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Sunday morning sermon by Stephen Butts: no notes available.

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Saturday night sermon by Stephen Butts, no notes available.

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Submitting To God’s Sovereignty In Life
James 4:13-17
D-Now Sermon 3
October 25, 2020

THESE NOTES DO NOT PERFECTLY MATCH THE SERMON AUDIO SINCE WE WERE IN A TIME CONSTRAINT AND HAD TO ONLY HIT THE HIGH POINTS.

You are well aware of the theme of sovereignty by now.

This morning I want to talk to you about
Understanding God’s sovereignty in a practical way in your life.

Some of you have reached the point, others are about to
Where you will be encouraged to make decisions regarding your future.

At school they want you to decide where you’re going to college.
This entails having an idea of what sort of career you want.
This is determined typically by two things
• Your desires
• How much money you want to make

This morning I want to go against the flow a little
AND ASK YOU A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

In all your searching and seeking regarding your career in life and your college selection, have you yet asked God what His will is for you in life?

The book of Ecclesiastes is a great book
Where an old preacher gives practical advice to a young man
About decisions he is making in life.

One of my favorite passages to share with teenagers is:
Ecclesiastes 11:9 “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.”

I’m sure you’ve heard it, I heard it way back when I was in school:
“Follow your heart”
Or perhaps it is more like “Do what you want”

And the writer of Ecclesiastes said, “That’s true, you can, but you had better understand that you are going to answer for those decisions to God.”

See, God is sovereign over your life.
His plan is not optional.
He created you and intends to guide you.

If you seek to defy His will then you will answer to Him for that.

Perhaps you should consider God’s advice regarding the future.

Matthew 6:31-34 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

That might be different than anything you’ve ever heard before.
• The world constantly pushes planning ahead, certainly it pushes college, it emphasizes the importance of landing a good job.
• The world even emphasizes the importance of finding something you love to do so that your life isn’t miserable.

But what does God say?
Don’t worry
Seek His kingdom & seek righteousness

And God will take care of the rest.
Jesus said the Gentiles eagerly seek the things of the world.
WE ARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Now, that doesn’t mean that college is out of the question,
Or that the career you desire is not the career God has in store for you.

But what I would say to you is that it would be a foolish move
Not to submit all of those plans and desires
To the sovereign God of the universe who created you.

THIS MORNING we are going to look at a brief analogy
That James gives to the church.

James calls it BOASTING.
Often times we think of boasting as someone who brags all the time.
And that is certainly a part of it.

But the boasting James has in mind here
• Is not just the bragging type of boasting,
• But rather the man who thinks he has it all figured out
• And is going to follow his own plan with no interest in seeking God’s will.

That is a dangerous move.

Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”

We are talking about the type of individual
That not only thinks they know everything,
But who is unwilling to listen to anyone else – even God.

And I don’t want to get into some sort of list of examples,
But let me just put it this way:

Any time you do not follow
God’s ordained plan, command, pattern, or example
(and instead follow what seems best to you)
That is the type of arrogant boasting that James is referring to.

It is to estimate that your wisdom is better than God’s
And that your ability is better than God’s.

Sound arrogant?
That is the type of strong-willed, arrogant, boasting person that James is dealing with here.

I want to show you 5 things.
#1 AN ACCOUNT OF BOASTING
James 4:13

It could be that James has a specific incident in mind,
But more than likely he is simply giving a hypothetical
Of what arrogant, strong-willed, boasting looks like.

You find an individual that is dripping with confidence in their own ability.
There is no prayer
There is no seeking
There is no submission
This person has it all under control

And if you want to break it down a little further
You can easily see the 5 areas that they are so confident in.

1) THE TIME
“Come now, you who say, “Today or Tomorrow”

They have already determined the time table
In which they are going to carry out their plan.
They didn’t seek the counsel of the Lord,
They are doing it WHEN they feel it is right.

2) THE TRAIL
“we will go to such and such a city”

They have already determined where they are going to go.
They have picked this on their own.

How can we possibly know where the best place for us is,
If we have not first sought God’s will?

3) THE TENURE
“and spend a year there”

They are surely confident how long their trip will take.
They seem surely confident that they can accomplish
All they need to accomplish in a years time.

4) THE TACTICS
“and engage in business”

They also determine how they are going to accomplish their goal.
They already know the strategy they are going to impart
In order to do what they think must be done.

5) THE TARGET
“and make a profit”

There goal was set by them, and it was all about what they wanted.

Now, this statement by this man MAY NOT SEEM STRANGE to you at all.

In fact, we hear statements like it all the time.
• After I graduate, I’m going to attend “such and such” university.
• I’m going to study and after 4 years I’m going to get my degree in “whatever”.
• That’s what I want to do, because it’s a good paying job, and I can work here and here and here.

Our young people are actually encouraged to make such a plan.

It’s not always college.
It could be military or marriage or trade school or whatever…

The point is, they have it all figured out, even their success.
They have a plan for life.

Now it is certainly not wrong to be prepared and plan ahead
And those types of things.

James is not endorsing some “fly by the seat of your pants” type of lifestyle where you don’t plan anything.

James is merely talking about the type of person who
Makes all these plans without consulting the word or will of God.

