Truth in the Midst of a Confused Culture - DJ Dickerson

in your Bibles, I would encourage you to

go to Acts chapter 17 with me. Acts

Acts 17 · chapter mention Acts 17 · chapter mention

chapter 17.

This the lesson as I mentioned this

morning in the closing comments uh is

coincides with what the kids have been

learning in their Bible classes as of

late which this partic particular lesson

is again from the book of Acts which is

the book that again we've been studying

in our adult Bible class except we

haven't gotten to this particular

chapter yet. So, a little bit of, you

know, fast forwarding a little bit to

some degree. I look forward to the

discussion that we will certainly have

when we get to this chapter later on in

our adult Bible class. But, as you're

turning there to Acts chapter 17, you

Acts 17 · chapter mention

know, I was thinking about this, how

there are moments uh in scripture when

gospel collides headon with culture. uh

not in a synagogue, not uh not among

people who already know Moses and the

prophets uh but rather a in a public

place where ideas uh compete uh

philosophies collide and truth must

stand on its own. And what we find in

acts chapter 17 that's really what

Acts 17 · chapter mention

happens uh and brings us to such a

moment as that uh as the apostle Paul

arrives uh in Athens it's you know if

you know anything and done any kind of

history uh into these locations uh

Athens was one of the most educated

cities of the ancient world it was

famous uh it was known for art and

architecture and and also philosophy of

course and So great thinkers uh had

walked its streets uh temples crowned uh

its hills. Statutes filled its avenues

and religion was everywhere. But I'll

tell you what was scarce.

Truth. Truth was scarce.

Paul walks into this city and as we

we're going to go through these verses

uh through each of these points uh this

this evening. And as he walks into this

city, he has no congregation waiting for

him. Uh there there's not really a

friendly audience, if you will. Uh

there's no familiar traditions. Uh just

a heart full of Christ in the midst of a

culture full of idols.

And what we learn from Paul on Mars Hill

teaches us how to speak, as I've

entitled this lesson, truth in the midst

of a confused culture. And I think that

as I was thinking about the the title to

put with this lesson, this is the one

that kind of, you know, settled with me.

Uh because I believe you would agree

that we also live in the midst of a

confused culture and we have something

and and it is definitely available to

all as we have the word of God. We have

the truth. And

when we look at this, I think we're

going to see some similarities here. Uh

so let's walk through this together as

we get the first uh picture here from

Acts chapter 17 uh as as we see really a

Acts 17 · chapter mention

troubled city in a a troubled spirit in

a cultured city. Now, in Acts chapter

Acts 17 · chapter mention

17, you'll notice there, and I'm kind of

going to hit verse 16 here, and what

says, "Now, while Paul waited for them

at Athens, his spirit was provoked

within him when he saw that the city was

given over to idols." Uh, you know, and

I again, as I've tried to put myself in

the place of Paul a little bit here, uh,

you really don't think Paul was admiring

the statutes, right? uh he's not

marveling really at the temples. He he's

actually stirred, right? That that's

what you see when it says his spirit was

provoked within him when he saw that the

city was given over to idols. And when

you look at that word stirred, it it

also has that very meaning of being uh

deeply distressed. Uh because what he

sees is a city that's enslaved by false

worship. That's what he he sees. Now,

obviously, when you think about Athens,

uh it was beautiful on the outside, but

the point that he's about to bring to

them is that although it was beautiful

on the outside, they were broken on the

inside. Okay? So when you look at verse

16, it's very important to note that uh

Paul his response or reaction I think is

quite important here because

first of all before his mouth ever opens

his spirit is moved.

And really isn't that where evangelism

begins? I I I think it's it's not really

with clever words, but really it starts

with compassionate hearts. And that's

what we see with Paul here in Acts 17

and verse 16. Now,

it is possible to live so long in our

culture that we stop noticing its idols.

Do you agree with that? I mean it's also

called being desensitized is another

part that we see another word that's

used because what happens is is we

become accustomed to uh materialism. uh

we can we can become accustomed to

entertainment type worship or moral

compromise or religious confusion that

that happens more than we might think uh

in our culture in our society of

America. But Paul teaches us that when

we truly love Christ and we say we truly

love his truth, his word,

we cannot remain unmoved by people who

do not know him.

So when you read on with me, I want us

to look at this next part here in verses

17- 21 as really you see there's

reasoning before proclaiming here. Read

with me in verses 17 down through verse

21. As I always like to say, prove all

things according to God's word, not DJs.

