Introducing the Savior to the Religous
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Intro:
Intro:
AG:
TS: This text finds Paul in Athens. He spoke of Jesus at the synagogue, but also took his message to the marketplace.
Athens was also the religious center of Greece and a city full of idols. Virtually every deity known to man could be worshipped there.
Athenians also loved philosophy. They liked to hear and debate new ideas.
Paul was brought to the Areopagus and allowed to speak.
Paul began where they were by referring to their alter to the unknown God. He perceived they were religious, but cautioned that being religious is not enough.
RS: There are many today who consider themselves spiritual, but are done with organized religion. They cite the problems in the churches they have attended. They point to the hatred and fighting going on and the lack of love. Their solution is to walk away and be “done” with church.
What we do and are to be as a church is unknown to them. We are in the relationship business, not religion. That message is lost, sometimes even on us. The critics do have a point. IF the body of Christ looses its love, there is a serious problem. However, they ignore the teaching that we are to be in this together.
We increasingly find ourselves in contact and witnessing to people who are making a religion for themselves and have no desire to join a local church.
Let us see how Paul dealt with the religious in need of a relationship.
Acts 17:16-34
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”
Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
So Paul went out from their midst.
But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Religious but Wrong
Religious but Wrong
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
EX: Paul evangelized the pagans
He acknowledged their religious nature
lit. “in fear of gods”
they were so open minded and fearful that to cover all bases, they constructed an alter to the unknown god.
A “just in case we left someone out” alter
Athenians were super-naturalists.
they believed the supernatural intervened in natural events.
They believed in gods and goddesses greater than themselves who had a say in the affairs of mankind.
Paul cashed in on their nature to introduce them to true Creator-God who could be known.
To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
AP: We can learn from Paul’s method
AP:
Always be ready to witness
We must live a life that actively points people to Jesus Christ.
Our words, actions, and relationships should proclaim Jesus at all times.
Even in times of suffering:
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
always prepared to defend your hope
In other words, always ready to witness
Find common ground
We need to find a point of contact, common ground.
This often comes from our own story of how Christ brought us to faith.
There are many avenues of common ground to open opportunities to witness rationality and logic, human experience, various kinds of evidence, etc.
God Revealed
God Revealed
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
Acts 17:24-
EX:
One of the groups Paul had caught the attention of was the Epicureans. They believed that matter was eternal and therefore had no creator. The other group, the Stoics, were pantheists believed that God was part of everything and could not have created Himself.
Paul goes right the error of both groups be clearing God was the creator of the world.
He made the world and all that is in it and is Lord of heaven and earth.
He also made all people from one man, Adam
The brotherhood of humanity has its beginning in God’s creation.
Greeks believed all non-Greeks were barbarians, and their race based prejudices were surely hit by Paul’s words
God set the boundaries and time limits on nations
God established nations
Tower of Babel
It is by His will that they rise and fall
Any authority they exercise is on loan from Him and they will answer to Him for their use of it.
Paul brings his discussion to the point:
man’s purpose is to seek God!
The religions of Athens demonstrated this.
They saw evidences of God but gave credit to worthless idols of their own making
AP: God’s handiwork is still on display.
The heavens declare His glory
When you look at the complexities of the universe and examples in every species, they shout out that God exists and created it all.
Scientists have found evidence of intelligent design even in the seemingly simplest and most minute parts of the body, such as in tears. Once thought to be composed of simple water, tears now are known to be of such high-level complexity that whole books have been written on them. Biochemist William Frey spent 15 years as head of a research team studying tears.1 His team found that, although certain tear-production organs once were thought to be vestigial, all of their secretions now are known to be important and actually serve numerous critical functions in the body. A Johns Hopkins research team concluded:
‘Tears aren’t simple. They’re complex creations of water, mucins, oils, and electrolytes; they also possess some protective bacteria-fighting substances that help reduce our risk of getting eye infections. Their functions are many and essential. For the cornea, they provide a smoother optical surface, so that our vision remains clear; they also help keep the cornea properly moisturized and rich in oxygen. For the eye in general, tears also act as “wiper fluid”, allowing the eyelids to wash the eye free of debris with every blink.’2
Frey, W., Crying: The Mystery of Tears, Winston Press, Houston, 1985.
Cassel, G., Billig, M. and Randall, H., The Eye Book, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, p. 233, 1998.
The universal nature of people worshipping reveal a hunger that we have as a species that we don’t even know about.
Our response
Our response
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
So Paul went out from their midst.
But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Acts 17:30
EX: Paul issued an invitation
God overlooked the times of ignorance
whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
This means neither indifference nor remission. God’s justice demands that every sin and sinner be punished. God would have been just, when Adam and Eve sinned, to destroy them, and with them, the entire human race. But in His goodness and forbearance (see 2:4), He withheld His judgment for a certain period of time
MacArthur Study Bible:
This means neither indifference nor remission. God’s justice demands that every sin and sinner be punished. God would have been just, when Adam and Eve sinned, to destroy them, and with them, the entire human race. But in His goodness and forbearance, He withheld His judgment for a certain period of time
Now commands all to repent
The time had come for the gospel to be proclaimed.
AP: The response must be the same today
We call for the same response:
Repent of your sins
Believe in Jesus
who He is
what He did.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Today, we often find ourselves confronting “spiritual” people who don’t know the Lord. Let us follow Paul’s example and introduce them to the one they need.