They aren’t interested in what God would do or have them do.
They’ve already got a plan and they don’t need God’s advice.
It is arrogant.

An Account of Boasting
#2 THE ABSURDITY OF BOASTING
James 4:14

So here we have a person who has adamantly and confidently
Made their own plans.
You particularly notice the confidence, “we will…and…and…and…”

They’ve got it all figured out.
And here is why that is so absurd.

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”
They are acting with certainty in an area
They can’t possibly know anything about.

No one knows what tomorrow holds.
Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

Anyone who confidently asserts what they will do is foolish,
For it is impossible for them to know what tomorrow will bring.

Furthermore, you don’t even know if you will be here tomorrow.

“You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

The point to that being:
Life is Brief
Life is Temporary

Psalms 103:15-16 “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.”

It is like the rich man and his barns:
Luke 12:16-21 “And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘ You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Psalms 90:1-12 “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

It just doesn’t make sense that anyone would confidently assert
What they will do in the future.

And again this isn’t saying that if you tell someone,
“I’m going to Lubbock tomorrow” that you are sinning.

What James is referring to is the person
Who follows their own plans and will in spite of God’s.

This would be a person whom God told them not to go
And they stubbornly said, “Well we are!”

It is foolish arrogance.
And it is absolutely absurd.

Isaiah 30:15-17 “For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” Therefore you shall flee! “And we will ride on swift horses,” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill.”

All of their boasts proved to be absurd.
So is everyone who is strong willed and boasts against God.

An Account of Boasting, The Absurdity of Boasting
#3 THE ALTERNATIVE TO BOASTING
James 4:15

Here is what ought to happen:
“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

Instead of arrogant boasting
Instead of strong will and defiance
There should be humble submission.

It is the simple reminder that
You don’t even know if you are going to live tomorrow.

I know it APPEARS that you have control over a lot of things,
But stop and think about all the things you don’t have control over.
• 2020 SHOULD’VE TAUGHT YOU THIS
• You don’t have control over any other person (gov’t might shut you down)
• You don’t have control over nature (fire or hurricane or plague)
• You don’t have control over your organs (you could die)

And if you think about it, those are some pretty big loose ends
You are failing to account for.

Not to mention if you raise your odds of death
By riding in a car, or turning on a power tool, or sticking your face in a fan.

You ought to back up and realize that your life is a gift from God
And it is all up to His sovereign control.

Psalms 139:16 “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”

There is a sovereign God who has numbered your days
And appointed your limits.
I think it wise then that you consult His will for your life.

So instead you ought to walk with humble submission.

Instead you ought to seek His kingdom and His righteousness
AND NOT BE LIKE THE WORLD.

I HOPE NOW YOU ARE SEEING THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

There is a way in which THE WORLD views the sovereignty of God.
• They totally reject it.
• They don’t acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
• They don’t submit to God’s sovereignty.
• They don’t seek God’s will.

Instead, they view themselves to be sovereign over their own domain
And they seek their own will.

And that works ok for right now, but as we said, it all ends in judgment.
God has fixed a day in which He will judge.

But then there is the way in which THE CHRISTIAN views the sovereignty of God.
• They totally submit to it.
• They acknowledge God to be the supreme sovereign.
• They submit to God’s will and trust His will in all things.
• They seek God’s will.

They deny themselves and lay it all at the feet of Christ
That He might be glorified.

The two trains are polar opposites.
You can’t do both at the same time at all.

And this is really the decision that we lay before you this weekend.
WHO IS THE SOVEREIGN OVER YOUR LIFE?

You may walk out of here today saying, “I am!”
And James would say, “Then you’re a fool. Because you can’t even extend your life let alone control it.”

“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

An Account of Boasting, The Absurdity of Boasting, An Alternative to Boasting
#4 THE ARROGANCE OF BOASTING
James 4:16

So we know what boasting looks like, we know how foolish it is,
And we know what we should do instead.

The tragedy is that some will totally disregard all that
And still determine to be the master of their own fate.

• They know what boasting is
• They know that it is foolish
• They know what they should do instead

“But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

Despite all they know, they still choose to boast.
They remain strong willed about their own plans and abilities.
AND THAT IS ARROGANT!

Jeremiah 6:16-19 “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.”

• It is a person who thinks they have found a better way.
• It is a person who throws the will of God behind their back.
• It is a person that disregards the plans and counsel of the Lord.

Do you realize that there is not a more arrogant thing you can do than disobey the word of God?

That is to adamantly tell God that you know better than Him.
That is to tell God that even if His way is right,
That you aren’t afraid of what will happen if you disobey.

It is brash and arrogant.

In fact James has a different word for it.
“all such boasting is evil.”

That is a blatant comparison to Satan.

Listen to this Old Testament passage.
It refers to the King of Babylon, but many agree that it is also a reference to Satan.

Isaiah 14:12-16 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,”

Did you hear that?
5 times
“I will” – “I will” – “I will” – “I will” – “I will”

That was the mentality of Satan.
• I don’t care about God’s will
• I don’t care what God wants
• I’m going to follow my plan,
• I’m going to trust my ability.

It is arrogant and it is evil.

And obviously you can see why James has such a problem
With a person who would call them self a Christian
And then live more like the devil.

He has a problem with the Christian
Who can ignore God’s will and follow their own.