All right. Therefore, he reasoned in the

synagogue with the Jews and with the

gentile worshippers and in the

marketplace daily with those who happen

to be there. Then certain Epicurian and

Stoic philosophers encountered him. And

some said, "What does this babbler want

to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a

proclaimer of foreign gods because he

preached to them Jesus and the

resurrection." And they took him and

brought him to Aropagus, saying, "May we

know what this new doctrine is of which

you speak? For you are bringing some

strange things to our ears. Therefore,

we want to know what these things mean."

For all the Athenians and the foreigners

who were there spent their time in

nothing else but either to tell or to

hear some new thing. Now here what you

see in this text is Paul is reasoning

where he's raising the synagogue with

the Jews. There's devout persons and and

even in the marketplace and it says

daily. There he is daily. You know we

talked about the zeal of Paul. He is he

is on fire isn't he? And and he's doing

this with those who who met him. And

that's what's interesting. He doesn't

really he doesn't wait for people to

come to, you know, some say, you know,

to the you know, we think sometimes we

have the idea of just buildings in our

in our society, in our minds, but he's

he's not waiting for people really to

come to him. He goes where people

already are. And soon you have Epicurian

and you have stoic philosophers and they

encounter him. Uh now again if you're

thinking about the Epicurans and you

know it's a very interesting uh group

but they believed that pleasure was

life's highest goal. Okay. Now the

Stoics though emphasized self-control

and emotional detachment.

And there's a lot of study you could

spend on the Epicurans and the Stoics

for that matter. But what you notice

from both of those is obviously there

are two different philosophies.

But really, although they have two

different philosophies in regards to

life, they have the same emptiness. Now,

some were calling Paul, they there's a

word there we noted. Some will call him

a babler, right? Uh which which actually

means a seed picker. Uh someone who

collects scraps of ideas. Okay, that's

what they're doing with him. and and

others were uh curious because he

preached Jesus and the resurrection.

And so you have a lot of different uh

responses that's going on with him. Uh

but they bring him to the Arapeus saying

in verse 20, "Thou bringest certain

strange things to our ears." And so

really they they're kind of peaked.

Their interest is peaked. And verse 21

explains their motivation. What did it

say in verse 21 again? For all the

Athenians and strangers or foreigners

there who were there spent their time in

nothing else but to do what? Either to

tell or to hear some new thing. That's

it. Really what they loved is they love

novelty.

uh friends I it's it's really again when

we start talking about similarities for

that matter their culture and our

culture even today is our world still

loves what they still love something new

socalled spirituality

new definitions of so-called truth or

new so-called morality see this is not

something new to us today still happens

in our culture. All right? But Paul

reminds us something here.

Truth does not need to be new to be

powerful.

So

what does he do next? Got to find some

common ground without compromising

truth. All right. Look look on in verse

22 and 23. Let's read on. Then Paul

stood in the midst of their pagus and

said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in

all things you are very religious. For

as I was passing through and considering

the objects of your worship, I even

found an altar with this inscription to

the unknown God. Therefore, the one whom

you worship without knowing him I

proclaim to you." This has always been

really to me one of the most powerful uh

images I get as Paul is standing there

in the midst of Arapagus and these words

uh just I mean just hit hard and in the

hearts when you think about it

because really what he does his approach

is always so great. I love Paul's

approach because he's not going there

he's not um he's not hurling insults.

All right. That's not how he approaches

them. Uh he he he's basically

acknowledging what he sees. Isn't that

what's happening? He acknowledges what

he sees.

And he explains that as he passed

through their city, he found an altar

just simply with this inscription

to the unknown god. now. And just think

about as he's kind of uh carousing

around and looking at at all of these uh

altars and obviously there were many

that they had and to find that one that

says to the unknown God and he's like

I've got a sermon for you, right? Uh

this is this is powerful. And so Paul

simply says whom you therefore therefore

the one whom you worship without knowing

him I proclaim to you.

What does Paul do? Paul begins where

they are, but he does not leave them

there. That's what I love so much is

again, he begins where they are, but he

doesn't leave them there. He uses that

very altar that has the inscription to

the unknown God as a bridge

to truth.

That's powerful.

So friends, this teaches us something

vital when we start talking about

evangelism.

