02-24-2019 – Keith Cozort – Paul’s Sermon at Athens (PM Sermon)

Certainly grateful for your attendance this evening. And a couple of announcements that we need to make before we get started in our lesson. One is a reminder that the ladies are planning to meet, to discuss concerning the meal for Tuesday after our worship this evening. And what down here, Linda, where are you wanting to meet Down front? Okay. So don’t forget that men were going to need some help in moving some furniture,

especially the Lord’s table out of the way, get that out of the way and this stuff over here. So we could use a couple of hands with that. And if you can help with that, we would greatly appreciate it. I didn’t write all this stuff down. I knew, I remember it seems like there was one other thing. Pardon? Oh yeah.

If you have pillows or something in the Pew, you may want to go ahead into move those someplace else. I don’t know because I wasn’t here, but I understand with Vivian’s funeral that was here, there were like over 500 people that came through for the visitation. So we’re gonna need all the seating capacity that we can have for those that are going to stick around.

Yes, Richard, I think that’s been done. I think so in order to make use of all the chairs, but also get as much eating space that’s available because again, last year or with Vivian’s funeral, which was not here, but I understand there was a large number. Yeah, it was here, but I wasn’t, I wasn’t here. That’s what I think a large number that stayed for the eating.

They’ve got over 50, just in the family, the immediate family itself. So we’re gonna need as much space as we can possibly have That. Open your Bibles with me. If you will, to acts chapter 17, Acts chapter 17. I want us to Look at Paul’s sermon here in the city of Athens on Mars Hill. I want us to begin reading in verse 16 and go through the end of the chapter.

Luke tells us Now while Paul waited for them, Athens, that is Silas and Timothy. His spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry, 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, then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him and said,

and some said, what will this babbler say? And other son, he seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him under. Aeropagus saying, may we know what this new doctrine where of Val speakest is for thou bring a certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean for all the Athenians and strangers,

which were there spent their time and nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, you men of Athens, I perceive that in all things year, two superstitious for, as I pass by I B and beheld your devotions. I found an ultra with this inscription to the unknown God whom therefore he ignorantly worship him.

Declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth. Well, it’s not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshiped with men’s hands as though he needed anything, say he gave it to all life and breath and all things. And if made of one blood, all nations of men for,

to dwell on all the face of the earth and at determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord. If happily, they may might feel after him and find him though, he be not far from every one of us for, in him. We live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets have said,

we are the offspring of his. We are also his offspring for as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like under gold or silver or stone graven by art or ma and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now command with all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day in the,

which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man, whom the ETH ordained Werribee has given insurance, a new all men in that he have raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked and others said, we will hear the, again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them, how be it certain men clave unto him and believed among the,

which was Dionysius, the Areopagite guy and a woman named Amaris and others with them. I want us to, to begin with giving a brief survey concerning what chapter 17 is all about. But before we do that, I found a couple of pictures and hopefully they’ll show for you. This is the Acropolis in Athens. This is probably the most well-known site in all of Athens where you see the pillars there.

That is the temple of Athena what’s left of it. Anyway. And of course, Athens comes from the name<inaudible> and this particular temple has been here from about four 20 BC. So almost 2,500 years from this location, you can see the areola Magus or Moe Mars Hill. And it is on the Northwest side. I am told from the Acropolis here,

as you’re looking at the, from the Acropolis, you can see the Mars Hill, the areola op Magus, and my pointer is not going to point, okay, but it’s just about right there in the middle. It’s a large rock. You’ve got people that are standing on top of it there. That is the areola Magus. And this is where Paul is going to speak to all of these philosophers that are here in the city of Athens.

When you go back to the beginning of the 17th chapter, you have the apostle Paul and Silas who come to the vessel of Nika and here in Thesla Nikah we read in verse two, where they reasoned with them out of the scriptures. And again, as we noted this morning, when it’s peace concerning raising with them out of the scriptures at this particular time in speaking concerning the old Testament scriptures.

And so Paul is to teach and to preach to, to these particular people from the old Testament scriptures. But there were some of those Jews who distastefully treated the apostle Paul. And so they are going to leave and they’re going to go to the city of Berea. They’re an inverse 10. We read of course, in verse 11, that the Bereans are more noble than those of festival of Nikah.

And that they are ones with readiness of mine. They are going to search the scriptures daily to see if the things that the apostle Paul is teaching and preaching from the old Testament are in fact true. But there are going to be those Jews from Thessaloniki who find out that Paul is in Berea. And so being the nice people that they are, they’re going to go down to Berea and attempt to get rid of Paul from Berea.

They’ll chase him out of there, just like they did out of festival of naked. And so with that, Paul is going to leave Berea. He’s going to leave Timothy and Silas there, and he’s going to go on to the city of Athens. But when he reaches the city of Athens, he will send word for Timothy and Silas to come to him.