Someone once said that there are two words in the English language that can not be put together: “No – Lord”

Jesus said:
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

And why would it be that people actually in the church
Would still refuse to read God’s word and obey God’s word?
That is evil.

And that brings then to the final point
#5 THE APPLICATION OF BOASTING
James 4:17

There it is, the mighty “Therefore”
Here is the conclusion.

“to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Taken in context with what we have been studying,
You could read that like this:
“The one who knows what God’s will is,
But does not do it, to him it is sin.”

• It is one thing to be the ignorant heathen in distant corners of Africa
• It is one thing to be the secluded native in the deep jungles of South America
• It is one thing to be the Hindu forbidden to ever hear the truths of God

That is one thing

But to have been fortunate enough to have understood God’s will
And then to totally disregard it is a greater problem all together.

Luke 12:47-48 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

It is a dangerous thing to know God’s will and still disregard it.
In fact, “it is sin.”

And maybe that broadens your understanding of sin a little this morning.

Many times sin is associated with us doing things we shouldn’t.
Sin is seen as us doing bad things.

And some people even adopt the view that
As long as they don’t do bad things, then they aren’t sinning.
• As long as I don’t drink
• As long as I don’t cuss
• As long as I don’t steal
• As long as I don’t commit adultery
• As long as I don’t murder

Here we find that a failure to do what God desires is also a sin.
• Things like not forgiving when He says to
• Things like not participating in missions when He says to
• Things like not humbly submitting to His will in all things

Those are just as sinful to God as if you were getting drunk and cussing.

For both are an example of disregarding God’s will for your life.
One adamantly does what He forbids
One adamantly disregards what He commands

They both are arrogant
They both are evil

• You must not stiffen your neck before God.
• You must not seek your will over His
• You must not be arrogant.

Proverbs 1:20-33 “Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

It is a foolish thing to choose your will over God’s.

And so the application is obvious.
• Humble yourself before God
• Seek His will in all things
• And when His will is revealed, then do it.

Don’t force your own agenda
Don’t force your own plans

Humbly submit to God.
“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

Put another way:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

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Who Is God? – Part 2
Acts 17:16-31 (30-31)
D-Now Sermon 2
October 24, 2020

Last night we started our look at Acts 17.
Paul had been run out of every other town in Macedonia and so he ended up in Athens where he was “provoked” at the blatant idolatry and immorality that was going on all around him.

• When he couldn’t take it anymore, he started preaching in the synagogue and in the city square.
• He was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
• He eventually caught the attention of some of the local philosophers who called him an “idle babbler” and accused him of teaching “strange things”.
• They took him to the Areopagus where they intended to debate him and humiliate him.
• And it was there that Paul begin to explain to them who God is.

We saw the first point of his sermon:
#1 GOD’S DISTINCTION
Acts 17:22-29

Namely what makes the God of the Bible different from the gods in Athens
(And ultimately from every other so-called god in the world.)

1. He is Creator, not created
2. He is Sovereign, not destitute
3. He is Involved, not indifferent
4. He is Living, not dead

In short, He is the highest and preeminent God of the world.
• There is none other like Him.
• He has full power and authority.
• He can do whatever He wants.

Isaiah 43:13 “Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

No other god can make such claims.
He alone is the One True God.

And He is the God the people of Athens KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.
• That is a testimony to their ignorance
• That is a testimony to their apathy
• That is a testimony to their wickedness

These sinful men had ignored the God who created Him,
They had not sought Him, so they had not found Him,
And they did not know Him.

THAT IS A SIN.
That is to totally miss the point of why you were created.

But that was Athens.
And so Paul just revealed to them who God is.

God’s Distinction
#2 GOD’S DECLARATION
Acts 17:30-31

Now that you know who this God is,
It is also important to know what this God’s message is
For those He has created.

• Have you ever wanted a short summary of God’s message for you?
• Have you ever wondered if God were to open the heavens and give you a tailor-made sermon, what would it be?

Well here it is.
REPENT!

Now, let’s break down what Paul has to say a little more
To make sure we have a good understanding of it.

There are 4 things we want to talk about here.
1) GOD’S PATIENCE (30a)
“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance…”

That’s an interesting statement.
What does Paul mean?

Namely that GOD HAS NOT IMMEDIATELY JUDGED MEN
As they deserved to be judged.

• The people of Athens have been living in full-blown idolatry.
• They have given God’s glory to graven images.
• They have participated in sexual immorality as they worshiped those gods.
• They have failed to honor God or give thanks to Him.

YET…
He has not destroyed them for it.

Psalms 103:8-10 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

They were terribly sinful and idolatrous,
But God understood that they didn’t know any better.

They had been taught wrong.
• That DOESN’T make their sin OK, but it does explain God’s patience.
• It DOESN’T mean judgment wouldn’t come, but it explains God’s patience.

They weren’t totally without excuse since they did have creation,
But still God was patient
Understanding that they had been taught wrong all their lives.

Here were people who had grown up in Athens and had been taught since they were children
• That Zeus was a powerful god
• That Eros controlled their love life
• That all these other gods guided their life.

AND BECAUSE THEY WERE IGNORANT,
God had patiently overlooked their sin and allowed them to live.

