what are you groping for

8/4/2019 What Are You Groping For

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Hello,Church! GoodAfternoon.Thereisalottocovertoday.Soletsgettoit.Today

IwanttocontinuegoingthroughActs17continuingwhatMinisterCraigstarted.I

lovethetextbecauseitnotonlygiveinsightonGodbutalsohowtoliveoutthe

mandateGodhasgivenusinsharingtheGospel,andonthenatureofsalvationn

TodaywewillbefocusingonActs17:1632.Aswegothroughthepassageverseby

versewewillconsiderhowtoapplytheversetoday.Imgoingtogooversomeof

whatMinisterCraigstartedtoputthingsincontext.Iwouldberemisstonotpoint

outthatitsthe10th anniversaryoftheTerroristattacksonAmerica.Wewillbe

lookingathowtorespondtosuchthingstodayinourtimeandculture.


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PaulwaswaitingforSilasandTimothybecausehewasforcedtoleavefirstThessalonicaandBereabecauseofthepersecutionandrejectionandoppositionthatcamefromhimpreachingtheGospel.TheyhadrealizedthatPaulspresencewasnotrequiredinBerea,SilasandTimothycouldfinishtheworkinBereaandjoinPaulinAthens.LetslookatashortvideothatshowswhatPaulwascontendingwith.

WhileinAthens,PaulwentaroundlookingaroundthecityofAthensandrealizedthatAthenswasfullofAthens.HesawacitywithoutGodandwithoutHope.Hesawacitythatwasdrowninginsin,shame,anddecadence.


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FromahistoricalstandpointweknowthatAthenswaslikeanyothermajorcity.Crimeand

corruptionabounded.Yes,theyhadculture,artandscience,butweknowthatcitieshave

alltheseproblems.Tomakeitworse,thesepeoplewereprayingtoidolstosavethemand

helpthemandintruthgettingnothing.

Letmebeclear:peoplebackthenwerenotmorestupidthanus.Insomecases,theywere

trickedandhoodwinkedbytheseotherreligions.Sometimespriestspoisonedworshippers

andthengavethemtheantidotesothatpeoplewouldthinkthatthepersonhadbeen

healed.Sometimestheyusedpropsandspecialeffectstofoolpeopleintothinkingthat

theyhadwitnessedmiracles. Theyweremisguidedandfooledintobelievingliesinmany

cases.OfcoursePaulwasdistressed.Hisheartwentouttothepeople.Hewantedthemto

knowthetruth.

JustlikePaulhadtocontendwithfalsegodscompetingfortheheartsandmindsofpeople,

wemustcompetetoday. LetsexaminePaulstacticsbecausetheywillworktodayalso!

Whataboutustoday?Peopleinoursocietyarejustasmuchinbondage.Maybemore

becauseatleastthentheyhadenoughsensetolookforagodtosavethem.Somepeople

todaysneerattheideaofapowerorauthoritygreaterthanthemselveswhilepeoplein

ancienttimeshadwaymoresensethanthat.Shouldntourheartgoouttoourownpeople

todaysothattheywouldknowtheGospel?

Icantmakethispointimportantenough:PaulhadjustgotkickedoutofTWOtownsandinsteadof


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waitingforbackuphejustpickedupwhereheleftoffinAthens.


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WheneverPaulhittownhehadamethodofoperationofhowtoevangelizethe

city.HewouldstartwithChristianityswarmmarket peoplewhoalreadyknew

thescripturesandwerelookingfortheMessiah.ThenPaulpreachedinthe

marketplaceinpublictoanyonehecouldreach.WhatisyourM.O. forsharingthe

GospelintheplacesandtothepeopleGodhasgivenyou?


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OnethingIhavefoundoutisthatthemomentyouremindpeopleweareallsinnersinneedofsalvationandJesusistheonlyantidoteforthepoisonweallhave,youaregonna getopposition.PeoplewilldebatewithyouandtrytoshowwhytheyarerighttorejecttheGospel.PaulwaspreachingaboutJesusandtheResurrection.Thatwashisfocusinsteadoftryingtotellthemwhattheyneededtochangein

theirlives.Thephilosophersdidnotseemtounderstandwhathewassaying.Theythoughtthathewaseitherbabbling alotofwordswithoutmeaning orthathewasjustpreachingaboutsomeotheruselessgod. Theyneededanothergodliketheyneededaholeinthehead.

