And When They Heard
Introduction:
When Paul entered
Athens, he was entering the center of culture, philosophy and
secular education for the entire Greek and Roman world. Many great
thinkers and philosophers had lived there, men such as Socrates and
Plato. The city boasted such artistic achievements as the beautiful
Parthenon, the statue of Athena, and the temple of Zeus, the largest
one in the world.
While
waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him, he was very
distressed at what he saw. There were over 3,000 pagan
idols on every hand with sacrifices being offered to them.
He didn’t see an enlightened culture making spiritual
progress but rather a society filled with ignorance and
error. (I
Corinthians 10:20)
“Rather, that
the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to
demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have
fellowship with demons.” NKJV
Paul could not just sit back and ignore what
he saw; he had to take action. So he preached to them about
Jesus and the resurrection. He reasoned with them. He knew
what he was up against.
Text:
Acts 17:16-34
Body:
I.
The Preaching of Paul
Acts
17:22-23
“Then Paul stood in
the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that
in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through
and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar
with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom
you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:” NKJV
Paul’s sermon is a great example for us
today. We must start with people where they are. They not only did
not know God’s Word, they did not even believe in Jehovah, God of
the Bible. They were “very religious,” very reverent in worshipping
demons. The inscription: “To the unknown God” was possibly an
insurance policy in case one had been left out. Athens was a
politically correct, multicultural, pluralistic society but Paul
doesn’t buy it at all. Worship offered in ignorance is not a
substitute for true worship. Paul tells them that the one you
thought was unknowable, I will make known to you. What a
magnificent job he does! Paul didn’t leave them in their ignorance.
Acts 17:24-25
“God, who made
the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and
earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He
worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He
gives to all life, breath, and all things.” NKJV
Instead of them making God, God made them. He
didn’t need temples like all these false gods – demons – idols. The
Athenians needed Him. He is not dependant on anything or anyone.
God created man and all life. Paul didn’t believe in evolution.
Acts 17:26
“And He has
made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of
the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the
boundaries of their dwellings,” NKJV
God is the one in charge – in control. He is the
real God. No race is superior to any other. God is in control of
history.
Acts 17:27-28
“so that they
should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and
find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 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.’ NKJV
Because of Who He is, the source of life, they
[and us] should seek Him. We are all dependent upon Him. All
nations have equal access to God and are accountable to Him.
Acts 17:29
“Therefore,
since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the
Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by
art and man’s devising.” NKJV
Since we owe our existence to God – Creator of all – source of life
– how could we possible think that some man-made idol or image was
actually God? Absurd!
Acts 17:30
“Truly, these
times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men
everywhere to repent,” NKJV Paul
calls for repentance now that the unknown God was known to them.
They were commanded to repent, to turn away from false gods,
to change their attitude toward sin, to turn away from it and submit
to God.
(I
Thessalonians 1:9-10)
“For they themselves
declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how
you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even
Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” NKJV
All men can change. Even though they were
religious, they still needed to repent.
Acts 17:31
“because He
has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” NKJV
Their motivation for repentance was Judgment Day. No
possible mistakes! All will be called before His bench. (II
Corinthians 5:10)
“For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether
good or bad.” NKJV
II.
The Response of the People
Acts
17:32-34
“And
when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while
others said, ‘We will hear you again on this matter.’ So Paul
departed from among them. However, some men joined him and
believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris,
and others with them.” NKJV
1.
Some mocked.
They began to sneer, laugh, ridicule. Notice what forced an end to
Paul’s sermon. “the resurrection of the dead” They had listened to
him say that their idols, demons, false gods were as nothing
compared to Jehovah God. They even listened that they needed to
repent; but when he mentioned a bodily resurrection from the dead,
it was just too much. They could not stand it any longer. They
thought a resurrection was ridiculous!
(I
Corinthians 1:18)
“For the message of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God.” NKJV
2.
Some put Paul off to a later date.
Did they really want to hear more at another time or were they being
polite? It is hard to say. That was a very dangerous thing to do.
Notice the following. (Acts
24:24-25)
“And after some days,
when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for
Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he
reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to
come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now when I have a
convenient time I will call for you’ ” NKJV
Felix put things off waiting a convenient time. But
no such thing exists! Putting it off can harden us. Warning
is given in
Hebrews 3:12-15.
“Beware, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is
called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it
is said, ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your
hearts as in the rebellion.’ ” NKJV
3.
Some believed.
Not many, but at least some became New Testament Christians,
followers of Jesus Christ. One soul is worth more than all the
world. (Matthew
16:26)
“For what profit is
it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or
what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” NKJV
One Christian, Dionysius, was one of the
judges who heard him.
Invitation:
What is your
response to hearing the gospel?
·
Ridicule it
·
Put it off
·
Believe it
Remember the words
of Paul in II
Corinthians 6:2.
“Behold now is the
accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.”
Won’t you come?
Bobby Stafford
April 10, 2016
[Evening]
Acts: Lesson 37
Acts 17:16-34
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