Acts 17:16-34

Well, I'm glad to be here with you this morning, and I am thankful that it is Easter Sunday.

I am also thankful that as followers of Jesus Christ, that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ the other 364 days of the year.

I'm thankful that we don't have to dig deep into our catalog of songs to sing songs about the resurrection.

I'm thankful for its ongoing and ever-present implication in my life.

Jesus is alive, and I have life in Him as a result.

This morning, we're going to continue our study of Acts in Acts chapter 17.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

I'm glad that a year ago on this Sunday, we were in Mark chapter 16, which the resurrection story of Mark's telling is there.

Mark 16 · chapter mention

In our text today, Paul speaks of the resurrection, and he speaks of the resurrection as the affirmation of gospel truth.

And so as we gather today as the church, let me assert to you that the gathering of the church is for the Christian.

This primarily is for those followers of Jesus Christ in order to be equipped to go out there and to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

As you've heard me say, we are gathered in order to go.

And this morning, the burden for me is that you would see in the life of Paul the way in which he deals with the Athenians,

and he shares this good news of Jesus Christ.

Give an affirmation by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because as followers of Jesus, you are His marketing plan.

You are meant to go out and to be light in a dark world.

Now, even as I say this, I am thankful that there are many churches gathered today that will have people sitting in their crowds that have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am thankful today that there are many pastors who typically don't preach the gospel of Jesus Christ,

who are having to wrestle with all of the implications of the resurrection.

And I pray that they are pouring forth gospel truth to a people that desperately need to hear it.

But I want you to understand why and to appreciate why we celebrate the resurrection of Christ every single day,

and certainly on the Lord's Day when we gather together.

It is empowering for our living.

Don't leave here and wait until next year to consider the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Before I preach from Acts chapter 17, I want to pause and I want to pray.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

And I want you to join me in praying for this morning and what it means in our community and beyond.

And then we'll turn to the text.

So join me in a word of prayer this morning.

Father God, I praise you this morning that you are the creator and the sustainer of this world.

That you are sovereign.

That your providence never fails at any point.

You are always reigning over all things.

I praise you for your gospel truth.

I thank you that as we pray to you, we are praying to you clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

That you are hearing our prayers and you are pleased with us because you are pleased with him.

I praise you this morning, Father, that you have a church.

Jesus is building it.

He's drawing people to himself.

And I pray that that would be the case in so many gathered groups this morning.

That the gospel would be preached.

Sin would be addressed.

The need for repentance would be poured out.

That people would turn and believe in Christ.

I pray, Father, that men this morning who may not even themselves know what the gospel is,

will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That we would have pastors this morning come to faith in Jesus because they have to open the word and deal with the text.

I pray that countless people will know that today,

that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not firstly about them,

but it's firstly about you.

That they would know that they would know that they would get caught up in you bringing about the bright and proper praise that is due you this morning.

Father, we know that we cannot schedule a revival.

There's no tent large enough to rent.

And no personality persuasive enough to bring about a working of your spirit.

We know that for true revival to happen, you must visit us in a special way.

I would ask that you do that this morning across our communities.

Even now, as I'm sure, at 1120, men are opening up your word and speaking from it.

Save souls this morning, Father.

Do that in our midst.

Equip us for the going out.

Help us to see that we are meant to be your billboards,

displaying your grace and mercy.

And I pray all of this in Christ's name.

Amen.

Okay.

My head is clear now, I think.

So the book of Acts.

You've heard me call the book of Acts,

the Acts of the risen and ascended Jesus.

That he is now still active, right,

by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the life of his church.

And we exist still as part of this telling of the story.

But we get to step back, right?

Luke, for our benefit,

pinning down what happened in the life of the early church.

So we're going to continue our study by looking at Acts chapter 17,

Acts 17:16–34

verses 16 through 34.

So if you're not already there,

please take your copy of God's word and join me.

Beloved, this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and for our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises

and obey its commands.

And I'll begin reading in verse 16 of Acts chapter 17.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

Now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens,

his spirit was provoked within him

as he saw that the city was full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons

and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him.

And some said,

what does this babbler wish to say?

Others said,

he seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities

because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus saying,

may we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting

for you bring some strange things to our ears.

We wish to know therefore what these things mean.

