Study in the Acts of the Apostles

Study in the Acts of the Apostles Presentation 36

Liberating Truth Chapter 17v19-34 Presentation 36

Introduction Paul had familiarised himself with the philosophies that had made the Athenians prisoners of despair in order to find a bridge across which to introduce the liberating gospel truth. His preaching aroused enough interest for him to be brought to the Areopagus which was like a combination of a Parliament, the High Court and a Mensa Convention. Here some of the world's finest speeches had been delivered by men like, Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. It contained the keenest, most brilliant minds in the ancient world. And to these men Paul spoke, not in way he communicated in Jewish synagogues, where he quoted the O.T. scripture. His sermon here was no less biblical, theological or liberating as a result! Presentation 36

Introduction Paul recognised that a man's beliefs invariably shape his life and influence his behaviour. The man who does not believe in a personal and holy God feels free to indulge in the most immoral practices. The man who believes that his existence is no more than an accident can find himself living a life of despairing indifference. What a man believes shapes his life. People all over the world fail to live life to the full because they do not believe the right things. Their lives are impoverished because they are prisoners to false beliefs and false philosophies. Jesus spoke of liberating truth. "When you know the truth", he said, "the truth will set you free". Now look at Paul's sermon Presentation 36

God: Revelation Or Imagination First, Paul points to God as the Creator of the world, a God who can be known! Not through human speculation or imagination but as he discloses himself in creation. Tony Holland, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Salford University was a scientific humanist up until the age of 30. Then he was challenged by the question, “Is there a God?” He concluded, "On consideration it was inconceivable to me that the complex system of which we are a part could have occurred without a Creator. Just as a great symphony testifies to the skill of the composer, the world and the universe testify to the skill and wisdom of God." Presentation 36

God: Revelation Or Imagination Why had the Athenians and many others failed to see this? Paul's answer is found in Rom.1v18-25. When men suppress the knowledge of God which has given them, their minds are darkened and they end up worshipping mere things. You can have a brilliant mind that understands quantum physics, the theory of relativity etc. and yet have a darkened mind. Man, because of his constitution, will always be a worshipper. If he suppresses the self-disclosure of God in creation, conscience, scripture and supremely in God then he'll worship a god of his own manufacture! Presentation 36

God: Revelation Or Imagination Here's the dreadful irony; the ‘wise men’ of Athens worshipped the stone statues that littered their streets calling them gods. And so it is today. Not necessarily statues but gods created in man's own image. His gods will approve of all of his questionable behaviour. When he wants to justify immorality he says, "My god isn’t puritanical", or his deceit he says, "My God isn’t narrow-minded". If he doesn’t worship a god he has manufactured he'll give his heart allegiance to material things, to human institutions, systems of thought, pop idols, and football teams etc.- nothing is surer there will be something he will bow down and worship. Presentation 36

God: Revelation Or Imagination Paul says , “The God I am talking about isn’t made with human hands He's the Maker of all things not the product of human imagination [v24-25]. He doesn't need you to build him a house to stay in. He does not need you to run after him with food. God doesn’t need men to sustain his existence! Its the other way round! God gives men life and breath! No wonder you're running about in despair, and are unsure of God for the gods you've made are impotent. Your only hope lies in abandoning the product of your imagination and by opening your minds to God's revelation”. The modern idolater needs to hear that. Those who suppress God’s revelation are set on a collision course with him. Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God Secondly, the Greeks had an inadequate view of man and his history. Like the historian, Herbert Fisher, they were unable to find any meaning in history. Many believe that the savage barbarity of man, despite his learning and technology, supports the view that God has abandoned the world caring little for its inhabitants? Paul refutes that idea in v26by proclaiming a God who exercises sovereign control over the rise and fall of human kingdoms. None are allowed to overstep the boundary of his control. Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God Many who live in Europe still remember the darkest days of 1940! Do you know what it was that persuaded Churchill that despite evidence to the contrary that the world would not go under as Hitler an his Nazi forces spread over Europe? He saw history directed by the hand of God. He believed precisely what is taught here that God places limits or boundaries upon men and empires and then calls them to account. God may not appear to be involved in human history but the cross of Christ reminds us of his serious involvement. Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God That God could place such a value upon men would have startled some Greeks who saw themselves as pawns on the chessboard of human history to be sacrificed at some arbitrary whim of the gods. They found it hard to believe that any value was placed on man. Does that ring any bells? Today totalitarian ideologies view human beings as no more than pawns to be manipulated in order to obtain some political objective. Men are not treated as individuals but part of a state machine. Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God Western democracy is no better, with bigger and bigger mergers many employees are made to feel that they are no more than impersonal cogs in an economic machine. Man is rapidly being depersonalised and devalued. In the University of Illinois, the College of Fine Arts decided to try to humanise its admissions process by sending not only news of the lecture programme but an accompanying letter of welcome which began something like this; "Dear 344-28-0430/S1, We want you to know we have a personal interest in you!" Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God Paul's answer, to this tendency not only to depersonalise but to devalue human beings, was to show how the gospel affirms the dignity of man. The wonderful truth he unfolds here claims that man was made for fellowship with God v27. God has made man so that he instinctively longs for this fellowship. God fills the gap and unlocks the blessing of that fellowship. Many Athenians knew there was a spiritual dimension to their life. This is why Paul says, “I see that in every way you are very religious” v22. Paul addresses this spiritual vacuum, which God alone is able to fill. Presentation 36

