When Paul traveled to the
city of Athens he found that preaching the Gospel brought different reactions
from the intellectuals and philosophers that proudly debated atop Mars Hill.
32 And when they heard of
the resurrection of the dead, some
mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So
Paul departed from among them. 34 However,
some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a
woman named Damaris, and others with them (Acts 17:32-34).
As I have witnessed to
folks over the years I have found these three responses to the Gospel still
universally true today. The first response is derision. When Paul presented Christ to the Athenians many mocked Christ
on the basis of their prejudice against the resurrection.
If you share Christ, some
people will laugh at you, others will slam the door in your face, and some will
shake their head saying, “How could you believe in something so ridiculous?” Adrian
Rogers once quipped that “Most Christians would rather stick their head in the
mouth of a lion than hear ridicule from the mouth a skeptic.” Paul would later
write in 1 Cor. 1:18 that, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing.” If you present Christ they make fun of your faith, but it
doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means they will be without excuse when they
stand before God.
The second response is delay. Some of Paul’s listeners procrastinated
and said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” This is one of Satan’s
greatest tactics in discouraging people from Christ. It has been said that the
most dangerous word in the sinner’s vocabulary is “Tomorrow.” In fact, Jesus
warned of this very trap in his Parable of the Sower, “When they hear, Satan
comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark.
4:15).
The third response is decision. Some were persuaded by Paul’s
sermon and they repented and believed. We aren’t responsible for the outcome,
but we are responsible for our obedience. Share the Gospel and leave the
results up to God. You never know who might believe.
I am reminded of a quote
by the old country preacher Vance Havner and a story. Havner once noted that
many college professors are searching for wisdom while the janitors that clean
their offices may have discovered it years ago. Here’s an example of that very
principle.
Alexander Grigolia
emigrated to America from Soviet Georgia, earned three doctorates, and started
teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite his achievements, he was
unfulfilled. One day while getting a shoeshine, he noticed the worker went
about his task with joy, and Grigolia asked, “Why are you always so happy?” The
bootblack replied, “Jesus. He loves me. He died so God could forgive my
badness. He makes me happy.” The professor snapped his newspaper back in front
of his face and balked at the crazy idea of man dying on a cross.
But Dr. Grigolia could not
escape that simple testimony. He soon began investigating Christianity and he surrendered
his life to Christ. Whenever he gave his testimony he always credited that
simple shoeshine man for breaking through his hard heart. Strangely enough, Grigolia
later became one of Billy Graham’s professors at Wheaton College.[1] -DM
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