Learning to Share the Gospel, Lesson 6. Read Acts 14:8-18. Your friend has no idea of a Creator, so when you open with "Jesus died for your sins," they have no idea whom you're talking about.
Main passage: Acts 14:8-18
In Lystra, Paul faced people without a biblical background, unfamiliar with Moses and the prophets. He did not begin with the cross of Jesus. He began with "the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them," and he pointed to rain and harvests, saying that this God "didn't leave himself without witness." For friends whose hearts have no place for a Creator, the gospel needs this foundation first: we were made, we have a Lord, and he has been good to us all along.
Many of our friends grew up with an account of the world's origins that has no need of a Creator: the universe formed through natural processes, and human beings evolved biologically. In their hearts, the place where "there is a Creator" stands empty. If the first thing we say is "Jesus died for your sins," they are likely to be lost: Sin? Against whom? He died—what does that have to do with me? They are not being difficult. The sentence simply has nowhere to land.
Acts 14 records a scene. Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra, where a man sat who had been unable to walk from birth. Paul said to him, "Stand upright on your feet!" and he leaped up and walked (Acts 14:10). When the crowd saw it, they shouted in their own language that Zeus and Hermes, gods they worshiped, had come down in human form; the priest from the temple of Zeus outside the city brought oxen and garlands to the gates, wanting to offer sacrifice to the two apostles (Acts 14:11-13).
Notice who these listeners were. Reading through Acts, we find that Paul had two different starting points for two kinds of people. With Jews, he went into the synagogue and "reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead," saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ" (Acts 17:2-3; compare Acts 13:16-41). Jews had grown up reading Moses and the prophets and already believed in a God who made heaven and earth; what they lacked was recognizing Jesus as the promised Christ. The people of Lystra were different: they worshiped Zeus and the other idols of the Greeks, and had no idea of a "Creator" at all. So Paul started from a different place:
Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; (Acts 14:15)
He was still "bringing good news," only he started from creation. It is like teaching mathematics: if someone cannot yet add, you have to start with addition; you cannot jump straight to multiplication. Without the foundation of a Creator, nothing that follows can stand. The moment the people of Lystra saw the lame man stand up, they took the apostles for Zeus and Hermes come down—which shows that people with no idea of a Creator will confuse God with the objects of idol worship. Without knowing the Creator, people do not understand whom they have wronged, so their grasp of sin stays blurred; with sin blurred, they feel no need of salvation, let alone any urgency. So for someone with no Creator in their heart, creation is the first foundation stone of the gospel: the world is no accident; there is a God who made heaven and earth, and worshiping the wrong object is "vain."
Then Paul said something carefully measured:
who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he didn't leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:16-17)
The evidence Paul pointed to was all things his listeners experienced every day without ever thinking about them this way: rain, harvests, full stomachs, glad hearts. These are not simply to be taken for granted; the Creator has been "doing good" all along. Speaking about creation is not only about where the universe came from; it is also about this God being a generous giver. This matters a great deal: later, when we speak about sin and about the cross, we will come back again to "he is good, and he has been giving all along."
Romans 1 says the same thing: "that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them" (Romans 1:19). Then Paul names humanity's real problem:
Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)
The human problem is not only that we do not know; it is that we "didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks." We keep receiving, yet never acknowledge the one who gives. When talk about creation reaches this point, sin has somewhere to land: the one we have wronged is the God who made us and has been good to us all along.
So how might we begin to talk about creation with a friend? A few simple practices:
First, begin with what they have already experienced. A child being born, a starry sky, recovery from a serious illness, the line inside that says "this shouldn't be." In Lystra Paul used rain and harvests. Second, establish "who" before arguing over "how" and "how long." Christians understand differently the way God created and how long it took. In sharing the gospel, what must stand first is this: in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); all things have a Creator, and human beings were made by him. Don't let the conversation get stuck in a debate from the very start. Third, say that he is good and has been giving all along. "God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31); he "did good" (Acts 14:17). Fourth, say that we belong to him. Since he made us, we are not our own masters. This need not be said heavily the first time, but it does need to be said.
One more honest word: after Paul had said all this, Scripture says "they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them" (Acts 14:18). Even when we explain clearly, the other person may not understand right away. This foundation of creation often takes several conversations to stand firm. Our part is to explain clearly and let it take root slowly in their heart.
So this lesson comes down to this: when sharing the gospel with people who have no Creator in their hearts, begin with the God who made heaven and earth and has been good to people all along. With this foundation in place, when we later speak about sin and the cross, they will know who we are talking about.
1. To Jews, "Jesus is the Christ"; to Gentiles, creation first. Jews already believed in a Creator; the people of Lystra worshiped Zeus and other idols and had no Creator in their hearts, so Paul began with creation.
2. "We also are men of like passions with you." Paul first put himself back in the place of a human being and refused worship—the one who speaks about God must never stand in God's place.
3. "And bring you good news." Starting from creation is still sharing the gospel, not small talk before the gospel.
4. "Turn from these vain things to the living God." Speaking about creation already carries a call: those who worship the wrong object need to turn.
5. Rain, harvests, food and gladness. Paul used what his listeners experienced every day as evidence of God's goodness.
6. "He didn't leave himself without witness." God has been bearing witness even among people without the Bible; we are not taking him somewhere he has never been.
7. "They hardly stopped the multitudes." Even when we explain clearly, the other person may not understand right away; the foundation of creation often takes several conversations.
(about 10 minutes)
One key sentence (leader reads this)
What we share in the group stays in the group. There is an exception: if there is ongoing harm, a risk to a child or vulnerable person, or immediate danger of self-harm or harm to others, the leader cannot promise complete confidentiality. Normally, the leader will first try to discuss this with the person and share only necessary information with those who can actually help. If a child or someone unable to protect themselves is involved, or there is immediate danger, do not wait for consent. Contact a pastor, qualified professionals, local police, emergency services or medical services as appropriate. In immediate danger, get help straight away and do not leave the person alone.
