The Unknown God, Day 1

Acts 17:16-34

In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him 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 some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.


How do you talk to people who don't even have a basic, foundational starting point for the God you want to talk about? One idea is to find something they do know and start from there. Witnessing isn't just about spouting recited lines to non-Christians. You can't ask people if they want to be "washed in the blood of the Lamb" if they don't know what you're talking about. They might believe you're a psychotic sheep rancher. Loving people means understanding them first and then explaining the love of Jesus in a way they can grasp. We must start where they are, not where we are. In today's verses Paul did that. He found some men who were very receptive. Before you start witnessing to people, find out more about them. Who are they? What are they like? It can make all the difference.

How would you begin to share Christ with someone who's never been to church?

Write out your testimony without using any church language (in other words, without using terms a non-Christian wouldn't understand).

The Unknown God: Paul in Athens

Memory Verse

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31)


Introduction

Imagine you get a chance to travel back in time and explore your favorite period of history. It sounds great at first, but then try explaining your world to the people living in that time. How would you describe electricity to someone from the Middle Ages? Those people would have a hard time understanding you because they have no frame of reference. Since they've never even imagined some of the things you're describing, they'd probably give you some funny looks.

In Acts 17:16-34 Paul found himself in a similar situation as he tried to explain Christ to the people in Athens, who had no frame of reference for a resurrected Messiah. While some people thought Paul was crazy, Paul got through to the Athenians by finding out what they knew and starting from there.

Witnessing to people isn't easy; but if we love them, then we'll do our best to paint a clear picture for them. There are people around you who have no idea what a personal relationship with Jesus is--or how to have one. And you may be the only person they know who can tell them. What will you say? Like Paul, this week we're going to figure out a game plan so we can meet people where they are and take the gospel to those who may have never heard Jesus' name.

A Unified Church – Day 5

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6


One of the reasons it’s so hard to be unified with other believers is that we seem to be so different – different churches, different personalities, and even different opinions on minor issues. So how can we expect to get along? Paul reminds the Ephesians that while they have a lot of differences, they also share a lot of similarities, which are much greater than their differences. We all have the same God, we were baptized into the same body of believers, and we have the same Holy Spirit. No matter who we are or what church we attend, if we’re Christians, then we’re all saved the same way: By the grace of God. No one deserves to be here more than anyone else because we all came through the same door. Once we recognize this fact, it’s a lot harder to put up walls between us because, at our cores, we’re all the same where it really counts: We’re children of God.

What are some of the things that divide you from other believers?

Are they valid reasons for not being unified?

A Unified Church – Day 4

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." – Revelation 7:9-10


Some people from certain denominations believe they’ll be the only people in heaven; but I have a feeling heaven will be a little more crowded than they expect. God’s plan is for unity among all believers, but how do we unify all the different denominations? It’s a lot of work to maintain unity in just one church, much less all churches. Is it really that big a deal? In this passage, we see the end of time. Here’s a picture of the Church as God intends it to be, with believers from all over the world united and praising God together. If this is the plan, then we should already be working on our small part of that unity, as best we can.

Begin thinking about what it will look like for all of is to finally be worshipping together in heaven.

What’s preventing you from working with other believers from other denominations?

A Unified Church – Day 3

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” - John 17:20-23


How’s this for a startling statement: Jesus prayed that, as believers, we’d have the same kind of unity that exists in God himself. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet still one God. It’s a mystery, to be sure, but that’s the model for how unified he wants us to be. If we’re able to live in that kind of unity, then it shows people that something supernatural is present. Disunity is natural – even expected (kind of like how you and your siblings sometimes get on each other’s nerves). So imagine how stunned people would be if Christians all lived in unity. It’s possible through Christ, but only if we’re willing.

If you feel you’re not living in unity with other believers, then what’s holding you back?

What are you doing to clear away the obstacles?

Ask God to enable you to overcome anything that would keep you from having this kind of intimacy with others.

A Unified Church – Day 2

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11


I like my life. More to the point, I like how I live my life: However I want to. But when you have a family or live with other people, you find out very quickly that you have to make some changes if everyone is going to get along. Compromise is necessary to make life work in community. Jesus thought it was worth the price. See all the things he had to do to bring us into the family? But he believed it was worth laying aside his glory – just for us. If Jesus was willing to do all of that for us, then we need to be willing to make sacrifices for others. It’s not always easy (it certainly wasn’t for Jesus), but it does bring about new life.

What areas of your life will you have to change in order to live in unity with other believers? Are you willing to make those sacrifices?

Ask God to show you how to do that through his power – not your own.

A Unified Church – Day 1

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:1-4


Being one in purpose isn’t the easiest thing to do. Most of us would prefer that everyone else agree with us. But Paul didn’t just command the Philippians to be unified; he also told them their unity was a sign that they’d been changed. Like the Philippians, we were unable to experience true unity until Christ changed us. And now our unity is one of the signs that Jesus is moving in us. If we can’t be unified with other believers, then our spirituality is in question. But if we’ve truly experienced Christ, then we should also be changed.

How do you interact with other believers? Can you get along with other Christians?

Is working with other believers a priority for you? The Holy Spirit will help you when this is hard.

Think on all the things mentioned in verse 1 and thank Christ for those gifts. Then pray God would show you how to share those gifts with other believers today.