Paul about learning about Jesus’ resurrection, curious. Why did the people say they wanted to know more, but at a later time? I know when we are in a Bible study and are engaged with the learning, I want to know more right then! Why wouldn’t they press him to learn more about such an interesting, and unbelievable occurrence?
Sorry for the double post! My first one was missing!
Good eye, Laura. Sort of like saying, “I’d like to give my life to Jesus, but not yet!” 🙂
Yes!
1. How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
I have been blessed to see my daughter, Dawn, showing the love of Jesus and interacting with everyone she meets, here in Rhode Island. She sees the best in everyone, and so interested in each one personally. She loves the Lord in beautiful ways. So thankful.
‘I posted this once and it disappeared, as did my additional comments. I also commented on Laura’s post and it did not show.
I loved this from Chris last week. It blessed me so much. I am reposting in case anyone missed it. Thank you, Chris.
I love this last section where Keller says the Bible does not give us pat answers, but creates problems for us. This is so true! There is not a one size fits all method for evangelizing, being a Christian at work, deciding on cultural issues for your kids, like Halloween, tattoos, piercings, etc. How do we continue to work our way through this life and remain a good Christian example and true to God’s word? There are not explicit answers to questions like the culture brings to us. Naaman was put on the spot with his job and found a way to be a witness and true to his faith in a pagan culture. Many in the medical world today need to do the same thing and are finding ways to do it. Mom’s with little ones are finding ways to navigate the culture and bring their children up in a way that glorifies God. Teens are finding ways to beat peer pressure and stay true to their faith. The Bible does not say to hide ourselves away on some compound and live a righteous life by ourselves. We are to live in the world and be a light. I love that Keller gives us a glimpse into how the Bible teaches us to do this.
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
Paul was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the Marketplace to others. Some present were the Stoics and Epicureans. They wanted to know more, so they took him to the Areopagus to have him explain what this new teaching was.
In my Bible footnotes: The Stoic philosophers taught to live in accord with nature, recognize their own self sufficiency, and suppress their desires. Epicureans taught the supreme good is happiness. By Paul’s time, both had degenerated into systems of pride. The Areopagus at the is time was a meeting place, south of the Agora, and once the meeting place for the Council that governed a Greek city-state. During NT times in retained authority over areas of religion and morals.
It seems as though Paul (maybe like pickleball), was able to interest the Stoics and Epicureans enough in Jesus that they invited him into their center (maybe like starting a Bible Study .)
The Athenians and strangers visiting this area were always spent their time telling or hearing something new.
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Paul speaks about examining the “objects” that the people of Athens worship, and he also found an altar “To an Unknown God”. This opens the opportunity for him to speak to them about the True God and Lord. He speaks to them of a God, Who made the world and is a personal God. He tells them of Jesus and Hhis Resurrection. Some sneered upon hearing of the Resurrection, but others wanted to hear more.
I loved Paul’s presentation, not pushing, but giving them plenty to think about.
Paul was being respectful of their beliefs, yet planting seeds to tell them of a better future, because of the sacrifice of Jesus. When Paul left, some of the men joined him and believed. Dionysius followed, as did a woman name Damaris.
17 Keep Yourself From Idols Part II
Sunday:
How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
—Well it would seem I had abandoned my Dee Brestin blog friends but I not really. The move from small town rural America to the “city” was pretty exhausting but it has been good. Establishing new routines has been slow and even sleep patterns were pretty disrupted in this transition but we are getting settled in more all the time.
Every week the goodness of God has come into our lives in many ways. Through the whole experience of buying a new home to live in and getting our move accomplished we have seen God protect and give us direction when a few times we not sure what we were to do. He shut some doors and put us in the position of having to practice our faith in Him to lead us rightly. We see clearly now we are in the townhome He wanted us to be in with the neighbors He wants us to have. Being 5 minutes from our son and his family again is very enjoyable. We thank God for that. Our new church home here is a very real blessing to our lives as well. We are finding it to be very refreshing spiritually with many opportunities to serve and grow in our walk with the Lord. We have many stories of the goodness of God to us. We love Him and praise Him for it all.
