INTRO.- ILL.- BANG! BANG! The Big Bang Theory - The Big Bang theory is an effort to explain what happened at the very beginning of our universe. Discoveries in astronomy and physics have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that our universe did in fact have a beginning. Prior to that moment there was nothing; during and after that moment there was something: our universe.
Was there really just a big bang that started what we call the starry universe and planet earth? Or was there something else behind it all? Was it/is it actually the creation of a divine being?
I’m sure there are many people in our world today and even here in America who still question how we got here and how the universe came into existence.
ILL.- The story is told that Sir Isaac Newton had a replica of our solar system made in miniature. In the center was the sun with its planets revolving around it.
A scientist entered Newton’s study one day, and exclaimed, “My! what an exquisite thing this is! Who made it?” “Nobody!” replied Newton to the questioner who was an unbeliever. The man said, “You must think I am a fool. Of course somebody made it, and he is a genius.”
Laying his book aside, Newton arose and laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder and said: “This thing is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you and I know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker; yet you profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker. Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such a conclusion?”
Newton was right. If a person can believe that someone built such a simple thing as a doghouse, when they why can’t they believe that there is a creator for the starry universe in all of its limitless wonder!
Who among us has not stood out on a beautiful starry night in the summer and marveled? And how can we not conclude there is a supreme creator behind it all?
In our text, the apostle Paul was in Athens, a city of a great many philosophers and great thinkers of the day. Vs. 18 Many these people said of Paul, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." (they believed in many gods) They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
Vss. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
B. W. Johnson wrote: The Areopagus or hill was a place of assembly. There the supreme court of Athens met. And it was from this place that Paul gave his speech about the God who made the world and what He did. The God who made the world: just who is He? And what has He done?
PROP.- What about the God who made the world?
1- The God who made the world wants to be known
2- The God who made the world no longer overlooks ignorance
3- The God who made the world proves Himself convincingly
I. THE GOD WHO MADE THE WORLD WANTS TO BE KNOWN
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
ILL.- Wanna bes! Who are they? Elaine and I enjoy watching the “Wanna Be” show on TV. What’s that? American Idol. The young people who enter that competition are “Wanna Bes.” They want to become famous. They want to be a celebrity. They want to be in the limelight. They want to be in the entertainment business. They want to be somebody special and make some big money.
This attitude also invades the church. In what form? In bigness. There are some mighty big churches in the US: Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, with over 20,000 people.
And then there is Joel Osteen who is considered by some people as some kind of celebrity. The Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, is now the largest church in the US with a weekend attendance of over 40,000 people.
And there is the Southeast Christian Church of Louisville, KY, where Bob Russell preached for 40 years. That church averages around 18,000 every weekend.
Some people glory in such churches. In fact, I talked to a family one time that lived in Louisville, KY. They said it was the prestigious thing to be a member of the large Southeast Christian Church.
However, our God is not a “wanna be” in the sense that human pride captures us. He wants to be known by the whole world for the world’s good! Yes, for His ultimate glory BUT ALSO FOR THE WORLD’S SALVATION! He is not willing than any should perish but all come to repentance! (II Peter 3:9)
The God who made the world wants to be known to all mankind! How can He become known? His creation is one way. The starry universe, planet earth, plant and animal life, the birds and the bees, the human body, the birth of a baby: ALL OF THESE AND MORE SPEAK LOUDLY AND CLEARLY THAT GOD EXISTS AND IS THE GREAT CREATOR!
But there other ways that God reveals Himself to mankind.
ILL.- Someone said: It is illegal to read the Bible in the public schools of Illinois, but a law requires the state to provide a Bible for every convict! So don’t worry, kids, if you can’t read the Bible in school, you’ll be able to when you get to prison!
We believe in the Book! We believe in the book of God. And the book reveals God to us like no other book has. I marvel at some of the writings and books of Max Lucado. He has some interesting insight into our great God, but His insight comes from the Word of God itself! It’s the power of God’s Word that has moved and motivated Max Lucado to write the way he does!
God makes Himself known through His Word! And God’s Word not only reveals who God is but also motivates us to live for Him! My study of scripture is what makes my day! It brings joy to my heart and makes me want to serve the Lord. I WONDER WHY?
God is constantly revealing Himself through His creation, through His Word and through all kinds of ways: music, giving, kindness, and through PEOPLE! And He does this for one main purpose: HE WANTS ALL PEOPLE TO BE SAVED IN JESUS!
II. THE GOD WHO MADE THE WORLD NO LONGER OVERLOOKS IGNORANCE
30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.