ThisisagreatexampleofhowgreattheBibleis.Wehavetheauthor,Luke,pointingoutthattwoofthemajorgroupsinPhilosophythatweknowexistsforafact:TheEpicureansandtheStoics.

TheEpicureans said,"Pleasureisthechiefendoflife;everythinghappensbychance;deathendsitall."TheStoics were"Pantheistic;allisfatedbygod;wemust

beindependentofexternals.Pantheismisthebeliefinagodthatismanifestedeverywherebutwithnowillorpersonalityofitsown. Neitherbelieveinlifeafterdeath,either.

TheEpicureansweresearching forpleasureandtheStoicswerefocusedonapathy.http://ncbible.org/resources/ActsComm17.html


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Weknowfrommanysourcesthatthesepeopledidexistandwestillhavepeople

whosubscribetotheseviewstoday.Imustalsopointoutthattheyarebothinsevere

conflictwiththeBible!HowdoesPaultalktopeoplewhofromthegetgo disagree

withhim?


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ThentheytookPaultotheplaceinAthensthatthephilosophersgatheredto

debateanddiscusstheideasthattheycameacross.Ithinkthatwecouldstandto

learnfromthemaboutthattoday.Wehavesuchashortattentionspantoday.We

hearsomenewsoranideologyanddontstoptoreallyseeifitstrue.Insteadof

kickingthetiresorputtingsomestressesonittoseehowmuchweightitcan

bear,wemissoutonsomeimportanttruth.Ithinkwecandobetter.Truthdeserves

better.

TheplaceinAthenswasknownastheAreopagus whichmeansRockofAresor

MarsHill.AresakaMarswastheGrecoRomangodofWar.AresinGreek.

MarsinLatin.

AtleastthesepeoplewerewillingtohearPauloutcompletelyandevaluatewhathe

hadtosay.CananyoneofsaywehavealwaysbeenopentoheartheGospel?


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Paulstartsoffnotwithaninsultsorsuperiority.Paulcomplimentsthemonthefact

thattheyatleastrecognizethattherearethingsgreaterthanthemselves.


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Pauluseswhatisaroundhimtomakehiscase.Henoticedthattheyhadanaltarto

anUnknownGod andheusedthattoopenthedoortointroducehishearersto

God.Ignoranceinthiscaseisnotaninsult.Hesnotsayingthattheyarestupid.

Paulisinsteadpointingoutthathecantellthemmoreaboutsomeonetheyalready

worship.


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PaultellsthemsomefundamentalinformationaboutthisGodtheydontknow.The

Lordofheavenandearth anddoesnotneedus.Ourverylifeandexistence

dependsonhim.EverythingwehaveisbasedonwhatGodhasgivenus.Godmade

allpeoplefromonemanandsetupwhereandwhenandhowtheylive

individualsandnations.Weallbelongtohim.


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HereisPaulspoint:WhydidGodgothroughallofthis? Whyputusthroughallof

this?GodwantsustoseekHim.Notpleasure.Notfreedomfrompain.Him.Thisis

aboutGodappointingourtimeinhistoryandtheboundariesofourlives not

closinghiseyesandcrossinghisfingures hopingthatwewilllookforhim.Ithinkthe

NIV translationisalittledifficulttoexplainthisverse.Lets lookattheNIV.

27 thattheywouldseekGod,ifperhapstheymightgropeforHimandfindHim,thoughHeisnotfarfromeachoneofus;(NASB)IthinktheNASB islittlemoreclearer.TheuncertaintyisnotonGod.The

uncertaintyisours.Wearegroping aroundinthedarkness.Feelingaroundandnot

knowingwhatwearefeelingforbutknowingthatwegottohaveit.Itsnot anit,

wearelookingGod.Godisnothidingfromusheisclosetoeachoneofus.

We lovethatsongSearchedalloverbutPaulissayingthatwegropeallover.Whatareyougropingfor? Whathaveyoufound?IfyouareabornagainChristian,

youknowGod.GropecarrieswithittheideathatwedidntfindHimbecausewe

aresmarterorcanseebetter,Weweregropingaroundinthesamedarkness.It

wasntdependentonus.

