14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothyremained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and afterreceiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.- Acts 17:14-15 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. -Acts 17:16 Acropolis of Athens Parthenon Erechtheion Temple of Athena Nike Temple of Olympian Zeus paroxunó: Irritate and arouse anger 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. -Acts 17:17 The Apostle Paul’s Anger is Not Toward the People But toward the Existence of Demonic Idolatry That Leads People into . 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said,“What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. - Acts 17:18 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. -Acts 17:19-21 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” -Acts 17:22-23 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. -Acts 17:24-25 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this. -Acts 17:26-32 The Person of God Our Position in Relation to God The Plan of God Our Response to God The Person of God: • God made all things and is Lord of all things (v 24) • God is the one who has given all things life (v 25) • God has authority over every nation (v 26) • God is not made in our image, we are made in God’s image (v 29) • God is omnipresent God is Lord of all things. Our Position in Relation to God • God is not dependent upon us, we are dependent upon God (24b & 25a) • Our existence is dependent upon God (v 28) • We are the offspring of God (v 29). If God is Lord of All things, We Must Be Lord of No Things The Plan of God • To judge the world in righteousness The Gospel Isn’t Good News Until We The Promise of Our Response to God: • Repentance that implies faith (v 30). There are people all around us searching for all the right things in all the wrong places If You Have a Disdain for a Certain People Group, It’s Unlikely God is Going to Use You in the Process of Saving that People Group. God’s Desire is To Save the World Through Jesus. And, God is Going to Judge Those Who Do Not Belong to Jesus.