Acts 17:16-34
I. The Preacher
A. Paul, along his missionary journies finds himself in the city of Athens. He looks around at the all idolitry. His heart is stirred within him to the point where he begins witnessing to anyne he can find.
B. It is easy to watch the depravity of our modern culture, even the wickedness of our own communities. Yet, it is another thing altogether to have compassion on this culture. To see more than just their wickedness and to see their need of Christ, that is the heart of compassion Christian must also show.
II. The Audience
A. Idolaters
1. These are men who are not simply unconvinced and searching, they serve many different false gods. They are active in a false religion.
2. They care nothing of Christ or Christianity. They no nothing of true religion.
B. Jews
1. There are the religious. They believe in Jehovah God. They certainly adhere to much of the Bible. Back then, the New Testament was just being written, so they had the Scriptures of their day, and tried to uphold it, yet were not saved and far from it.
2. These are the hardest people to reach often times. They know some of the Bible. They may even consider themselves to be saved, but are on their way to hell. What little knowledge they do have condemns them. They cannot accept the facts.
C. Philosophers
1. Epicureans – pure hedonism, experience
a. These are those who live for the moment. They follow their pleasures, wherever that takes them. Follow your dreams!
b. Doesn’t think characterize our society today? We are always being told to follow our hearts. We base everything on feeling and emotion.
2. Stoics – pure self-restraint, self-sufficient. Not emotional, reason-driven
a. Their salvation is all in their nobility. They are better than anyone else because of their self-control.
b. As I think about this concept, I cannot help but think of this shooter at Virginia Tech this past Monday. He was a loner. In his last letter he derided all the rich kids and women. He was better than them.
D. Mockers
1. They called Paul a babbler. This has the idea of a bird picking up seed. In other words, he would pick up a doctrine here, pick up a philosophy there, and mix it all together. This was certainly no compliment. He had nothing original or true, but just got a lot of other things all mixed up. You can’t trust a person like that. He is a pretend philosopher.
2. Christianity today still has the charge brought up against it. Some would say Paul is merely borrowing from Plato. They say Bible passages and doctrines are just an amalgamation of ancient religious traditions.
E. Athenians
1. They are willing to hear Paul out. However, they are not searching for truth, but the latest new fad in philosophy. They wanted something new to talk about. That’s all. No conviction here. They just wanted something to discuss, debate and argue over.
2. There are some Christian who are just like these people. They just want something to debate out. They can’t wait for the latest movement or doctrine, because they want to pounce upon it or just merely argue about it. It is pride.
III. The Message
A. Able to apply the gospel to the culture around him
1. The Unknown God
a. The Greeks had a god for everything. They had a god of the sea, of god of the wind, a god of the sun… Anything they could not explain they attributed to another god. Their gods were deviant, manipulative and always fighting against each other. Everything had a god. And just in case they missed one, they had this idol to the unknown god, just to cover all the bases.
b. Paul starts at this reference point. He starts with what they understand, and then quickly moves them to the truth. He introduces to them the only true God, a God that is unknown to them.
2. Your Own Poets
a. Paul then quotes from at least two different poets. One was Arastus a stoic from Cilicia who wrote about 270 BC. In his poem to Zeus he wrote, “we too are his offspring.” Even before that in 300 BC Cleanthes also wrote a hymn to Zeus saying, “we are his offspring.”
b. Again, Paul uses an illustration these Greek philosophers would know and understand. He quotes from sources they were already familiar with. He wants to establish the fact that we are created being, and created from a higher power.
3. What Paul does in both of these cases is to work with what is already known, and then build upon that foundation. He begins by adapting himself to where they are. This is practical theology. This is not ivory tower type theology. There are some who consider themselves theologians who have made themselves completely irreverent and unattached to the world around them. That have no connection to the people they are supposed to be reaching.
4. There are some Christians who have no interaction with the world around them. This was the problem with the Monks of the Middle Ages. They lived in their cloistered communities and worked only within that range. What type of ministry did they ever have? Who did they ever reach with the gospel.
5. The gospel was never meant to be contained within the four walls of a church building. Our faith needs to be spread to every area of life and the community surrounding us.
6. This does not contradict what we believe about separation. We absolutely must be separate from the world and worldly influences. This is absolutely true! This world can only harm and contaminate us. But there is a difference between allowing the world to influence you and you influencing the world around you. Jesus Himself best illustrates this truth in His prayer found in John 17:13-18.