How do we do this? You know, again, we

we don't just gain a lot of information

uh that that we just hold on to, which

yes, we study to show ourselves

approving to God. Absolutely. 2 Timothy

2 and verse1 15, you know, that yes, we

we are to grow, but we h what we we

don't just hold on to it. We do

something with it and we evangelize. We

reach out and we teach. We connect with

people through shared experiences,

through questions or struggles.

But our goal is always to lead them to

Christ. And I mean I want you to think

about what you know whether talking

about family or friends or you know

neighbors, co-workers, you know the list

could go on and on and on.

you know, what are we doing with this

where we connect with people where they

are? Um, questions that they have. I

love to hear uh, you know, of those who

who who come to me and say, you know, I

was having a conversation with so and so

at work or, you know, so forth because

again, that's that's it. People have

questions

and now understand that common ground is

not the destination. That's not it.

That's not what Paul is doing here.

That's, you know, but rather it

certainly is, as Paul used it,

a doorway

to speak about God, the God they did not

know.

Again, follow through this thread of

scriptures here and what Paul is

masterfully doing.

In verses 24- 29, let's read what he

says about this unknown god to those.

God who made the world and everything in

it since he is lord of heaven and earth

does not dwell in temples made with

hands. Nor is he worshiped with men's

hands as though he needed anything since

he gives to all life, breath, and all

things. And he has made from one blood

every nation of men to dwell on all the

face of the earth, and has determined

their pre-appointed times and the

boundaries of their dwellings, so that

they should seek the Lord in the hope

that they might grope for him and find

him, though he is not far from each one

of us. For in him we live and move and

have our being, as also some of your own

poets have said. For we are also his

offspring. Therefore, since we are the

offspring of God, we ought not to think

that the divine nature is like gold or

silver or stone, something shaped by art

and man's devising. Now,

here's where Paul is is preaching,

right?

What's interesting is how he tailors his

lesson. He's tailoring this sermon. Now,

again, remember the culture here versus

other cultures that he is, you know,

thinking about dealing with, okay?

Because he doesn't start with those that

think about how Steven when Steven was

addressing the Sanhedrin. Uh Stephen

started with Abraham,

Moses, right? That's not what Paul does

here. He doesn't start with Abraham or

Moses. He doesn't do that.

Because think about these people. They

they're they're not they're not on that

same mindset there. So what does he do?

What do you do now? Well, he just begins

with creation. And I love it. He begins

with creation because again, just like

Romans chapter 1 talks about creation,

Romans 1 · chapter mention

how it is evident to us, right? It's

evident to all of us because we're part

of creation. All that surrounds us

creation.

So that we are without excuse as Romans

1 talks about. And that's what he

starts. He says, "God that made the

world and all things therein, seeing

that he is Lord of heaven and earth

dwelleth not in temples made with

hands." Now what what is powerful about

that point?

What about their gods, their idols?

Where are they living at?

Well, they're living in buildings,

right?

They're living in buildings, but he but

Paul is saying, "Look, God, that unknown

God to you, that God fills heaven and

earth. It's not a statute that's sitting

there."

And what does he say in verse 25? He's

not either worship with men's hands as

though he needed anything because what

does God, the creator of all things,

give? He gives life, all life and breath

and all things. What is their gods? What

what do they require? What what do what

do they depend on? Well, you offerings

and so forth and things in the

idolatrous world. But Paul is saying,

look, God of creation supplies breath

itself.

The very breath that you're breathing,

God supplied that.

Not these idols.

As if they could do anything,

the very things that they created with

their own hands, right? But then he goes

on, what do we see in verses 26 and 27?

that God made all nations from one

blood, determined their times,

boundaries so that people might seek

him.

And what did he say in verse 27?

God is not far from every one of us. He

says, "For in him we live, we move, we

have our very being." Verse 28. And and

I love this part too. Paul even quotes

their own poets. He quot he uses their

own poets to show that humanity

instinctively senses what? Divine

reality.

That was a good one, I think, wasn't it?

That was good, Paul.

And what he concludes in verse 29 is

since that we are God's offspring,

we should not think that deity can be

represented by what's he go for? can't

be represented by gold or silver or

stone. You see friends, false religion

always shrinks God. You ever noticed

that? That's what false religion does.

All the way back into the Old Testament

days when idolatry run rampant in so

many places, right? That's what it would

do is it would shrink God and you know

try to make something manageable.

But the true God is Paul is saying

cannot be carved. He cannot be

contained. He can't be controlled.