Now, all the Athenians and the foreigners who live there

would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus said,

men of Athens,

I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship,

I found also an altar with this inscription to the unknown God.

What therefore you worship as unknown,

this I proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and everything in it,

being Lord of heaven and earth,

does not live in temples made by man,

nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything,

since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

And he made from one man every nation of mankind

to live on all the face of the earth,

having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

that they should seek God

and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

for in him we live and move and have our being,

as even some of your own poets have said,

for we are indeed his offspring.

Being then God's offspring,

we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone,

an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

The times of ignorance God overlooked,

but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

because he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world in righteousness

by a man whom he has appointed.

And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead,

some mocked,

but others said,

we will hear you again about this.

So Paul went out from their midst,

but some men joined him and believed,

among whom also were Dionysius,

the Areopagite,

and a woman named Damaris,

and others with them.

Now this morning our study of this text

will be structured in the following way.

Number one,

mankind's need to philosophize.

You could say mankind's need for philosophy.

That spelling is more comfortable for you.

Number two,

mankind's need to know who God is.

And number three,

mankind's need to know what God has said.

How are those for your three Easter morning points?

Mankind's need to philosophize.

Mankind's need to know who God is.

Mankind's need to know what God has said.

So Paul has traveled from Berea to Athens.

You can look back previously in chapter 17

and read more about that

if you have not been with us the past couple of weeks.

Up in the region of Macedonia,

he's no longer there now.

He's traveled far south on the peninsula,

and he is waiting for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him.

You may recall that as he leaves Berea,

he gives a command.

He leaves Silas and Timothy behind,

but he gives a command for them to come and join him.

Verse 16,

while he was waiting for them at Athens,

his spirit is provoked within him

as he sees this city that is full of all these graven images,

all of these idols, right?

Things that have been crafted out of stone and wood and gold

that are set up all over the city of Athens.

And he's moved by the idolatry of the city.

Quite possibly by zeal for the glory of the one true God

and by compassion for the occupants of the city.

However, it was that his spirit was provoked within him.

He immediately turns and he reasons in the synagogue with the Jews

and the devout persons and in the marketplace every day

with those who happen to be there.

So as was his custom,

as we noted in verse 2 of chapter 17,

Paul goes to the synagogue

and on the Sabbath to share the gospel with his countrymen

and to the God-fearing Gentiles.

Again, another phrase for people who were not Jewish in bloodline,

but people who were pursuing God through Judaism.

Devout persons.

These were God-fearing Gentiles.

People familiar with the scripture of their day,

our Old Testament.

So on the Sabbath, he's with these people,

his countrymen and the God-fearing Gentiles,

sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

And he spends his weekdays sharing the gospel

with anyone who would listen in the marketplace.

Now, don't imagine him here wandering about a Kroger

looking for people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The marketplace would have been the center of city life in Athens,

where goods were traded as well as ideas.

And it is here that this drama begins to unfold

as he encounters two of the prominent philosophies of the day.

So this brings us to our first point,

mankind's need to philosophize.

Now, some will frame philosophy as inherently evil.

Right?

You tell somebody that you're a philosophy major,

they will just assume that there's no way

you're learning anything true whatsoever,

which in large part is true.

But philosophy itself is not evil.

Certainly some philosophies are.

Most, if not all philosophies, are flawed in some sense.

In some way, they err.

But philosophy is simply the study of theories of knowledge,

reality, and or existence.

Theories of knowledge, reality, and or existence.

Throughout history, mankind has philosophized.

Because as cognitive beings,

we have an innate desire to understand our place in the world.

We're not merely walking through the world with impulse.

Right?

Not merely ingrained responses to the environment around us.

But we're thinking beings.

And as thinking beings,

we want to understand where it is that we fit in the world around us.

All people sense that there is purpose beyond themselves.

That an intelligent world has an intelligent designer of one sort or another.

Let me insert a parenthetical at this point.

Some will deny the truth of intelligent design.

That would be to say that the world in which we live

is the result of billions and billions of years of happenstances.

We just happen to find ourselves in the place that we are.

Enter the atheist.

But even the most, let me suggest to you,

devout atheist,

when he is honest with himself,

knows there must be something greater than he.

Paul speaks to the fact that men are aware of God's existence

and furthers my argument by telling us in Romans 1,

Romans 1:18–20

verses 18-20,

that not only do they know that God exists,

but they deny his existence because of their sinfulness.

