THE UNKNOWN GOD
Scott R. Bayles, preacher
First Christian Church, Rosiclare, IL
At a Youth for Christ rally a curious college student once posed a provocative question to the great mass-evangelist, Billy Graham. He asked, “What kind of guy is God?” He may not have realized it at the time, but that’s a mountain of a question. How would you answer it? If some asked you to tell them about your God, what would you say?
Mull that one over for a minute, and then let me take you back in time nearly two millennia to the ancient city of Athens.
In Acts 17, as the apostle Paul approached the great city of Athens, he came not as a sightseer, but as a soul-winner. He arrived with open eyes and a broken heart. Athens was in a period of decline in the early first-century. Though still recognized as a center of culture and education, the glory of its politics and commerce had long since faded. It had a famous university and numerous beautiful buildings, but it wasn’t the influential city it once had been. The city was given over to a “cultured paganism” that was nourished by idolatry, novelty, and philosophy.
The Greek myths spoke of gods and goddesses that, in their own rivalries and ambitions, acted more like petty humans than gods; and there were plenty of deities to choose from! Someone once said that in Athens it was easier to find a god than a man. There was even an altar dedicated to “the unknown god” (sort of like our memorial to the Unknown Soldier) just in case they had missed one. Paul saw that the city was “wholly given to idolatry”—to the worship of false, non-existent gods—and it broke his heart.
So, as always, Paul spoke in the synagogue with the Jews and he witnessed in the marketplace to the Greeks. It didn’t take long for the local philosophers to catch wind of Paul’s preaching, so it was only natural for the Council of the Areopagus (which was responsible for watching over both religion and education in the city) to investigate this “foreign god” Paul was teaching. They courteously invited Paul to present his teaching at an informal meeting of the council on Mars’ Hill. After all, the Bible says that the Athenians “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21 NIV).
Taking center stage in the Areopagus, Paul cleared his throat and announced: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about” (Acts 17:22-23 NLT).
What an introduction! Paul connects immediately with his audience. He says, “See this god that you worship without even knowing his name? That’s the God I’m going to tell you about and he’s not just a God—he’s THE God!”
Then Paul proceeds to answer the question that would be posed to Billy Graham twenty centuries later: What kind of guy is God?
In eight insight-infested verses Paul unfolds three foundational truths, three attributes of God that help us to understand His character and nature. What kind of guy is God? First, He is a creative God!
• A CREATIVE GOD
Paul begins his introduction of this Unknown God by saying, “He is the God who made the world and everything in it” (vs. 24 NLT). He is the Creator God. Every thoughtful person wonders at some point in life, “Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?” Science attempts to answer the first question, and philosophy wrestles with the second; but only the Unknown God offers a satisfactory answer to all three.
Paul’s audience that day was consisted of primarily two schools of thought—the Epicurean philosophers and the Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans believed in a deity that was distant from humanity. They were materialists at heart who thought that the universe and everything in it was eternal—it’s just always been here. The Stoics were somewhat pantheistic—that is, they believed that the universe and everything in it was god; that the universe itself was a sort of sentient being. But Paul boldly affirmed what Moses penned long ago: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth!” God made the world and everything in it. He is not a distant God, divorced from His creation; nor is He an imprisoned God, locked inside creation. He is a creative God—the Creator of heaven and earth.
The universe and everything in it was custom-tailored by a creative God—a God who expresses His imagination and artistry all throughout our swirling galaxy. He hand-crafted all of it, including you and me! King David once praised God, saying, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14 TLB). That was written three thousand years ago. Today, with all the scientific knowledge and technology of the ages at our fingertips, we should be no less impressed by the intricate workings of God’s greatest masterpiece.
One of the most amazing examples of artistry and design in the human body is the eye. Your eyes are wonderfully complex organs that receive and focus light patterns, convert them into nerve impulses, and send them to the brain so you can see where you are going. In some ways, the eye is similar to a video camera. A video camera has a protective lens cover; the eye has an eyelid. A camera has a lens that is capable of automatically focusing at various distances; so does the eye. A camera senses the amount of light it is receiving and adjusts its aperture to ensure that the picture is neither over nor under exposed; the eye also senses these variations and adjusts the opening in front of the eye (pupil) accordingly.
The retina is covered with a layer of tall, tightly packed cells. These cells are of two types: rods and cones. Each eye contains about 100 million rod cells that are extra-sensitive to dim light and see in black and white, and about 3 million cone cells that are responsible for seeing color. As light is focus upon these rods and cones, it is absorbed and converted into electrical signals—similar to the way a camera converts light into digital code. The signals are processed by a network of interneurons that enhances the information before sending it to the brain. Of course, all of this is done in a fraction of a second!
It’s easy to be amazing by the bells and whistles of a complicated piece of equipment like a video camera. Most of us have no idea how it works, we’re just glad it does. But we know that it took an imaginative inventor to create it. In comparison of complexity, the human eye makes the camcorder look like a child’s toy. How much more amazed should we be then at the marvelous workmanship of our Creative God!
What kind of guys is God? First, He’s a creative God; also, He’s a caring God.