Man: Made For Fellowship With God When modern man asks, “Who am I?” He may agree with one writer that he is, "Nothing but fat enough for 7 bars of soap, iron enough for one medium sized nail, sugar enough to fill 7 cups of tea, whitewash enough for one chicken coup, phosphorous enough to tip 2,200 matches, magnesium enough for one dose of salts, potash enough to explode one toy crane, and sulphur enough to rid one dog of fleas." Or, he may grasp that he is also a spiritual being. And having established that he must then ask, “Do I enjoy the intimate communion with God for which I was created? Have I taken seriously what Paul describes here as the pursuit of God?” Presentation 36

The Certainty Of Judgement Thirdly, Paul impresses upon his hearers is the certainty of judgement. The Epicurean taught that life was a gradual progression into extinction, when your dead your dead. The Stoic taught death resulted in our being absorbed into the essence of the universe. Over against these views Paul speaks of a righteous God who will call men to account. A day of judgement! Thomas Merton wrote, "Agnosticism leads inevitably to moral indifference". If a man can persuade himself that God is remote or unreal then he concludes that he has moral licence to behave as he likes. He may think he can plead ignorance if he is one day arraigned before a heavenly tribunal. Presentation 36

The Certainty Of Judgement Paul's hearers could no longer plead ignorance. Why? Because the truth of God had been made known to them. It is a dangerous thing to be exposed to the gospel and then to reject it. The more light a man receives then the more culpable he becomes if he rejects it. This truth was expounded by Jesus on a number of occasions. “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town”. Matt.10v14-15 Presentation 36

The Certainty Of Judgement How could Paul's hearers be sure he spoke the truth? His answer is found in v31. God has given quite remarkable proof. Jesus has done what no other man or religious teacher has done, he has risen from the dead. The resurrection was fundamentally important to apostolic preaching because it verified the claims of Christ. It was God's seal that his sin-bearing sacrifice had not been in vain. The resurrection gave weight to the significance of Jesus’ teaching concerning what was to be accomplished by his death. The resurrection transformed despairing disciples into joyful ambassadors. They had living proof of life beyond the grave! Presentation 36

The Certainty Of Judgement It was against this broad backcloth of truth about God, man and judgement, truths vindicated by Christ's resurrection, that Paul called on his hearers to repent. Repentance in the N.T. involved two things; a change of mind and a change of direction. The one followed the other. Paul knew that the truth he proclaimed was a liberating truth, a life transforming truth but his hearers had to lay hold of it that it might take root and do its work in their lives. Then they would walk out into the freedom Christ had procured. Presentation 36

Conclusion Paul viewed gospel truth, not as a feeble bedridden thing, but full of transforming life-giving power. Sadly, some preachers ignore the great evangelical truths because they think that something more practical or pressing is required. As a result the great foundational truths upon which the apostles built the church are abandoned in favour of economics or politics. But society is only changed as its individual members are changed. And its individual members can only be changed by one thing- the living truth of God's word! That is what makes the apostolic gospel unique. Presentation 36

Conclusion The gospel isnot to be confused with a course of self -improvement, its not a parcel of advice on good living. It is nothing else than God's promise of new resurrection life now. James Hastings wrote. "He is the truest reformer who preaches most powerfully to the soul, and sets all life in the light of the resurrection". Do you share in Christ’s resurrection life. Have you allowed him to make you a new man? Paul 's preaching invariably met with three responses; the penitent, the prevaricator and the scoffer. Only some were liberated others chose to remain in their prison cells. Where are you to be found? In prison or in Christ? Presentation 36

Study in the Acts of the Apostles