I read Romans 1, beginning in verse 18,

for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

For what can be known about God is plain to them

because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes,

namely his eternal power and divine nature,

have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world

in the things that have been made.

So they are without excuse.

John says the same,

but with an application to the knowledge of a revealed Savior,

Jesus Christ,

with an analogy of light and dark.

John 1, verses 1-5.

John 1:1–5

John writes,

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him,

and without him was not anything made that was made.

In him was life,

and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

So Jesus Christ,

and John's telling,

is the light of the world.

And John continues this analogy in chapter 3,

verses 19 and 20,

where he writes,

And this is the judgment.

The light,

here,

Jesus Christ there,

the light has come into the world.

And people love the darkness

rather than the light

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things

hates the light

and does not come to the light,

lest his works should be exposed.

What is the wickedness of mankind

to invent all various forms of philosophy

that suggest that we are not accountable

to a holy God?

We need to explain the why

of why we're here.

Why?

Why do we exist?

Why are we here?

And it is the very wickedness of man

that devises all types of explanations

that exclude a God

who is holy

and places requirements on us.

Why?

Because mankind is evil,

and mankind wants to continue

in its evil ways.

Mankind needs to explain its existence,

and so often prefers to do so

in a way that preserves its freedom to live

in any way that culture deems as valuable.

And Paul here encounters adherence

to two such prominent philosophies.

These are two of the three most popular schools

of philosophy in Greece in this day,

the Epicureans and the Stoics.

Epicurean philosophy taught

that pleasure and the avoidance of pain

are the chief end of man.

Sound familiar, Americans?

They did not deny the existence of gods.

Pantheistic, this culture.

But believed they were distant

and did not interfere

or were concerned at all

with the affairs of man.

So they were functionally then atheists.

The Epicurean philosophers

were functionally atheists.

Sure, gods exist,

but they don't care.

They're not intervening at all

in what we're doing,

and the high chief end of man

is pleasure and comfort.

Stoic philosophers, on the other hand,

taught that self-mastery

was the chief end of man.

Self-mastery.

Being indifferent to both pleasure and pain,

being entirely cerebral

and feeling nothing

was the highest value.

Being able to walk through

whatever came your way in life,

right,

as a thinker

and not a feeler at all.

They were pantheists

and believed that the gods

tested their devotion

with both pleasure and pain.

So the gods were delving out

the circumstances of the world

and it was their job

to respond with nothing,

to not respond really at all

to both pleasure and pain

in the world.

So,

the Stoic believed

that you could enjoy nothing.

The Epicurean believed

that you should enjoy

the temporal,

those things that they could

touch and feel

and have experience of.

Christians believed

that our highest joy

is found in God,

the one true God

as revealed by Jesus

and His work on the cross.

Now, at this point,

I want to be clear

that Christianity

is not a philosophy.

Christianity

is not a theory.

Christianity

is a reality.

It's based in truth.

To be clear,

when you philosophize

with people,

don't present Christianity

as a philosophy of life,

not a theory.

Our highest good,

our highest aim

is joy in God.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism

asks the question,

what is the chief end of man?

If you're a good Reformed Baptist,

you know the answer.

It's man's chief end

is to glorify God

and to enjoy Him forever.

Now, these two

extremely different philosophies,

Epicureanism and Stoicism,

were united in their contempt

for false teaching.

Someone said,

this is the last part of verse 18,

what does this babbler wish to say?

The word babbler

from the Greek

literally translates,

and I think ESV did well

to say babbler,

it literally translates,

seed picker.

John B. Polhill

in the New American Commentary

on Acts

says this,

the word evoked

images of a bird

pecking indiscriminately

at seeds

in a barnyard.

Not a kind thing

they said of Paul.

It referred to

a dilettante,

someone who picked up

scraps of ideas

here and there

and passed them off

as profundity

with no depth

of understanding

at all.

You know people like that?

Look at your Facebook feed

and call somebody

a seed picker

from time to time.

It's an insult

and it was intended

as an insult here

to call Paul

a babbler.

Others said,

verse 18 tells us,

he seems to be

a preacher

of foreign divinities.

This shows

that they weren't

paying attention

to him really

at all.

