This text that we are looking at today is an interesting text by far. It is the record of Paul’s missionary visit to Athens. Now Athens was a different kind of town from that of some of Paul’s other missionary visits. They were much more progressive and into philosophy. They were seeking the truth and were very open to new ideas and new thoughts. Anything that was new was "in". The gospel message the Paul was preaching didn’t have a lot in common with the teachings and philosophies of Athens. So, Paul had to change the way he presented the message of Jesus Christ. He didn’t compromise the message; he only changed his delivery. He had to make his message relevant to the people of Athens. They didn’t have a background in a sacrificial system where atonement for sin was needed. They didn’t have the knowledge of YHWH who created the heavens and the earth. They didn’t know the scriptures of Isaiah where it was written that there would be Messiah to come and save them. They didn’t believe that there was Truth. There were many truths and whatever you believed was fine as long as you were open to accept another’s version of the truth. So, Paul is challenged here with how to reach people who have no common knowledge of what he is talking about. So, before he started preaching, he listened and talked with people to find what they were about and to find out how he could best approach them.

He gets invited to the Aeropagus to lead a discussion about his beliefs. He begins by stating that he realizes that they are "very religious." Probably a better understanding of this is that they are very spiritual and are seeking to find answers. They realize that there is more to this life than what appears. They have a longing that needs to be filled and they are open and seeking many different ways to meet that need. Then Paul begins by using one of their idols to make his point. As he walked around, he saw many different statutes to different gods—Zeus an others like that—and he came across one marked "to and unknown god." That was it! That was his ticket to reach them. He would tell them who the unknown god was—YHWH.

As he introduced YHWH to them, he used their own philosophy and it’s shortcomings to teach that there is only one God. This God doesn’t need temples and shrines built to him. This God doesn’t even really need us to accomplish his work. In fact, he is the one that created everything. He talked about creation and how God was at work in all the world to accomplish his purposes—that you and I would seek him. And, to bring this point home, Paul then quotes two Greek philosophers, Epimenides who said, "for in him we live and move and have our being," and Aratus who said, "we are his offspring."

Paul knew that in order to reach these people for Jesus Christ, he had to talk their language. He had to have knowledge and understanding of their culture and thought so that he could make his message relevant.

I wonder if we have that mindset today or have we become much too comfortable and complacent in our mission. I saw a report from the National Council of Churches that said that the PCUSA church lost 5% of its membership in 2004. This denomination has been in a decline for many years. When the stated clerk of the General Assembly was asked about the decline, he said that we were and older denomination and that many were dying off. The reporter then asked, "So how do you replace them?" He said that, " we have a new young moderator who will go and speak to 20 college campuses this year."

I wonder if we have lost the desire to make the gospel message relevant to the culture where we live. I wonder if we have become too complacent and too comfortable with who we are. We need to catch the same vision that Paul had and begin to look around and see who and what our culture is about and then make sure that we doing all that we can to reach them for Christ. That is what Jesus told us to do—to go and make disciples. I believe the church is in receiving mode, not a going mode. We receive people into membership that move into our area. We do not go. What would have happened if Paul had waited for the people of Athens to come to him? What would have happened to the church in the first century if the disciples had just sat around in the upper room waiting for all the people in Jerusalem to come find them? I guess they could have put out a sign to let people know where they were and just waited. Well, they did wait for a little while, they waited for the Holy Spirit to come as Jesus had promised. He came. I wonder what we are waiting for?

I want you to ask yourself this question, "What am I supposed to be doing?" We are supposed to make the gospel message relevant to all in our community. We live in a society that is seeking to have it’s spiritual needs met. We live in a community that needs a church that is welcoming to all, that sets aside what I want from church and begins to look outward so that we become a church where others feel welcome, where others understand.

I heard some disturbing thoughts being circulated around lately that really disturbed me. I heard that people in this church were saying that we are changing too fast. If we were changing too fast we would have a vital small group ministry that would reach people who live up on the "Neck" because that is where all of the growth in Georgetown County is. If we were growing too fast, we would be working with the two other churches in this area to start a Hispanic protestant congregation so that they could have their own church. If we were moving too fast, we would have the Alpha program going in this church. If we were moving too fast, we would have acquired property on Front Street and started a Coffee House for people in this area to come to. You know Starbucks has a better idea about creating community than the church does.

Jesus gave his disciples the command to "Go and make disciples…" Matt. 28:19. That is what you and I need to be doing. That is what this church needs to be concerned about. The PCUSA lost almost 65000 members last year. How long will let this continue before we begin doing something?

I have been praying the Prayer of Jabez everyday for two weeks. What would happen if this church really began to ask, "O that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." We would be asking God to open our eyes to opportunities to share about his love for the people in this community. We would be seeking God to give us a new vision so that we could go and take the gospel message to the people. We would truly be living out the great commission that Jesus gave to us. Let’s do what we were called to do—to be the church in this community.

A sermon preached by Rev. Johanna Adams on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2005 at Georgetown Presbyterian Church.