Bev, so glad to hear you are moved and getting acclimated to your new home and community! My daughter and I may be in Lincoln next month to see a relative, and I will try to at least give you a call! Ruth has a few friends there from her college years at UNL, so she occasionally goes for a visit.
I’m so glad you have weathered through this time of your life! And, selfishly, am glad you are back here 😉. How wonderful you are to be near your son again (I had forgotten they moved), and that you have good neighbors. How do you feel about the neighbors/friends you had to leave? That is something I worry (a little bit) about. Although I don’t have many friends, our neighbors and acquaintances are few, but kind. I think I would miss them and feel awkward, at my age, trying to meet new ones.
Bev, I am so glad you are getting settled and see many blessings from God. So good to see you here. You are a blessing to me.
Bev, It is wonderful to hear how the Lord has led you and blessed you with a great neighborhood and church! God is so good! I love that you are also close to your son.
Great news, Bev!
Sunday:
1. How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
The goodness of God showed through the lady behind the meat counter asking me if I wanted the pork chops wrapped separately without me asking first! Yes, please, and thank you!
The goodness of God is a Walmart self-check-out employee asking us where we’re from, engaging us in a lighthearted conversation, and recommending a good place for lunch if we needed one. I wonder if he is a Christian in the marketplace?
I am still processing what I have been continually learning this year about priorities. More so after listening to the message today given by a visiting pastor. His message was, “Before you get too busy,” based on Luke 38-42. I did notice that many at church were paying close attention to our speaker; he was engaging, and his examples were personal and relatable. We can do many good things but miss the best. Like Martha, we can be serving frantically, but Mary chose the “one” thing that is necessary. I needed to hear that, as I have been asked to do one more thing just today. Oh, Lord! Help! “Not every need is a calling.”
Good reminder, Bing. Thanks.
Joyous Praises, Bing! Love the subject of the sermon. Amen to Chris on the reminder of Mary.
Well, I think I have the “double posting” bug, too! Let us see how this is going to work:
Sunday:
How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
The goodness of God showed through the lady behind the meat counter asking me if I wanted the pork chops wrapped separately without me asking first! Yes, please, and thank you!
The goodness of God is a Walmart self-check-out employee asking us where we’re from, engaging us in a lighthearted conversation, and recommending a good place for lunch if we needed one. I wonder if he is a Christian in the marketplace?
I am still processing what I have been continually learning this year about priorities. Especially after listening to today’s message from a visiting pastor. His message was, “Before you get too busy”, based on Luke 10:38-42. I did notice that many at church were paying close attention to our speaker; he was engaging, and his examples were personal and relatable. We can do many good things but miss the best. Like Martha, we can be serving frantically, but Mary chose the “one” thing that is necessary. I needed to hear that, as I have been asked to do one more thing today. Oh, Lord! Help! “Not every need is a calling.”
Sunday:
How have you experienced the goodness of God this week?
Dee, I’m so encouraged by the witness you are to us with your summer bible study. How exciting! And I’m excited to learn more about a softening of the heart-looking forward to Paige as well. God has been so good to us this week. There have been good things and hard things but in it all we are praising Him. We had a baptism service at the lake this Sunday where there were many testimonies of God’s goodness. So many testimonies began with, I grew up going to church….some ended with but now my faith is my own and some with we just went through the motions, but now this is a real relationship with Jesus. There were several young men who were brave and admitted addiction to porn and drinking, thinking this was making them happy even as they were “Christians”, but overcame their addictions and know now how destructive that time in their lives really was. I am so proud of how our young people are breaking free of the lies from the enemy by the power of Jesus. We learned this week that our son-in-law is at the same facility as a friend from church and they have met and are buddies there while they work on their addiction to alcohol and spiritual struggles. Please continue to pray for him to overcome the lies he has believed that have kept him stuck and for softened hearts for my daughter and son-in-law’s marriage. It will truly be a miracle for their marriage to survive this. And of course for the little girls who just don’t understand and sometimes say things that bring a lot of questions from outsiders or even family. Today, I meet with 2 neighbors to begin our little prayer group for the neighborhood. Please pray the Spirit would lead us. Praying for you all. ❤️
Monday: The Text
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
What a week of Praise, Chris! I will pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you. So thankful your son in law and friend from church have bonded. Praying for your daughter and SIL and their sweet girls.
