Trip 2 Europe: Athens
Notes
Transcript
How much does God matter?
How much does God matter?
How much do other people matter to me...
Drowning in idols
Drowning in idols
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
Possibly more idols than people.
A smorgasbord - pick the god(s) you were drawn to, serve them for your benefit (exchange)
Greatly distressed (+ve/-ve)
What’s our response?
Indifference (to God?)(to other humans?)
superiority/criticism
fear (because of the difference)
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
He gets in conversations - with all kinds of people, all the time.
Produced ridicule, and inquiry.
.Now you and I are not the Apostle, nor are we all evangelists (I pray God raises up some of you):
1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 (NIV)
11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
We are in opposed times. Our country thinks by and large it knows what Christianity is and doesn’t want or need it. Those saying they’re Christians have done great harm.
But if invited to speak, do you know what you believe and how it overlaps with what your neighbour cares about?
Paul joins the dots to God
God is Maker
God is Near
Change! God is Judge
No one is self-made
God is Maker
God is Maker
18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
Paul’s been invited because Jesus might have a place at the table - maybe also ‘The Resurrection’/Anastasis - a new male and female god.. will he convince the council to add them to the pantheon, to get a temple built, does Jesus deserve to be on the list?
Acts 17:24–25 (NIV)
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
God is Maker. God is not needy. God is unlimited.
Humans don’t decide what place God has at the table.
Humans are dependent, and needy.
God is independent and the giver.
Humans don’t decide reality in their heads // our take is not full, or infallible // we don’t make ourselves, or anything else - we are MADE.
[Even joining together and deciding upon things - doesn’t make those things reflect reality - it’s just imperial voluntarism]
And everything is gift || overturns all merit-based thinking, deserved-ness, overturns all religious earnings and ladders
// mission team - got very lost - kept at it, convinced their destination was right -
God is Near
God is Near
God is not lost, looking for a home to live in, a heart that’ll accept him, going from house to house trying to find somebody, anybody who will love him.
That’s a more accurate description of much of humanity.
27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
Grope in the darkness - knowing there’s something more to life, something greater than self -
Made to be found.
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
Not only is God not lost - or distant - all our living is from him as the source of life.
He’s involved.
Augustine: you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you.
What’s the catch - ?
[nigerian scams… bank account details...
Change! Judgment Day
Change! Judgment Day
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.
What’s the catch?
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Everyone. Everywhere.
Change. Don’t give him a temple or make some idol. Cut this nonsense out. All of it.
We aren’t judge, or jury - not ‘what do you think about Jesus?’ but ‘what will Jesus think of you?’
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
The problem isn’t just out there either. It is here - in us.
There’s justice coming.
Proper justice. Which is both why I care about justice and don’t despair when it doesn’t get done here. Now is not ultimate.
Justice is coming. Jesus’ resurrection is both the prelude to the final siren and proof that justice matters.
The God who is Maker, and Near, has put us on notice - that’s grace.
As a Christian, as you explain Christianity to others - you know that sooner or later you have to get to this summons, this call to respond.
That God is Maker and God is Near and God has appointed a judge demands a reaction.
[It’s the major pain threshhold. ]
Note how Paul does this - he’s not rude, but he is confident, and corrective.
He’s not hurried - he doens’t even get to Jesus’ name, or to the death except by implication.
And there’ll be a response:
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
When they hear about - not self-made; we are lost… there’ll always be ridicule at some (or many) points.
But there’ll also be curiosity.
And sometimes there’ll be trust.
Acts 17:33–34 (NIV)
33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Paul left. The response is up to God.
Keep praying for change.
Make sure you know what and why you believe. So you’re ready to speak.
Understand others so that you understand the connection points and can join the dots. His speech is not in a vacuum, he had spent day after day interacting.