The True God Of Life

Introduction: Paul has now travelled from Thessalonica too Berea and now to Athens. Paul and his missionary team were preaching the necessity of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. While they witnessed many being converted, with envy, the Jews sought out to follow them everywhere they went with efforts to discredit and remove their influence about the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.

You see, there are many false religions out there that will place Jesus in high esteem, but will not credit to Him the bodily resurrection. In other words, they ignorantly worship a false Jesus and therefore create for themselves a custom order Christianity.

Before you fill your lungs with God’s air to amen me, it would do you good to examine your own self to see if you are not doing the very same thing. What I mean is this: Your behavior will always describe your belief. Your fruits will always speak of where your roots are. To worship Jesus without a proper understanding of Jesus is to not correctly worship Jesus. You say, “I live my life for Jesus.” Really? What about that sin, lack of forgiveness, selfishness, shelving your Bible, attending one third of worship opportunities, etc.

As we will noticed, Paul is waiting on his team to arrive, but while he is waiting his heart begins to become all stirred up over the fact these very intelligent people are “ignorantly” worshiping an “UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul will spend his time introducing these pagans to the one true Sovereign creator, Lord, Savior and judge. It is my desire that you become rooted in a deep belief of your complete dependency on God for “life” (physical & spiritual) and therefore living in light of the belief.

1) Paul’s Broken Heart

“While he waited” - Paul never strayed his mind from God’s desired relationship with man and what man’s understanding should be about the one true God.

He saw how the city was totally given to idolatry.

Pausanius had said that it was easier to meet a god on the main street of Athens than it was to meet a man.

Idols dedicated to the starts, constellations, powers of the underworld and the vices and virtues of mankind.

This must have broken Paul’s heart.

Thinking back to how he lived in the darkness of unbelief.

Darkness was having great victory there.

The difference between Paul and many of you today, is that Paul not only had open eyes to the darkness, but also a broken heart.

He first disputed in the synagogue with Jews and later with Gentiles in the streets.

Due to his message of the resurrection, they called him a “babbler.”

“encountered” = wanted to help poor Paul with his nonsensical ideas.

Notice the two religious groups:

Epicureans: believed in gods / gods have no interest in man / world is left to itself / pleasure worth pursing was a life of tranquility; free from passion and pain / denied the existence of life after death

Stoics: fatalists and pantheists / God was a world soul; the world was God’s body / man should live according to nature / virtue was the supreme good / man should be above passion / only follow one’s reasoning and be self-sufficient

Paul speaks to their ignorance:

Once again, their actions spoke to their ignorance.

Paul mentions them being too religious.

Quote: “The fear of becoming a ‘has been’ keeps some people from becoming anything.” (Eric Hoffer)

Quote: “The person who chases the new and ignores the old soon dicovers that he has no deep roots to nourish his life. He also discovers that nothing is really new; it’s just that our memories are poor.” (Warren Wiersbe)

2) Paul Reveals The One True God

A. God the Creator

Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

Only the Christian faith has a satisfactory answer to all three!

Epicureans would say, “all was matter and matter always was.”

Stoics would say, “everything was God. He only organized matter and attached law and order to it.”

Noticed how Paul banished all the gods of Greece in his opening sentence (v24)

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Neh 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Psa 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

B. God the Provider

If you ever get to the point you pride yourself in how you serve God, you need to take a step back and remember how God serves you!

Paul made two quick sentences and wiped out the entire Greek religious system.

No person and what they have when given to God adds anything to God’s person.

The temples do not contain God.

God is the Sovereign mover of the divine into the depraved sinner (you and me)!!

Every good thing you have.

Your day of birth and the longevity of your life.

It was God who led you to repentance.

C. God the Ruler

The Greek gods were distance beings with no concern for the problems of men.

God is the God of history and geography.

Mankind was created from “one man” by God that all would be of “one blood.”

God determines the rise and fall of nations.

(v27) In the natural sense, God is near to all humanity.

(v28) “Fatherhood of God” refers to the natural sense (Adam was a son of God).

Paul concludes: Due to God making us in His image, it is foolish to make gods in our image!

D. God the Savior and Sovereign Judge (vv30-34)

Since the fall, man has always been guilty. However, there was a time when God held back His divine wrath until the fulfillment of the gospel of Jesus.

Because of the resurrection, Jesus will come back as the preeminent sovereign judge of the soul. (v31)

There were three different responses to the preaching of Jesus’ resurrection.

Some laughed and mocked

Others interested and wanted more

Small group believed on Jesus

Conclusion: Let us come square with this truth: God is the sole provider of all physical and spiritual life. For me to exist in this life (God)! For me to enjoy the next (God)! Will you turn to Jesus today that you might have life and have it more abundantly? We are very much “completely dependent!”