• A CARING GOD
After introducing the Unknown God to the Athenians, Paul continues to tell them about Him: “This God is the One who gives life, breath, and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs” (vs. 25 NCV). In other words, God didn’t just set the world in motion and then leave us to fend for ourselves. He cares for us. He continues to be involved in the affairs of human life. He provides for our needs and He, Himself, has no needs. He lacks nothing and gives everything!
God is not dependant on man’s offerings for His being, because He is the great giver. It is God who gives to us what we need. Paul says that life itself is a gift from above, and every breath we breathe is courtesy of God. On top of that, every gift that is given and needed by the human race comes from a caring God. Everything we need and receive is a divine gift. The Bible says, “But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow” (James 1:17 TLB).
The time we have on Earth is a gift from God. The energy or mobility we have that enables us to get up and go to work in the morning or come to church is a gift from God. The talents or skills by which we earn an income are gifts from God. The combination of all these, our productivity and accomplishments, are gifts from God. Our purpose in life is a gift from God! What would life be without a purpose? None of us came into this world when we chose or because we chose, but because God had a purpose in mind for us. Our families, parents and grandparents, a good husband or wife, and incredible children are all God’s gifts. The Bible says, “Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3 NLT). Houses we live in, covers to keep us warm on a cold winter night, and friends with whom we can share our joys and sorrows are all gifts of God.
And when we count our blessings we shouldn’t neglect the spiritual ones. Eternal life, the greatest of all gifts, is from God. The Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8 NLT). When God created mankind, Adam and Eve, He gave them the Garden of Eden as a beautiful place to live. He came and walked with them and talked with them and enjoyed their company. Then came the tragedy of sin, and humanity was alienated from God. That wonderful association was broken. Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden and from the presence of God, who is the source of all life, and death entered the world. But God, in His great love, would not allow things to end that way. He sent Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins. That’s how much this God loves and cares for you and me.
The Unknown God of Athens is a creative God and He’s caring God. Finally, Paul goes on to explain that He is a commanding God.
• A COMMANDING GOD
Continuing his brief biography of the Unknown God, Paul announced, “He created all the people of the world from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and when. He determined their boundaries.” (vs. 26 TLB). In other words, He is a commanding God; a Sovereign God—He’s in charge! The gods of the Greeks were distant beings who had no concern for the problems and needs of men. But the God of Creation is also the God of history and geography, “He is Lord of heaven and earth!” (vs. 24 NKJV).
The first time I heard someone talking about the sovereignty of God, it didn’t really click. So let me make sure we’re all on the same page. Webster’s defines sovereignty like this:
sovereign—adj. 1: above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme 2. supreme in power, or rank, or authority –n. 1: a person who possesses sovereign authority or power.
If someone is sovereign, he’s the boss. He calls the shots and he has the authority. What he says goes. He’s the King. God claims to be king, not just of this planet, but of the entire universe. He is outside of time. He is infinite. He had no beginning, he has no end. He is the ruler of everything. In other words, God is in control—of everything!
That’s such a comfort to me and I hope it is to you.
When a close friend is in the ICU, God is in control. When the economy—national or personal—is on a slide, God is in control. When tyrants or terrorists rage out of control, God is still in control. He orchestrates and determines what He is going to do in your life, in my life, in the president’s life, in war-torn countries with rebellious rulers—everywhere! Nothing will ever enter your life that God does not decree or allow. And nothing will ever enter your life that, if you are willing to trust Him, He cannot work out for your good. That’s what it means to be sovereign—to be a commanding God.
When you bow your head to pray—when you’re in a jam and you need to ask God for something—are you aware of who you’re talking to? The One to whom you pray has power over the entire universe, over every single atom, and yet He is infinitely loving and He cares about you. That’s who you’re talking to. That’s why we worship Him.
I can only imagine the raised eyebrows Paul must have received as he spoke these words, but one thing is for sure—this Unknown God was far greater than the gods of Greek myth. How do we respond to such a God?
Well, if there is a sovereign King over all the universe, the first response would be to bow before Him. Paul challenged the Athenians, “And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him” (vs. 29-30 NLT).
Remember the old movies, when the king would come by and all the peasants would bow down in honor? Why did they do that? Because he was the king—some respected him, others dared not offend him. But we’re not talking about a human king; we’re talking about the sovereign Lord, the King of glory. The day will come when every tongue will confess him and every knee will bow in surrender. For those who trust in Christ while alive on this planet, it will be a day of awesome celebration.
The wisest, most intelligent move you can make is to surrender all that you are and all that you have to the One who loves you like no one else can ever love you and who is control. Is there anything in your life that you haven’t surrendered to God? Does He hold the same place in your heart that He holds over heaven and earth—that He will hold for all eternity? Can you sing with sincerity, Lord, reign in me?
Conclusion:
I don’t know how Billy Graham responded to the question posed by that curious college student, but I think I know how Paul would have responded. What kind of guy is God? He’s a creative God—who has made the world and all things in it; a caring God—who gives to all people life and breath and all things; and a commanding God—who is Lord of heaven and earth!
The real message of Paul’s sermon is that the Unknown God has made Himself known! And we can know Him today through faith in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Invitation:
There were three different responses to Paul’s message from Mars’ Hill. Some laughed and didn’t take this God very seriously. Others were interested, but wanted to learn more before making a decision. A small group accepted what Paul preached, believed in God and surrendered there hearts and lives to Him.
How will you respond today?
