By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville
Baptist Church
Systematic Theological Growth: Reaching out through
Teaching and learning. Encouraging
and enabling students/disciples of Christ to implement the principles of the
Bible in our lives.
Do you know the unknown God? Will you teach others?
Make Him Known!
Acts 17:16 (KJS) Now while Paul
waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the
city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue
with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with
them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and
of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?
other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he
preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and
brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine,
whereof thou speakest, [is]? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to
our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their
time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I
perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by,
and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 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; 25 Neither is
worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth
to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live,
and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said,
For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of
God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or
stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance
God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because
he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given
assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32 And
when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others
said, We will hear thee again of this [matter]. 33 So Paul departed from
among them.
1. Paul
had compassion on the lost. Acts
17:16 (KJS) Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred
in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
It is easy for us to look down on those who don’t believe, but
Paul looked on them with compassion. This
is how Jesus looks on us and on those who are lost.
The love of God has got to motivate us to take the steps to go out to
reach the lost.
2.
He took action.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the
devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
We have to make the Lord known to those
who are without the Savior. If we
don’t, who will?
3.
He went with the Lord. 23
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this
inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him
declare I unto you. The
Lord is already at work in the lives of people.
Our job is to discover where He is at work and get together with Him.
We can’t go out on our own. We
must depend on the Holy Spirit to get the work done in the hearts of people.
4.
He went where they were.
We must go where the people are and then let them know who He is.
5.
He showed them who God is.
People have to see who the Lord is before they can have the chance to
know Him for themselves
6.
Who is the Lord? This is whom we show to the world.
a.
He is the creator. 24 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
b.
He lives in human beings not in temples made with hands.
dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
c.
He is independent of all creation.
He doesn’t need us to give him anything.
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed
any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
d.
He is the great planner of all creation, so that all exists for Him and
by Him. 26 And hath made
of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation
e.
He wants to be found, but He is not far from all of us.
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel
after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
f.
He is the source of all life, and in Him we live and move and have our
being. 28 For in him we
live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have
said, For we are also his offspring.
g.
He commands us to repent and go with Him, or live and die without Him. but
now commandeth all men every where to repent:
h.
He has appointed a judgment day for all.
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained
i.
He gave us the proof of who he is through the resurrection of Jesus
from the dead. ; [whereof]
he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the
dead
7.
Will we know Him and will we make Him known?
He is a God who is near and
wants to be known by you and all that you know.
He is a God who has given us all the proof that we need to know that He
is real.