Acts Message 43

dean slocumb

Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Paul shares Jesus with Idol Worshipers.

Acts 17:15–23 NKJV

15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

Intro: Paul had experienced salvation on the Road to Damascus. He would later preach there, escape over the city wall in a basket. He when to Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion, but was rejected as a believer until Barnabas stood for him. The Grecians sought to kill them. He went to Antioch at Pisidia where he was accused of blasphemy. At Lystia the unbelieving Jews stirred up the people and stoned him, and left him for dead. At Philip he was beating, thrown into prison At Berea he was forced to leave town. What kept Paul going? Passion.

Passion VS 15-17 VS 15

Acts 17:15 NKJV

15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

1. Paul went where the Holy Spirit lead him.

a. He took men that were willing to help and not be a hindrance.

b. He didn’t stop when people were against him.

c. He didn’t stop when controversy arose.

d. He didn’t stop when persecution hit him.

e. He didn’t stop when he was run out of town.

2. What was this passion that Paul had, a passion for? The lost. The reach those that did not know God. (They didn’t know the love of God) VS. 16

Acts 17:16 NKJV

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.

1. Paul waited on his brother’s in Christ to come. But He couldn’t just sit and wait. “His spirit was provoked within him”

a. Means: Grieved and roused to anger. He knew he had the share Jesus with them, and had to do it now.

b. Because “the city was given over to idols” (Under idols, or swamped with, buried under neath)

c. The city was full of idols. The people of Athens worshiped many 1000’s of gods. Elab

d. This made Paul mad, mad that Satan had a grip on them.

This is why God had sent him there. He had the wisdom to know what to say. Elab

He had the courage to say it. Elab all because he had the passion it took to share the gospel on Christ.

2. What Paul saw in Athens can be seen around the world today it may not be stone god’s, but people still worship god’s today.

a. Wealth, entertainment, self gratification, computers, cell phones, sports, pleasures of life.

How many people will drive by this church today because there is something more important to them?

b. When we see what is going on in our world today it should stir our souls. Elab

Do we get Grieved and roused to anger.

VS 17 Acts 17:17

Acts 17:17 NKJV

17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

1. Paul always when to the synagogue, but here in a city that was full of idolatry.

2. He reasoned “Disputed” it does not mean that he argued with the people, but rather he reasoned with them. He engaged in a debate with them.

a. The Jews that Paul was reasoning with should have been up in arms over the idolatry in Athens. Elab

b. All the sin that is in the world today, does the church really care?

c. The devout persons, in the markets place.

D. This was a place where people would meet to buy and sell goods, and here speakers. Paul took advantage of this opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, because he had a passion to share the gospel and a heart for the lost.

We should always look for, and take the opportunity to share the gospel.

Heart VS 18-21 VS 18 Acts 17:18

Acts 17:18 (NKJV)

18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

1. Athens was known for it’s Philosophers, men who boasted of being the wisest of men.

a. The Ep-I-cure-ans: They denied that the universe was created by God. They denied that the God’s exercised any care or providence over humanity in any way. They declared pleasure as the chief good.

b. Stoicks: They accepted the fact of God, but maintained that all things were fixed by fate.

a. Babbler. (Seed picker) One of collects seeds, a poor person who would collect grains of wheat, barley, and oats around the fields after the harvest. (Gleaners)

b. The term was also applied to birds that picked up grains from the fields and the market place.

c. In this case it’s talking about someone that gathered up scraps of information of various ides and teaches as his own secondhand thoughts. Someone that teaches his own opinion.

Paul does get anger, he shows grace.

d. Paul did not teach his own opinion, he taught scripture.

e. Paul had a heart for the lost, he heart went out to the people of Athens that had been taught false teaching (someone’s opinion)

f. We don’t win the lost with our opinions. We win the lost buy sharing the truth of the gospel.

VS 18b “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.”

1. This man is a proclaimer of some strange god.

a. Reading this part of the verse tells us what Paul was preaching. Elab

b. Preaching about a God, that sent his son to die. Then he rose from he dead, and he will save you, forgive you of your sins. VS. 19

Acts 17:19 (NKJV)

19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

1. They take Paul to Arepagus. (Mars Hill)

a. Mars Hill was a place where court hearings and procedures took place.

b. It was located in the center of the city, and was high enough where Paul had a full view of the city and all the statues in the streets. VS 19b “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?

Paul taught something new to them, something that they had never heard. In a city that worshiped so many god’s they were up to hearing something new.

VS 20

Acts 17:20 NKJV

20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”

1. They were saying: This is some new doctrine you are telling us about. Tell us more about this Jesus so we better understand before you choose to aspect it.

a. They wanted a better understanding.

b. The gospel is really simple, we make things more difficult.

VS 21

Acts 17:21 NKJV

21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

1. There were many in Athens who spent their leisure time just hanging around hoping for some new.

a. Something new, but something different then they had heard of before. Some out of curiosity, but there some that wanted a better understanding of what Paul was speaking of.

Understanding VS 22-23

VS 22 Acts 17:22

Acts 17:22 NKJV

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;

1. As Paul stood and preached to these men on Mars Hill that day, over looking the city with all it’s stone god’s. a. Paul calls them “superstitious” this was not an insult. He was calling them very religious. b. They were so religious that they didn’t want to leave out any god’s in fear of making one of them angry. VS 23 Acts 17:23

Acts 17:23 NKJV

23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

1. The fact that the people of Athens had so many idols proved that had a desire for a higher being, someone who could satisfy the longing in their hearts.

a. They had accused Paul of setting forth “strange god’s’ and he was here to tell them that he was in their midst to declare the God whom that had already erected an alter. But since they worshiped him in ignorance, they worshiped him to no avail.

b. Paul is telling them that “unknown God” that they have been worshiping is the very one that he had declared “proclaimed” to you.

2. Let’s put this out there for you.

a. Do you know God? Not do you know about Him. Elab.

b. If you do not have a personal relationship with him, then He is an Unknown God to you.

3. Do you have 100% peace with God?

Spiritual peace:

Psalm 4:8 NKJV

8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Romans 8:6 NKJV

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Promised to believers:

Psalm 29:11 NKJV

11 The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Bestowed through Christ:

Romans 5:1 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

It’s beyond our understanding:

Philippians 4:7 NKJV

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The people of Athens had no peace with God, because he was unknown to them.

If you do not have peace with God, he is unknown to you.