The Revelation of God
Jeffery Anselmi / General
Proclaim. The Gospel Has Come / Character; Salvation / Acts 17:22–34
The first church proclaimed that the unknown God had become known through Jesus.
INTRODUCTION
• Today we are in the final message of our Proclaim; The Gospel Has Come series.
• Our text takes us to one of Paul’s more famous sermons in the Areopagus (AIR OP A GUS) or what many call Mars Hill.
• Mars Hill is the Roman name for a hill in Athens, Greece, called the Hill of Ares or the Areopagus (Acts 17:19, 22).
• Ares was the Greek god of war, and according to Greek mythology, this hill was the place where Ares stood trial before the other gods for the murder of Poseidon’s son.
• Rising some 377 feet above the land below and not far from the Acropolis and Agora (marketplace), Mars Hill served as the meeting place for the Areopagus Court, the highest court in Greece for civil, criminal, and religious matters.
• Even under Roman rule in the time of the New Testament, Mars Hill remained an important meeting place where philosophy, religion, and law were discussed. (https://www.gotquestions.org/Mars-Hill.html)
• When Paul was in Athens, he was deeply distressed by what he saw.
• The city was full of idols.
• According to New Testament Professor Dr. Gareth Reese, it has been estimated that there were somewhere between two and three thousand idols in the city of Athens during the New Testament period.
• What did Paul do about it? He started reasoning with the Jews and those who worshipped God in the synagogues, and he also sparred with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in the public arena.
• These philosophers brought Paul to Mars Hill or the Areopagus (AIR OP A GUS).
• I could preach a whole message concerning the lead-up to Paul's message, but for time's sake, I want to summarize a couple of important points that we need to understand if we are going to have a chance of reaching people with the gospel.
• Let’s turn to Acts 17:22-23 for a couple of quick insights.
Acts 17:22–23 (CSB)
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect.
23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
• In the first few verses in Acts 17, we see the first key to successfully sharing the gospel.
• In verse 16, we see that Paul was troubled. Paul had a burden for the condition of the people of Athens. This burden drove him to try to share the truth with the people of Athens.
• Then from verses 22-23, we see that Paul was respectful of the belief system of the people of Athens.
• In fairness, the term EXTREMELY RELIGIOUS can also be translated EXTREMELY SUPERSTITIOUS. So when Paul addressed the crowd, it could have been taken as a swipe at them or a compliment.
• Context tends to lead to complement.
• The next thing we see, and we see it throughout the message, is that Paul took the time to know the audience he was dealing with.
• Since Paul knew the audience, he connected with them in verse 23 concerning the altar to the unknown God!
• This is the connection point he used to be able to get their attention!
• Paul used this knowledge to bring us our BIG IDEA FOR THE MESSAGE TODAY!
› The first church proclaimed that the unknown God had become known through Jesus.
• Let’s turn to Acts 17, we will begin with verses 24-26 as we see Paul unveil the characteristics of the unknown God to the people ay Mars Hill!
Acts 17:24–26 (CSB)
24 The God who made the world and everything in it—he is Lord of heaven and earth—does not live in shrines made by hands.
25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.
26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.
SERMON
I. The unknown God is creator of all.
• The Greeks had a ton of gods they worshipped.
• The people lived in fear of upsetting any number of gods.
• The people were in a religious prison!
• Paul begins verse 24 with the fact that God is the creator of all things, not the gods they were enslaved to.
He made all things.
• The people of Athens had a god for almost every part of creation.
• By calling God the creator of all things, Paul would be opposing the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who thought either matter was eternal or Zeus created it all.
• As a result of God being the creator of all things...
He is Lord of heaven and earth.
• This thought flies in the face of the Stoics, who believed that the FATES governed everything, as well as the Epicureans who believed that the “gods” cared little about the affairs of people.
He does not live in any one place.
• Since God is the creator of all things, He does not reside in a tiny temple or is relegated to a small space.
He is not dependent on human hands.
