Critical Components for a Contemporary Ministry

Acts 17

Paul's Troubled Spirit

• Acts 17:16
• Explanation of the cultural and religious context of Athens
• Paul's reaction to the idolatry in Athens
• The importance of having a troubled spirit in contemporary ministry

II. Paul's Engagement with Culture

• Paul's strategy for engaging with the people in Athens
  • Reasoning in the synagogue with Jews and God-fearing Gentiles
  • Dialoguing in the marketplace with casual passersby and philosophers
• Alister McGrath’s perspective on apologetics
  • Countering objections to the Christian faith
  • Setting out the attractiveness of the gospel

III. The Conflicted Culture

• Description of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers
• Explanation of their beliefs:
  • Epicureans: Hedonistic, believed gods were distant
  • Stoics: Pantheistic, rationalistic, fatalistic
• Paul's interaction with these conflicting philosophies
• The context of Paul's speech at the Areopagus (Mars Hill)

IV. Paul's Proclamation of Truth

• Paul's sermon on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31)
• Key points from Paul's sermon:
  • The nature of God as Creator and Sustainer
  • The call for repentance
  • The proclamation of Jesus and the resurrection
• The importance of being both biblical and contemporary

V. Responses to Paul's Message

• Varied reactions from the audience:
  • Some sneered
  • Some wanted to hear more
  • Some believed
• Importance of courage and patience in ministry
• Encouragement from seeing faith and conversion in individuals

Conclusion

• Summary of the five critical components of a contemporary ministry:
  1. Troubled spirit
  2. Willingness to engage
  3. Awareness of cultural conflict
  4. Proclamation of truth
  5. Expectation of varied responses
• Final encouragement to students at DTS to stay committed to their faith and ministry preparation

Prayer

• Closing prayer asking for wisdom, relevance, and faithfulness in ministry

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.