We’re going to find out that they, some reason, for some reason, we’re delayed in coming. And therefore Paul is going to leave the city of Athens before they ever reached there to go onto the city of Corot because of problems that exist here in Athens. But while in Athens, He is Surrounded by the evidence here in Athens of idolatry. And he speaks concerning the fact that this city was wholly given to idolatry and that he be held their devotions.

And he says that they are too superstitious. And I’ve made mention to you at other times that the word superstitious there actually carries with it. The idea of religious, they are too religious. They have too many gods, but he also acknowledges that he beheld this one devotion that said to the unknown God. And he says, that’s the God I want to tell you about.

And of course that is the one, the true God he is going to dispute or to reason with the Jews and the devout persons in the synagogues and in the streets, we learn there in verse 17. And then he is led up to Mars Hill or the areola vagus that I have up here. And because they want to hear what he has to say concerning this unknown God.

And the things that he’s talking about as far as a resurrection is concerned. And so he is going to preach to them. He’s going to teach them concerning the true God. And the effects of his servant are going to be such that there are going to be some who are going to believe and to be obedient to the things that Paul teaches. And yet,

of course, as in many instances, most of them are not To believe so as far as his lesson is concerned On us to notice some of the things that we can learn and to glean from Paul’s sermon here On Mars Hill in the city of Athens, one thing is the ability to know God and his will through his revelation is definitely brought out in,

in the sermon, in the lesson of the apostle Paul, because in both vessel Nika and in Berea, Paul used the scriptures and that’s the old Testament scriptures at this particular time, there is only a couple of the books of the new Testament that have even been written, or at least the probability that they’ve been written at this time. And so the majority of the new Testament has not even been put down to be written yet,

but in both of these places, it took a reasoning and a searching effort on the part of the hearer, in order to verify that the apostle Paul was teaching the truth. They didn’t just accept it because Paul said this, and remember that much of what he is teaching. He, he’s going to be teaching to Jews who are in this city, this Grecian city,

and therefore they are going to seek to verify whether or not Paul is teaching the truth or not. But those in Thessalonica, many of them, most of them just simply refuse to accept what Paul said and therefore they will run him out of town. The result of these efforts of course, is that there are going to be some who are going to believe and be obedient to the gospel.

And yet there are going to be those who will not believe, and therefore will not be obedient to them Possible. But it’s important for us to note and understand That God can be known through what he has revealed to man through his word. And when you turn over to Romans chapter one, There were not, I’m going to go through and read all the passages,

but beginning in verse 18, and going down through verse 23 is just a part of what Paul tells us. But he says there that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that, which may be known of God, is manifest in them for God, has showed it, unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made,

even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God, they glorified him. Not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations. And their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into the image made like to corruptible man and to birds.

And the forefoot had beast and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves and who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. And so Paul speaks concerning the fact that they knew the truth,

and yet they turned away from the truth. And of course he is speaking here concerning the Gentiles. And he speaking concerning historically what has happened. And yet Paul is going to speak at least three times here in chapter one and say that God gave them up. He gave them over to a reprobate mind. He, he gave them up because first of all,

they gave up, gave up on him. They turned against him. Well, God can be known through what he has revealed on demand. And Paul is using those old Testament scriptures to teach to these in Athens, concerning God and providing the evidence that is there. And so in Athens, Paul tells the people whom therefore he ignorantly worship. Notice he acknowledges they’re worshiping this image to the unknown God.

It is one of those images throughout the city of Athens that they would worship. And so they are worshiping, but they don’t know who he is. Paul says him, I declare unto you the word that translated, declare carries with it, the idea to announce or to declare to promulgate, I make known to proclaim publicly to publish. And that’s what Paul is doing.

There. He is making known unto these people concerning the true God, the one in the only God. And so again, we need to make the point that one cannot declare or make known that, which is unknowable y’all is declaring under them things that they could know from what they would observe as far as the universe is concerned, but also what they could know by way of revelation that had been given from God itself.

So he could not declare that which was unknowable. And it is possible to know God and to be assured that we know him just as we made mention this morning from second Thessalonians chapter one in verses seven through nine, where Paul says to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey, not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, Jesus is going to come and flaming fire. When he comes to the next time, he’s going to take vengeance on those that know, not God,

because there is no excuse for not knowing God and obey, not the gospel, the ability to know God and to know his will through his revelation is what Paul will teach to those in Athens. Secondly, he will also show them that being deeply religious people. We’ll not Always be demonstrated as being those who are religiously, right. We know certainly that there are those who are deeply religious,

deeply sincere, and yet they are not right. According to the scriptures will Paul is going to show that very same thing to those in the city of Athens. And in fact, it’s demonstrated in many other places throughout the scriptures. When you go to first Kings chapter 18, here we have Elijah who is going to contend with the 450 or the 400 prophets of bale there on Mount Carmel.