Isn't that something that rang clear

when think about the tabernacle to the

temple and and again Solomon was

constructing the temple and and when he

was dedicating the temple that was built

according to the pattern that God gave

him. What is it that Solomon said in

first kings 8 and verse 27?

But will God indeed dwell on the earth?

Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens

cannot contain you. How much less this

temple I have built.

See, he was bringing that right on to

the very point that Paul was even

emphasizing in Acts chapter 17.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

God cannot be carved, contained, or

controlled. And then we have the turning

point.

These two words, repentance and

resurrection.

Now, verse 30 and 31. Read with me here

about this turning point that's

happening.

Truly these times of ignorance God

overlook, but now commands all men

everywhere to repent because he has

appointed a day on which he will judge

the world in righteousness by the man

whom he has ordained. He has given

assurance of this to all by raising him

from the dead.

Now what Paul does is he moves from

theology to accountability.

He says, "The times of this ignorance,

God has overlooked." Now, your

translation might say, "Winkked that,

right? Um, but now he commands all men

everywhere to repent." Something to

note, he's he's not suggesting.

He's not inviting.

This is commanding

because what repentance means as you've

heard many times means a change of

heart, a change of mind which leads to a

change of life, a change of direction.

So repentance means change

and and not just when you think about

change of mind or direction but

allegiance even, right? Why is that?

Well, he answers that question in verse

31. because there's a day that has been

appointed in which God will judge the

world in righteousness by that man whom

he hath ordained. So Paul declares that

God gave assurance of this judgment by

raising Jesus from the dead. That's the

latter part of verse 31.

That is the heart of this sermon that

Paul is giving

because the resurrection

changes everything

with Jesus having risen from the dead.

Truth matters, sin matters, eternity

matters. And what he's saying and still

proclaiming today through these

scriptures to us in our culture today,

neutrality is no longer an option.

It's not an option.

Again, powerful words that Paul is

presenting to these curious people in

their definite, confused culture.

Look at verses 32 through34 now as we

find three responses to truth.

You know, and think about this what he's

teaching them and showing them in in

just these few verses that we've noted,

right? Look verses 32 through34. We got

three responses to truth. Notice notice

them if you will. And when they heard of

the resurrection of the dead, some

mocked while others said, "We will hear

you again on this matter." So Paul

departed from among them. However, some

men joined him and believed among them

Onius, Aragide and woman named Demarus

and others with them. Now,

I think you see the three three

reactions emerge here.

You have those that mocked. You have

those who says, "Well, you know what?

We'll hear we'll hear you again on

this." Okay. Uh but then you have

certain men who clave unto him and

believed among those name.

But this is how preaching always ends.

Three responses. A lot of times this is

how it ends.

Some mock, some delay, and some believe.

Those three responses still happen

today.

But I submit to you that delayed

obedience

is simply rejection with better manners.

Have you ever heard of that? Kind of

like that one, right? Delayed obedience

is simply rejection with better manners.

And you know what Satan's favorite word,

I believe, is tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

He can just keep putting this off and

then tomorrow that never comes. But

thankful to the one true God that there

were some who believe. And that again

shows

what the Lord said all the way back in

the days of Isaiah the prophet that his

word would not return to him. What?

Void.

Paul went and did his part. Now, I was

just trying to imagine myself in Paul's

shoes or sandals or whichever, right?

You you you enter into this culture that

is so diluted, so so confused. And just

imagine yourself walking walking in the

midst of that and seeing all of those uh

idols and altars that are set up.

What do you say? Where do you begin?

Where do you start?

Or would we have even said anything?

Because we might say, well, some might

mock at it. Um, and that's that's true.

Some may mock, but you know what they

still do today? They still mock today.

I've been mocked. Have you been mocked?

Because you hold to the truth. you hold

to the word of God and you believe God,

creator of all things, who gives life,

breath, all things. In him we move, we

live, we have our very being. Because we

believe that

we're mocked.

And this was a this was a I would say

amazing task that that Paul

I admire that.

And Paul, he he leaves Mars Hill

having preached Christ.

Do you know what Athens was still full

of when he left? Idols.

Sure was.

Do you know what was still happening

when he left? The philosophers were

still debating.

But you know what was different about

that place?

is that the seed had been planted.

There's a difference.

Yes, Athens still had the idols. Yes,

the philosophers were still debating.

But Paul went in there and he planted

seed. That is the word of God. And what

what what does the word say? Paul even

said it in first Corinthians,

you know, talking about watering.

