The 11^th Sunday After Trinity

SERMON

Text: Acts 17:16-34

Now while Paul waited for [Silas and Timothy] at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols [Lit. “full of idols”]. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

In Christ Jesus, the Son of the One True and living God—dear fellow redeemed:

WHAT IF… What if you woke up one morning to find the headlines of the paper reading: “PRESIDENT COMMISSIONS RELIGIOUS FEAST…WHOLE NATION WILL WORSHIP IDOL OR FACE PUNISHMENT” It would remind you of King Nebuchadnezzar and the three men in the fiery furnace…but that wouldn’t happen here—this is the modern world and the United States.

WHAT IF…you were on your way home from work one evening and you tuned in your car radio to hear the news and you heard: “The nation’s governors meeting in Washington today convinced the president that he should issue an executive order that the next month will be ‘his month.’ During that time anyone found worshipping any being other than the president will face the firing squad. And now to weather…” Again, this being the United States in the modern age we wouldn’t expect to relive Daniel and the Lion’s Den.

These “what ifs” sound pretty impossible. Nor would we expect to turn the corner on Main and Riverfront only to see someone bowing down and worshipping the big buffalo statue. We are too modern, too enlightened, too civilized, to ever think of idolatry like that of Molech whose followers would sacrifice infants on the idol’s white-hot metal arms. Idolatry, like small pox and polio, has been wiped out…at least in our country…RIGHT?? …. NO!

In this country, we do not see wide open idolatry in quite the same way as it took place in Biblical times, though in some countries they do. Yet in many ways, our country is probably the most idolatrous of all. And in many ways it is an even more dangerous idolatry because its hidden…secret. Idolatry is something that every nation, every individual—yes, even Christians—struggle with every day. It is part of our sinful condition. It is the reason God’s very first commandment is: “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS.” What makes idolatry at times so subtle is that it strives to make itself look so right.

This morning we make use of Paul’s experience in Athens to be reminded of the dangers of idolatry for others in the world and for our own hearts. We seek to have our sensitivity to idolatry sharpened so that we may more easily recognize it and deal with it whenever it arises. With the Spirit’s guidance we will see that AN IDOL IS NOTHING THOUGH IT PRETENDS TO BE EVERYTHING. I. Idolatry is Religious II. Idolatry is blind III. Idolatry is vulnerable.

I.

The true God identifies Himself in Scripture: He is ONE God, Triune—Father, Son, Holy Ghost. God identifies our Savior from sin as Jesus, the Son of God who became man in order to redeem the world. These and all other things God reveals about Himself in Scripture are part of who He is. Any god that is not the true God identified by Scripture is a FALSE GOD, whether it comes in the form of a statue or not.

God says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The one true God identified in Scripture expects and demands complete devotion. He wants us to love Him with the highest and best effort we have. Whenever we take the love which we owe to God and give it to someone or something else, that is idolatry.

The idolatry which Paul found in Athens was very easy to see. “He saw that the city was full of idols…‘as I was passing through and considered your objects of worship…’” [vv.16,22] When Paul saw all the altars and other evidence of idolatry, he began to speak about it with anyone who would listen—in the synagogue and marketplace!

As news of Paul’s preaching spread, he was brought to the Areopagus. The Areopagus was a hill in Athens, but the name “Areopagus” also became the name of the Athenian governing council. This City Council supervised education and other city affairs, particularly controlling the many visiting lecturers who would come to Athens. Athens was famous for its wisdom, philosophers, and “wise-thinkers.” In terms of culture, it was the place to go and the place to be. The Areopagus guarded that reputation with great seriousness. So, when Paul came preaching things the people hadn’t heard before, they wanted to “check him out.” “They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?’” [v.19]

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious…’” [v.22]. Did Paul say they were “VERY RELIGIOUS”? It sounds pretty pagan to me! However, religion/religious does not equal “Christian.” It is a misunderstanding of the words which we face today. There are many many “religious” people in the world who are walking the road to hell.

The Athenians WERE very religious. The Athenians were very much “into” religion. They were excited about their faith…they were dedicated…they prayed…they worshipped…they were sincere! But Why? and For what?

The Athenians’ (as well as other Greeks’) belief in gods went back to the “Titans”—supergods who did not create the world but were created by the world. In Greek mythology, the titans produced the 12 Olympian gods from whom came lesser gods and other servants of the gods.

When Paul called the Athenians “very religious” he meant what he said. What he was saying was that the Athenians were very reverent to the gods—very involved with their system of beliefs. According to the Greek way of thinking it looked so good…the people were so INVOLVED…the city was UNITED religiously….they WORKED TOGETHER—it was a FULL COMMITMENT to religion!! But every ounce of dedication, every bit of worship, every prayer offered, every sacrifice made was to a FALSE god—a helpless god like Baal on Mt. Carmel (cf: 1 Kings 18), a non-existent god. Idolatry looks religious and can look deceivingly “good” when in truth it is nothing.

