And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? Acts 17:19
A story is told of a tourist in New York City who stopped a passer-by and asked how he could get to Carnegie Hall. The response from the local resident was, ‘Practice, man, practice’. That famous concert centre in midtown Manhattan was built in 1891 and remains one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. Street performers and amateurs don’t practice or perform on its stage. It is reserved for only the finest and most skilled of musicians. To be asked to play or sing at Carnegie Hall is an honour for a performer. In ancient times in the Greek cultural centre of Athens, there was the equivalent of Carnegie Hall for orators and teachers. Areopagus, also known as Mars’ Hill, was a famous rendezvous for intellects, because of the calibre of the speakers at its podium. This rocky hill provided a natural platform from which great speakers discussed the highest topics of the day: philosophy, politics, religion, the arts and sciences, and many more. Hardly the place where one would expect to hear a travelling Gospel preacher present a simple message. And yet, God opened a way for one of the greatest Gospel sermons ever preached to be delivered there.
Paul’s sermon on Mars’ Hill was not the only time when the Gospel was preached in an unexpected venue or on an unexpected occasion. It was clearly preached at the funeral of a famous soccer player (footballer, for non North Americans) a couple of years ago. It has shown up in speeches to any number of legislatures and parliaments throughout the free world, as well as in the prayers of faithful men who were asked to deliver an invocation at many thousands of different events. These venues contrast sharply with the plain Gospel tents pitched along roadways and in vacant lots, with the humble halls that offer a weekly Gospel message and the occasional Gospel series. But the Gospel message is far too important to God for Him to allow it to be hidden from the high places of this world. And so He allows Paul to speak from Mars’ Hill, and modern-day Pauls to speak from modern-day Mars’ Hills.
The Gospel cannot be silenced. I recall hearing of an open-air preacher speaking in a city park, who was arrested for ‘disturbing the peace’ and taken before a judge. Before the preacher’s case was to be heard, the judge was dealing with a criminal who had killed a young woman. The judge asked the woman’s father if he wanted to make a statement. The grieving father told the criminal that, because God had forgiven him, he could forgive his daughter’s killer. The packed courtroom fell silent and respectful as he went on to tell how God had forgiven Him. The open-air preacher waiting for his case to be heard rejoiced that his message had indeed been delivered, in a better venue before many more people.
Watch and listen for the Gospel to appear in places where you don’t expect it. God loves to have it heard. -Jim MacIntosh