And God has done that for more people than just the people of Greece.
The history of humanity has been one of continual rebellion against God.

The very first humans ever created
• Broke the only command they had from God which was to not eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil.
• And every human since has followed in their path.

Not only do we see the sinfulness of Israel in the Old Testament,
But we are introduced to people like the Amorites or Philistines
Or the Moabites or the people of Jericho.

• People who burned their children in the fire as an offering to the false god
Molech.
• People who crammed babies into jars and mortared them into the wall that
surrounded Jericho as a sacrifice to the wall gods.
• People who committed acts of sexual immorality and grotesque living.
• People who lied and murdered and stole and blasphemed.

But more than anything people who failed to give God the glory He deserved for creating them and sustaining their lives.

History is full of people
Who rebelled against the God who created them.

In fact, the apostle Paul put together A COMPILATION
Of Old Testament passages where God revealed
What He thought about the behavior of humanity.

Romans 3:10-18 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

It is clear that all of humanity has offended God
And deserves His punishment for failing to honor Him
As God and submit to Him as Sovereign,
But God has been patient because He understood they were ignorant.

But the point Paul will make is that this patience will not last forever.
God’s patience will come to an end.

There are many today who assume that
Because God has not judged that He will not judge
And that is a foolish assumption.

He most certainly will judge those who defy Him.

And based upon that reality Paul has a message for the people of Athens, (who by the way are no longer ignorant of God)
Since Paul has just told them about Him.

After discussing His Patience
2) HIS TARGET AUDIENCE (30b)

“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere…”

I just want to make sure you are aware who this message of God is for.
• Do you fall under the category of “all people”?
• Do you fall under the category of “everywhere”?

This is not a message just for the people of Athens.
This is a message for every human being who dwells upon the earth.

And so we move to the 3rd point
3) HIS ADVICE (30c)

“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent”

We all agree that we are “all people” and we fall under the category of “everywhere”,

The next question is: WHAT DOES GOD WANT YOU TO DO?
“REPENT”

Now let me explain that word real quickly.
The Greek word is METANOEO
It literally means “to change one’s mind”

That is, to think differently about your LIFE,
Your CHOICES, your DESIRES, and especially your SIN.

It DOES NOT mean to simply “say you are sorry”.

The writer of Hebrews wrote about Esau who despised his birthright in the Old Testament saying:
Hebrews 12:17 “For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

He cried, but he didn’t repent.

Let’s give it a relevant analogy.
Let’s say a coach had a non-tolerance policy for underage drinking.
• If you get caught drinking, you get kicked off the team.
• And let’s say a player gets caught drinking.

• He might cry to the coach…
• He might say I’m sorry…
• He might be willing to run laps, or whatever…
• But all the while still in his mind like drinking alcohol.

He may hate the consequences, but he doesn’t hate drinking.
That is not repentance.
That is forced submission due to consequences.

Repentance is a change of mind.
• It is not simply to stop sinning, but to think differently about the sin.
• It is not simply to stop offending God, but hate that you ever offended Him in the first place.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

Paul says that “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent”

ARE YOU READY TO BRING IT HOME?

That means that God wants you to do what? Repent

God’s message for you is that
You should change your mind about the way you live.

Not just say “sorry”…
Not just cry about consequences…
But change your mind.

LET’S BRING IT EVEN FURTHER.

Do you know why God is calling you to repent?
BECAUSE YOU HAVE OFFENDED GOD

• You have broken His commands.
• You have failed to worship Him as He deserves.
• You, the dirt, created by God for Him have failed to fulfill the purpose for which you were created.

You took the life that He gave you
And used it for your own glory and satisfaction
Instead of using it for His glory and satisfaction.

You HAVE NOT DONE what He has told you to do.
You HAVE DONE what He has told you not to do.
You, as the clay, have told the Potter to get lost.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Should we consider some examples?

How about perverse speech?
Ephesians 5:4-5 “and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

• The Bible says not to talk about filthy things.
• The Bible says not to talk dirty.
• This includes foul language, dirty jokes, sexual innuendo, etc.

If you have done that, you have deliberately defied the God who created you.

How about sexual immorality?
1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;”

• We could talk about pre-marital sex, or looking at pornography, or according to Jesus simply lusting after someone.
• It could be flaunting your body so as to attract people sexually to your body.

If you have done that, you have deliberately defied the God who created you.

How about disobeying or disrespecting your parents?
Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.”

• We could talk about the old “eye roll” we give to parents, or arguing with them,
• Or disrespecting them, or breaking their rules, or lying to them.

If you have done that you have deliberately defied the God who created you.

How about idolatry?
Colossians 3:5-6 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,”

• We are talking about anything that becomes more important to you than God.
• Here it is loving money, it could be your time, it could be your reputation, it could be pleasure.

If you have done that, then you have deliberately defied the God of the universe.

How about loving the world?
1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

• This could be stuff of the world, this could be the pleasures of the world,
• This could be the desires of the world, the mindset of the world, etc.

If you have done that, then you have defied the God of the universe.

How about failing to make God a priority?
Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

• That is simply a command to go to church and fellowship with God’s people.
• Skipping church, failing to fellowship, not encouraging other believers.

Do you do what God has commanded there, or do you deliberately defy Him?