The word translated

divinities

is plural

in the Greek

so they seem

to just misunderstand

him altogether.

Many scholars

have postulated

that they misunderstood

Paul

and thought

that he was

teaching them

about a God

named Jesus

and a God

named

resurrection

in the Greek

anastasis.

So Jesus

and anastasis,

these foreign

divinities,

they didn't seem

to be paying

attention at all.

Paul.

Now,

whether or not

they had

exactly what

they were thinking

cannot be known

for sure

from our text,

but I think

we can imagine

that Paul did

not speak

about Jesus

without also

speaking

of his resurrection.

The two were

always being

carried along

together.

Paul said

in Romans

Romans 1:4

chapter 1

verse 4,

he being

Christ

was declared

to be

the son

of God

in power

according

to the spirit

of holiness

by his

resurrection

from the dead.

Jesus

Christ

our Lord.

The affirmation

that all

that Jesus

said he was

was true.

The two

schools of

philosophy

had contempt

for what Paul

was preaching

so they

took him

and they

brought him

to the

Areopagus

verse 19.

Now the

Areopagus

was a

court.

It was

named

for the

place

that it

had

once

convened

and this

day

they

probably

didn't

still

meet

up

on

this

rock

outcropping.

Maybe

they did.

Some may

want to

contend with

me on

that.

It

doesn't

matter.

It was

named

after the

place

where they

met.

But you

need to

see this

as a

court

that's

convened

to hear

what Paul

would have

to say.

And there

Paul is

informally

asked to

give an

account

of his

teaching.

And they

ask him

in this

way.

Last

part of

verse

19

and 20.

May we

know

what this

new

teaching

is that

you are

presenting.

For you

bring some

strange

things to

our ears.

We wish

to know

therefore

what these

things

mean.

And as

an apparent

parenthetical

I would

suggest

an explanation

of what

they asked

him in

verse 19

and 20.

Luke

adds,

now all

the Athenians

and the

foreigners

who lived

there would

spend their

time in

nothing except

telling or

hearing something

new.

And you have

to read that

as an

indictment

on them.

They obviously

did other

things than

hear tellings

of new

things.

But he's

characterizing

them as

saying they

were just

people who

were interested

in whatever

anybody had

to say

about anything.

So on

the surface

it seems like

there's this

genuine interest

in what

Paul had

to say.

But it's

more likely

simply a

new teaching.

They just

want to

know what

is this

new thing

that you're

going to

teach us.

And it

is the

interaction

of Paul

and the

market

with the

Epiducurean

and Stoic

philosophers

that has

set the

stage for

him to

correct the

thinking of

the Athenians

and for so

many in

our day.

And he

starts doing

that with

an observation.

he begins,

he sees this

little crack

in the

door and

he uses

this to

press the

door open

for gospel

presentation.

So Paul

stands in the

midst of the

Areopagus,

in the midst

of this

court that's

convened.

Men of

Athens,

I perceive

that in

every way

you are

very

religious.

You are

philosophers.

for as I

passed along

and observed

the object

of your

worship,

I found

also an

altar with

this

inscription

to the

unknown

God.

And he

sees this

as that

crack and

he flings

it open.

What

therefore you

worship as

unknown,

this I

proclaim to

you.

And he

starts off

into this

gospel

presentation,

which we'll

look at

more in

just a

moment.

But let

me stop

at that

point.

Mankind's

need to

philosophize and

give you some

application here.

We won't

have much

application

later,

so let

me give

this to

you here.

Number

one,

people need

to explain

their

existence.

People need

to explain

their

existence.

You can

get into

many wonderful

conversations

with people

if you

merely ask

them hard

questions about

the nature

of their

existence and

listen to

their answers.

Just ask

people,

why do you

think we're

here?

What happens

after we're

here?

Ask people

questions,

because the

reality of it

is that very

few people

really know.

they'll

philosophize.

They'll

have some

theory.

Talking about

unsaved

people.

They'll

have some

theory of

this, but

they don't

really know.

Be willing to

philosophize with

them.

Be willing to

understand where

they're coming

from and seek

opportunities to

kindly, graciously

punch holes in

their argument.

them.

You'll find it's

not that

difficult to

do.

People stand

on very

shaky ground

as they

theorize about

the world and

its existence.