Thisamajorpointthatcantbeunderscoredenough!You everythingyouareand


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haveexperiencedhashappenedtogiveyouthebestpossibleopportunityforyouto

findGod.Thebestpossiblecircumstancesaredifferentforeveryone.Somepeople

hadtobeborninChristianhomes.SomehavetobeborninHinduhomesandsoon.

AndthereisnopromiseorguaranteethatyouwillfindGod(fromourpointofview).

Itsastraightgift!ImremindedofastoryofaMuslimmanborninLebanonwho

foundJesusbecausehewashavingdreamsthatJesusisLordandSaviorandhefled

toSyriabecausehisfamilywantedtokillhim.TherehelearnedaboutJesusandwas

saved.HethenwentbacktoLebanontowitness. Orabouthowmissionarieshave

wenttovillageswheretheGospelhasneverbeenpreachedandfoundoutthatGod

hadgivensomeinthevillagedreamsandvisionaboutJesusandallthepeople

wantedtoknowwashowtobesaved.Godsmorethangotthis.Allwehavetodois

dowhatHehassaid.


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Paulthenreallybringsithometohishearers.Paulquotestheirownpoets.Paul

quotes:Phaenomena byAratus ofCiliciaabout270BC.http://ncbible.org/resources/ActsComm17.html

Thisisawesome.Paulusesthefactthattheyrecognizedthatweareallcreatedbya

singlesourcetobuildacaseforGod

Noticehegivesthemonlywhattheycandigest.Giventhatwehavemore

informationthantheydid,wecanusePaulslettertotheRomanstohighlightthe

pointheismaking.Romans8:2829says

28 AndweknowthatinallthingsGodworksforthegoodofthosewholovehim,whohave

beencalledaccordingtohispurpose.29 ForthoseGodforeknewhealsopredestinedtobe

conformedtotheimageofhisSon,thathemightbethefirstbornamongmanybrothers

andsisters.

Thewholepointtoappointingourcircumstanceandlivesandexperiencetheway

GodhasissothatwewillbemorelikeJesus.Itsforourgrowthandmaturationso

wecanbringGodglory.

Idontreallyhavetimereallytotacklehowourwillplaysintothis,butaswegrow

tobemoreandmorelikeJesuswewillwhatHewills.Thatswhereweneedtobe.


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IfyougrantthatweareallofGodsoffspring,Paulsgotyou. Itdoesnot make

sensethattheideathatthedivinebeingcouldbemadeofgoldorsilverorstone.

Itsjustimagesmadebypeople.


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Nowcomesthehammer.Paulpointsoutthatpeoplewereworshipingidolsbecause

theywereignorant theydidntknowbetter andGodoverlookedit.TheKJV used

thewordwinked.WhatwasthisignorancethatGodoverlookedinthepast? This

struckme.ImeanintheOldTestamentitseemedthatGoddidverylittlewinking

giventhenumberof peoplewhowerewipedoutbecauseoftheirsins.Imean

hasntGodalwayscommandedpeopletorepeateverywhere?Thisleadmetothink

aboutthejudgmentintheOldTestament.IrealizedthatGodneverinScripture

judgesordestroysanyoneduetotheirignorance. Justliketoday,Godcommands

allofustobemore.WecanrepentandstopbeingignorantofGod.


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DoyouneedtheGospelinanutshell?Acts17:31isit.ThiswasthepointPaulwas

bringinghishearerstoo.ThesameGodwhomadeusandeverythingwilljudgethe

worldwithjusticethroughasinglemanthatHeappointed Jesus andprovedit

byraisingJesusfromthedead.


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WhenyoupreachtheGospelyougettwopossibleoutcomes.Eitherpeoplewill

rejecttheGospeloritwillsinkintotheirheartsandminds.


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SeehowPaulhandlesthat?HejustsharedtheGospellistenedtotheresponseand

withdrew.Hedidntpressit.Hedidntcontinuetoargueandfight.Hedidntseem

totakepersonaloffenseortoattackhisattackers.


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ThegoodnewsisthatwhenyouobeyGodandshareChristwithothers,weseeGod

moveonpeoplehearts.Verse34namestwopeoplewhodirectlybecamebelievers

afterhearingPaul.DionysiusandDamaris mostlikelydidnotbecomeChristianson

thatsameday.TheymaybeheardtheGospelseveraltimesshowingthatwemust

notgiveupbutshareJesuswheneverwehaveanopportunity.

what are you groping for

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