Want to see a list of what we’re talking about?
Romans 1:28-32 “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Have you ever done any of the things on that list?
Then you have deliberately defied the sovereign God who created you.

You, as the clay, have risen up in opposition to the potter.

And you may say, “But I didn’t realize that in all that sin I was offending God. I didn’t know I was defying Him, I just thought I was having a good time.”

(30) “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,”

MAYBE YOU WERE JUST IGNORANT.
And even though you sinned, God did not immediately judge you.

But you are no longer ignorant.
• Now you have been told.
• And Paul says, you “should repent”

You should change your mind about the way you view sin.
Sin is not just a good time, it is not just something everyone does.
• Every sin is a direct act of insubordination to the Sovereign God of the
universe who created you.
• Every sin is a direct defiance of His commands and His authority.

You should change your mind about the way you view it.

Change your mind about dirty jokes, about sexual immorality,
About drinking, about disobeying your parents, about skipping church,
About greed, or lying, or any other sin.

It is an offense to God.

And by the way, this is NOT AN ISOLATED MESSAGE.

When John the Baptist arrived (the forerunner for Jesus) he said:
Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus came shortly thereafter and His first sermon:
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

And throughout His ministry, this was Jesus’ message:
Matthew 11:20-21 “Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

Matthew 12:41 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 13:2-5 “And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

When Jesus sent the 12 out on mission, He gave them orders of what to preach:
Mark 6:12 “They went out and preached that men should repent.”

Luke 24:47 “and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

And the disciples never abandoned that message.

When Peter preached at Pentecost:
Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

During Peter’s second sermon in Jerusalem:
Acts 3:19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;”

During Peter’s third sermon in Jerusalem:
Acts 5:31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

When Paul preached:
Acts 20:21 “solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Acts 26:20 “but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”

And certainly here in Athens.
“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent”

Let me ask you again: WHAT IS GOD’S MESSAGE FOR ALL HUMANITY?
REPENT!

The Sovereign and All Powerful God
Has been offended by the people He created and they must repent.

BUT PAUL ISN’T DONE
The sermon continues and Paul explains why you should repent.

His Patience, His Target Audience, His Advice
4) HIS REASON (31)
“because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all me by raising Him from the dead.”

Why should you repent?
“Because [God] has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness”

Did you notice that “fixed a day” part?

The Sovereign God, who is in control of all things,
Has already set the day on His calendar.

You and I don’t know when the end will come, but God does.
He’s already picked the day.
We’re flying at it at the rate of 60seconds per minute.
It’s coming.

And He is now warning humanity that the day is coming
And they should get ready for it by repenting.

Paul even makes clear what GOD’S STANDARD of judgment will be.
What criteria will God use to judge the world?

“He will judge the world in ____________”

• When judgment comes, God will not grade on the curve.
• When judgment comes, it won’t be 70% passing.
• When judgment comes, it won’t be more bark than bite.

At the judgment all men will be judged
By God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
All of those commands that He gave.

He will measure your life by those commands.
• Did you obey them all flawlessly? Then you get to go to heaven.
• Did you break even one? Then you will be judged as rebel and an enemy.

God will judge in righteousness.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT PREACHER?

Because thus far, there has only ever been one human
Who escaped judgment on His own.

The Bible is clear:
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”

If you are deemed a sinner by God then your penalty is death in hell.

So far, in all of history,
There has only been One whom God deemed not guilty.

Do you know who that was?
Jesus

How do you know God declared Him not guilty?
“having furnished proof by raising Him from the dead.”

Why did God raise Jesus?
Because Jesus was sinless.

Had God done this for anyone else? No (not raised never to die again)

That means no other man has ever achieved righteousness before God.
Even the best men you can think of.

So what does that about God’s righteous standard of judgment?
He is strict isn’t He?
Perfect or bust.

Now do you understand why God is telling all men to repent?

Because through repentance and faith in Jesus
God grants forgiveness of sins.

IN FACT,
Through repentance and faith in Jesus, God grants JUSTIFICATION.

That means when sinful men repent and place their faith in Jesus,
God declares them righteous even though they are not.

To that truth David said:
Romans 4:7-8 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”

IT IS CALLED THE GOSPEL.
And it is also the sovereign plan of God.

God determined to send His only begotten Son into the world.
• That His Son might perfectly obey all of His commands.
• That His Son might pay the penalty for the sin for all those who believe.

It was our main point last year, if you were herE.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

God treated the sinless Jesus as if He had lived my life,
So that He could treat me, the sinner, as though I had lived Jesus’ life.

It’s called being “In Him” or “clothed in the righteousness of Christ”

A WEEK FROM TODAY IS HALLOWEEN.
Kids will take to the streets and they will wear costumes to look like someone else.

I would tell you that you also need a costume.
You need to be dressed as someone else when you stand before God.
You need to be dressed in the righteousness of Jesus.

That happens when we repent of our sin and place our faith in Jesus.

EXAMPLE
I’ve read you several passages from Isaiah as we’ve looked at the sovereignty of God.

Let me show you the passage where the people of Israel
Heard what Isaiah was saying and repented.

TURN TO: Isaiah 64:5-8 “You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved? For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.”