Martin Luther wrote: “That upon which you set your heart and place your trust, is in reality your god.” Listen to that again: “That upon which you set your heart and place your trust, is in reality your god.”

It is easy to spot idolatry when people are openly showing or declaring their allegiance to a false god. Such idolatry—like that in Athens and Old Testament Israel—is clearly false. Still, people can be dedicated to this kind idolatry and work tirelessly for it. However, as long as it’s a false god which they serve, they are still caught in idolatry pretending to be something it is not.

Someone may claim to be following the true god and talk of the Bible and the “Christian god.” Such claims sound religious and “isn’t it great, they’re using the same Bible and worshipping the same god we are?” However, if they alter what God says about Himself in Scripture, or accept only part of who He says He is, they too are following an idol. Jesus said, “All people should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23). John comments on this truth in his first letter, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). A god who is “Christ-less” or denies Jesus’ identity is a false god.

“That upon which you set your heart and place your trust, is in reality your god.” We are children of the true God. We worship the true God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. For us, it is not just “religion” and yet and idol can rise up also in our hearts.

An idol may rise up in our hearts in regard to FAMILY. “I’m doing this for my family…I need to give them this time….I want to offer all this to my children…” This looks great, sounds great and YES a godly dedication to family is great; but… “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of me and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Even family can become an idol if I’m serving them above my service to the Lord, or in a way that is not following God’s Word.

An idol may rise up in our hearts in regard to WORK: God says, “If any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Yes, we need to work, God wants us to work. God wants us to work diligently and faithfully with he gifts and opportunities he gives us. But when I cease working as a steward for the Lord and am instead working for myself (or others); when my desire to get ahead and succeed and build this and that in my career becomes all-consuming—or at least enough to push God out of 1^st place, then it has become an idol.

An idol may even rise up in our hearts regarding the GOSPEL MINISTRY. One might suppose that when we are working for the Lord’s kingdom, either as a called servant or layman, that surely that could never be an idolatrous act. Doing work for the spread of the Gospel and the work of the Church will always appear very religious, but if such diligence comes from selfish motives it is “belly-serving” (cf: Philippians 3:19, Romans 16:18) and an idolatrous act.

We need to remember that the things we are doing, what we say, and how we act can all look very religious, but if they’re coming from a heart that is FEARING (revering, being guided by) something else other than the true God… A heart that is LOVING something more than the one true God… A heart that is TRUSTING something or someone more than God… then such words and actions are not serving the true God.

The heart from which our words and actions come may change many times within a single day! At one moment we may be acting out of love for Christ and later act out of selfish motives. This is part of the sin which we daily confess and which Christ daily forgives. BEWARE because idolatry looks religious and by that fact is deceiving.

II.

The reason the Athenians could be “very religious” and still not know the true God or follow Him has to do with the “natural knowledge” of God. Every human being has a remnant knowledge that some kind of god has to exist. The natural knowledge of God comes from the conscience which speaks even to an unconverted soul saying, “there IS a god.” The ancient Greeks (and other peoples) acted on their conscience and made up their own gods in which they could believe.

Another voice that testifies to the existence of God is the created world around us. The magnificence and wisdom that is evident in all of creation speaks out loudly that a higher being must exist for this marvelous creation could not simply appear and no human being could make it. In an earlier sermon, Paul told his hearers that the rain and fruitful harvests are a testimony to God’s existence and goodness: “He did not leave himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). To the Romans Paul wrote that a person can learn something about God’s invisible characteristics just by looking at what is visible in creation: “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20)

When the Athenians’ conscience said there had to be a god and they made their own gods, they also made use of their observations of the world to formulate their gods. They saw the power of the sea and declared “Poseidon” the god of the sea, and so it was with all the differing parts of nature. They saw things they couldn’t explain so they assigned that to the activities of the gods, etc. They had the natural knowledge of God but the natural knowledge isn’t enough. The natural knowledge alone will lead to idolatry and idolatry is blind to the true God and His saving truth.

The blindness of the Athenian’s idolatry led to two distinct philosophical views. Philosophers from each view came and spoke to Paul [cf. v. 18].

The EPICUREANS saw pleasure as the supreme good and main goal in life. They were materialistic and believed that all sensations are totally reliable. They did not believe in any life after death and did not believe that the gods had any direct involvement with the lives of men.

