The God Who Made The World Series

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.