January 25, 2011 Forward Motion Faith

Agitated About the City

Acts 17:16

16  Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

Jesus wept over a city that had not shepherd.  Paul would become agitated over city given to idolatry.  What will we do as we stand on the rock of Rising Park and overlook our city – what will go through our mind?  I wonder, that’s all, I just wonder.

When Paul looked at the city of Athens he saw idols on every street corner, he saw a city given to a liberal social elite, a city shamed by its outrageous religious temples built just about on every block.  Historians teach that for the most part you would walk down the street of Athens and find gods easier than men.   The city was given to over 3000 public idols, not counting the images hidden behind the walls of private residences.  The city was “given” to idolatry.  Paul’s spirit was stirred, agitated, moved deeply.  Again, what happens to our spirit when we see what we are currently seeing in our city.

In Lancaster, Ohio, there is an epidemic of substance abuse.  We have seen the video’s and heard the testimonies.  We have gathered together, worshiped and prayed.  We have petitioned God to avenge our city, send us a revival, protect our law enforcement personnel, guide our judicial administrators, lead our educators, speak through our media channels – but has our spirit, our heart actually been stirred?  How we know when it has been directly affected by what we have seen?

I think we know our heart has been stirred when we model Paul’s behavior in relationship to what he saw in Athens.  In a nutshell Paul confronted the idolaters.  He engaged them in debate and he dialogued with them the things concerning the kingdom.  Some laughed and made fun of him.  They scorned his message.  The result is clear – when we become stirred over our city we too will find those who laugh and scorn our efforts.  They will question the Christ we preach, teach and testify about.  But the end result is awesome.  People got saved. They turned their life over to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Our city issue is the god of drug addiction.  Our city has been given to drug usage.  We can one of two things with what we have seen.  We can be stirred and do absolutely nothing or we can be stirred to the point we take the message to the city.  We engage dialogue and debate. What we won’t do is give up.  We refuse to wave a white flag.  We pray for the salvation of the dealer and user alike.  We ask God to avenge of our enemies and cause to flee those who refuse our message.  Again, the greatest aspect of our being stirred to action is this verse:

Acts 17:34

34  But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Bottom line?  Men and women getting saved.  Finding Christ as their Savior.  Of course this is only the result of our being stirred leading us to proactive action.  Saddle up, let ride off into the sunset and reach these city idolaters!