Apologize? What For?

Steve Bowyer

His Old House; Acts • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Start with a Compliment

We’ve all had those conversations, probably on both ends.

But, you know someone who is speaking and acting as if they are missing something important.

And, you feel like you’re the one who is supposed to tell them what they are missing.

Making mistakes, making ppl mad, they’re oblivious or don’t care.

And, it’s making you mad b/c there is unnecessary hurt and conflict going on.

If they would just see what they are doing.

Could be they are doing the right thing just in the wrong way. Or, maybe, they’re doing the wrong thing.

Somebody needs to point this out to them and it may be you.

And, likely, you’ve been on the other end of that conversation, too. Where someone thought you were missing something and they were the one to point it out to you.

How’d that go?

Maybe we’re not reading the situation right. Maybe, we’re missing how we’re coming across. Maybe, inaccurate assumptions are being made.

These are difficult conversations and if they have to happen they need to start out on the right note.

Preachers have always faced this. How do you start a message that you hope will connect w/ people in a positive way that leads to positive life-changes?

There was a time when this was less of a concern.

Billy Sunday. Evangelist. Hard core preacher. 100 years ago.

He’d take his suit jacket off and start swinging it.

He’d be emotional and loud, angry.

“Sinners in the Hands of an angry God”

He would reflect that anger as he spoke.

Nobody wanted to be that guy who stood before God a guilty man w/ not defense.

By the end of the sermon people were begging him to give them the answer to their hopeless plight.

Over the years we’ve come a long way and that style of preaching doesn’t play well, anymore.

One of the issues we face is when you’re a citizen of the greatest nation in the history of the world what do we have to apologize for?

Clearly, God has smiled on us collectively and by default me, individually.

That is, if there is a God.

We’ve done pretty well by ourselves.

If anyone needs to apologize it’s those other nations that cause problems that our military, scientists, politicians, education system, doctors, etc., have to fix.

So, when speaking to a group of people that may not be aware of the situation they are in it would be a bad idea to start out mad or insult them.

God’s anger is justified. But, not ours. Though, if we care about them at all we might get angry.

But, generally speaking, it’s a bad idea to start out angry or w/ and insult if you’re hoping to have a positive influence on the people you’re talking to.

So, that said, “My, you’re quite the attractive bunch today.”

is the story of Paul in Athens

Seed-Pickers

Paul makes his case

Acts 17:16–17 NIV

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.

Athens is the center of the Greek universe. Like Rome to the Romans. But, Athens was while Rome Is.

Paul looks around at all the statues of their gods and he is very angry.

God views idols as an abomination that make men stumble and catches the feet of fools.

They are distractions that keep people from considering God.

Paul starts in the synagogue as usual. Same place, same case. OT prediction and recent history prove Jesus is the the Messiah.

When he’s not in the synagogue, he goes out to the marketplace to make his case for Jesus.

But this is an entirely different audience than the synagogues. Non-Jewish. Greek.

The area was lined w/ the statues of their gods.

There were other statues as well. This was a very sexualized society. The Greeks believed only the gods were immortal. Humans died and went to Hades and stayed there forever. That was their fate.

Since there was no hope for an afterlife then live it up in this life. No reason to sacrifice anything.

Only the gods were immortal so the humans were immoral.

So, to the Greek philosophers, the resurrection was their flashpoint.

Reaction

Acts 17:18–21 NIV

A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Acts 17:

Paul engaged their philosophers.

Neither Epicureans nor Stoics believed in an afterlife.

Stoics sought hun

So, their first reaction was accuse Paul of being a babbler.

That is, one who picks up bits of information here and there then passes them off as if he knows what he is talking about.

Picture a hen pecking at the ground randomly after seeds a kernels.

Like being accused of being a 3rd rate journalist. Pick up bits and pieces here and there fill in the blanks w/ his own feelings and unsubstantiated ideas then present the case as if it’s a sure thing.

The Athenians were intellectually arrogant. They believed no one was their equal.

The Greeks had been the lone world power. They were the first to build an educational system and civilize the people.

They were smart and self-disciplined.

When Rome conquered them, they kept much of these pieces of the Greek Empire.

Rome brought gov.t structure, infrastructure (roads and highways), and a powerful military to enforce all this and keep the peace.

