Jun 2, 2024
GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
Neil McClendon, Lead Pastor
How To Become More Gospel Fluent
Acts 17:16-21
1. Know yourself, v. 16-17
“Profound compassion is the motivation behind true apologetics.”
-Michael Green
a) this is what he did- “So he reasoned…”
b) this is where he did it- “in the synagogue …and in the marketplace”
c) this is when he did it- “every day with those who happened to be there."
“Your anger is both brilliant and appalling. The shifting line between good and evil plays out when it comes to your anger. Your anger is Godlike to the degree you treasure justice and are alert to falsehood. Your anger is devil-like to the degree you play God and are petty, merciless, whiny, argumentative, willful, and unfair.”
-David Powlison
What is the difference in anger and righteous anger?
1) The goal of righteous anger is to restore God’s will. The goal of human
anger is to exert your will.
2) Righteous anger confronts someone. Human anger condemns.
3) Righteous anger admonishes, while unrighteous anger accuses.
4) Righteous anger warns while unrighteous anger threatens.
5) Righteous anger is instructive. Human anger is destructive.
2. Know your audience, v. 18-19a
Contextualization is the process of making the gospel as “at home” as possible in a given cultural context.
3. Know what the Gospel is and what it means, v. 19b-21
Two things in play here...
a) information- what it is
b) implication- what it means
Mental worship…
When is the last time your spirit was provoked?
What emotions does lostness stir up in you?
Can you talk about spiritual things in such a way that it produces curiosity and desire in people?
Are you more comfortable having spiritual conversations in the “synagogue” or in the “marketplace?”
When having a spiritual conversation, do you find yourself saying the same thing to everybody or can you contextualize the Gospel?
Do you have a balance in knowing what the Gospel is and what it means?