Warm-up: When you were young, how did you hear about "where the world came from"? (Textbooks, older relatives and TV all count; first-time visitors can also share what they think now)
Leader note: Keep it light and don't judge anyone's answer. Most will notice that in their friends' hearts the place for a "Creator" is often empty. This question sets up what comes next.
Lesson recap (leader reads this, about 1 minute, for the benefit of those who didn't prepare)
This lesson is from Acts 14, verses 8 to 18. In Lystra there sat a man who had been lame from birth and had never walked, and he was listening to Paul. Paul looked straight at him, saw that he had faith to be made well, and said with a loud voice: Stand upright on your feet! The man leaped up and walked. When the crowd saw it, they shouted in their own language that Zeus and Hermes, whom they worshiped, had come down in human form; the priest from the temple of Zeus outside the city brought oxen and garlands, wanting to offer sacrifice with the crowd to the two apostles. When Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes, rushed into the crowd and cried out: Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without witness: he did good, gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness. Even saying these things, they barely stopped the crowd from sacrificing to them. We're reading this alongside Genesis 1:1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and Romans 1: knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks. Today we're talking together about how to start from creation.
1. Read verses 8-13. When the people of Lystra saw the lame man stand up, how did they understand it? What did they want to do?
Leader note: They thought the Zeus and Hermes they worshiped had come down; the priest brought oxen and garlands to offer sacrifice to the apostles. They explained what they saw by the framework they already had.
2. Read verses 14-15. How did Paul and Barnabas respond? Paul said they brought good news so that people would turn from what, and to whom?
Leader note: They tore their clothes, rushed into the crowd and said, "We also are men." Turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
3. Read verses 16-18. What did Paul point to as God's "witness"? What was the result?
Leader note: Rains from the sky, fruitful seasons, food and gladness. The result was that they "hardly stopped" the crowd from sacrificing—after all he said, the crowd still did not understand right away.
4. With Jews, Paul reasoned from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ; in Lystra, he began with creation. Why did he change his starting point? Does changing the starting point mean changing the gospel?
Leader note: This is the central question of the lesson; give it time. Jews already believed in creation; what they lacked was recognizing Jesus as the Christ. Gentiles had no Creator in their hearts at all—like someone who cannot yet add, they cannot be taught multiplication first. Without this foundation, people treat God as one more idol to worship, sin stays unclear, and salvation seems unnecessary. But Paul says plainly that this too is "bringing good news"; the content of the gospel did not change, he simply started from the foundation. You might ask: are the friends around us more like the people in the synagogue, or like the people of Lystra?
5. (Flexible question—discuss if time allows) Why did Paul point to rain and harvests as evidence, rather than first laying out an argument?
Leader note: These were things his listeners experienced every day and could see without first accepting any premise. Speaking about creation also says that this God is a generous giver, which prepares the way for speaking about sin and grace later.
6. Read Romans 1:21. Is the human problem only that we "don't know God"? What does "didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks" reveal?
Leader note: People are not simply missing information; they keep receiving yet never acknowledge the one who gives. This is where sin finds its footing: the one we have wronged is the one who made us and has been good to us all along.
7. In three or four sentences, explain to a friend who has no idea of a "Creator" where the world came from and how he is related to this God. (In pairs, each person says it once; first-time visitors may simply listen, or share how it sounded to them)
Leader note: The leader should say clearly first: this is not a test, nor debate practice. You can offer a framework: start from a good thing they have experienced → these good things have a giver → in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and human beings were made by him → we belong to him. Afterwards, add a sentence to each other's version.
8. This week, is there a friend around you with whom you could start from something he or she has already experienced?
Leader note: The more specific, the better: a child's birth, a beautiful view, help received during illness, something that weighed on their conscience. Don't ask anyone to set a goal like "I must talk with them this week." The action list that follows should be based on this.
(about 15 minutes)
Ask one group member to slowly read Acts 14:15-17, and let everyone sit quietly for two minutes. In your hearts, thank God for one friend: thank him for "doing good" in this friend's life, even though the friend has not yet recognized it. Those willing can pray a sentence or two. Those who don't want to speak can pray silently—that counts as prayer too; first-time visitors can listen silently, and there's no need to pray or commit to anything. Finally, the leader can wrap up, asking God to open those friends' eyes to recognize the Creator who has been giving all along. Prayer requests stay within the group. Do not put sensitive matters in the app or share them in a group chat. For routine follow-up, first obtain the person's consent, then privately note only the necessary sentence or two. If a child or someone unable to protect themselves is at risk, or there is immediate danger of self-harm or harm to others, do not wait for consent: contact local emergency services, police or appropriate protective services immediately.
You might begin like this (prayer direction):
Lord, you are the living God who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. You give rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling people's hearts with food and gladness; you have done the same for us. We confess that we too often receive without thanking you. Fill our own hearts with thanks first, and help the friends around us recognize that every good thing they enjoy comes from you. Give us fitting words to begin from what they have experienced and introduce you to them. In Jesus' name, amen.
(about 5 minutes)
After prayer, each person picks one thing from below to do this week. Just one—and if you can't decide right away, that's okay.
No need to write anything down or report back; if you want, you can share how it went at the next meeting. If you didn't get to it, bring whatever got in the way to prayer.
You could choose “Sin: The Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:15–17; Genesis 3:1–13), or “Do Science and Faith Have to Conflict?” (Genesis 1:1–31; Genesis 2:1–3).