So, the Greeks egos were inflated believing they were more educated, civilized and smarter, though the Romans were more powerful and blue collar.

Who is this Jewish seed-picker who thinks he’s so smart?

Their second reaction was to see Paul as a teacher of foreign gods. Maybe he does have something, or someone to offer them.

If they just gave him the opportunity to get his thoughts together and present them in a more organized fashion.

He’s talking about a God they know nothing about nor do the understand His activities.

An afterlife? Resurrection? There was nothing like this in their theology.

A totally foreign concept.

Still, there was a synagogue in Athens. How does that happen? A place where the Greeks could go to learn about God and an afterlife if they were curious. And Jews who had been commissioned by God to model a blessed life so outsiders would want in.

How come the Greeks had no knowledge of God?

Anyway, they invited Paul into the Areopagus to speak about these new ideas in more detail.

They are curious about what details or kernels they may pick up and include in their own religious activities.

Kernels unrelated to anything they practice now.

Who’s the seek-picker now?

So, Paul has the chance to organize his thoughts, make his presentation, in hopes of having an influence in the spiritual lives of these Greeks.

Compliment Them

Acts 17:22–23 NIV

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

This is his intro.

Remember, he’s angry. The culture is filled with ungodly distractions they believe to be gods.

This angers God. And, angers Paul who wants more to believe in God, only in God, by faith in the gracious work of Jesus.

So, he could start out mad and put them on the defensive.

He could insult them for believing in such idiocy. Point out their arrogant stupidity.

Remember, they bel’d they were intellectually superior.

So, he complimented.

“You are clearly a very religious society.” Seeking God.

Though they were not personally involved with their gods, they were a big deal.

He found a statue that was titled, “An unknown god.” They were just covering their bases. They had lots of gods but they were open to more.

He used this as a segue to get to what he wanted to talk to them about.

Paul was not saying that God is just one god among many. But, he used their openness to the possibility of another god they don’t know about to introduce them the One true God of the universe.

I was taught, like Paul, in my intro to use an illustration that we can all relate to then segue into the point of the passage which is the point of my message.

This was his intro. Now, on to the main points.

Creation Cannot Contain its Creator

Acts 17:24–25 NIV

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

God is the Creator of everything and cannot be contained in creations of His creations.

Temples built by human hands.

Creator God is greater than the entirety of His collective creations.

They had temples all over the place they build and bel’d their gods lived in them.

There was some common ground. God does not need us. We don’t serve Him. There is nothing we can do for Him that doesn’t do for Himself much better and to a greater degree . He has everything and shares some of it w/ us.

The Greeks bel’d their gods didn’t need them either. But, they didn’t share anything w/ them. There was no personal interaction.

His first point is God’s grace in creation on behalf of all people. God gives all of us great things that He created that we don’t deserve.

He doesn’t need us. But, we desperately need Him. And, b/c He is gracious, He shares His creation w/ us.

We get to enjoy the trees, the mountains, the views, the wildlife, and the opportunity to live at peace in all this beauty.

Just b/c God loves us.

Which brings us to his 2nd point. God loves us like a Father loves his children.

Father of All

Acts 17:26–27 NIV

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

God the Creator started the line of humanity thru one man, Adam. We are all descendants of God thru Adam, then Noah.

It’s personal. And, He is loving.

God is also Sovereign. He has ultimate authority over all creation and the power to do whatever He wants to do.

In the context of his sovereign creativity, God determined when and where everybody would live.

The Greeks were the world power for about the last 400 years BC. Then, the Romans were the world power.

Their territory seemed to be as far-reaching as Alexander the Great could conquer. Then, as far as the Roman machine could march.

Reality, their boundaries stretched as far as God wanted them to stretch.

God used the Greeks and the Romans to set the stage for the coming of Jesus and the establishment of the church.

The civilized world, outside of how they treated Jesus, allowed for the presentation of new ideas. Commerce hubs, Sea lanes, highways, and a powerful Roman army allowed for missionaries to travel in peace and the gospel to spread as soldiers and business men traveled.

500 years earlier this would have been impossible.

God was very much in control of the advancements of the day for His purposes. Greek and Roman civilization were simply inconsequential.

Even though many did not believe in God He was using them to advance His program around the world.