Paul teaches

us in Romans

Romans 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 that

people are

very, very

aware that

there is a

God who

created the

world, and

all of the

bucking we

see against

recognizing that

is because

people want to

walk in

their sin.

Work with

them to

point this

out and

show them

Christ.

Two, if

the atheist

tries to

tell you

that he

believes that

he is the

result of

billions of

years of

happenstance,

tell him

that he

is the

evidence of

a designer.

Tell the

atheist it

says,

right,

I am

cosmic

stardust

brought

together

across

billions of

years,

say to

that person,

you are

too precious

for me to

believe such

a thing.

I am

looking at

you, and

I am too

amazed by

you to

think that

you are an

accident in

the world.

Tell him

that he is

fearfully and

wonderfully made

by a creator

who loves

him.

Obviously,

I have

characterized all

atheists as

males, but

you get the

point.

And because

he is

fearfully and

wonderfully made,

that is why

you are

concerned about

his world

view.

You can't

possibly believe

that you are

an accident.

Thirdly,

and I hope

obviously, but

it is too

often not,

preach the

gospel of

Jesus Christ.

Note that in

our text so

far, Paul is

in Athens

waiting for

Silas and

Timothy.

This is why

he has gone

to Athens.

He has come

away from

Berea and

the persecution

that was there

in Macedonia.

He is out of

the region of

Macedonia now.

And what does

Paul do to

pass the time?

He shares

the good news

of our

resurrected

Savior with

anyone who

would listen.

And this

brings us to

our second

point.

Mankind's

need to know

who God

is.

And I am

going to

start speeding

up.

In response

to the

popular

philosophies

of the

day,

Paul tells

the Areopagus

who God

is.

For our

benefit, let's

consider what

Paul said in

four titles.

God is the

creator,

the king,

the sustainer,

and the

revealer.

And let's

work through

these quickly

together.

Number one,

God is the

creator.

He says in

the first part

verse 24,

the God

who made

the world

and everything

in it.

He's destroying

pantheism at

this point.

The God,

singular,

right?

The articles

in the

Greek,

the God

who made

everything

in the

world.

Genesis

1-1,

in the

beginning,

God created

the heavens

and the

earth.

Goes

further in

our

understanding

now as

New Testament

followers

of God.

And we

have the

revelation

of Jesus

Christ.

John writes

in Revelation

4-11,

Worthy

are you,

our Lord

and God,

to receive

glory and

honor and

power,

for you

created all

things,

and by

your will

they existed

and were

created.

Paul writes

in Colossians

1-16,

For by

him,

being Jesus,

all things

were created

in heaven

and on

earth,

visible and

invisible,

whether thrones

or dominions

or rulers

or authorities,

all things

were created

through him

and for

him.

This is

our God,

creator of

heaven and

earth.

Secondly,

God is the

king.

The last

part of

verse 24,

being Lord

of heaven

and earth.

He does not

live in

temples made

by man.

And also,

verse 26,

And he

made from

one man

every nation

of mankind

to live on

all the face

of the earth,

having determined

allotted

periods and

the boundaries

of their

dwelling

place.

Psalm 103,

Psalms 103:19

verse 19,

The Lord

has established

his throne

in the heavens

and his

kingdom rules

over all.

Paul again

gives this

application to

Jesus Christ,

1 Timothy 6,

15.

Jesus Christ,

who is the

blessed and

only sovereign,

the king of

kings and

lord of

lords.

Rules over

all things.

Third,

God is the

sustainer.

He created

it,

he rules

over it,

and he

sustains it.

Verse 25,

Nor is he

served by

human hands

as though he

needed anything,

since he

himself gives

to all mankind

life and

breath and

everything.

The idols

of the day

were objects

and they

needed things

brought to

them for

their sustenance.

The worship

of the day

was about

appeasing and

bringing to

the idol.

But God,

the one true

God,

is the

sustainer of

all things.

Psalm 104,

Psalms 104:14

verse 14 and

15,

You cause the

grass to grow

for the livestock

and plants

for man to

cultivate,

that he may

bring forth

food from

the earth,

and wine to

gladden the

heart of man,

oil to make

his face shine,

and bread to

strengthen man's

heart.

The writer of

Hebrews gives

this application

to Christ.

Chapter 1,

the first part

of verse 3,

He's the

radiance of

the glory of

God and the

exact imprint

of His nature,

and He

upholds the

universe by

the word of

His power.

