Unshakeable Kingdom

Intro: If you were to ask ten people to define “worship,” you would probably receive ten different answers. Some might describe worship as a church service or express a preference for worship with drums, keyboards, and guitars, or “traditional worship.” Others might say it’s the songs or the creeds. Still, others might refer to a feeling or an attitude. Each of these descriptions portrays an element of worship, but none of them captures the richness of the biblical meaning.

Worship combines two words, “worth” and “ship.” It has to do with giving worth back to God by reverently bowing before Him. Some Hebrew and Greek words translated into English as “worship” are derivatives of the ancient practice of bowing down to the ground, David Jeremiah says “ So, in the purest sense of the word, worship acknowledges who God is, gives Him the glory that He alone deserves, and honors Him. It stretches beyond our weekend services and encompasses our words, our actions—our very lives.”

Worship in Athens “was the university center of the world. A place of great philosophers, Demosthenes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, and Euripides -- these men who established thought patterns even used today. Athens was the center of art, beauty, culture, and knowledge… Remember that Paul came down from Berea to Athens. He sent word back to Silas and Timothy, to join him there. Evidently, the apostle did not intend to stay long in Athens. He was heading for Corinth, the political capital, but he had an observation and a message for this cosmopolitan area of Athens Greece.

one of the ancient historians said, “that is was easier to find an idol in Athens than a man!” With 30,000 of them, you can see why this would be true.

Luke tells us that Paul's spirit was moved when he saw this. He was provoked. The Greek word is the word from which we get out word paroxysm. Or sudden outburst of Emotion Paul felt an intense storm within, as he saw the city given over to idolatry.

Each idol also revealed a twisting, distorting, falsifying, a fabricating of the one true God. His spirit was troubled… anytime we see something behind something our Spirit sees what is actually happening. his spirit was greatly troubled to see men and women enticed by human powers through the worship of false gods.

In Jeremiah 9:24, God says this about Himself: “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.” And Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

The people of Athens loved novelty, anything that sounded new and different. Sound familiar

Paul wrote to Rome Romans 1: 18-25 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Jeff Greenway and Mike Lowry in their book Multiplying Methodism, a Bold Witness says “Genuinely orthodox belief means being unafraid of wrestling with great truths in the modern context while remaining anchored to the historic Christian faith. “Paul knew exactly what He believed to be the truth, and where he was going with it!

E.D.V. Josh McDowell “Leaders of the world's religions said, 'What do you think about what I teach?' Jesus said, 'Who do you say I am?'(Luke 9:20)”

Francis Schaeffer's “Reformation is a return to the sound doctrine of the Bible. Revival is the practice of that sound doctrine under the power of the Holy Spirit.”

John Wesley “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”

“by raising him from the dead…”

Some mocked him… Mocking is always the defense of pride when it feels itself attacked but has no logical defense; it resorts to ridicule.

Martin Luther, we celebrate him writing his thoughts and nail it to a church door “ In his life, Jesus is an example, showing us how to live; in his death, he is a sacrifice, satisfying for our sins; in his resurrection, a conqueror; in his ascension, a king; in his intercession, a high priest.”