Chris, beautiful answers to prayers! I was reminded of the need to persevere in prayer, though the answers are not what we think they should be. A quote from Keller: ” Trust Jesus when you cannot see the answer.”
1. What, according to Keller, is the opposite of love?
Indifference is the opposite of love. I really don’t get this idea of Kellers. Indifference is not taking one side or the other. How is that the opposite of love? The opposite of love is not loving, to me. You don’t care about someone anymore, right? I don’t even see it as anger, like he proposes.
2. Paul was jealous for them, as God is jealous for us. How can jealousy be a good thing? Give an example of a good kind of jealousy.
Hmmm…when you love someone so much and you want the best for them, when they aren’t aware of that best thing. They are taken away by something that isn’t good for them. You can see it but they can’t. I’m not sure this is an appropriate answer. Our daughter has been caught up into the NYC life by her husband. It’s not the best place for her. I guess I could be jealous that she lives that lifestyle instead of the stable, safe lifestyle of our lives in the suburbs. Is this what he means?
3. Why can’t we be both in the arms of an idol and the arms of Jesus?
I suppose that you can’t really do justice to both at the same time. You split your attention and one will suffer.
4. What else stands out and why?
The whole idea of not finding the answer you need in a timely manner. His first paragraph stands out to me. It is me! There are plenty of times I have prayed for something and asked God to be sooner than later if possible. I know we need to pray, and I know it comes in His time. I guess we pray, we acknowledge His timing, and then we trust and wait. I have seen the answer be something I never thought of being the way to solve the issue! He is an amazing God!
This is good and true, Laura: when you love someone so much and you want the best for them, when they aren’t aware of that best thing
Yes, you got it, Laura.
Monday: The Text
1. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Full of idols, advocating foreign gods, new teaching: Just like the fast-paced, mind-reeling technological changes, there seem to be more and more idols that clamor for our attention. I think of a past study we had here when Dee shared about the mythology of Odysseus and the sirens. He had himself tied to the mast so he would not give in to the allure of the sirens’ songs. So I should be tied to the Word of God instead of succumbing to the calls of the world, which I have done in the past.
He reasoned…day by day: I have to stay in the Word-it is a day-by-day, moment-to-moment abiding in Jesus. No grace of today is enough to last me for tomorrow. “Your mercies are NEW every morning! Lam 3:20
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
1. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.
Paul met the people where they are at- worshipping an unknown god and made Him known to them.
He made the world
He does not need anything, including our service
He has appointed our times (vs. 26 is one of my favorite verses! Other versions say, “he appointed the exact places where they should live)
He is not far from us.
He is a Person, not an image of stone
He has sent us the “appointed” man and raised Him from the dead.
The verses that stood out for me are verses 26-27. I have an appointed time here on earth, and He is always near to me, and I can always find Him.
Oh, Bing! I love this entire post! So many great points!
Amen!
”Tied to the mast.” Yes!
1. What, according to Keller, is the opposite of love?
The opposite of love is indifference. It is a lack of feeling toward someone. It is not caring. It is a lack of depth in feelings for a person. If you love someone deeply, your husband or child, you desire a relationship with that person. You hurt when they hurt or go astray. You are filled with a sad indignation. You have deep feelings, compassion for that person. You love them deeply and desire godliness for them, rather than rebellion.
2. Paul was jealous for them, as God is jealous for us. How can jealousy be a good thing? Give an example of a good kind of jealousy.
God’s jealousy is a compassion and deep desire He has for us to love Him first. He knows that will result in the best life for us. God’s love is eternal; all else on this earth that appears to offer “happiness” is hollow and temporary at best. We go after temporary ‘highs’, whether it be the praises of others, temporary joys for ourselves, or collections of expensive items that pump us up for a moment. God and His love is the only Eternal gift offered on this earth. Even knowing that, we are often tempted to take the immediate shiny gift or compliment that can disappear in a heartbeat, instead of doing something for God’s kingdom that has eternal value. It is a daily struggle for all of us.
3. Why can’t we be both in the arms of an idol and the arms of Jesus?
The arms of an idol, serve us. The arms of Jesus serve others.
4. What else stands out and why?
Tim Keller quote: “Wait a minute, the kind of person, character … You’re talking about reflection, you’re talking about prayer, you’re talking about habits of heart, you’re talking about time. I need this tomorrow!”