God, in

Christ, made

all things,

rules over

all things,

sustains all

things, and

He is also,

fourthly, the

revealer,

reveals all

things.

Verse 27,

28, and

29, that

they, all

these things He's

done to reveal

Himself, that

they should

seek God, and

perhaps feel

their way toward

Him and find

Him, that He is

actually not far

from each one

of us.

And at this

point, Paul

quotes from some

of their very own

poets and

literature.

These would not

have been a

people that were

familiar with the

Old Testament

scriptures, and

so he uses two

separate ones.

In Him, we

live and move

and have our

being, and

for we are

indeed His

offspring.

And he makes

the point from

this poet, being

then God's

offspring, we

shouldn't think

that this divine

being is like

gold or silver

or stone, an

image formed

by man.

So he looks

back up to

God being the

creator of

the world.

By the

natural revelation

of God in

nature, previously

mentioned in

Romans 1,

Romans 1:18–20

verses 18-20,

and by the

conscience of

man, God

can be known.

God can be

known by His

revelation in

nature and in

the consciences

of men, not

salvifically, but

sought after.

All the

religions of the

world are trying

to find their

way to God.

They have

enough, enough

information to

seek after God.

They need the

gospel to be

saved.

But as

such, men

are without

excuse.

Romans 2,

Romans 2:14–15

verses 14-15.

For when

Gentiles, just

those outside

of Judaism,

who do not

have the

law, by

nature do

what the

law requires.

Sharing your

faith with

somebody who

wants to

have entirely

relativistic

moralism,

ask them

objective

questions.

If morality

is relative,

can I kill

you now?

And is that

okay with

you?

And the

right mind

says no.

Where does

that come

from?

Where does

it come

from?

That there

are parameters

that we

place upon

ourselves.

Paul explains

it to us

here.

It's in our

nature.

Right?

We do what the

law requires.

They're a law

to themselves.

even though

they don't

have the

law,

they show

that the

work of the

law is

written on

their hearts

while their

conscience also

bears witness

and their

conflicting

thoughts

accuse or

even

excuse them.

mankind

cannot stop

merely at

knowing who

God is.

Certainly

mankind needs

to know

who God

is.

We must

also know

what God

has said.

If God

is to be

sought after,

how is it

that he

is found?

So our

third point,

mankind needs

to know

what God

has said.

Because there

is a God

who is the

creator,

the king,

the sustainer,

and the

revealer,

and because

he has

spoken,

we need to

heed his

words.

Paul says

in the beginning

of verse 30,

the times

of ignorance

God

overlooked.

That is to

say that in

times past,

God did

not always

bring particular

judgment against

nations that

did not know

him.

He didn't

always bring

the specific

judgment.

He did at

times with

some nations,

but not

always.

He overlooked

times of

ignorance,

although generally

there is always

consequence for

sin.

That is what

Paul is

suggesting here.

Athenians,

God has not

brought a

special judgment

down on you

yet.

In times

past,

he's overlooked

your ignorance

ignorance.

But now,

verse 30,

but now,

he commands

all people

everywhere

to repent.

All people

everywhere

to repent.

Why?

Verse 31,

because he has

fixed a day

on which he

will judge the

world in

righteousness

by a man

who he

has appointed.

God

Paul is saying

that a day

is coming

soon that

the world

will be

judged

in comparison

to a man

who kept

the law

without

deviation,

the man

Jesus Christ.

The Christ's

perfection

and mankind's

imperfection will

be held up

to one

another.

We will be

judged by

the man

that God

has appointed.

For the

Athenians and

for us,

to stand in the

day of judgment,

that is to be not

wiped out,

to stand in

the day of

judgment,

we must be

found in

Christ.

We must have

his righteousness

so that when

we're held up

to him,

we line up.

We're seen

as righteous,

possessing it

by faith

in his person

and his work.

We must believe

in who Christ

is and what

he has done

on our behalf

to be found

in him.

Not only will

we be judged

in comparison

to Jesus,

but God

has granted

judgment

to him.

will also

be judged

by

Jesus.

John chapter

John 5:22–27

5,

verses 22

through 27.

For the

Father judges

no one,

but has given

all judgment

to the Son,

that all may

honor the Son

just as they

honor the Father.

