The Shoe Man Can

First Lesson: Acts 17: 22-31
Responsive Reading: Psalm 66: 8-20
Second Lesson: 1 Peter 3: 13-22
Gospel Lesson: John 14: 15-21

---

“And how can they believe in one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”- Romans 10:14
​
Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

William Carey was born in England in 1761.  At the age of 14, Carey became an apprentice to a shoemaker.  The next several years of William Carey’s life involved trying to find his way in the world.  Carey wasn’t all that good a shoemaker; he tried his hand being a “lay-preacher” but didn’t seem to be an overwhelmingly captivating speaker. Finally, the local schoolmaster quit, Carey volunteered despite having only a basic education,  Carey quickly flamed out at another job[1]. 

Carey eventually gets married, has a child, but Carey’s lack of steady work had the family living in poverty.  William Carey though for all that he wasn’t seemingly gifted at had two things going for him: 1. He was very enthusiastic about his faith because of how it had changed his life.  2. He possessed the ability to learn languages managing to teach himself New Testament Greek easily. 

Carey had a secondary passion in that he loved looking at maps[2].  Carey would try to learn all about these places in which he had never been.  As Carey kept looking at his maps, he kept asking the question: “Why can’t Jesus be told about in all these places that I’ve never been?”

The verse that Carey could never shake his head was Jesus’ command to the Disciples:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit “-Matthew 28:19-20

In 1792, William Carey founded an organization called the Baptist Missionary Society[3].  Within one year, Carey’s whole family journeyed to India.  What happened once Carey got to India, we’ll get back to his story in a bit.

Today’s first lesson like the tale of William Carey tells another “Missionary Story?” 

The Apostle Paul is preaching in the marketplace of Athens (one of the centers of the Ancient World).  The Athens had their Gods whom you might have heard[4]: Aphrodite (Goddess of Love), Poseidon (God of the Sea), Apollo (The Sun God), and Zeus (The King of the Gods, Ruler of the Sky).  Paul as he is traveling around Athens just sees tribute after tribute to these Gods.  Paul’s preaching was the bold move of going in the heart of potentially hostile territory hoping to see conversions. 

I’ve been to quite a few sporting events over the years.  I’ve seen quite a few fans of the visiting team attending in enemy territory.  Here’s what I’ve always noticed: fans of losing teams are pretty much snickered at, whereas fans of winning teams promote hostility.  People get mad at New York Yankees fans, whereas people are pretty much indifferent to fans of the San Diego Padres.  No one perceives the Padres as a threat.

Paul’s preaching in Athens was pretty much initially treated in Athens like the vocal San Diego Padre fan; people were pretty curious why he cared, rather than treating Paul with outright hostility like he had seen previously.  Christians weren’t viewed as a threat to the established order like in Rome or Jerusalem.  So the Athenians bring Paul to appear before the Areopagus or the Athenian City Council, figuring they might have a few good laughs by his claims.  Who was this guy claiming that there is one true God, rather than the many Gods of Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Zeus that we know so well?

Paul begins his sermon to the Athenians in a non-controversial matter.  He begins with a compliment “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way[5].” 

One time, My Grandma calls me up, she’s super-excited.  She tells me that I need to turn on PBS right away to hear in her words “A really Christian preacher.”  I was confused as while PBS has some fine programming, overtly religious doesn’t seem common place. 

The self-help new age guru on PBS was named Wayne Dyer.  Dyer would quote scripture along with all sorts of religious and non-religious sources.  Grandma though whose Grandfather had such religious conviction that he helped start the English-speaking Lutheran church in Lindstrom, could not immediately see that Dyer was attempting to give her a new interpretation on all that she had previously known.  Dyer’s approach is similar to what Paul is doing in Athens attempting to give a new spin on the faith of the famous Greek gods they had previously known.

Paul describes his journey around Athens, all the statues that he encounters.  Paul then describes encounter an altar made out to an “unknown God[6].”  Paul begins to explain that the whole purpose of his journey to Athens is to make this unknown God into a known God. Paul describes his God as being different than the ones of legend they have heard about their whole lives; Paul describes his God as being a personal God who knows your very name.  Paul says the proof that this God knows your name is his son Jesus Christ rose from the dead for your sins.  “Paul says the Resurrection of God’s son has the power to change the world more so than any other Gods that you’ve previously encountered. 

Here’s what makes Paul’s preaching about Resurrection so notable.  Greeks in Athens lived with the idea that only the soul exists forever, that our bodies are merely temporary vessels forever assigned to the grave.  Paul is instead preaching that you will indeed live forever in both body and soul! Paul is preaching to them a message of resurrection that because of the Risen Lord “ Your life will never be the same again.”
We hear stories like Paul in Athens, or William Carey traveling to India.  Our initial reaction is “That’s so not us.”  We might not see ourselves as speakers, scholars, or great examples that anyone should strive to follow.  We think Evangelism is often a task best left up to someone else, someone that can be naturally bold in proclaiming their faith. 

One time, Lucy is talking to Charlie Brown[7].  Lucy proclaims “I would have made a great evangelist?” Charlie says “Really??” to which Lucy answers “Yes, I convinced that boy ahead of me in school that my religion is better than his religion?” Charlie is amazed, “Well how did you do that?” Lucy says “I hit him over the head with my lunch box?” 

Now Lucy’s methods in the long-run probably weren’t very effective in winning converts.  Paul’s methods didn’t change the religious attitudes of Athens overnight.  Some people mocked and scoffed at Paul.  A few people did say though “We want to hear more.”  One of these men was named Dionysius who became the Greek Church’s first bishop[8]. 

Evangelism never promises to be easy, but it does have potential to change the world.  What happened to William Carey, once he got to India?  William Carey’s early years in India were miserable.  Carey had to move hoping to find means to support his family continually. Carey eventually finds work raising indigo.  His family was perpetually sick and lonely.  He lost a five-year-old son of dysentery.  Carey’s wife eventually has a nervous breakdown[9].  Carey though kept believing that the promises of God’s Word would come through for him in the end. 

William Carey spent the last 41 years of his life living in India.  Carey’s missionary work helped bring about a changed nation.  Carey helped spearhead Indians to abolish practices of widow burning and infanticide[10].  In 1818, he helped find a college.  Carey would help translate the Bible into six languages, and making the Bible accessible to upwards of three-hundred million more people than before[11].  William Carey today is regarded as “The Father of Modern Missions.”  Carey could have come up with all sorts of reasons not to act: there were going to be people rejecting his message, people could scoff at him like they did Paul in Athens, yet William Carey believed that Easter Sunday ultimately changed the whole wide world.  Carey believed that this whole wide world needed to hear of the power of Resurrection.  Amen
 
 
 


[1] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.” Email Mediatations. 29. Apr.2017. Web. May.15.2017. 
[2] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.”
[3] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.”
[4] Molin, Steve. “I See How Extremely Religious You Are.” Sermon Writer. 2008. Web. May.15.2017. 
[5] Acts 17:22
[6] Acts 17:23. 
[7] Otterstatter, Michael. “Lead Others to Know God.” Sermon Central. 31. Jan.2006. Web. May.15.2017. 
[8] Acts 17:34. 
[9] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.”
[10] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.”
[11] Stier, Leon. “The Father of the Modern Missionary Movement.”