ILL.- Walter Heller was a leading American economist of the 1960s, and an influential advisor to President John F. Kennedy. He said one time: While I was speaking to the Denver Independent Banker’s Association, one of the bankers suddenly hollered out, “You’re stupid!”
Well, that may be true, but you don’t like it publicly acknowledged. Five minutes later, I tried to keep my composure when he said the same thing. I noticed a slight slur in his voice. So I was ready for him the third time. When he said, “You’re stupid!” I retorted, “Yes, and you’re drunk.” He replied, “Yes, but tomorrow I will be sober and you will still be stupid.”
Brothers and sisters, I tend to believe that many Americans are not too bright. I mean, how can a person live in the US and not believe in Jesus where there are so many churches and so much preaching of Christ on TV?
There is a point, however, when God will no longer overlook ignorance. It is beyond me how anyone living in America and in most parts of the world where anyone can say, “Who is Jesus?”
But our ignorance goes even further. What gets me is how people can hear about the message of Easter over and over, year after year, and still not respond to Jesus! How many times does it take for people to come to believe the truth of all truths?!
What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?? I don’t know and I don’t care. Many people don’t know about Jesus and don’t care to know about Jesus. BUT THERE IS TIME WHEN GOD WILL NO LONGER OVERLOOK IGNORANCE AND INDIFFERENCE. And I think we’re living in that time!
I think it’s high time for people to believe in Jesus and become a follower of His. I think it’s time for people to surrender the Lordship of Jesus!
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Are we ever guilty of not doing as Jesus tells us to do as recorded in scripture? Well, yes! We’re all guilty. It’s relatively easy to say, “I believe in Jesus Christ,” but it could be a different matter when it comes to “doing” what we know He wants us to do.
It’s time for people to quit playing ignorant. I am quite confident that many people in America believe in Jesus but they just don’t want to commit to Him in any form and that’s probably because they are having too much fun right now. They may well fear that when they make a public confession of faith in Jesus that the fun times may stop but that’s when the real fun begins!
ILL.- In “The Worry Clinic,” columnist Dr. George Crane tells of the disclosure made by a clerk in the law office of Clarence Darrow, the famed criminal lawyer and self-acclaimed atheist. Said the clerk, “As Darrow lay dying, he hastily summoned three clergymen—a Presbyterian minister, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish rabbi.
“He said to them, ‘Gentlemen, I have written and spoken many things against God and the churches during my lifetime. Now I wished I hadn’t! Now I realize it is entirely possible that I may have been wrong. So I should like to ask a final favor that each one of you intercede for me with the Almighty.”
Judgment’s coming! The God who made the world no longer overlooks ignorance!
III. THE GOD WHO MADE THE WORLD PROVES HIMSELF CONVINCINGLY
31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." HE HAS GIVEN PROOF.
ILL.- We’ve heard it that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. This holds true for pie and cake too. Recently after Megan Franklin’s baby shower Elaine brought home some German Chocolate cake and I said, “Who made that?” She brought home three pieces and as soon as I tasted a piece, they were gone. And I’ve been begging for more ever since!
God gives us proof of His goodness as well. Solid proof.
31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men....
God has given solid proof that some day He will judge the world.
ILL.- The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not.
Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word!
God’s work confirms His Word as well. What word? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God confirms His Word with another proof. What’s that? Why are we here today? It’s the resurrection of Jesus Christ that proves the God who made the world!
ILL.- One writer put it this way:
1. Jesus predicted His own resurrection.
2. The Old Testament prophesied it.
3. The tomb was empty and the grave clothes were vacant.
4. Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat.
5. The lives of the disciples were revolutionized.
6. The resurrection was the central message of the early church.
The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church.
7. Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives.
The God who made the world proves Himself convincingly through the resurrection of Jesus! PRAISE HIS NAME!
CONCLUSION--------------------------
In Acts 25-26 we have the account of the apostle Paul standing before King Agrippa defending himself and his faith in Christ.
Acts 26:6 “And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.” Then Paul said these startling words: Acts 26:8 “Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?”
If the God who made the world can fling the stars into the sky and He can make planet earth and keep everything together and He can make you and me, why should we think it so incredible that He could raise Jesus from the dead?
The God who made the world does raise the dead! The God who made the world raised Jesus and will raise us from the dead and give us eternal life through our faith in the resurrected Christ!
Believe it. Stand on it. Trust it with all your heart. Preach it. Teach it. Tell it. Live it. IT’S TRUE! The God who made the world has promised us eternal life!
