what are you groping for
Post on 07-Apr-2018
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Hello,Church! GoodAfternoon.Thereisalottocovertoday.Soletsgettoit.Today
IwanttocontinuegoingthroughActs17continuingwhatMinisterCraigstarted.I
lovethetextbecauseitnotonlygiveinsightonGodbutalsohowtoliveoutthe
mandateGodhasgivenusinsharingtheGospel,andonthenatureofsalvationn
TodaywewillbefocusingonActs17:1632.Aswegothroughthepassageverseby
versewewillconsiderhowtoapplytheversetoday.Imgoingtogooversomeof
whatMinisterCraigstartedtoputthingsincontext.Iwouldberemisstonotpoint
outthatitsthe10th anniversaryoftheTerroristattacksonAmerica.Wewillbe
lookingathowtorespondtosuchthingstodayinourtimeandculture.
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PaulwaswaitingforSilasandTimothybecausehewasforcedtoleavefirstThessalonicaandBereabecauseofthepersecutionandrejectionandoppositionthatcamefromhimpreachingtheGospel.TheyhadrealizedthatPaulspresencewasnotrequiredinBerea,SilasandTimothycouldfinishtheworkinBereaandjoinPaulinAthens.LetslookatashortvideothatshowswhatPaulwascontendingwith.
WhileinAthens,PaulwentaroundlookingaroundthecityofAthensandrealizedthatAthenswasfullofAthens.HesawacitywithoutGodandwithoutHope.Hesawacitythatwasdrowninginsin,shame,anddecadence.
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FromahistoricalstandpointweknowthatAthenswaslikeanyothermajorcity.Crimeand
corruptionabounded.Yes,theyhadculture,artandscience,butweknowthatcitieshave
alltheseproblems.Tomakeitworse,thesepeoplewereprayingtoidolstosavethemand
helpthemandintruthgettingnothing.
Letmebeclear:peoplebackthenwerenotmorestupidthanus.Insomecases,theywere
trickedandhoodwinkedbytheseotherreligions.Sometimespriestspoisonedworshippers
andthengavethemtheantidotesothatpeoplewouldthinkthatthepersonhadbeen
healed.Sometimestheyusedpropsandspecialeffectstofoolpeopleintothinkingthat
theyhadwitnessedmiracles. Theyweremisguidedandfooledintobelievingliesinmany
cases.OfcoursePaulwasdistressed.Hisheartwentouttothepeople.Hewantedthemto
knowthetruth.
JustlikePaulhadtocontendwithfalsegodscompetingfortheheartsandmindsofpeople,
wemustcompetetoday. LetsexaminePaulstacticsbecausetheywillworktodayalso!
Whataboutustoday?Peopleinoursocietyarejustasmuchinbondage.Maybemore
becauseatleastthentheyhadenoughsensetolookforagodtosavethem.Somepeople
todaysneerattheideaofapowerorauthoritygreaterthanthemselveswhilepeoplein
ancienttimeshadwaymoresensethanthat.Shouldntourheartgoouttoourownpeople
todaysothattheywouldknowtheGospel?
Icantmakethispointimportantenough:PaulhadjustgotkickedoutofTWOtownsandinsteadof
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waitingforbackuphejustpickedupwhereheleftoffinAthens.
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WheneverPaulhittownhehadamethodofoperationofhowtoevangelizethe
city.HewouldstartwithChristianityswarmmarket peoplewhoalreadyknew
thescripturesandwerelookingfortheMessiah.ThenPaulpreachedinthe
marketplaceinpublictoanyonehecouldreach.WhatisyourM.O. forsharingthe
GospelintheplacesandtothepeopleGodhasgivenyou?
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OnethingIhavefoundoutisthatthemomentyouremindpeopleweareallsinnersinneedofsalvationandJesusistheonlyantidoteforthepoisonweallhave,youaregonna getopposition.PeoplewilldebatewithyouandtrytoshowwhytheyarerighttorejecttheGospel.PaulwaspreachingaboutJesusandtheResurrection.Thatwashisfocusinsteadoftryingtotellthemwhattheyneededtochangein
theirlives.Thephilosophersdidnotseemtounderstandwhathewassaying.Theythoughtthathewaseitherbabbling alotofwordswithoutmeaning orthathewasjustpreachingaboutsomeotheruselessgod. Theyneededanothergodliketheyneededaholeinthehead.