B. Able to condemn the culture around Him
1. Please keep in mind, just because Paul is able to relate to the culture, that does not mean he approves of the culture.
2. I have heard this sermon used as an excuse for Christians to use anything and everything to “reach people.” Some use this verse to support their uses of Christian rock music and Christian rock concerts. Some use this as a verse to support their use of the Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study course. It is ridiculous. As we will see, Paul does not approve this culture, and then use it for his ministry. Instead he points out these cultural icons, and then rebukes them.
3. Look at the unknown God. Paul is quick to say in verse 24 that the true God cannot be an object made by man. Nor does He need all of these sacrifices the people foolishly give Him. We do not give life to God, but He gives life to us.
4. You see, Paul, begins with what they know, and then refutes and leads them to the true God, the only God who can save. There is no watering down the message here. He is not using their language style or reasoning. He is preaching the truth, in a relevant way they can understand.
5. In the case of the poet, Paul does not say these men were right in attributing life to Zeus, but to point out we are all created. They agree with that, at least their revered poets do. So then, Paul reasons, if we are created, who can we create a god that supposedly created us? For we also know that in God we live and move and have our being.
6. Again, Paul does not approve of the message. Also remember, these poets were not alive. They lived hundreds of years before anyone there had ever been born. A modern day parallel may have Paul quoting Shakespeare or John Milton. This is not simply putting “godly” lyrics to pagan music.
7. Paul is condemning this culture for their ignorance and foolishness. He is not trying to copy the culture, imitate it or simply “upgrade it” with a Christian message. No, he condemns it completely. But first, he uses it simply to start with a common point of knowledge.
8. We cannot afford to simply adapt to the culture around us. In that case, we loose the gospel message entirely. If the culture is already acceptable or at least amoral, then there is no need of saving it! Instead of adapting to culture, we must seek to transform it. To do this, however, we cannot be ignorant of it.
9. My point is this, Christ has called us to go into the world. We should be able to relate to those around us. In other words, there is not need phony Christians. These are “super spiritual” people who have a faith that must be “preformed” in front of others. They have an arrogant spirit when confronting the unsaved. A proper view of the gospel forces us to understand we are sinners to in dire need of God’s grace. Because of our common depravity and need, we can realte to those around us. It is ok to be yourself. This is not an excuse to sin. But no one is perfect. If you are following the Lord and doing what you know to be right, don’t allow your shortcomings to hinder your evangelistic efforts.
C. Able to appeal to the culture
1. Paul now begins to draw the net. Paul tells his audience here that in the past, God may have tolerated their sin because they did not know the truth. But now however, they have been told. They are told they must repent. They must turn from their wicked ways. They are not told to “come as they are and don’t worry about changing a thing.” They are left with no doubt of what it means to come to Christ.
2. Paul speaks of the judgment that is to come. He also tells them they are completely without excuse, for they Christ has risen form the dead. They know who the savior is. They cannot plead ignorance. God Himself has made this known. Notice, there is no emotional appeal, no pulling of the heart strings or even a simple, “Smile, God loves you.” He brings the point down hard.
IV. The Reception
A. Some Mocked
1. There will be some who simply will never accept the truth. No matter what is said, no matter what evidence is given and no matter what line of reasoning is used – their hearts are hard and they are headed to hell.
2. Don’t get discouraged by these folks. Don’t get frustrated. Keep on doing what God has told you to do. The results are up to Him, not you.
B. Some Discussed
1. There will be some who simply want to think it over. They want to ask a ton of questions and debate you into the wee hours of the night. They want to discuss, discuss and discuss, but never settle the issue. They want to explore other options, but consider themselves to be open to the possibility of Christianity.
2. Don’t get trapped into their snares. Often times they will trap you into discussions and never let go. They waste your time with meaningless debate that keeps you from witnessing to others and being about the Father’s business.
3. There are Christian like this as well. If you don’t believe me, enter into many Christian blog sites and see.
C. Some were saved
1. Not many were won over in this sermon, but that is not why Paul was there. He preached to a diverse group of people, preached the same message without wavering or compromise. Some were saved. Not all, not many, but some. Not every sermon is a Pentecost.
2. Notice what is said about those who were saved, they clave to Paul. They clung to him, were dedicated and wanted to learn more. These were disciples not mere profession-makers. Often times when you hear of churches boasting of hundreds saved in their meetings, the next question that ought to be asked is, where are they now? When you preach like Paul did, you may not get as many professions, but the one that are made are more reliable.
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