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PASTOR WOOD’S Sermon notes

Today’s Message Notes: May 17, 2020
Title: “Jesus, Not So Unknown”

Acts 17:22-31

Introduction: Shopping for the right house.

I. The Gospel is introduced to the Areopogus.
A. Paul tours Athens and is very troubled by all the idolatry.
B. The Epicurean household—If neighbors you would meet:
1. Materialists.
2. Basically atheists.
3. “What would is this Babbler trying to say?”
C. The Stoic household—If neighbors you would meet:
1. Pantheists who find their ‘truth’ in nature
2. The divine was referred to as logos.
3. “He seems to be a preacher of foreign gods.”
D. These are the ones Jesus meant when He said, “The world does not accept the Spirit, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him” (John 14:17).
E. Stoics and Epicureans chase whatever modern idea that suits them. “They all spent their time doing nothing but talking and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21).
1. Modern debates are distractions from the Gospel.
2. Worldly wisdom finds purpose in the search for truth more than in the truth itself.
F. The Gospel bursts their philosophical bubbles with the truth of the resurrection.

II. To discover what one doesn’t know start with what we do know.
A. Illustrated in medications that have worked for Covid 19.
B. The Altar of the unknown god (agnosto) was a familiar place to start. “Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.”
C. The Altar has a history associated with a 6th century plague.
1. Athens consulted Epimenides of Cyprus to come up with an answer to the unknown plague.
2. It is believed Paul quotes him in Verse 28. “’In him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
3. Epimenides used a sheep test. Effectively, they replaced an unknown plague with an unknown idol and built an altar to the unknown—now that’s worldly wisdom!
D. Investing in a house has a lot of unknowns and yet one is to make a decision after one 30-minute visit.
1. Largest investment one makes is rushed.
2. For PW’s son and his wife, so far the search for a house been more a matter of what will get compromised rather than what is wanted.
E. In John 14 Jesus makes known to us His Father’s House to live with Him.
1. Biggest investment of a lifetime.
2. Jesus is Creator and source of all life.
3. Jesus Created humanity from Adam and Eve and will Judge the living and the dead.
4. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
F. Jesus makes it clear what it costs us but the rewards will outweigh what it may cost.
1. Luke 9:23-24 Jesus is clear. “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.…”
2. We are not to compromise the truth of the Word nor live by anyone else’s vision of the world other than Jesus’.
3. “Whoever loves me will obey what I command” (John 14:15).

III. The Lord has made known by faith what we hope for in Jesus’ resurrection.
A. Consider the process for buying a house. It always starts with looking at pictures.
1. Pictures are limited
2. Pictures motivate a buyer to go look or not to look.
3. The Father’s House is presented to us in the Word of God.
B. Two reactions to the Gospel.
1. Much like:
a. Sheep and goats
b. Thief on right and one on left.
c. Wheat and the Weeds
2. Verse 32 says, “When they heard about the resurrection some of them sneered while others said they want to talk about it again.”
3. Dionysus who was a member of the elite Areopogus group of philosophers wanted to know more.
4. Another was a Greek woman named, Damarus.
C. Paul knew his audience and was ready to present the Gospel.
1. Paul’s tour of Athens was an education—He was not idle in a hotel room somewhere as he waited for Tim and Silas.
2. Paul didn’t write off anyone but presented the Gospel to all equally.
D. The Father’s House is bought in the cross and guaranteed in the resurrection.
1. 1 Corinthians 13:12 –Face to face
1. 1 John 3:1-3—Children of God
2. 1 Corinthians 15:51-54–Transformational
3. Not on our terms but on Jesus’.
a. Free in grace.
b. Faith unlocks it.

Conclusion: Jesus is the best personal investment you will ever make—the Father’s House comes with the relationship.

Taking it Home
1. What kinds of discussions or debates get you riled up and why? Do you turn to scripture for wisdom in such discussions or just let emotions lead?
2. Who’s wisdom influenced you the most growing up? What experiences? What influences your decisions most today?
3. How has the Lord blessed you knowing Jesus and His resurrection? How does this motivate you when the cost feels high?
Suggest that you Read 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelations 7:9ff.

PRINTABLE PDF: SermonNMay17

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