Apollos and you know, Apollos water and

so forth,

planting the seed, but who gives the

increase?

God does.

Paul didn't go in there knowing

everybody's heart and that he's going to

walk away and say, "Everybody here is

going to hear this great lesson I'm

about to give and everybody's going to

respond and they're all going to

believe." Right? Paul is not. He he was

a disillusion like that. And that's

silly for me to go anywhere and to think

that I could go to any place and go and

preach or teach or, you know, whether

it's work or wherever it may be and

think I'm going to get everybody. Now,

that's my goal.

But even Paul told Timothy that he would

just be able to save some.

He went with full force

with a heart that was compassionate and

loving and caring because he knew that

their culture was so confused.

But he planted some seed there. That's

the word of God.

And I would suggest to you this evening

that we are living in our own Mars Hill,

you know, and it makes you take a step

back because again, as I mentioned at

the very beginning, I saw a lot of heads

nodding. It says, you know, when I said,

"Do you think we live in a confused

culture?" And we're all, "Yes, we do. We

live in a confused culture." There's no

doubt about it because truth is

questioned. Morality is redefined. But

here's the thing. The gospel still

shines. We still have the word of God.

We still have this treasure that is to

be within

this evening is not what Athens did.

The question is what will we do?

And when we start looking on that

personal point of of what is has even

been presented this eating about God

over all creation and the fact that we

have to answer to those questions though

that even that what Paul made so

abundantly clear is when I when it comes

down to our response there's only three

that were given. There were only three

responses. The same that I mentioned

that still happens today is that goes

right down to us. Will we mock? Will we

delay or will we cling to Christ?

Those are still the three.

Because I tell you that truth does not

need applause to stand. It doesn't need

it.

It does not need permission or consent

to exist.

It only needs faithful hearts that are

willing to actually proclaim it.

It needs

faithful hearts that are willing to live

it.

And I hope it is our our desire as we

even pray and petition God who will help

us carry truth into confused places

and that we will all leave seeds of

eternity wherever

we go.

And that is the lesson truth in the

midst of a confused culture. I hope that

we have seen the similarities that I

wanted to bring out in this lesson. I I

certainly uh have enjoyed of course

following along with a lot of the

lessons. Of course, the kids have been

learning in their Bible classes. And

again, as I stated, these are meant a

lot of times on Sunday evenings. I I I

pull these out to um prepare these

lessons to reinforce what they learn in

their Bible classes. This is what the

kids are learning in in this uh quarter.

and that we reinforce that, but also

again that they also understand and we

do as we look to these truths that we

learned so many years ago and recognize

that we still live in a confused

culture.

May not be Athens.

We may not be there on Mars Hill, but we

definitely have our own Marshall. We

have our own Athens that we definitely

can see today that we're living in the

midst of. And we have to decide each and

every day what will we do with the

truth. And the God who so lovingly

wonderfully gave us this instruction on

what to do and how to do it.

And we just have to say here am I Lord

send me. Be willing to live and to

proclaim that truth in the midst of this

confused culture. Friends, I certainly

appreciate again your kind attention in

this time that we spent in studying

God's word together. I hope that you've

been encouraged and you've been edified

from the word that we have considered

from Acts chapter 17 and lessons that we

Acts 17 · chapter mention

we learn from God's word today. And as

we think about our own lives and the

questions that I asked a moment ago,

when we think about truth, what are we

doing with the truth? We have to ask

ourselves those questions. Have we heard

the word? Absolutely. Do we believe that

Jesus Christ is the son of God? You

answer that. If you say, I believe that

Jesus Christ is the son of God. What are

you going to do with what he wants you

and desires for you to do is get in that

relationship with him. Uh get

relationship with God through him as he

is the way, the truth, and life. as he

says in John 14 and:e 6, repent of your

sins, confess him, be baptized, immerse,

bury with Christ in baptism to arise and

walk in news of life as Romans 6 3 and 4

says that we walk in that news life and

remain faithful to him going about

planting those seeds, living and

proclaiming his word as we see even Paul

in Athens. As disciple of Christ, maybe

there's something a miss in our lives.

Maybe we have struggles of our own and

we need prayers on our behalf or prayers

even as we saw this morning in the

invitation and the response that we had

this morning. Just always remember the

love that he has for us. What a great

God we serve. And that God has shown

over and over again his faithfulness,

how true he is, and that he still is

able to deliver us Today.