ThisisagreatexampleofhowgreattheBibleis.Wehavetheauthor,Luke,pointingoutthattwoofthemajorgroupsinPhilosophythatweknowexistsforafact:TheEpicureansandtheStoics.
TheEpicureans said,"Pleasureisthechiefendoflife;everythinghappensbychance;deathendsitall."TheStoics were"Pantheistic;allisfatedbygod;wemust
beindependentofexternals.Pantheismisthebeliefinagodthatismanifestedeverywherebutwithnowillorpersonalityofitsown. Neitherbelieveinlifeafterdeath,either.
TheEpicureansweresearching forpleasureandtheStoicswerefocusedonapathy.http://ncbible.org/resources/ActsComm17.html
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Weknowfrommanysourcesthatthesepeopledidexistandwestillhavepeople
whosubscribetotheseviewstoday.Imustalsopointoutthattheyarebothinsevere
conflictwiththeBible!HowdoesPaultalktopeoplewhofromthegetgo disagree
withhim?
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ThentheytookPaultotheplaceinAthensthatthephilosophersgatheredto
debateanddiscusstheideasthattheycameacross.Ithinkthatwecouldstandto
learnfromthemaboutthattoday.Wehavesuchashortattentionspantoday.We
hearsomenewsoranideologyanddontstoptoreallyseeifitstrue.Insteadof
kickingthetiresorputtingsomestressesonittoseehowmuchweightitcan
bear,wemissoutonsomeimportanttruth.Ithinkwecandobetter.Truthdeserves
better.
TheplaceinAthenswasknownastheAreopagus whichmeansRockofAresor
MarsHill.AresakaMarswastheGrecoRomangodofWar.AresinGreek.
MarsinLatin.
AtleastthesepeoplewerewillingtohearPauloutcompletelyandevaluatewhathe
hadtosay.CananyoneofsaywehavealwaysbeenopentoheartheGospel?
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Paulstartsoffnotwithaninsultsorsuperiority.Paulcomplimentsthemonthefact
thattheyatleastrecognizethattherearethingsgreaterthanthemselves.
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Pauluseswhatisaroundhimtomakehiscase.Henoticedthattheyhadanaltarto
anUnknownGod andheusedthattoopenthedoortointroducehishearersto
God.Ignoranceinthiscaseisnotaninsult.Hesnotsayingthattheyarestupid.
Paulisinsteadpointingoutthathecantellthemmoreaboutsomeonetheyalready
worship.
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PaultellsthemsomefundamentalinformationaboutthisGodtheydontknow.The
Lordofheavenandearth anddoesnotneedus.Ourverylifeandexistence
dependsonhim.EverythingwehaveisbasedonwhatGodhasgivenus.Godmade
allpeoplefromonemanandsetupwhereandwhenandhowtheylive
individualsandnations.Weallbelongtohim.
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HereisPaulspoint:WhydidGodgothroughallofthis? Whyputusthroughallof
this?GodwantsustoseekHim.Notpleasure.Notfreedomfrompain.Him.Thisis
aboutGodappointingourtimeinhistoryandtheboundariesofourlives not
closinghiseyesandcrossinghisfingures hopingthatwewilllookforhim.Ithinkthe
NIV translationisalittledifficulttoexplainthisverse.Lets lookattheNIV.
27 thattheywouldseekGod,ifperhapstheymightgropeforHimandfindHim,thoughHeisnotfarfromeachoneofus;(NASB)IthinktheNASB islittlemoreclearer.TheuncertaintyisnotonGod.The
uncertaintyisours.Wearegroping aroundinthedarkness.Feelingaroundandnot
knowingwhatwearefeelingforbutknowingthatwegottohaveit.Itsnot anit,
wearelookingGod.Godisnothidingfromusheisclosetoeachoneofus.
We lovethatsongSearchedalloverbutPaulissayingthatwegropeallover.Whatareyougropingfor? Whathaveyoufound?IfyouareabornagainChristian,
youknowGod.GropecarrieswithittheideathatwedidntfindHimbecausewe
aresmarterorcanseebetter,Weweregropingaroundinthesamedarkness.It
wasntdependentonus.
