Evangelism – Cross Cultural takes us out of our comfort zone. How do we share Jesus with someone whose culture, beliefs, or worldview is very different from our own?
Find Common Ground
In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul found himself in Athens, a city filled with idols and people whose religious assumptions were far removed from biblical Christianity. Paul was deeply troubled by what he saw, but notice what he did next. He went where the people were. He spoke with people in the synagogue and in the marketplace. When given the opportunity to address the Areopagus, Paul didn’t begin by attacking the Athenians for everything they had wrong. Instead, he listened, observed, and found common ground. Their altar “to an unknown god” became Paul’s starting point for telling them about the true God.
Paul never compromised the truth. He proclaimed the God who created and sustains all things and ultimately brought his hearers face-to-face with Jesus and the resurrection. But Paul understood his audience. He even quoted Greek poetry as he built a bridge from what they knew to the truth they desperately needed to know.
Questions not Answers
There is an important lesson here for Christians today. Effective evangelism isn’t simply having all the right answers. Sometimes we have to learn to ask the right questions. We need to intentionally meet people, listen to them, understand what they believe, and look for common ground from which we can share Christ. And we shouldn’t be surprised when people respond differently. Some Athenians mocked Paul. Others wanted to hear more. Still others believed.
Our responsibility isn’t to produce faith. It is to faithfully share the good news. Different cultures. Different backgrounds. Different questions. But everyone needs the same Savior.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s Bible study, Evangelism – Cross Cultural.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.