Acts 17:17-34: Paul's Sermon on Mars Hill

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1) vv. 19-23 – I see that you are concerned about divine things.

A)   Paul saw all of their altars to different gods, and then he saw that they had made an altar to an unknown god just in case they missed one or accidentally forgot. Paul says, “I want to talk to you about this God.”

B)    NOTE: He doesn’t start by attacking the gods that they do know. He starts by telling them what is right and true (Remember our earlier lesson about affirmative Christianity). (Connect before you correct.)

C)    Jn. 17:1-3 – Knowing God, what he is like, and what that means for us is one of our primary missions as Christians.

2) What Paul says about God:

A)   v. 24a – He is the creator of everything.

1) Gen. 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2) Col. 1:16 – For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

B)    v. 24b – He is Lord of heaven and earth.

1) The point is that he did not only make everything, but he rules over it and has the divine right to demand that people obey him.

2) This is a specific attack against the Epicureans (v. 18).

(a)   Their founder, Epicurious, thought that the biggest source of human anxiety and misery was fear of the gods, so his goal was to make the gods irrelevant.

(b)   The gods did not create the world, they did not care about the world, and they certainly did not care about the daily struggles of people in the world.

(c)   Once you get this nonsense out of your mind, you can live a tranquil free from anxiety and superstitious fear.

C)   v. 24c – He does not live in temples made by man. (i.e. He’s not “here.”)

1) From where Paul was standing, he could look across the city and city multiple temples where so-called “gods” lived. This point is Paul’s version of saying, “This ain’t it, chief.”

2) cf. 1 Kgs. 8:27; Acts 7:48-49

D)   v. 25a – He doesn’t need anything from us.

1) Many of the people Paul was talking to actually believed that the gods lived in the temples needed maintenance from people, like food, clothes, washing, etc.

2) So, people sustain the gods, and in return, the gods keep the rain falling and the crops growing. It’s like a game where if you put in enough tokens, then you can get the prize you want.

3) Ps. 50:8-14

E)    v. 25b – We need everything from him.

1) cf. v. 25 – Humility: He doesn’t need us at all. We can’t survive without him.

F)    v. 26a – We all come from him (whether you like or not).

1) You are not just a highly evolved, random collection of atoms, spinning on a giant rock through space.

2) You were actually created with meaning and purpose. YOU have a reason for being here.

G)   v. 26b – He is in control of all things.

1) Neh. 9:6 – “and you preserve all of them”

2) Col. 1:17 – “and in him all things hold together”

3) Heb. 1:3 – “he upholds the universe by the word of his power”

4) God is in control of all time and space.

(a)   Epochs of history: the rise and fall of empires, the lives of individuals, etc.

(b)   None of this is a random accident caused by historical forces.

5) This does not mean that we are pre-programed robots, but that we live in a curated environment.

(a)   Where you were born, and to whom, and the culture that you live in are specifically designed for you to search out God.

H)   vv. 27-28 – He WANTS to be found by you.

1) But if this is true, then why can’t so many people see him? Because our problem is not distance. Our problem is with our minds and our hearts.

2) cf. Acts 14:17 – “he did not leave himself without witness…”

I)      v. 29 – He is not a created thing.

1) This goes with the last point: God wants to be found by you as he is. He is not interested in being found by you as you want him to be.  

2) God created man in his own image, and then man repaid the favor and created God in his own image.

3) The 2nd Commandment: Ex. 20:3-5a – “You shall not make for yourself…”

3) v. 30 – So what? (Action item) – Repent

A)   “The times of ignorance God overlooked”

1) POINT: You’re here aren’t you! He allowed us all to make it to this point in spite of our wrong lives.

B)    But now it’s time to do something about it.

1) Repent means to turn.

4) v. 31 – Why should I? Because Judgement Day is coming and it is an absolute certainty.  

A)   History is not like a treadmill. It’s a straight line with a definite start and a definite end. And when we reach the end of the line, there will be a Judgement Day where we all have to answer to God for ourselves.

B)    2 Cor. 5:10 – “We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

C)    God guaranteed us that this is true by raising Jesus from the dead. If he has not been raised, then all of Christianity is a sham. But if he has, then everything he said is true, and it would be a really good idea to pay attention to that. Question: Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Now what?

5) How will you respond?

A)   v. 32a – Some mocked.

1) v. 21 – They were not listening to hear and learn.

2) 2 Pet. 3:3-7 – Scoffers and what they can expect.

B)    v. 32b – Some were open-minded, but unsure.

1) If this is you, then great. Nobody expects you to be convinced just because I stood up here and said it.

2) The question for you is what are you going to do with these questions now? Please don’t just put them on the shelf and ignore them.

C)   v. 34 – Some believed.

D)   QUESTION: Where are you right now?