As created beings God intended for all of mankind to have a close relationship w/ Him throughout time, like in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve messed up and corrupted their DNA. The genetic corruption has been perpetuated till today.

So, created beings, starting out in a broken relationship w/ God, are given every opportunity to restore it.

The Athenians prided themselves on being the superior race calling all others barbarians. Being told they grope around in the dark looking for God who is not far away is insulting.

So, after starting out w/ a compliment, now Paul is getting down and dirty.

If you look for Him, maybe you will find Him. He won’t be found in creation alone. Just going for hikes on Sunday mornings in the forest won’t lead you all the way to God.

You may just recognize there is a God.

Creation speaks to His glory and creativity. But, not to God’s plan and the need to redeem and deliver people.

Everyone must come to grips w/ God’s plan to save people and their own need of being saved.

This is not a strong suit for the Athenians; acknowledging that there is anything wrong w/ them that they need t/b redeemed and delivered from.

But, if any are listening and now recognize their dire situation, Paul gives them the appropriate response in his application section.

Application

Acts 17:30–31 NIV

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

If they are listening and the HS is moving they recognize their dire situation and would be asking themselves, “What do we do now?”

Repent.

God commands all people everywhere to admit their sin, own it, apologize for it, stop it, change direction.

Can’t be done w/out the HS’s help. But, starting down this path the HS gets involved very early and makes it possible to complete.

No matter who you are or where you come from; Jewish, Greek, Roman, American, Canadian, Middle-easter; God commands that we repent to restore the relationship w/ Him that had been intended from the beginning in the Garden but messed up by Adam.

In the past, God overlooked people’s ignorance. No longer. Jesus has come and made Himself known to everyone.

God came to out world so we could understand and relate to Him.

To accuse the Athenians of ignorance is a bold move given their intellectual history.

But, they were ignorant of God, Jesus and the necessary work He did on the cross, then walked out of His grave.

Turn from your idols. Believe in, receive, trust in only Jesus. Life begins now and will never end.

There will be a judgment day when everyone will be judged by God. As Creator, it’s His game. He gets to set the rules. Then, He has the right and authority to Judge everyone in how they played His game.

Everyone sins, it’s in our DNA. So, what did the Athenians do about it? If they accepted Jesus’ punishment for their own that day then God set a place for them at the table.

Some did.

Some mock Paul. He’s telling them they’ve been doing it wrong and they don’t like it. They never have bel’d in a resurrection and aren’t about to start now.

Others, politely invite him to come back. They would love to hear more. Simply a polite dismissal. They’d heard enough. But they didn’t believe in what he was talking about.

Paul knew his audience when he received the invitation.

The theology included in this talk.

Creator.

Sustainer of life.

Sovereign over all people, whether they believe it or not.

Father of all mankind.

We are God’s creatures, responsible to and held accountable by Him.

God is and has the right t/b our Judge.

The biggest obstacle we have to get past to repent like God commands is our pride.

I’m not that bad. I’m a citizen of the greatest nation in history. God has smiled on us, therefore, on me.

What do I really need to apologize for, anyway.

Well, let’s begin w/ the notion that you think you’re all that.

Applications

When and Where

God determined when and where you would live. Today, you’re here.

His plan for our redemption includes those of who have been redeemed participate in helping those around us get to this point, too.

One of the key verses in our mission statement. If God is sovereign, then He had a lot to do w/ us choosing the house we bought here. And, He had a lot to do w/ all of my neighbors choosing their houses too.

They may not believe it. But belief doesn’t determine truth.

God has a job for us to do and that is help our neighbors discover what is true so they can believe that.

What can you do to help the people who live in the houses around you get to know Jesus better?

Do they know?

There was a synagogue in Athens yet the people there had no idea about God, His activity, or what He offered them.

There’s a church in Munds Park. Do the people who don’t go to this church know about God and what He offers them?

If all they know about God is you, what do they know about God?

First, model godly behavior. Be as gracious w/ everyone around you as God is w/ you.

What can you do to improve people’s opinion of God?

Comliment

When you have to have one of those conversations w/ someone don’t start out angry or insult them, putting them on the defensive.

Compliment them. Honestly.

If you want to have an influence in their lives don’t start out by making them mad.

In our involvement in associations, clubs, organizations and our own family, we have numerous opportunities to influence people toward God.