In AD 150, a letter to Diognetus claims that Christians deny the Greek gods, live in poverty, remain faithful in marriage, and welcome persecution. They respond to abuse with love. This is the church before the watching world. Or is it?

The sermon today is titled "Naming The Gods." It is the first installment in our series "The Church Before The Watching World." The Scripture reading is from Romans 2:21-22 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on July 23, 2023. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under SERVE: Announcing the Kingdom.

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Footnotes (Sources and References Used In Today's Podcast):

• For Christians as atheists, see Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), pp. 556-61.
• Epistle to Diognetus (New Advent).
• For the stories of Nero, see Suetonius, Life of Nero.
• Christopher J. H. Wright, Here Are Your Gods: Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times (Downers Grove: IVP, 2020).
• Christopher J. H. Wright, “Confronting Idols.” Sermon delivered at the third Lausanne congress on world evangelization, Cape Town, 2010. (My concluding lines either summarize or are inspired by the incredible crescendo of his speech, found between the 15 minute mark and the 20 minute mark).

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