Whoever does

not honor the

Son does not

honor the Father

who sent him.

Truly,

truly,

I say to you,

whoever hears

my words and

believes him

who sent me

has eternal

life.

he does not

come into

judgment,

but has passed

from death

to life.

Truly,

truly,

I say to you,

an hour is coming

and is now here

when the dead

will hear the voice

of the Son of God

and those who hear

will live.

For as the Father

has life in himself,

so he has granted

the Son also

to have life

in himself,

and he has given

him authority

to execute

judgment

judgment

because he is

the Son

of Man.

And I mentioned

just kind of

as an aside

when I was reading

a story to the

children this morning

in that book,

Jesus is on a

horse

and he says,

come on,

friends,

come in.

Before that scene

takes place,

he's on a horse

and on his thighs

are emblazoned

King of King

and Lord of Lords

and he has a tongue

like a sword

and he comes back

and he's splattered

in blood

because he judges

the Lord.

That's a judgment

I want to escape.

And the rest of

verse 31,

and of this

he has given

assurance,

God has given

assurance to all

by raising

Jesus

from the dead.

The good news

of the gospel

rises or falls

on the fact

of Jesus'

resurrection.

many churches

this morning,

to their benefit,

it's a good thing,

are apologetically

proving that the

resurrection actually

happened.

That's a good thing.

It's a good exercise

for your faith.

I'm not doing that

this morning,

but for your benefit,

if you're not too

sure about the

surety of

the resurrection,

spend some time.

There's lots of

resources.

Come to me.

I'll talk with you

about it for a

really long time.

Because if Jesus

was not raised,

then he was a

moral teacher

and a lunatic.

He said crazy

things if he

wasn't raised

from the dead.

If he wasn't

after the Son

of God,

he claimed to

be the Son

of God.

He claimed to

be from God.

He claimed to

forgive sin.

He was insane.

But if he was,

and he was,

praise God

the Son

that he was,

then he is all

that he claimed

to be.

Jesus Christ,

the Son of God,

who takes away

the sins of the

world by his

perfect life

and his perfect

death,

who is seated

now at the

right hand of

the Father

interceding

for us.

Acts 4.12,

Peter said,

and there is

salvation in

no one else,

for there is

no other name

under heaven

given among

men by which

we must be

saved.

Do you believe

this?

There are not

many ways

to heaven.

And there are

people who are

out there

dying,

thinking,

just thinking

they can earn

their way,

inventing some

God of their

own making,

some philosophy

that they hope

will find them

one day

in heaven

with God.

those philosophies,

those aired

philosophies are

damning to

them.

Who must,

must,

must,

must preach

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ?

Typically on

your bulletin,

I like to give

you a quotation

from an old

dead guy.

John Piper is

not,

at least not

dead.

He is old,

don't murmur,

it's fine.

He wouldn't be

offended by that.

I just thought

that this quotation

fits so well

here.

The best news

of the Christian

gospel is that

the supremely

glorious creator

of the universe

has acted in

Jesus Christ's

death and

resurrection

to remove

every obstacle

between us

and himself

so that we

may find

everlasting joy

in seeing

and savoring

his infinite

beauty.

We may have

that which

truly satisfies

the joy

that can be

ours.

What is the

chief end

of man?

To glorify

God and

enjoy him

forever.

So we've seen

the last couple

of verses,

32,

33,

and 34,

the mixed

responses,

which is pretty

typical in the

ministry of Paul

and it will be

in our

ministry as

well.

Some think

he's crazy,

they mock

him.

Some are

interested in

what he had

to say and

they want to

hear again

what he may

be teaching

and some

believe and

follow.

So this

morning,

just let me

ask,

are you one

who mocks?

Is it possible

that you found

yourself in

the meeting

of Christians

and you're a

mocker of the

resurrection of

Jesus Christ?

I saw a

stat this

week and I

didn't do a

lot of research

on where it

came from that

said that 25%

of professing

Christians don't

believe the

resurrection actually

happened.

They're not

Christians then.

They can claim to

be but they're

certainly not.

Do you think

you're in Christ

and you don't

believe he's

alive?

I pity you.

Repent and

believe.

Are you one

who would hear

more?

We want to

share more.

Boy, do we

love talking

about the

gospel around

here.

Just ask.

Ask anybody.