Did you pick up on what they said?
• God, You like a man who rejoices in righteousness.
• That’s why You were angry at us, because we sinned.
• We don’t deserve salvation.
• Every good thing we’ve done was actually filthy in Your sight.
• But if You will forgive, we will submit our lives to You.

You are the Potter, we are the clay.
We are finished with our rebellion and we want to be forgiven.

• We are sorry for our sin, we hate that we offended You.
• We denounce our own goodness because it wasn’t good enough.
• We run to Jesus who alone was good enough.
• And we totally submit all that we are to You, THE ONLY SOVEREIGN

The New Testament teaches the same:
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

LISTEN TO ME STUDENT.
You must grasp this truth.

• God is Sovereign, He is the Creator of all things.
• And because He is the Creator, He is also the Judge.
• And He will judge all who defy His commands.

But this Sovereign God, who can do whatever He pleases,
Has determined that He would be first and foremost a Savior.

Instead of judging sinners, He prefers to save them.
• And so for a time He patiently endures.
• And while He endures He calls for them to repent.
• He tells them to trust in Jesus.

AND IF THEY DO, THEY ARE SAVED.
IF THEY DO NOT, then there is no other option
But to stand before the Sovereign God whom they have offended.

This is the message the whole world must hear.
This is the message you must hear.

Today I ask you flat out.
• Have you ever repented of your sin?
• Have you ever told God you were sorry, not just because you got caught, but because you realized you offended Him?
• Have you ever seen that your good deeds are not good enough?
• Have you ever recognized that Jesus is good enough?
• Have you ever placed your faith in Him and submitted to Him as your Lord?

If you have not, I’m asking you to do that tonight.
Grab an adult – go to your small group leader – but run to Jesus!

Download Here:

Who Is God? – Part 1
Acts 17:16-31 (16-29)
D-Now Sermon 1
October 23, 2020

This weekend, our theme is “The Only Sovereign”.

It is our goal and hope to give you just a taste of who God is
And what it means that He is sovereign
And what that means for your life.

Charles Spurgeon said, “The Sovereignty of God is the pillow on which the Christian rests his head.”

What he means is that even though we live in a crazy world,
It is the knowledge that God is in control of all things
That allows us to have peace and rest anyway.

Now, you may be looking at me tonight and saying,
“What the heck is sovereignty?”

And that’s ok, that’s exactly what we want to show you this weekend.

And to do that we’re going to look tonight and again tomorrow morning at Acts 17.

Just a little background.
• The book of Acts shows us 3 missionary journeys that the apostle Paul took.
• On Paul’s 2nd missionary journey God directed him into the region of Macedonia
• In a Bible sense, this is where the Thessalonians lived and the Philippians
• Today you know it as Greece.
• When Paul went, he had trouble in Philippi getting arrested for casting a demon out of a girl, but he had even bigger trouble in Thessalonica having to escape out of that town.
• He went down to Berea but the Thessalonians followed him and so he had to flee by himself and he ended up in Athens.

You are familiar with Athens
• Athens being the home of ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. (all who had been dead now around 400 years).
• And you are likely familiar with Greek mythology and their various Greek gods like Zeus and Aphrodite and Apollo and Artemis and Poseidon

Well this is where Paul ended up.
Athens holds almost a romantic and sentimental place in people’s history. (People love the philosophy and mythology and sort)

But know this.
• Athens was a satanic city.
• Instead of truth they followed human reason.
• Instead of God they worshiped idols.

They were the most deceived people on the planet.
By their own admonition they did not know who the one true God was.

And that is what Paul is about to explain to them.
He is going to show them who God is.

I want to sort of give you the setting of his visit.
(READ 16-21)

That sort of paints the picture of the scene that is about to unfold.

“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.”

In short, Paul couldn’t handle what he was seeing.
• There were idols everywhere.
• People worshiping false gods everywhere.
• (And we won’t even talk about what some of that worship looked like)

It was grotesque and sickening to Paul.
I think you’d almost have to liken it to a Christian’s disdain for the Las Vegas strip
Or Bourbon St during Mardi Gras.

It was vile, it was sinful, and just the sight of it offended Paul.

But what likely offended him more than any of it
Was the fact that people were giving God’s glory to false gods.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

Isaiah 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.”

You’ve probably heard before that
The Bible says that God is a “jealous God”

• Some people have balked at this since jealousy is also called a sin in the
New Testament.
• How can God command us not to be jealous when the Scripture says that
He is jealous?

There’s one major difference between our jealousy and God’s jealousy.
We are jealous for and desire what we do not deserve.
God is jealous for what He does deserve.

The Bible tells you not to be jealous out of envy
Because you want something you don’t have,
But God most certainly deserves all the glory and He demands it.

He does not share His glory.
And Paul is provoked with jealousy for God

And he cannot be silent about it.
• So he went into the synagogue and started preaching to the Jews,
• And he went into the market place every day and started preaching to the people of Athens.
• He was stirring it up.

And that’s when some of the philosophers showed up.
(18) “And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,” — because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.”

• We won’t get into the beliefs of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers,
• It’s enough for you to know that they took issue with Paul and thought him to be a buffoon.
• “What would this idle babbler wish to say?”
• “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities”

We are told it’s because Paul “was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.”

