Today, we’re back in the Book of Acts.
We have a missions team leaving this week to go encourage other Christians and do the work of evangelism among those who do not know Jesus.
This ministry is the same type of ministry that followers of Jesus have been doing since the very beginning. In fact, much of the Book of Acts is devoted to the missionary travels of the Early Church, primarily through the Apostle Paul.
Here’s a little review of how far the missionary travels have gone.
First of all, here’s a snapshot of the ancient world surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ started in Jerusalem, and the missionary efforts of the Church started in Jerusalem.
In Acts 17, Paul traveled all the way to Athens to preach the good news that Jesus saves sinners.
That brings us where we are today. Today’s sermon is entitled, “Our Life and Being.”
Let’s pray together before we go any further and ask the Lord to speak to us through His word.
(prayer)
In today’s passage, we’re going to hear about something called the Areopagus.
The Areopagus was both a location and a group of people. The location was a hill that was on the way up to a larger hill. The larger will was called “The Acropolis.” Which is a high point in Greece where you can still go today. It’s where the famous Parthenon sits. In fact, here’s a short video from a visit I made to The Acropolis.
The Areopagus is on the way up to the Acropolis. This is a spot where philosophers would gather to debate things. This place is also referred to as “Mars Hill.”
Here are some pictures of me with some preacher friends at Mars Hill, or the Areopagus.
So, this is the setting of where we are in Acts 17. Let’s look at the passage, then we’ll go from there.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?”
Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting? 20 Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Since we are God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.
30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Ok, so in verses 16-21, we see that Paul is waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. But we know by now, while Paul is waiting he is going to do some ministry.
So, Paul begins to preach the gospel in Athens. As he looked around, Paul was troubled by the idea that there were idols everywhere.
People should give their love and devotion to the one true God. Instead, those in Athens were giving their love and devotion to false gods.
Paul was burdened by this reality. Verse 16 says that he was “deeply distressed.”
Let me ask you, church: Are you deeply distressed on behalf of those who do not follow the one true God? Are you deeply distressed that people don’t follow Jesus Christ as Lord?
Because he was deeply distressed, Paul began to preach about Jesus. Paul taught in the synagogues and the marketplaces. He preached to anyone who would listen.
Because there were a lot of great debaters and philosophers in Athens, they engaged with Paul.
Apparently, Paul was interesting to the philosophers, and they wanted to hear more. So, they took him to the Areopagus, where debates, philosophizing, and learning often took place.
So, let’s see how Paul handled his time there.
First, notice that . . .
I. Paul pointed to an inner guidance.
Paul made a connection with the people of Athens. He knew that there was something within their hearts and minds that caused them to know that there is a higher power out there.
Listen to what Paul said in verse 22. He says, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”
Paul said that he knew they were religious people. He knew they were searching for truth. He knew that they believed there is a God out there who was unknown to them.
Then, Paul said, “I know the one whom you do not know. What you worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you today.”
Church, like Paul, we must realize that people need to know what is unknown to them.
They need to know that Jesus is the way to the God whom they do not know.
Jesus is the light in the darkness. Jesus is the answer to the question. Jesus is the knowledge in the midst of ignorance. Jesus is the culmination of the quest. Jesus is the healer of the hurting. Jesus is the Savior of the sinner. Jesus is the knowledge who takes us to the unknown.
You see, God has put within our hearts a certain level of knowledge of Him and longing for Him.
Instead of each of pursuing God, that awareness of God often leads us to pursue other godless pursuits such as godless philosophies and theories, selfish pursuits and pleasure, and substitute relationships.
No matter how hard we pursue those godless pursuits, they will come up empty. We don’t need those other things; we need the true God!
Our inner guidance is pointing us to Jesus. We must help people recognize that their inner guidance leads them to Jesus, who leads them to a relationship with the One True Living God.
First, Paul pointed to an inner guidance.
Second, . . .
II. Paul pointed to a unique God.
Listen to what Paul said in verses 24-29:
24 The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Since we are God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.
This God, whom Paul proclaimed, the One True Living God, is unique among all the false gods of Greece. He is unique among all the false gods of every ancient civilization. He is unique among all the false gods of today.
God made everything in this world.
God is Lord of heaven and earth.
God does not live in buildings.
God is not served by human hands.
God does not need anything from us.
God gives life and breath to everything and everyone.
All humanity derives from Him.
God has determined where all nations will live.
God wants us to seek Him.
God is not far from us.
God is not created, nor made out of gold, silver, or stone.
God is not imagined by humankind.
Rather, in God, we live and move and have our being.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we serve a unique God.
He is Lord of heaven and earth.
There is no god besides Him!
God does not need us, but we need Him desperately!
Paul pointed to a unique God.
Finally, . . .
III. Paul pointed to an exclusive gospel.
Look again at verses 30-34:
30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
God is full of grace. He has overlooked our times of ignorance. He has overlooked the fact that we did not know the way to Him through Jesus Christ.
Now, God commands all people to repent; He commands them to turn from their sins and turn to Him.
Why does He want us to repent? Because a day of judgment is coming. That judgment will come through Jesus Christ, who is the same one through whom forgiveness will come.
God has proven that this man, Jesus, is His appointed means of being made right with Him, through raising Jesus from the dead.
Church, the world must know that Jesus is God’s appointed man. Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to forgiveness. Jesus is the one who will bring judgment in God’s time. Jesus is the one who was raised from the dead.
Jesus is the exclusive one. The exclusive gospel, the one and only good news, is that Jesus saves sinners.
This was Paul’s message to the Athenians, and it should be our message to a lost and dying world, who need the hope of God.
Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning today:
Bottom Line: The Lord of heaven and earth is not far from each one of us.
Paul proclaimed of God in verse 24, “ . . . he is Lord of heaven and earth.”
Paul proclaimed of God in verse 27, “ . . . he is not far from each one of us.”
Listen, church: God is not far from us, and He is Lord of everything.
He also is not far from a lost and dying world, and they desperately need Him. We all desperately need Him.
He is Lord over everything in our lives. We ought to represent Him in everything that we do. We ought to share His message with others. We ought to let others know that He is not far away.
Challenge yourself this week in this one way:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Find your life and being in God.
Where do you find your life and being? Where is your value found?
Challenge yourself to look for it in the One True God.
How do you devote your life? Challenge yourself to devote it to the One True God.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.
