Confronting the World's Idolatry
Notes
Transcript
Background - escaping persecution, he did not stop - Paul looked for the next opportunity to preach the gospel.
Paul in Athens
Athens formerly the center of the glory of Greek civilization now in decline.
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.
provoked - greatly distressed
Holy Disturbance
Motive should be right
Heart of God
Rescue Mission
17 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.
Throw all our prejudices.. he reasoned with both the Jews and Gentile worshippers.. not a respecter of persons, he shared the gospel to whoever happened to be there. (No chance encounters with God)
18 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.
Epicurean - Materialists and atheists , their goal in life was to pursue pleasure.
Stoics - Opposite, against pleasure and they thought pain was good.. they teach that the most important thing in life is to follow your own reasoning and to be self-sufficient.
The Gods of materialism and self. - Aren’t these the gods that we face here in America in our time?
Babbler (explain) - resistance, describe contemporary
19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
They brought him to a place called “Mars Hill” - where intellectuals gathered
“Mars Hill”
The ancient equivalent of today’s social media
“Hear the next new thing” - ship has already sailed. Paul and the early church had the opportunity of preaching to a time when the gospel has not been heard.
Our job is to submit to the Holy Spirit to break down misconceptions already formed in the minds of people.
Two words you have to remember this morning when you engage the idolatry of our time.
How do we engage today’s idolaters?
NO CONDEMNATION. NO COMPROMISE.
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 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.
He did not immediately attack their worship of false idols, but he looked for a way to inject the One True God in his discourse.
Eternity in our hearts. Ecclesiastes passage.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
There is a pursuit of eternal things in every human being’s heart.
Blaise Pascal quote here.
Tendency of atheists to hate someone that they do not believe in.
Ground rules for engagement:
Point unbelievers to the one true God - yet unknown to them.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
The greatness of God - why would God dwell in human temples when He actually made everything!
Have you heard of the microwave argument?
God is transcendent!
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
This God is the One Who created all things. All sufficient one. The author of life.
Second Ground Rule for Engaging Today’s Idolaters:
Identify with them..
What do you mean pastor?
26 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,
Paul looked for common ground. He started with the most fundamental common denominator. We are all God’s children.
Equality even in geographical boundaries and racial diversities - God created all men of all cultures, races and backgrounds and God loves all of them.
The universal benevolence of God
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
But God wants more , than just people having a knowledge of him.
27 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,
Verse 27 - He wants a relationship with us - He is not an impersonal God.
seek and you will find him;;
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
though He is not far from each of us - the imago deo
“We are created to image God, to be his imagers. It is what we are by definition. The image is not an ability we have, but a status. We are God’s representatives on earth. To be human is to image God.” - Theologian Michael Heiser
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.’
All human beings receive life and breath from God.
In restating the truth that we all came from God, Paul related with them by using their own poets. Method of connecting with them.
Epimenides
Aratus
“Your very existence and every essential function for life comes not from these false idols but from the God whom you don’t even know!”
29 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.
It makes no sense for anyone to create an image of God Who created all of us in the first place! (talk of the insult it gives to the nature and character of God)
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Sixteen: Responding to God’s Word (Acts 17)
God made us in His image, so it is foolish for us to make gods in our own image!
Once the reality of God as creator and source of all things is established, we need to talk about repentance.
Third Ground Rule for Engaging Today’s Idolaters:
Lead in to the Proclamation of the Gospel
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
The mercy and grace of God
Mercy - overlooking these times of ignorance, does not mean passing up justice
Grace - Commands that all men everywhere repent
We do not stop here in the proclamation of the Gospel.
We need to introduce an unbelieving world to God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
31 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.”
Talked about the judgement of God through Jesus Christ.
Concept of Righteous Justice to be carried out by the Man He chose. Righteous Judge instead of long-awaited Messiah.
Paul did not start with the need for salvation and the cross of Jesus. He wanted to point these people away from their idolatry to the one true God. He focused more on the divinity of Jesus.
This righteous judge is immortal after He was raised from the dead.
What was the outcome?
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
It may seem that Paul failed but look out for those Whom the Spirit of the Lord touches:
Don’t be discouraged.
Note these names.
Dionysius
Damaris
The outcome - some believed.
33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Remember these people, Dionysius and Damaris, we are unsure why Luke chose to mention them.. non-Jew, Greek idolaters, probably intellectuals,, they woke up that day having no clue that they will hear about the truth of the love of God, and the Holy Spirit captivated their hearts.
Lessons:
In engaging idolatrous unbelievers:
Do not start with antagonism. We are all recipients of God’s grace and should look at others from the compassionate eyes of Christ.
Remove any prejudice we may have. Find common ground instead of highlighting differences.
Go for the Home Run. Preach the gospel of repentance from sin and faith in Jesus.1