• Certainly then we know Paul was preaching that Jesus rose from the dead and
thus He is the conqueror of death and the Savior.
• But later as Paul goes deeper into his sermon you’ll find that he was also
preaching Jesus’ resurrection as an indicator that He is God’s righteous
standard of judgment.

So Paul wasn’t just standing in that marketplace
Telling people they could have eternal life.
Paul was preaching about judgment
And God’s standard of judgment who is Jesus.

It is also clear that these people had no clue what he was talking about.
• This notion of resurrection and judgment was all new to them.
• (20) “you are bringing some strange things to our ears.”

So these philosophers took issue with Paul and they challenged him.
• And they took him to the “Areopagus” to have it out with him.

Don’t misunderstand, they aren’t interested.
• The “Areopagus” was the same place Socrates was condemned.
• No, their goal is to debate him and humiliate him.
• If you’ve ever watched News station TV where they bring in people just to expose and humiliate them…that’s what is happening here.

So Paul is in this worldly city that doesn’t know God and is full of idolatry.
He has irritated the pagan philosophers.
He has been called to explain himself before the city.

And Paul’s sermon will have 2 main points.
1) GOD’S DISTINCTION (why He is different from all your other gods)
2) GOD’S DECLARATION (what He wants from you)

But it is fitting for us tonight to begin our weekend
By seeing what makes God different
From all the other “gods” in the world.

So let’s look at this first point.
#1 GOD’S DISTINCTION
Acts 17:22-29

In short, Paul wants to show them the God they know nothing about.

(22-23) “So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

Paul nails them right off the bat.
• He acknowledges their spirituality “very religious”
• He exposes their ignorance “an altar…TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”

By their own admonition they don’t know all the gods.
By their own admonition they are ignorant of certain deities.

And so Paul says, “Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

And with that Paul is about to give what makes the God of the Bible
Totally different and distinct from every other god.

Do you want to know how the God of the Bible is different from Allah?
Do you want to know how the God of the Bible is different from Buddha?
Do you want to know how the God of the Bible is different from the 750 Hindu gods?
Do you want to know how the God of the Bible is different from Greek mythology?
Do you want to know how the God of the Bible is different from Loki or Thor?

Well Paul is about to tell you.

He will give you 4 distinctions,
These are the things that set God apart.

1) HE IS CREATOR, NOT CREATED (24a)
“The God who made the world and all things in it…”

TURN BACK TO GENESIS 1

Genesis 1 may be the most important chapter in the Bible.

We learn many things about God from creation.
(power, grace, redemption, transcendence, faithfulness)

But of most importance is that being Creator
Gives Him first place in everything.
He is the Potter, everything else is the clay.

Let’s just read the first 5 verses.
Everything you see was created by God.

Moses says “the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep”
• “formless” is TOHU it means confusion
• “void” is BOHU it means emptiness.

“the earth was TOHU and BOHU”
• But God gives order to chaos
• God gives purpose to emptiness
• God shines light into darkness

God redeems what is useless and broken.
You literally have redemption in the first 2 verses of the Bible.

And notice the power of God.
How did God create light? (and notice light came before the sun; day 4)

He told it come.
• And it is the same throughout creation. (3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29)
• God’s word is the power for new life.

In just 6 days God alone created everything.
And the Bible is very quick to remind its readers of that.

Isaiah 45:12 “It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands And I ordained all their host.”

Isaiah 45:5-7 “I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.”

Isaiah 40:26 “Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.”

God created everything.
• He is the first, there are none before Him.
• He was not created, He is eternal.
• He has no beginning and He has no end.

No other god can make such a claim.

Isaiah 44:6-8 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'”

Jeremiah 10:11 “Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

Paul could look around Athens and every single one of their deities
Was first imagined in the human mind
And then chiseled out of rock with a human arm.

They were all created.
They were all invented.
But not the God of the Bible.

He stands apart as the Creator of all things.
• He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
• The One who formed you and the One who will judge you.

That makes Him distinct from every other god.

He is Creator, not created
2) HE IS SOVEREIGN, NOT DESTITUTE (24b-25)
“since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since Him Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;”

• Paul looked around at all those temples that filled Athens.
• And he looked at all those worshipers taking their offerings in in order provide for their deities.

To this day you can see Hindus shoving food
In the mouths of their statues to “feed” their deities.

And Paul notes how small and puny their gods are.

You couldn’t fit the “Lord of heaven and earth” in one of those temples.
The God of the Bible couldn’t cram His big toe into that place.

Matthew 5:34-35 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.”

You say, “But didn’t God have a temple?”
• Yes, but have you ever heard from the man who built it?

Solomon built the first temple and here is what he said when he finished it.
2 Chronicles 2:5-6 “The house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. “But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?”

Solomon knew God would never be able to fit in this temple,
It was just a ceremonial place where worship could occur.

Listen to this description of God.
Isaiah 40:12 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?”

How big is God?
He’s bigger than anything the people of Athens could imagine.

And He most certainly
Is NOT dependent on people to provide for His needs.

He is not “served by human hands, as though He needed anything.”

Psalms 50:10-12 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.”

I can assure this that God is not some needy god
Depending on you or me for His well-being.

Isaiah 40:28-29 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.”

God doesn’t need you to feed Him
Or take care of Him or let Him take a nap.