• Since He creator of all things, He is not dependent on His creation for His survival!
• He is the one who gives life and breath to all, not the other way around!
He is the maker of all nations.
• He is also the maker of all nations!
• God created Adam, and from Adam’s rib came Eve! Then the rest of us came into being as well as all the nations on the earth!
Acts of the Apostles, College Press Commentary Series (10. Paul’s Address at Athens (17:15–34))
The nations and races of men have a common origin; God made them all, and hence is their creator.
The Greeks, like the Jews, thought themselves of finer nature, a superior race in origin, character and destiny.
Paul instructs them of the brotherhood of man; this was indeed strange to Greek ears; they had an idea of different origins, different gods, different religions for different nations.
• The world today needs to know this fact!
• We are all one people, no matter what our skin color or country!
• The racism that has been practiced almost since the fall of the human race is not of God!
• Let’s turn to verses 27-29 for our next thought!
Acts 17:27–29 (CSB)
27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
29 Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.
II. The unknown God is within reach of all.
• Contrary to what the philosophers taught, God is within reach of all; He is not in some closet somewhere, not caring about people and their lives.
• The phrase REACH out means to grope in the dark. The people of Athens were reaching out for God in the dark. He was close, yet so far from them.
• The people, much like people today, were seeking to reach God their own way.
• God created us so that we would seek and find Him.
• God does not force Himself upon us; He wants us to want to love Him!
• Seeking God is the greatest and most important pursuit of one's life!
In Him, we live, move, and exist.
• This thought is evidence that God is not far from us and cares about each one of us.
• He gives us the air we breathe; He gives significance and meaning to our lives!
• Once we understand this thought, it is a life-changer!
We are His children and creation.
• Paul quotes some of the poets of the time to show that people understand the concept that we are God’s children!
• The expression verse 28 is found in various writing dating back to 300 BC!
It is time to cast aside all false idols and worship Him!
• Look at verse 29 with me; this verse makes a lot of sense when you look at it.
Acts 17:29 (CSB)
29 Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.
• Typically children look like their parents. My daughters are beautiful because they look like their mother.
• Paul says implies that since we are God’s offsprings, there should be a resemblance.
• The idols formed by the hands of people do God no justice!
• God is no stick or stone because you are not a stick or stone!
• Where do we get the idea that God is a stick or stone?
• Let’s turn to verses 30-31
Acts 17:30–31 (CSB)
30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,
31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
III. The unknown God offers salvation to all.
• Salvation is available to all!
The days of ignorance have passed.
• The time has passed, the gospel has been preached!
• We now know the unknown God!
• We are without excuse now; Jesus has been revealed!
Acts of the Apostles (10. Paul’s Address at Athens (17:15–34))
The times”; that is, before a revelation of God was given through Christ; this was a period of “ignorance,” “agnoias.”
The past history of the heathen world was a history of idolatry, involving the grossest ignorance of God, and of all that was truly good. These Athenians confessed their ignorance by their inscription of an altar to “An Unknown God.
We are called to repentance.
• God is declaring that all come to repentance.
• We cannot use ignorance as an excuse any longer!
We need to be ready for the final judgment.
• There will be a time when we all stand before the Lord!
• We need to be ready for that day because it is what it is once that day comes.
• It will be too late to change.
• Neither the Epicureans nor the Stoics had any place for a final judgment, but God says different!
• This should be a time of rejoicing for those who are baptized into and live for Jesus!
CONCLUSION
Acts 17:32–34 (CSB)
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.”
33 So Paul left their presence.
34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
• How will you respond?
Will you reject Him?
• Some ridiculed Paul?
• Will you be one of them?
Will you put off the decision?
• Some said, maybe we will hear some more about this later?
• Paul left their presence.
• What more could he do or say
Will you answer the call?
• Some joined him and believed!
• What part of the crowd are you today?
Application Point: All truth is God’s truth; there are many things in this world which can encourage your faith and lead unbelievers to Jesus.
