The Apostle Paul followed the Law of Connection.
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So, you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.’” Acts 17:22-23
Dear Friends,
As we enter the Season of Easter, we see new life all around us. The trees and plants will begin to sprout new leaves and flowers. A word we might want to consider is “anticipation.”
Anticipation might have been the experiences of the early apostles. At Pentecost they are given the power by the Holy Spirit to go out and spread the word about Jesus. In the Book of Acts, Luke gives us a history of those early activities. Yet, they also needed “courage” because they would receive opposition amongst those who were not ready to hear the message.
We may have a different mission field then the apostles did, but we can also find opposition in our own community. There are people in our time who do not know God. To them, the God we worship and glorify is a foreign thought.
John Maxwell says that the apostle Paul followed the “Law of Connection” with the people he encountered. We can hear this law playing out in the four sermons found in the book of Acts (Acts 2:14-36; 7:2-53; 13:16-41; and 17:22-51), Paul was able to connect with diverse cultures by showing that the understood both Greek society and human needs.
Here is the outline that John Maxwell sees taking place in Paul’s sermons:
- He began with affirmation (v. 22).
- He bridged his subject with the familiar (v. 23)
- He enlarged their vision of God (vv. 24:25).
- He used inclusive language (v. 26),
- He gave them encouragement and hope (v. 27).
- He identified with their own poets (v. 28).
- He gave them specific action steps (vv. 29-31).
John Maxwell says that good leaders connect before they expect, and connection precedes decision. The result of this sermon was that some people sneered, some people wanted to hear more, and some people followed immediately (vv. 32-34).
Following the excitement of Easter, we too may be full of anticipation and hope. Yet, we know that we too face challenges in the way we connect to the unbeliever. Our mission is to reach out to the unbelievers within our community. Is it possible that Maxwell is onto something here? Could Paul’s approach also help us to build bridges with those in our community?
I hope that you will take some time to read the sermons shown above and see if you see the same pattern emerging, learn from them, and put them into practice in your own encounters with members of our community. Listen to them even in my sermons. Sometimes our encounters with people can be so adversarial, but if we learn to make a connection first, to understand the perspectives of the other, we can have a significant impact in our time. Remember that even in our fest efforts, we will face opposition and worse, but if we can change the life of one person, it will be worth it. With the excitements of Easter behind us, may we be the bridge builders of our time.
To God be the glory forever and ever.
I thank God for you,
Pastor Kathy Nealand
“ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20
“So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2
“I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?” Matthew 21:42
"Walk by the Spirit . . . led by the Spirit . . . live by the Spirit . . . keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:16, 25
“[Paul Gives Thanks to God] I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.” -1 Corinthians 1:4-5
“Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
As we begin a new season in the church, it is good and right to think about what we mean when we pray “give us this day, our daily bread.” It is all about God’s provision. If we see God as a parent, we know that if we have a need, God will provide exactly what we need. The scripture verse above proves the case. Ask and it will be given to you. Knock and the door will be opened.
All children are precious to God. Psalm 139 speaks to God knowing us before we were born. At our conception we are “children of God.” We belong to God by way of grace. However, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we know that we are children of God (John 1:12). To acknowledge that we are children of God is a sign that our rebirth from above has begun to take place in our lives. It says that we accept the fact that regardless of our age, we need and want to be parented by our heavenly Father.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)
