Boldly Preach the Gospel – Acts 17:22-31
Preaching is God’s occupation. God has chosen to save man through what man would call the “foolishness of preaching” (1 Cor. 1:21). But preaching is not foolishness to God. God designed man to respond to encouragement, exhortation, the power of the spoken word. Adolf Hitler, and others, have been masters at the spoken word even as they have abused that power.
Let’s look at the act of honoring Christ by boldly preaching the Gospel from Acts 17:22-31.
PEOPLE WORSHIP IN IGNORANCE – 17:22-23:
Observe, first, that Paul compliments the Athenians. He observes that they “are very religious in all respects.” We do not get very far in our efforts to evangelize if we criticize and verbally abuse the other person.
But, people are also ignorant. According to Barna Research, 52% of Americans do not believe Jesus was sinless. That is a fundamental and clear biblical teaching. Too many people get their theology from TV or movies or books or anywhere besides the Bible.
As a Christian, you, too, have knowledge you need to share. You need to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ to those around you.
PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW GOD – 17:24-25:
First, Paul points out that the God of heaven is the Creator – verse 24. Paul’s second point is God is the Lord of heaven and earth and He does not dwell in temples made with hands. God is a spirit.
Paul shows that God is self-sufficient and completely good (omnibenevolent). He does not need a temple made with man’s hands (verse 24), nor is He served by man’s hands (verse 25). In other words, God does not need anything from man. God is not a receiver.
God is a giver. He Himself gives to all people “life and breath and all things” (see James 1:17). Man cannot be sustained without God’s help. Man needs God.
PEOPLE DO NOT APPRECIATE GOD – 17:26-28:
Man does not appreciate the design of God in the world. He does not appreciate the impartiality of God as Paul describes it in verse 26. Everything has been set into place by God.
All nations were made from one man, Adam, and here Paul testifies to the authenticity of the creation account from the book of Genesis and, by extension, the authenticity of the entire Jewish Scriptures. From Adam came every man, woman, and child, every nation on the earth and God rules in the affairs of men.
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We need to boldly preach the Gospel because people do not appreciate God and His nature.
PEOPLE HAVE A SPIRITUAL NATURE – 17:29:
If we are God’s children, if we are like God, then why make gods out of gold, silver, or stone? That doesn’t make any sense. Man is more than physical. Man is spiritual. That argues that man must respond to the God of heaven.
Go back and take a look at what Paul has said man needs to do in relationship to God…
Man needs to worship God – vss 23-25.
Second, man needs to seek God – verse 27.
Third, man needs to turn to God…
PEOPLE WILL ANSWER TO GOD – 17:30-31:
God allowed man to go his own way and to ignorantly follow His own path. But not now. Not under the Law of Christ. God now declares to all men everywhere that they must repent. There is not a soul living today who is not under the command of God to come to Him through Jesus Christ. There is only one path to salvation and that is through Jesus Christ. People will answer to God. Ignorance is no excuse.
PEOPLE RESPOND IN DIFFERENT WAYS – 17:32-34:
It is important for us to remember that everyone to whom we preach are not going to respond the way we have. Everyone is not going to respond with faithful and humble obedience. That hurts us, especially if it is our family, but everyone has to make his or her own choice.
We live in a culture that is very similar to that of Athens. We can learn some points from Paul on how to approach our modern society. But, more than anything else, we need to boldly preach the word.
Trust the power of the Gospel to change lives. Teach it.
–Paul Holland