This reminds me of Alistair Begg’s reflection on what creates a legacy for each of us. It starts with the Heart (Love that from Paige Brown)….Sow a thought, Reap an action ; Sow an action, Reap a habit; Sow a habit, Reap a character; Sow a character, Reap a destiny.
Motives matter; Thoughts matter; Habits matter. If we focus on self- adulation, we become our own idol. If we focus on God and His God’s will, we become a follower of Christ.
So good Patti!
.Sow a thought, Reap an action ; Sow an action, Reap a habit; Sow a habit, Reap a character; Sow a character, Reap a destiny.
Motives matter; Thoughts matter; Habits matter. If we focus on self- adulation, we become our own idol. If we focus on God and His God’s will, we become a follower of Christ.
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
He wept for Lazarus, his friend, and He also said that anyone who believes in Him would live after death. He was compassionate and at the same time truthful.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your love for us. So much so that You died for us on a cross. There’s a song lyric that comes to mind here, “The only king who ever chose to bleed, that’s what I believe.” (Goodness in My Life, TobyMac) Paul was both truthful and tearful when he spoke to others about You. Another thing that comes to mind is the old saying, “The truth hurts.” Help me know the right words as I interact with others, especially with the students in my school, who represent my “marketplace.” Help me to be honest and caring at the same time. I pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
I guess the truth is that I’m a sinner (hard to swallow) and the tears reveal His giving His life for me.
Honest and caring at the same time!
Tuesday: Feeling what Paul Felt
What, according to Keller, is the opposite of love?
—He said it is indifference.
Paul was jealous for them, as God is jealous for us. How can jealousy be a good thing? Give an example of a good kind of jealousy.
—When jealousy is out of a loving protective heart that wants the best for the object of their love it is good. I would say the love my husband and I have for our grandchildren is a protective kind of love that provokes us to pray for them regularly on a schedule. We know it is God who ultimately can affect their lives for good when we pray faithfully for them. Another example I think of is that my brother strayed from the Lord and lived in sin for a time when he was young. He believes it was our loving Mom’s prayers that brought him back to the Lord.
Why can’t we be both in the arms of an idol and the arms of Jesus?
—Because you cling to what you love and love for Jesus has to be exclusive of all others. Literally.
What else stands out and why?
—Keller points out that the biblical jealous love of God is not just sweet feelings but thunderous feelings. In other words they are deep, strong feelings. I find joy and a great security in knowing God loves me like that.
Wednesday: TRUTH AND TEARS
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
—With Martha he directed her heart and mind to the truth of Who he was and the power he had. He met her where her natural proclivity was. Then with Mary he recognized her proclivity as well and he was full of compassion for her broken heart in her grief. He responded in kind to by her weeping with her.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
—The truth and reality of Jesus suffering and dying on the Cross was the requirement of a holy God for mankind to be saved from sin and redeemed by God. A sacrifice had to be made and there was no other way. But it was the pure deep love of God that culminated in Jesus willingly going to the Cross for the souls of mankind whom He loves.
Thursday: ONLY CHRISTIANITY HAS TRUTH AND TEARS
8. Explain why Christianity alone has both truth and tears.
— Only Christianity has both truth and tears because only Christianity has the fact and reality of the Cross of Jesus Christ. A blood sacrifice for sin was required and God demonstrated his love for us by sending his only Son Jesus to die on that Cross. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV
9. Do you think your neighbors are glad to have you as a neighbor? Why or why not?
—Oh my what a challenging question. 😳 That certainly requires some self examination into what kind of neighbor I am and have been. We have just gone from living in the same house on the same block in the same small town for 36 years to now trying to get acquainted with new neighbors. In our old neighborhood we pretty much interacted to at least a small degree with most. We had some tell us what good neighbors we were to them but I have to admit when they are good neighbors themselves it was easy. But as I reflect I have a feeling the neighbors who had a dog that barked incessantly all night long and my husband who finally called the police on them would probably not consider us good neighbors. There is a city ordinance about that very thing but they ignored that and as a result I am sure they just thought of us as grumpy old people. 🥴
Of course the jury is still out with our new neighborhood in “the city”. We have actually sat out on our driveway in our lawn chairs several evenings since moving into our townhome. Quite a few people go by for walks and it has allowed us to engage some and start getting acquainted. My husband jokes that we are trolling for new friends. 😀 Interestingly it is obvious that some don’t want any interaction and it has that city feel of people staying to themselves. Our goal of course is to express friendliness to everyone in hopes of establishing relationships as would please God.
