God Winked; But Not Now - Acts 17:27-31

God Winked; But Not Now. -Acts 17:27-31

Acts 17:27–31 KJV 1900

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: 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. 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. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 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.

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.

What we find about God (v.27)

He is to be sought

· It is the duty of man

o Deuteronomy 4:29 – But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

o Psalm 105:4 – Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

o Hosea 10:12 – Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

o Luke 11:10 – For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

God is Hidden

· Job 23:8-9 – Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

· Psalm 10:1 – Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

· Psalm 13:1 – (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

· Psalm 89:13 – How long, LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire?

· Isaiah 45:15-16- Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

God Is Near

· Nigh to the broken hearted

o Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

§ This is a psalm describing Jesus – telling us that Jesus is near to the broken hearted

· Nigh to those who love and call upon him

o Psalm 145:18-20 - The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

God says it…

o Jeremiah 23:23 - Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

So we see in this first verse that man is to seek God

God who is every present will then reveal himself to those who seek the truth

Haply = by chance, lucky, accident

Seek and by chance God may reveal himself to you, you might be lucky to find him. Indeed seek him and feel after him for it is the only way to happen upon Him. As Job said, I look everywhere and can see evidence of God, but I cannot see him.

Reach for him like a desperate blind man seeking in the darkness for the light!

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.

In Him we Live and Move, and have our being – he is the one who created us, gave us life, and made us to procreate. He is the sustainer of our life’s breath.

· Job 33:4 - The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

· Job 27:3 - All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

· Psalms 104:29 - Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Your poets have said-

Paul says that even your philosophers have said that we are all children of God. Isn’t that the new battle cry to merge all the religions in the world for tolerance? They tell the Christian to give up their God because all religions ultimately serve the only God there is. There are no new lies crawling our of hell…

This philosophy was a great tool of those who made their living in the selling of idols and charms. This is why there are virtually no differences between the false gods of the Romans and the Greeks, and why we have pagan rituals tied up on Christmas and Easter. Paul is trying to use the same argument they use to show Christ is superior to the false gods.

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.

· Man (believers) are the children of God.

o John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

o Galatians 3:26 - For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

o Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

§ We are peacemakers – we bring the gospel of peace between man and God

· We know God

o He is not made by hands

o God is a Spirit

o We did not make God for our glory – God made man for His glory

· God does not inhabit an image

o He is not a graven image, crucifix, of cross, a picture, or a painting

· God cannot be invoked

o No rosary or creed

o No act of being good

o No bargaining to be better or to go to church

o No wagging of the finger, or blaming

o No mystic, hidden, ancient rituals to conjure him up

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.

· Now that God has revealed himself in Christ, there is not excuse for walking in ignorance.

o Galatians 4:8 - Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

· We are told to flee idolatry in every form

o 1 Corinthians 10:7 – “Do not be idolaters…”

o I Corinthians 10:14 – “Flee from idolatry…”

o 1 John 5:21 – “Keep yourselves from idols”

o Colossians 3:5 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

· Idolatry brings judgement

o Psalm 16:4 – “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more…”

o Psalm 135:14-18 - For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

· God requires repentance – seek him, feel for him…

o Repentance Requires Sorrow –

o Isaiah 22:12 - And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

§ Call for by the Lord

§ Call to weeping

§ Call to Mourning

§ Call to Baldness (removal of pride – hair covering is an honor and glory)

§ Call to sackcloth (self-deprivation)

o Repentance Requires Change of Heart and Action

§ Ezekiel 18:31 - Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

· Cast away all your transgressions

· Make a new heart (desire) and spirit (life)

· Death will be for the unrepentant

o Without Repentance is death

§ Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

§ Acts 8:22 - Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

· The Lord has not pleasure in death…

o Ezekiel 18:32 - For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

o John 6:40 - And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day