No one can deny their zeal and their religiousness because when they are calling upon their God to send down fire, to consume their sacrifice and they don’t get an answer, they continue to yell and scream and to cry. And then they’ll cut themselves to where blood is just running all over. As far as where that sacrifice is supposed to be conducted, trying to get the attention of bail,

to know avail. And yet Elijah will be able to get God’s attention just by simply offering a prayer, but they were religious, but they were not religiously right in Matthew chapter 23, Jesus speaks to the scribes and the Pharisees in that chapter where he rebukes them over and over again, calls them hypocrites. They are ones who are religious. They are ones who have a great deal of zeal.

And yet they are not right. Scripturally, religiously. They are not right. Okay. Matthew chapter seven verses 21 through 23, Jesus points out to those as he is teaching there on the mountain. Not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but either do it the will of my father, which is inhibit many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in nine name? And in nine name have cast out devils. And in my name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them? I never knew you depart from me that work iniquity again. They’re religious, extremely religious Jesus indicates. And yet they’re not religiously Correct Many. Today are those who are religious many in the world today are those who worship he than gods.

Whether you’re talking about Buddha or Confucius or whoever else, as far as that’s concerned, many even in our country are those who are doing those things that doesn’t even speak concerning those of denomination. And yet they’re not right scripturally to the Athenians. Paul says they were too superstitious. They were too religious and Paul commands them to change. That’s what he’s doing.

I mean, here, thirdly, Paul is going to show concerning the foolishness of idolatry, the foolishness of idolatry, you know, the law of God spoke often concerning the, the fact that the people of God were not to worship these false gods or these idols when God gives to the children of Israel, the 10 commandments in Exodus chapter 20 verses three and four,

God says there are to be no other gods, but him and they are not to bow themselves cells down to any graven image. Mark chapter 12 verses 29 and 30. Remember Jesus was asked, what is the greatest commandment? And he says to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind is the greatest commandment. And as we pointed out at various times,

it’s interesting because that’s not one of the 10 commandments. That’s not one of the 10 commandments that’s in the book of Deuteronomy. That statement is going to be made to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind in John chapter four. And in verse 24, there, Jesus teaches that God is a spirit and they, that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

And so it is that God is the one to no one else. Nothing else is that, which is to be worshiped. And so we also have examples of idolatry given to us in scripture, in Exodus chapter 32 verses one through four. Remember this is where the children of Israel asked Aaron to make. I am a golden calf that they could buy down into worship it while Moses is still up on Mount Sinai receiving the law,

because they don’t know where he’s at. They don’t know when he’s coming back down. And Aaron of course is going to do that. We do not understand why he did it, but he did it nonetheless. And they will worship this golden calf in first Kings chapter 12. And in verse 29, there we read concerning Jera bowl and how that he is going to make these golden calves one in Bethlehem.

And one in Dan, the Southern part of Israel, the Northern part of Israel as he has now been made King over the 10 Northern tribes. And he tells the, the children of Israel to go into worship with these places, because it’s too far for them to go all the way down to Jerusalem, which is just another 15 miles and such. They will do Paul.

When he writes to the Coliseum brother, Nick cloth, chapter three in verse five, says there are that they are to mortify are to put to death. And that he speaks concerning covetousness as being idolatry. That is not to be something that is to be descriptive of the life of a Christian. And even though that is not physically something that is bowed down to Paul says,

covetousness is that, which is idolatry. You can also read in the scriptures concerning the fact that worshiping idols is just foolishness. It is foolishness demonstrated in first Kings chapter 18, again, with the contests there on Mount Carmel, how ridiculous it is to read concerning those 450 prophets of bale and how they go about trying to get the attention of bail that doesn’t exist is a false God.

And all the measures that they go through in order to try to get him to do something that can’t be done, not by something that doesn’t exist. Isaiah, In Isaiah chapter 44 speaks in a satirical way concerning idolatry. When he says in the, the what verse nine through 17, he says they that make a graven image are all of them vanity and their delectable things shall not profit.

And they are their own witnesses. They see, not nor know that they may be ashamed who have formed a God or molten, a graven image that is profitable for nothing behold. All his fellow shall be ashamed. And the Workman they are of men, let them all be gathered together and let them stand by yet. They shall fail and they shall be ashamed together.

This Smith with the tongs, both work, if in the coals and fashion that with hammers and work with it, with the strength of his arms, yay. He is hungry and his strength faileth he drink with no water and his faint, the carpenter stretches out his rule and he marketed out with the line. He fitted it with planes and he marketed out with the compass and make it that after the figure of man,

according to the beauty of a man that it may remain in the house, he Hugh with him down Cedars and take it the Cypress and the Oak, which he strengthened for himself among the trees of the forest. He played with an Ash in the rain death, nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn for? He will take their rub and himself yay.

