Today we’re going to be in Acts chapter seventeen as we continue to follow the missionary travels of the Apostle Paul. We’ve seen him and his partners go to Philippi, to Thessalonica, and to Berea. In each place they’ve seen lots of people get saved, they then set up a church, and then they get persecuted out of town.
So the next stop on the Apostle Paul’s journey is the great city of Athens Greece. And even back in Paul’s day, Athens was one incredible city.
- Because of it’s location it was a culturally diverse city
- Advanced governmental structure
- Strong economy
- Art, architecture
- World’s greatest university at that time
- Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates
- Intellectual and philosophical capitol of the world!
But they didn’t know the One True God!
Oh they were a religious people. As a matter of fact, maybe they were too religious. I
mean they had statues of gods and idols and temples everywhere in that city. The landscape of the city was littered with images of the gods of every kind of religious thought known at that time. As a matter of fact, a member of Nero’s court named Petronius wrote, “It’s easier to find a god than a man in Athens.”
These people were so concerned with recognizing all the ‘gods’ of the universe that just in case there were some out there that they didn’t know about yet, they erected altars dedicated to the unknown God. [2] The one you see on the screen behind me was found in the early 1800’s and now sits in a museum in Athens. The inscription on it reads, “Agnostos Theos or To the unknown God”. Many different Greek historians wrote about these altars and sometimes even entire Temples that were built throughout Athens for the purpose of worshipping gods that the people hadn’t heard of yet.
With all their intellect, with all their philosophy and with all their religion they still didn’t know the One True God. [3] But here comes Paul and he’s ready to reveal the unknown God to the people of Athens.
Now as we go through this passage we’re going to see a striking parallel between ancient Athens and the United States. But I hope that through this passage we’ll be motivated to parallel our hearts and efforts with the heart and efforts of Paul.
Acts chapter seventeen and verse sixteen, [4] the first thing we see is how Paul is burdened for the idolatrous people.
[Read Acts 17:16.]
Remember, Paul is in Athens alone waiting for Timothy and Silas to wrap things up back in Berea. But the more and more Paul walks around the city and sees the spiritual condition of the people, the more and more burdened he is for them. So this burden for people’s souls moved him to action.
[Read Acts 17:17-21.]
One of the great past times of the Athenians was to share, discuss and debate philosophical thought. So as Paul is sharing Jesus with them, they naturally wanted to know more about this new ideology, this new teaching, this new God! And Paul gets a golden opportunity to share the gospel with them. But I tell you what, he was speaking to one varied audience.
- Jews and proselytes, (legalistic, self-righteous)
- Marketplace people, (every day people, idolatrous)
- Epicureans, (Epicurus, purpose is pleasure, no eternity, somewhat deist, materialistic)
- Stoics, (Zeno, pantheism, purpose is directing history, rational over emotional or supernatural, intellectual)
- Foreigners, (varied religions)
Now I know I’m describing the people of Ancient Athens, but doesn’t it sound like the
melting pot of people called the United States?
- self-righteous religious people
- idolatrous every day people
- materialistic pleasure seekers
- intellectuals that deny the supernatural
- religious thought brought in from every corner of the globe
The people of Athens that Paul worked with 2000 years ago were as religiously and
philosophically diverse as we are today. But they didn’t know Jesus. They worshipped the unknown God. So Paul’s heart was burdened for the people and was moved to action.
I wonder that when we look at the lost people all around us if we’re as burdened as Paul was? Sometimes I think we’re more bothered by lost people than we are burdened for lost people. I know sometimes I am.
[Ramadan postage stamp story.]
When we see evidence of the lostness of our country we should be more burdened to do something about it instead of just being bothered into complaining about it.
Paul was burdened. So he accepted the invitation to go to the Areopagus and speak to everyone about this Jesus and His resurrection. (The Areopagus was the supreme ruling council over the city’s religious, philosophical and educational affairs.)
So when Paul went before this council he took the [5] opportunity to clearly reveal the unknown God to the people. They wanted to hear about Jesus – they got it!
[Read Acts 17:22-31.]
This is an amazing sermon that was perfect for the audience and for the moment that the Lord had given him. First of all Paul identifies with the Athenians in verses 22 and 23.
[Read Acts 17:22-23.]
He shows them that he understands their culture and that they are a very religious people. In verse 27 He also calls attention to the fact that God built into humanity and understanding and even a yearning to know God – something that they all had in common.
Then in verses 28 and 29 Paul quotes their own Greek poets Epimenides and Aratus who in a generic sense wrote about how there was a God who was the father of all people.
So Paul begins his sermon by identifying with the people. But he then moved on to the spiritual needs of the people by calling attention to the folly of idolatry.
[Read Acts 17:24-26.]
Remember that the people had littered the land with altars and shrines where they felt they could worship the gods that they had created. This kept them blind to the fact that there was One God who created the universe and sustained the universe. So Paul shows them that the unknown God, the One True God who created everything, couldn’t be housed in temples made by hands. He was too big, too self-existent, too God to be made into an image conceived in the imaginations of man. The people thought they had everything covered – but they didn’t know the One True God.
But they could know Him if they would simply turn away from all their idol worship and believe in Jesus Christ.
[Read Acts 17:30-31.]
Paul clearly tells them that God has revealed himself to them and to everyone through Jesus Christ – the One who got up from the dead to prove that He alone is God. The One who since He is God will judge the world some day. The One who calls them to repent before its too late.
Paul identifies with the people, calls attention to their spiritual needs, and then reveals to the Athenians a clear view of who the unknown God really is. Think about it. In verse:
24 – God is Creator, Lord, Omnipresent
25 – God is Self-existing, self-sustaining, the Sustainer of the universe
26, 28 – God is sovereign
27 – God is evident, close
30 – God is patient, revealing, forgiving
31 – God is judge, alive
31 – God is Jesus
Paul clearly showed them who their unknown God really was and that they could know Him for themselves. People in our world, in our community, in our Athens need to hear about who God really is. We need to bring this message to our community so they don’t have to wonder about who God really is. They need to know that they can know the One who created them.
Paul’s burden moved him to reveal God to the people. When he was done he simply got down off the stage and [6] trusted God to work in the hearts of the people who were there. He didn’t argue with them, he didn’t try and manipulate them, he simply gave them the Truth and let God do the rest. Let’s see what happened.
[Read Acts 17:32-34.]
- Some mocked him
- Some were open and interested
- Some believed
They all heard the same message and they all had the ability to decide whether they
would believe in Jesus or not. Some did and some didn’t. The point is, it wasn’t Paul’s persuasion that got them to buy into this ‘Jesus philosophy’. It was the power of God that that convinced these people that Jesus was really God. You see, all we have to do is give people the Truth and then trust that God will do a work.
[Intro Ed DeJarnette.]
[Ed DeJarnette’s home Bible study testimony.]
Isn’t that amazing?! There are people out there who want to know what this life is all about. They want to know who God really is. And God loves them and wants to do a work in their hearts. Will we be faithful and give them the truth.
[7] When we look at our lost world and see people trapped in their vain philosophies and sin, are we burdened for them or are we bothered by them.
There are so many people who don’t really know God. We need to get them the message of [8] Jesus Christ before its too late. Let’s show and tell them about who God really is – the One who came to the earth, lived a perfect life, worked miracles to validate His Words, died on behalf of sinners, and rose again to prove that He was God. Let’s get burdened to get His Word out before its too late.