10. Are you fanatical enough to lay down your lives for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive?
—Wow! Another challenging question. I have to be very honest that I am not a fanatical kind of person so the use of the word fanatical rubs me the wrong way. Well makes me uncomfortable. But I see here what Keller is saying in our need to be fanatical about the true gospel and have a Christianity that reflects the true heart of Jesus. He referred to Martin Luther King who was telling churches to “Get more gospel-oriented. Go to Jesus more. Be more fanatically like Jesus Christ.” So ultimately Jesus is our example of how to relate to people. See them in their need and love them. This comment stood out to me. Keller said that Christianity is “the only religion, the only spot where we see a God who is not more fundamentally holy than fundamentally loving.” They are equal in the character of God.
So am I willing to be fanatical enough to lay down my life for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive? I pray by God’s grace I will be.
So good to have you back with your honest thoughtful answers! You were a good neighbor to the other neighbors when you reported the incessantly barking dog!
And this is a great quote from Keller:
Keller said that Christianity is “the only religion, the only spot where we see a God who is not more fundamentally holy than fundamentally loving
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
I have struggled with money as my security. One way this manifested itself was, in the past, I have claimed things on my taxes that I wasn’t entitled to. I would claim the maximum allowed on some credits and deductions whether it was the right amount or not. The sin was cheating on my taxes, the idol was money.
Good example, Dawn. To probe even deeper, if you asked yourself why you provided for yourself your way instead of God’s way — what insight might that bring? Thanks for your honest — touches us all.
That I’m not fully trusting that God will take care of me or that anything that happens to me whether wealth or poverty is in His control and will be used to His glory and is in my best interest.
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
Jesus is demonstrating and stating that HE is the true source of life, even in death. Jesus wept for Lazarus, not in mourning, but in love for the lost, who did not recognize who He truly was, the Son of God.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
Lord, show me how to be more bold, yet tender in my faith walk. Help me to live for You, Lord.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
For those who believe in Jesus, His death and Resurrection, earthly death is not final, our soul is in the hands of Jesus, our Lord.
Great insight into mourning for Lazarus. I wondered too if He simply wept for the pain that death brings.
One day Jesus will call Ron’s name, Steve’s name, your name, and my name and we will rise too!
Dee, looking forward to hearing Jesus call my name! I love this song by Larnelle Harris, “Rise Again”. He will come again to take His people back. I may need to delete the link if it doesn’t work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFWGOM08J5w&list=RDMFWGOM08J5w&start_radio=1
Oh, Dee, I agree, that is so true, the pain death brings. What a day that will be when He calls our names.
Friday: What Paul saw and did
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
—I would have to say desiring acceptance by others runs deep in my own heart and the sin beneath that is insecurity. I grew up with deep insecurities about myself and who I am. The sin of being insecure is a complete lack of trust in God. If I find my worth in Jesus I will not be insecure about who I am and what others think of me. It is sin to seek value and worth anywhere but in Him.
12. Choose one of the above examples from Naaman or Great Expectations and explain the idol beneath the sin.
—In the story of Naaman he at first refused to obey what Elisha had told him to do to cure his leprosy. He was to go dip himself 7 times in the Jordan river. It made him angry and he initially refused because of the sin of a very deep pride. His country and the rivers there were better and of more value in his mind. His idol of who he was (a powerful army commander) and where he was from (a powerful country in control) were keeping him from the truth of Who God was. He had to deal with his misery of leprosy by recognizing that the One true God was the God of Israel and he had to turn from his idol of his own country and bow his knee to Israel ‘s God.