Thisamajorpointthatcantbeunderscoredenough!You everythingyouareand
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haveexperiencedhashappenedtogiveyouthebestpossibleopportunityforyouto
findGod.Thebestpossiblecircumstancesaredifferentforeveryone.Somepeople
hadtobeborninChristianhomes.SomehavetobeborninHinduhomesandsoon.
AndthereisnopromiseorguaranteethatyouwillfindGod(fromourpointofview).
Itsastraightgift!ImremindedofastoryofaMuslimmanborninLebanonwho
foundJesusbecausehewashavingdreamsthatJesusisLordandSaviorandhefled
toSyriabecausehisfamilywantedtokillhim.TherehelearnedaboutJesusandwas
saved.HethenwentbacktoLebanontowitness. Orabouthowmissionarieshave
wenttovillageswheretheGospelhasneverbeenpreachedandfoundoutthatGod
hadgivensomeinthevillagedreamsandvisionaboutJesusandallthepeople
wantedtoknowwashowtobesaved.Godsmorethangotthis.Allwehavetodois
dowhatHehassaid.
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Paulthenreallybringsithometohishearers.Paulquotestheirownpoets.Paul
quotes:Phaenomena byAratus ofCiliciaabout270BC.http://ncbible.org/resources/ActsComm17.html
Thisisawesome.Paulusesthefactthattheyrecognizedthatweareallcreatedbya
singlesourcetobuildacaseforGod
Noticehegivesthemonlywhattheycandigest.Giventhatwehavemore
informationthantheydid,wecanusePaulslettertotheRomanstohighlightthe
pointheismaking.Romans8:2829says
28 AndweknowthatinallthingsGodworksforthegoodofthosewholovehim,whohave
beencalledaccordingtohispurpose.29 ForthoseGodforeknewhealsopredestinedtobe
conformedtotheimageofhisSon,thathemightbethefirstbornamongmanybrothers
andsisters.
Thewholepointtoappointingourcircumstanceandlivesandexperiencetheway
GodhasissothatwewillbemorelikeJesus.Itsforourgrowthandmaturationso
wecanbringGodglory.
Idontreallyhavetimereallytotacklehowourwillplaysintothis,butaswegrow
tobemoreandmorelikeJesuswewillwhatHewills.Thatswhereweneedtobe.
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IfyougrantthatweareallofGodsoffspring,Paulsgotyou. Itdoesnot make
sensethattheideathatthedivinebeingcouldbemadeofgoldorsilverorstone.
Itsjustimagesmadebypeople.
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Nowcomesthehammer.Paulpointsoutthatpeoplewereworshipingidolsbecause
theywereignorant theydidntknowbetter andGodoverlookedit.TheKJV used
thewordwinked.WhatwasthisignorancethatGodoverlookedinthepast? This
struckme.ImeanintheOldTestamentitseemedthatGoddidverylittlewinking
giventhenumberof peoplewhowerewipedoutbecauseoftheirsins.Imean
hasntGodalwayscommandedpeopletorepeateverywhere?Thisleadmetothink
aboutthejudgmentintheOldTestament.IrealizedthatGodneverinScripture
judgesordestroysanyoneduetotheirignorance. Justliketoday,Godcommands
allofustobemore.WecanrepentandstopbeingignorantofGod.
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DoyouneedtheGospelinanutshell?Acts17:31isit.ThiswasthepointPaulwas
bringinghishearerstoo.ThesameGodwhomadeusandeverythingwilljudgethe
worldwithjusticethroughasinglemanthatHeappointed Jesus andprovedit
byraisingJesusfromthedead.
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WhenyoupreachtheGospelyougettwopossibleoutcomes.Eitherpeoplewill
rejecttheGospeloritwillsinkintotheirheartsandminds.
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SeehowPaulhandlesthat?HejustsharedtheGospellistenedtotheresponseand
withdrew.Hedidntpressit.Hedidntcontinuetoargueandfight.Hedidntseem
totakepersonaloffenseortoattackhisattackers.
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ThegoodnewsisthatwhenyouobeyGodandshareChristwithothers,weseeGod
moveonpeoplehearts.Verse34namestwopeoplewhodirectlybecamebelievers
afterhearingPaul.DionysiusandDamaris mostlikelydidnotbecomeChristianson
thatsameday.TheymaybeheardtheGospelseveraltimesshowingthatwemust
notgiveupbutshareJesuswheneverwehaveanopportunity.
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