GOD IS NOT DESTITUTE, HE IS THE SOVEREIGN.
“He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.”
• When was the last time you gave a second thought to making sure God had food to eat or water to drink?
• When was the last time you gave a second though to wondering if God needed your protection?

We don’t do that for Him, He does that for His creation.
Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”

• It is God who provides for you.
• It is God who is keeping your heart beating at this very moment.
• It is God who sends rain on the just and the unjust.
• It is God who keeps this earth in orbit.
• It is God who sustains life.

All of these other pathetic gods in Athens
Needed someone to take care of them, but not the true God.
He is sovereign and totally self-sufficient.

He is Creator, not created
He is Sovereign, not destitute
3) HE IS INVOLVED, NOT INDIFFERENT (26-28)
“and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”

I hope you notice how involved God is in every aspect of your life.

Do you see that God created every human being?
(26) “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth”

God created you.

Do you see that God determined when you would live and where you would live?
(26b) “having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.”

God sovereignly determined you,
WHEN you would live, and WHERE you would live.

Psalms 139:16 “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT,
• You were specifically designed by the Creator exactly as you are.
• He formed every part of you.
• He inserted you into life at His divine time.
• He planted right where He intended to put you.

You are not an afterthought to Him.
He is not indifferent to you.

None of those false gods created you, or ordained your days, or knows your name (mostly because they aren’t even real)
• Allah doesn’t know your name
• Buddha doesn’t know who you are
• The Hindu gods have no clue what you’re like

But the Bible says the God who created you
Knows the number of hairs on your head.

THE TRUE GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU
• Every word you’ve spoken
• Every thought you’ve thought
• Every deed you’ve done

Psalms 139:1-6 “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”

He is intimately acquainted with you.
He is not distant and He is not aloof

But why would God make me like this?
Why would God put me where He put me?
• Why am I fat?
• Why am I skinny?
• Why am I slow?
• Why am I sickly?

Why did God make me like He made me and put me where He put me?

Do you want to see the answer?
(27) “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him”

You were intricately designed, meticulously created,
Purposely placed for one overarching reason,
AND THAT IS THAT YOU WOULD SEEK GOD.

• You were created to know Him.
• You were created to fellowship with Him.
• You were created to be an instrument of His glory.

Everything about your life was perfectly ordained
So that you might know and glorify the God who created you.

1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

You were created by God and for God.
You were created to seek Him.

And here is what is remarkable.
• You aren’t just supposed to seek Him,
• You are supposed to “find Him,
• And we are told that He is not far from each one of us;”
• He is not distant.

We call it REVELATION
If it wasn’t for God choosing to reveal Himself we could never know Him.

We live inside of space and time, He lives outside of space and time.
If He didn’t want you to know Him you couldn’t.

But God has chosen to reveal Himself.
God has chosen to let you find Him.

Things like creation:
Psalms 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

Things like the Scripture:
Psalms 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”

Things like Jesus:
John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

God wants you to know Him.
He has revealed Himself over and over and over.
It is why you were created.

You can’t say that about false gods.
(they can’t reveal anything)
Psalms 115:4-8 “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.”

There used to be a Chinese restaurant in Lubbock that had a big Buddha statue in the lobby. I went in there once and slapped that Buddha.
Do you know what he did? NOTHING

They aren’t real and they can’t reveal themselves to you.

But God created you to know Him.
To seek Him
And to find Him
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

He is not some distant god that you cannot know.
He is involved in every detail of your life.

(28) “for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”

We are actually created in His image.

His distinctions over other gods?
He is Creator, not created- He is Sovereign, not destitute- He is Involved, not indifferent

4) HE IS LIVING, NOT DEAD (29)
“Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.”

And Paul now comes full circle.

He could look around and see all these statues
Of carved idols and painted gods
And Paul says, the real God IS NOTHING LIKE ALL OF THESE!

HE IS FAR ABOVE THEM ALL.

Isaiah 40:18-25 “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble. “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.”

God asks, if you were to carve an image of Him what would it be?
Because whatever you pick would be a slap in the face to Him.

Would you really compare God to an ox or an eagle or even a man?
Any image you make of Him is a tremendous insult to Him.
He is higher than all of that!

Jeremiah 10:1-16 “Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the LORD, “Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. “They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.” There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their discipline of delusion — their idol is wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men. But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name.”

This is the real God.

We could spend so much more time on every one of those realities,
But I simply tonight want to give you a brief picture of what we mean
When we say that GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

He is the Creator
He is In control over all things
He is Involved in your life
He is Living and the source of life

And He refuses to give His glory to any other made up god.
• He refuses to let some other god take credit for your life.
• He refuses to let some other god be the object of your worship.

He created you to know Him and to worship Him.

And I’ll tell you that the biggest sin of humanity
Is that the creature (us) whom God formed out of the dirt,
Would dare to defy the God who created him.

Romans 1:18-23 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”

God demands glory from all of His creation, and that includes you.
And since He is the God who created You,
And who is intimately acquainted with all your ways,
It is wise that you do so.

Tonight I just want to begin by stretching your understanding of God.
• He is not some secondary thought to your life.
• You were created by Him and for Him.
• Tonight for the first time perhaps you should consider that.