13. What evidence does Paul give for the truth of Christianity?
—He based the truth of what he was teaching about Jesus Christ on the historical event of the resurrection. Keller said “That’s what Christianity is. It’s not just an abstract truth or just a mystical experience. It’s an experience of truth, because the truth became a person, and now relationship is the way in which the truth comes in, and my whole life is changed and everything else is changed”
And that is all because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The truth of Who the person of Jesus is. He wasn’t and He isn’t just some dead guy but he lives and wants faith and relationship with all who will believe in and accept the truth about Him.
14. How does Keller show everyone has faith in something?
— He identifies that there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who are trying to save themselves through idols and the people who have finally given themselves to Jesus.
He says you can’t be living without putting your faith in something. It will be your idols or it has to be Jesus.
I so identify with the idol of man’s approval. I think immersing ourselves in the love of God is our best hope!
Amen to you, Bev and to Dee. Those idols of self approval can hang over us like a cloud. Love this point you make:
The sin of being insecure is a complete lack of trust in God. If I find my worth in Jesus I will not be insecure about who I am and what others think of me. It is sin to seek value and worth anywhere but in Him.
Wednesday: TRUTH AND TEARS
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
Tears for Mary, who needed compassion, and truth for Martha, who needed reason.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
Heavenly Father, you know I lean more toward tenderness, and I am often cowardly to speak in truth (idol of approval). Make me a blessing of the gospel with truth and compassion.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
The cross is the fulfillment of the truth and the promises of the Old Testament and of Jesus. We have a holy God (truth) who poured out His wrath and divine justice on evil and sin on Jesus for our sins (truth). The cross brought tears to the Father as He looked away from Jesus on the cross. All because of us. It brought tears to Jesus (Garden of Gethsemane) for His love for the Father and for us.
Thursday: ONLY CHRISTIANITY HAS TRUTH AND TEARS
8. Explain why Christianity alone has both truth and tears.
No other religion can offer truth-“For the wages of sin is death (truth), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” Romans 6:23
No other religion has a Person who weeps for His people and dies for them. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. “Hebrews 5:7; John 11: mourning with Lazarus’ sisters and others; weeping over Jerusalem: John 11 mourning with Lazarus’ sisters and others. Jerusalem: And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it. Luke 19:41.
9. Do you think your neighbors are glad to have you as a neighbor? Why or why not?
Our neighbors are good, and except for one in our street, we have been inside their houses at one time or another. I believe that our garden has open doors to our neighbors-be it through flowers, produce, or treats. We are thankful for our neighbors. All are at least churchgoers.
10. Are you fanatical enough to lay down your lives for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive?
I don’t think I am fanatical enough for Jesus, but I try to be brave, loving, and sensitive. Lord, help me to be brave and not be afraid to be called a fanatic.
Monday: The Text
2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!2. Review Acts 17:16-21 until you see something new!
I guess what stands out to me now is that Paul preaches to everyone there, the Jews, the devout persons and the people in the market place. He doesn’t assume anything but shares the gospel with everyone. I tend to judge others to be honest. Sometimes thinking to myself, this one won’t listen or that one is already saved, when maybe I don’t really know.
3. Read the rest of Acts 17. Summarize it and share one thing that stands out to you and why.Paul reasons with the men of Athens, observing their worship and making note of even their poets and way of thinking. Then he draws them to the gospel by correcting the lies they believe. God is not made of any human hand and we actually are his offspring, “IN him we live and move and have our being.’ God has overlooked our time of ignorance but now calls all men to repent before he judges the world. Some mocked him, some agreed to hear him again and others believed. It stands out to me that Paul observes what they believe and starts there, then shows them the truth and calls them to repent. It is a personal way that he meets them and draws them to God, not some formula of evangelism.
Such truths, Chris!
IN him we live and move and have our being.
It is a personal way that he meets them and draws them to God, not some formula of evangelism.
Friday: What Paul saw and did
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
Being a pastor’s wife, I am not short of suggestions from people about how to do things at church. (Smile) At times, I have succumbed to the tyranny of the urgent and later realized my idol of approval was at work in a decision I made instead of trusting God. I am learning to wait on Him nowadays.
13. What evidence does Paul give for the truth of Christianity?
Hundreds of people saw Jesus physically raised from the dead after He had been crucified. A changed life such as Paul’s is another piece of evidence. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
14. How does Keller show everyone has faith in something?
He says that each of us already has incredible faith. But not necessarily in Jesus. It can be career, beauty, influence, ministry. What am I living for?
