Acts Message 44

Proclaiming the unknown God

Acts 17:22–34 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; 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: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Intro: As Paul approached the great city of Athens, he did not come as a sightseer, but as a soul-winner. He arrived with a open eye and a broken heart.

The Greek had god’s and there were plenty to choose from.

Paul saw a city that was full of idolatry, and it broke his heart, it stirred spirit

. Paul spoke in the synagogue with the Jews, but he also spoke in the market place to the Greeks.

It didn’t take long for the Philosophers to hear about this new and strange thing that Paul spoke of. They called him a babbler

The council of the Areopagus was responsible to watch over both religion and education in the city. So it was natural for them to investigate the “new doctrine” Paul was teaching.

They invited him to Mars Hill. Life in Athens consisted of hearing and telling new things, and Paul had something new. Had would now proclaim to them the unknown God.

He started were the people were by referring to their altar dedicated to an unknown god. Having aroused their interest, he then explained who that god is and what He was like.

He concluded his with a with a personal application that left each person there with a decision. Using this unknown god as a jumping point, Paul shared three basic truths about God.

I. Proclaiming the greatness of the unknown God VS 22-24

VS 22,23

Acts 17:22–23 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; 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. As Paul stood on Mars Hill, over looking the city of Athens. Elab

a. He spoke and told the men that they were KJV “too superstitious” (religious) (Devout)

(Elab on people who are very devout to their religion)

b. They did have a desire to worship. That is why they had made many idols to worship.

He knew they were religious, they had built an alter to the unknown god to make sure that they didn’t miss one.

c. But their religion, their worship was empty and vain.

(Elab people in church who are lost, but try to worship to fill an emiptness inside)

d. Why do people have an empty filling inside today? Because they do not know God.

Judges 2:10 NKJV

10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

John 15:21 NKJV

21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

John 16:3 NKJV

3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

2. The people of Athens did not know God, so he was unknown to them. So they tried to worship to fill that emptiness they had inside, that unpeaceful filling, by false worship.

3. But we can worship, true worship, we can have peace by worshiping the one true God, and his greatness.

VS 24

Acts 17:24 (NKJV)

24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

1. Paul preaches about the greatness of the one true God. How he is the sovereign God. The creator of all things, Lord of heaven and earth.

a. To us in America these truths are common place, but this was something new to the Grecians.

VS 24a

1. “God, who made the world and everything in it,” God is far greater then things. He is greater then the universe with all it’s beauty and power and mystery. He is greater far beyond man’s imagination. Heb 1:3

Hebrews 1:3 NKJV

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

VS 24b “since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.”

1. Athens boasted beautiful temples, temples that held idols craved of stone, wood, gold and silver. But God did not dwell in those temples. He dwells in the hearts of men.

1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

II. Proclaiming the goodness of God. VS 25-29

VS 25

Acts 17:25 NKJV

25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.

“Neither is worshiped with men’s hands”

1. From one end of Athens to the other Paul saw evidence of the work of men’s hands. They worshiped many god’s, these beautiful idols and statuses were the work of their hands, in the honor of their god’s.

a. The one true God is not worshiped in this way. Jesus said in John 4:24

“God is a spirit: and that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth”

"As though He needed any thing"

1. God needs nothing, He is the creator of all things. He spoke the world into existence.

a. He said “let there be light”

b. His word produced the tree’s , plants. His word made the sun, moon the stars.

c. God created the animals roamed the earth, the birds filled the sky.

d. He said let us make man in our own image, after our likeness” He made man from the dust of the ground., and breathed in him the breath of life.

VS 26a

Acts 17:26 NKJV

26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

1. Paul left no room for a theory of a master race though the Greeks. The Greeks considered themselves to be such a race. Other people were barbarians to them.

a. But all races have a common origin; all trace back to Adam.

1. The rise an fall of nations, like the coming and going of the tide, is all under God’s control.

a. Where each nation would live was determined by God. The river, mountains, oceans, and deserts. All controlled by God. Elab

VS 27

Acts 17:27 NKJV

27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

1. All men, all those that God had put on this earth, should seek after Him, and have great hope when they find.

a. The God of creation is not that far away. Paul is telling them that the great God, the only God. Is always near and ready for them to call on Him.

VS 28

Acts 17:28 NKJV

28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

1. Paul mentions the writings of two Greek poets. It was not that he endorsed the pagan sentiments expressed in their works. But he pointed out that their own writers had blindly searched after the true living God, and that we are all his offspring.

VS 29

Acts 17:29 NKJV

29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

1, Paul had their attention, and now he boldly attacked their idolatry. Exposing error is as much a part of the Christian faith as is explaining the truth.

a. There is no compromise for the Christian faith. Sooner or later error has to be confronted head on.

b. The men of Athens had lost sight of the true nature of God. They had put their faith in graven images.

c. Paul had told them of the greatness of God, the goodness of God, and now he would show them the grace of God.

III. Proclaiming the grace of the unknown God VS 30-34

VS 30

Acts 17:30 NKJV

30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

a. This insulting images God has overlooked. But no longer, it is now time to repent.

b. The lost person that has sat under the preaching of the gospel, the person that has been under convection, God has called them over and over, but they don’t respond.

c. Now is the day to repent.

d. Why is it important to repent? The judgement is coming.

VS 31

Acts 17:31 NKJV

31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

1. Geek theology had no concept of coming judgement. This was a shock for this men that they were accountable to the creator.

2. God will judge the world in righteousness.

a. God is righteous, He does no wrong. Man is unrighteous. “None are righteous no not one” Rom 3:9

b. There will be a day when the unrighteous people will stand before and all-righteous God.

VS 31 b He is talking about Jesus.

1. Here Paul touched the heart and soul of the Christian message-the resurrection of Christ.

VS 32

Acts 17:32 NKJV

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”

1. Now it was time to respond to the grace of God.

a. Some mocked, but some wanted to hear more.

b. Only a few believed.

VS 33, 34

Acts 17:33–34 (NKJV)

33 So Paul departed from among them.

34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

(die-a nice-is) (Aire op-gite) (da-rr-is)

1. Paul didn’t get a lot of results in Athens. (Other places many) not in Athens.

a. But it was not a failure on Paul’s part because he was faithful to proclaim the greatness, the goodness, and the grace of God.

b. When we share the same truth that Paul did, people will not always respond. But we have to give them chance.

c. What about you? Have you responded?