Breaking the Sacred/Secular Divide

Acts 17:22-28 “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants…”

Intro: Defining the Issue

The sacred-secular divide draws a sharp distinction between the spiritual parts of our lives (praying, Bible reading, church attendance, evangelism) and the rest of our lives (work, chores, rest, fun). But the sacred-secular divide is flawed for a variety of reasons.

Practically, the sacred-secular divide leads to compartmentalization. We don’t connect faith with our work, money or everyday lives. We pull it out on Sunday, and put it away the other days of the week. It also leads to guilt. If you don’t work in a church or ministry setting, you are tempted to believe that somehow God is less pleased with you.

Most importantly, the the language of Scripture doesn’t allow for the sacred-secular divide.

Summary of the Sermon on Mars Hill

The location of Paul’s discourse was not random The word “Areopagus” means, “the hill of Aries”, the god of war in Greek mythology, who is called Mars in Latin. This is why his discourse is referred to as the Sermon on Mars Hill. This was the name of a location and also of the civil and religious council that met there. It is clear that Paul chose this locale to make a statment in support of his purpose there. He was essentially saying, “You Athenians put us- the followers of ‘The Way’ on trail; well right here & now, I put your philosophies on trail!”

Today, we are going to put the belief that faith is a private matter, to be kept seperate from our everyday lives.

Paul begins by calling out his audience. He calls those who claim be devout, but they have no depth. The word used here is translated as “religious”, but it can also mean “superstitious”. You pray, but don’t know ho you pray to; you hold to habits & items that you think bring you good fortune, without knowing why you believe such things; you lack clarity, and certainty. I’m here to give you what you lack, to provide the answer that you seek.”

Don’t be afraid to to speak the Truth in the public square- the world is literally asking you to do so. Paul took their public presentation of an altar to the Unknown God to be an invitation to to make the introduction! I pray that we too will recognize the opportunities given to us to present Jesus to the world. They ask us when they are trying to comprehend tragedy; that ask us when they are seeking purpose and meaning for their lives; and in many cases, they do so openly. It’s time for us to show up at the altar- but bring Jesus with you!

Paul not only claims that He can make God known to them, he does so using their own philosophical thought process. He brings clarity to a people who pride themselves on being a society of intellectuals. The phrase that you and I are familiar with in Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and exist" was also said by the poet Epimenedes of Crete. It’s very likely that Paul was quoting him, as he also did so in Titus 1:12. There are multiple other references stoic poets & Greek thought. Paul was purposeful in presenting them the Gospel in a way that they could understand it.

The Sacred brings necessary context to the Secular. We do not mere work on our jobs- as Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”; We let our worldview put the rest of our lives into focus, like putting on prescription glasses. You were “prescribed” to bring Jesus Christ into clear view- and not everyone uses the same prescription; in other words, some with see Him through you, because YOU were meant to reach them.

I want to make a declaritive statement, one which I could easy defend if time permitted, but I leave it to you to determine it’s veracity. Mankind is made to worship something, and if they do not worship God, something else will fill the void. I submit to you that our forefathers in this nation, imperfect as there were- and as we still are today- they understood this. That is why the founding documents of our nation- the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution (and I would include the Emancipation Proclaimation) leaned heavily upon the scriptures. Even the idea of separation between Church and State was meant to insure the right to worship without the government of this new nation violating this right like the old nation. What then, would be the point in leaving England?

Why does this matter…what does it have to do with breaking the Sacred/Secular divide? The separation between Church and State morphed into the separation between God and State, which the forefather never intended; just as the separation between our lives as Christians- what we BELIEVE- was never meant to be separated from what we DO!

As it relates to the Sacred/Secular divide, I submit to you that it truly does not exist- perhaps only in our minds, but not in the mind of the God who encompasses BOTH the sacred & secular! In conclusion consider this:

God is EVERYWHERE! (Psalms 139:8 “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.”)Isaiah 6:3 “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies (KJV says hosts). The whole earth is full of His glory.”” In fact, since God created space, time & matter, it could be accurately said that “Everywhere is in God”! David’s point- and mine- is that God does not merely occupy every physical space, but He is present in every period of ascent, and in every low point. Why try to segregate any part of your life from the source of life? Isaiah’s underlying truth is also plain to see: every aspect of our lives has the potential to give Him glory!

Everything We Do, We Do In Him. The goal is “not to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself…less.” Our lives after receiving Christ should be a gracious and extended “thank you”. We can never repay so great a gift- the gift of salvation- but we can work to insure that Jesus is welcome into every area of our lives.

I don’t want to suggest that corporate worship, Bible study, prayer and such “spiritual” activities are insufficient. They’re absolutely essential for the Christian life. But know this: God’s concern and rule is not limited to those times. God deserves to be glorified in every aspect of our lives at every point in the week. When we understand that God cares about every aspect of our lives, we will work, play and worship differently.