To An Unknown God
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD
ACTS 17:16-34
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which 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 Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
What did Paul do that day that teaches us how to speak to people about God?
I. HE AFFIRMED THEIR RELIGIOUS PURSUITS. “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious (RELIGIOUS)
A. PAUL PUTS HIS FINGER ON A UNIVERSAL NEED AND INTUITION
B. THE NEED TO KNOW GOD AND TO ENJOY HIS FELLOWSHIP
II. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR SPIRITUAL CONFUSION “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”
A. THEIR VISION OF GOD WAS OUT OF FOCUS AS HE IS TODAY WITH SO MANY. Paul preached to bring God into focus.
B. JESUS MADE A SIMILAR STATEMENT TO THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, “22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
C. WORSHIP MUST BE BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO GOD IS, NOT ON OUR OWN INVENTIONS OF GOD
D. WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN GOD IS UNKNOWN?
1. We lose our sense of identity
2. We fall into idolatry
3. We are estranged from God and experience cultural degeneracy
4. We feel spiritually estranged from God
III. HE ANNOUNCED THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD
A. GOD IS CREATOR
B. GOD IS SUSTAINER
1. GOD IS NOT SERVED BY HUMAN HANDS
2. GOD IS SELF-EXISTENT
3. GOD GIVES LIFE AND BREATH TO ALL MEN
C. GOD IS SOVEREIGN
1. GOD CREATED ALL MEN FROM ONE MAN
2. GOD ORDAINED THE NATIONS AND HISTORY
3. GOD’S PURPOSE IN ALL THINGS IS THAT WE MIGHT SEEK HIM AND FIND HIM
D. GOD IS REDEEMER
1. GOD COMMANDS US TO REPENT OF OUR IGNORANCE AND IDOLATRY
2. GOD WILL JUDGE THE WORLD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. Daniel 7:13, 14 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
3. THE RISEN CHRIST IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE WORLD.
IV. THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSE. Their response varied as with all preaching:
A. THOSE WHO RIDUCULED – laughed off the whole issue.
B. THOSE WHOW WANTED TO HEAR MORE
C. THOSE WHO BELIEVED