He kindled with it and bake with bread. Yay. He make it the God in worship with it. He make it into graven image and follow us down there too. He burned with part thereof in the fire with part thereof. He eat his flesh. He roasted a roast and is satisfied. Yay. He Warmoth himself. And say, if I LA,

I am warm, I have seen the fire and the residue thereof. He make it the God, even his graven image. He followed down, undo it and worship with it and pray with undo it and say, deliver me for thou art, mine, God, Isaiah there shows concerning the stupidity of man in going about in order to do, he has to do all these things and the very same tree that he cuts down.

He uses to a warm himself. He uses to cook his, his meal. And then with what’s left, he’s going to make it into a God and fall down Dollar tree It’s simply foolishness. And Paul is bringing that out to the Athenians. And of course, the result of idolatry is given in Romans chapter one, where God is going to give them up,

give them over to a reprobate mind. Fourthly. Paul is going to bring out concerning God that he is creator. He is sustainer. He is law giver and he is judged. And so in contrast with the idols of the Athenians, Paul presents God as creator, the maker of the heavens and the earth. He says there in verse 24, and rather than being dependent upon man for anything,

man is dependent upon God. God is presented as the one who is the sustainer of all life. Paul says of all life among all nations for in him. We live and move and have our being verse 28. God is the one who is presented by Paul is being the one who is the law giver as well. His laws are righteous. And when obeyed,

he will make man righteous. Therefore God will judge man by his righteous laws as given to man through his son. As we noted this morning, Jesus says in John 12 verse 48, that there will be those who will reject his words. And yet those words that he speaks are going to be the very things that are going to be judging us in the last,

Okay, God is going to judge. He’s going to judge through his son, But This judgment is certain. And it’s going to be enforced by God. No one is going to be accepted from it. And the judgment will be just, and the standard is going to be the words of Christ. Therefore, as we brought out this morning, there is going to be life after death.

And we are those who will have a part of us that is going to continue to exist after death and will continue to exist. Eternally God, Paul presents his creator. He is sustainer. He is the law-giver and he is the judge. Finally, Paul speaks concernings man’s necessary response to God. Paul’s summation here of this particular lesson is that since God can be known,

since he is man’s creator, man sustainer, man’s law giver and man’s judge. And since he has revealed all of this through his son, then all men are now responsible. All men are now responsible to him in time passed. As Paul brings out chapter 17, verse 31, God overlooked their ignorance, But now command with all men everywhere to repent.

He no longer under the law of Christ. He no longer is going to overlook this ignorance of this idolatry. He commands Everyone in every place to repent acts 17 verse 30, and this repentance involves everything necessary to bring man into a right relationship with God. Therefore obedience to the gospel obedience to the plan of salvation is the beginning point. But one must continue to live faithful unto death revelation two verse 10 in order to receive the crown of life when this life is over.

So here in this sermon on Mars Hill, in the city of Athens, Paul is going to teach concerning the ability to know God and to know his will through his revelation. He’s going to teach concerning the fact that deeply religious people are not always people who are religiously, right? He’s going to teach concerning the foolishness of idolatry. He’s going to teach concerning God as being the creator,

the sustainer, the law giver, and the judge. And he’s going to teach concerning man’s necessity to respond correctly to God. If he is going to be acceptable with God, you see Paul is making the point. God can be known. Now we can know that God does exist. Simply by examining the heavens. The Psalmus tells us, we can’t necessarily know the particulars about God.

And therefore the reason as to why we have the revelation from God having been written down for us so that we can know those particulars as to what he likes and what he doesn’t like, what he accepts and what he doesn’t accept and how to worship him correctly. So we close this evening to ask ourselves, as well as to ask others who will be willing to listen to anyway,

what is your relationship with God? What is your relationship with God? Because even as we discussed this morning, one has to be one who has obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ and has lived faithful unto death. If he is going to escape that eternal death, that’s going to come to all of those, the devil and his angels, and all of those who are not faithful and the God,

if you’re outside the body of Christ, please will you consider the things that we have presented consider Paul’s sermon there on Mars Hill to show just how important it is to be a believer in God, but also how important it is to worship God and to be faithful unto him, having heard the word, do you believe it? Are you willing to repent and confess your faith in Christ willing to be immersed in water?

So as to be able to have your sins washed away, receive the remission of your sins and thereby added to the church by the Lord himself, if you’re already a member of the body of Christ, but you have turned away, will you please come back, come back and repentance, praying to God for forgiveness. And to begin again, walking in the way of righteousness,

if we can help you, will you come as together? We stand and as we see.