Saturday:
15. What’s your God Shot? Your take-a-way?
My God Shot is that He is a jealous God and will not take second place in my life.
My takeaway is Tim Keller’s prayer. It is my prayer, too. “…, I pray they might see that their cowardice or their insensitivity, their lack of compassion, or their lack of indignation, their lack of courage or their lack of competence, can be healed with the gospel.”
I love your answer to 15! You put it so well and I’m adopting it as mine as well! Thank you, Bing.
Bing, Amen to Chris!
He is a jealous God and will not take second place in my life!
Lord help me to keep my eyes on you!
Tuesday:
What, according to Keller, is the opposite of love? Indifference
Paul was jealous for them, as God is jealous for us. How can jealousy be a good thing? Give an example of a good kind of jealousy.
Jealousy can be good if it moves you toward love and righteousness NOT selfishness.
An example is when a mother loves her child and fights for them in prayer when she sees the world, their flesh or the devil leading them down the wrong path.
Why can’t we be both in the arms of an idol and the arms of Jesus?
our idols move us away from God and loving people-we can’t love both
What else stands out and why?
The complexity of feeling both indignation and compassion. It is something that we can hardly do in our own power but only by the power of the Holy Spirit. I think of Corrie’s story of the German soldier she forgave and Betsy’s compassion for the cruel soldiers at the camps. I think of my own struggle with those I am required to forgive. This is what stands out.
Great example of a mother’s prayer, Chris.
Wednesday
5. In John 11:17-35, how do you see that Jesus had both truth and tears?
He tells them the truth-whoever believes in him will never die and yet, he weeps with them in the loss of their friend and brother.
6. If you do not have both of these for the lost, ask God to give you both so you will have boldness and tenderness.
Lord, please give me compassion for those you know I struggle to love and have compassion for. Show me how to be like Betsy and see how to draw others to you with compassion.
7. Explain how the cross demonstrates both truth and tears.
John 3 tells it best!
8. Explain why Christianity alone has both truth and tears.
Other religions will either be moralistic or relativistic. Only Christianity speaks truth in our lives and loves us beyond what we can ever imagine. The truth is that we can never be good and his willingness to die for us despite our failings brings the tears.
9. Do you think your neighbors are glad to have you as a neighbor? Why or why not?
I think some are. We have one neighbor that might not be happy with anybody and sure isn’t happy with my husband for calling about her dog barking in the night or for having a shooting range on our property. However, I am doing my best to smooth things over with her and pray for her. I’m continuing to use the bless app and this helps me keep my neighbors in prayer and looking for ways to bless them. I am meeting with two neighbors monthly for prayer starting in September. That’s exciting to me.
That’s great, Chris. And sometimes being a good neighbor to all our neighbors means objecting to a barking dog or shooting range!
10. Are you fanatical enough to lay down your lives for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive?
That’s a great question! Makes me think of the TenBooms. I like to hope I am. I have a couple in our church community group who have friends from before they became Christian’s and struggle with how to navigate the relationship. It’s spiritual warfare happening in front of them and so tricky to speak truth and be loving. We try to offer advice but it’s like Keller says, you have to use the principles and pray-no pat answers.
I am doing this on my phone while on vacation so tough to post more than one question at a time!
The TenBooms are a great example!
8. Explain why Christianity alone has both truth and tears.
Keller says that if you don’t have truth and tears, the religion is either moralistic (based on morals) or relativistic (truth and right/wrong). It seems that those two ideas don’t have the emotion part of the cross. If I look at a religions like Islam or Buddhism, I can see the morals part, but I don’t get the emotions of the tears at all. You’re just checking the boxes.
9. Do you think your neighbors are glad to have you as a neighbor? Why or why not?
We know some of our neighbors. The neighbors on each side of us are not very “friendly.” The neighbors across the street are some of our closer friends, and the other across the street are more tolerant than the ones next door.
The adjacent neighbors were not nice to our youngest son when he was 6 and we had just moved into our house. He went over to meet and play with the two boys and the mom was rude and shooed him off. It made me mad at her. Her husband has been very nice to us. The other set is cordial, but doesn’t have any desire to know us. The woman has helped me out of a snow bank once. The neighbors across the street go to church with us and I used to work with her at school until she retired. The other across the street neighbors have adult children with “issues.” They are more accepting of us and our own “issues.”
I suppose since we live in NE, people are more stand offish and not accepting. I think the mean lady thinks she is better than us. She once told my friend across the street that, “…they have a black man living in their basement…” that happened to be Sarah’s husband. She didn’t like that. I guess we don’t keep our yard as nice as the other set (they are yard people). The ones across the street are more caring because they get “it;” life. I think our friends are glad to have us as neighbors.
10. Are you fanatical enough to lay down your lives for others by being brave, loving, and sensitive?
Good question. I think I am the clumsy one of whom Keller speaks, when speaking about my faith. I’m not sure I would “lay down my life” either. I think I’m a “realist” in that doing life means you must already be brave. To step out among those you don’t know and just even be present is being brave. Everyone has their own upbringing and ideas about how others “should” be (more like me as my husband likes to tease). Then, you add the Christian aspect to your “being” and whoa, now you’re a scary person. I think I have demonstrated, over the years, that I am a Christian, life is hard for me, like you, and I can love you even when we are very different people.
Hahaha! Laura you crack me up!! ‘They are yard people’ Too funny. My husband loves the yard just so and definitely judges people who don’t-it drives him crazy at the end of summer when I have fallen behind on my garden weeding and he can’t wait to till it all under. Love the realist in you. ❤️
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
Money, credit cards, technology- on our vacation we planned to get a rental car. I rarely rent cars but knew I needed a credit card but didn’t check to make sure they took Apple Pay. I had left my card with my husband fully planning to use Apple Pay. Nope, they had to swipe a physical card. I began to feel very stressed out about it and thankfully the two women helping us were so kind to break the rules and allow me to have my husband send a picture of our card so she could try running it manually. As we waited for the text to come through they were so kind and made jokes with us about being alone on our trip without any men to take care of us. Hahaha. After the transaction went through I heard her say under her breath, I can’t believe that worked! I immediately thought about the Lord helping us through the situation. From the ladies who helped us (versus the first counter we tried & left) to my husband actually answering my call in the moment and the technology letting the transaction go through. I often put so much trust in what’s in my bank account and stress about what’s not in my account-I know I struggle with these things being idols and try to ‘keep myself tied to the mast.’
12. Choose one of the above examples from Naaman or Great Expectations and explain the idol beneath the sin.
For Naaman, the idol beneath the sin was worshipping the country. When the idol becomes all important, nothing else matters. But when Jesus is our Lord, everything matters.
Good job Chris! You are here even on vacay! Enjoy yourself. 🏖️🛫🏝️⛵️
Chris, love this! “…But when Jesus is our Lord, everything matters.
11. The sin beneath every sin is an idol — trusting something under the sun or man’s ways to solve a problem instead of turning to God. Give an example from your life.
I guess I would say I rely on myself or my husband to come up with a solution to a problem. We should pray first.
An example would be when our teens were going through struggles and we did this and that to solve problems with them. We didn’t pray. Only when I decided I couldn’t do anything else, and begged God to take over, He did and our life became better.
We have a situation with our grand daughter that is similar right now. She is what my grandma would have called a “pistol.” I have prayed that God remove the “demon” from her. Still waiting and suffering for sure. Life is never easy.
12. Choose one of the above examples from Naaman or Great Expectations and explain the idol beneath the sin.
Naaman decided he would not worship his country anymore. He would do his job but worship God. By worshipping his country he put faith in the country to save him. Would the idol be power or control?
13. What evidence does Paul give for the truth of Christianity?
People saw Christ after he was crucified! Hundreds of people.
14. How does Keller show everyone has faith in something?
You put your faith in something. Something will save you…your career, your beauty, your marriage. You believe that the way you will be happy and have a fruitful life is due to that thing.
13. What evidence does Paul give for the truth of Christianity?
He gives the historical record and eye witness testimony.
14. How does Keller show everyone has faith in something?
He says truth became a person and now relationship is how truth comes into our lives. If we don’t have faith in Jesus our faith will be in something else-our spouse, our job, our money, etc. When the Lord takes those things away or gives us a scare that we could lose them, that’s when we see what we are really trusting in.