The STOICS were opposed to the Epicureans. The Stoics resigned themselves to fate. They saw the ultimate “good” as being inside each person’s own soul and for someone to be delivered from the passions of life was something that depended solely on himself. The Stoics used logic and science to support their beliefs.

These philosophies are examples of where the blindness of idolatry can lead. Knowing what each believed we can understand why they were so interested in Paul’s teaching and eventually mocked it. Paul spoke of the resurrection—something the Epicureans never conceived. Paul spoke of Jesus—something so different than the fate, logic, and science of the Stoics. The Athenians were curious and then when they heard what Paul was saying, most mocked him calling him a babbler (literally a “philosopher wanna-be” who picks up crumbs from others and makes a mish-mash kind of teaching and proclaims it as “new”) and the Athenians had no time for THAT kind of speaker.

The false god of the Athenians was really their intellect and learning. It was on their philosophical expertise that they placed their trust. Their “expertise” was blinding them to the truth of the Gospel. They had become so involved with the atmosphere of Athens and all that it stood for, that “the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.” [v.21] But while they were so busy chasing every new theory of man, they were not seeing the truth such as Paul was speaking to them.

For all the insight and wisdom which Athens had, we know that they were still blind because of other things that could be observed. An historian/commentator writes, “In Athens itself, where flourished the most profound philosophy, the most glowing eloquence, the most exquisite poetry, and the most refined creative art which the world has ever seen, there was the most complete and studied abandonment to every vice which passion could prompt or imagination could invent” (McGarvey quoted in Kretzmann, p. 621).

Idolatry is still blind. People who pursue their limited natural knowledge of God still make their own gods based on what they want “god” to be. Or some abandon the natural knowledge of God altogether and declare that there is no god.

In the world of “higher learning” people, like the Athenians, still like to tell and hear something new and at the same time despise the truth of God’s Word as old, stale, and worthless. They do, as Paul warned Timothy, “…have itching ears, [they] heap up for themselves teachers, [they] turn their ears away from the truth and [are] turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:4).

Idolatry is still blind. Although we do not lay our infants on the white-hot arms of Molech, we do (as a society) sacrifice our infants on the altar of self-worship. When babies are aborted because they were “unplanned” or “unwanted” or “imperfect” or an “inconvenience” they are being killed because they are in the way of self-service and self satisfaction. That is nothing less than making one’s own self into a god and despising what the true God says about such things. Idolatry is still blind.

III.

The deception and blindness of idolatry is sobering indeed. To realize how easily it can grip the heart of a sinner might be fearful if not for one glorious truth: IDOLATRY IS VULNERABLE! It can be defeated! Darkness disappears in light!

To the blindness of idolatry that worships an “unknown God that can not be identified” or that worships a god of one’s own making—to that blindness comes the bright light of Truth!

Paul told the Athenians, “You have confessed the existence of a god you do not know and one you feel you cannot know. BUT that is where you are wrong because I can tell you who that God is!” Paul wasn’t going to cater to their intellectual desires, He was going to preach Christ Crucified! (cf: 1 Corinthians 1:22-23).

Paul began by identifying the real God as the One who created all things [cf vv.24ff]. Then Paul contrasted the true God with the Athenians’ false gods. The true God made all things vs. you made your gods. The true God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands vs. your gods are in the temples right where you put them and they don’t move unless you move them. The true God doesn’t need anything vs. you have to supply your idol with whatever it might need to be maintained.

Paul went on to teach the Athenians that God who made the universe also gave life to each one of them and all people. God who made all things also determines when and where each one will live. Every human being owes his existence, life, and everything in it to God. As Paul said, “For in Him we live and move and have our being…” [v.28].

Paul continued by preaching sin and grace. He warned the Athenians that the blindness they were following was sin and would bring God’s eternal judgment upon them. He called upon them to repent, and also spoke of the Man whom God appointed for judging the world and whom He had also raised from the dead, namely Jesus.

Through his whole sermon, Paul was bringing the light of God’s Word to the Athenians to lead them out of the blindness of unbelief. The effect was that many mocked and walked away with the same blindness in which they had come. However, “some men joined him and believed…” [v.34] The light of the God’s Word had pierced the blindness of unbelief and the Gospel of Christ crushed idolatry to nothing in their hearts.

Paul sought to LEAD the Athenians out of their blindness. Paul’s example is an important one for us. If someone who is physically blind was placed in a large room with one door, we wouldn’t let him struggle to find the door on his own. We wouldn’t stand and say to him, “what’s your problem, why can’t you find the door? It’s right there? Why don’t you just walk over there and go through?” Rather, we (who can see) would go to where he was, take him by the hand, and LEAD him through the door.

The same approach needs to be followed in leading those who are blindly following unbelief. It is the approach of Paul. Paul “met” the Athenians where they were. He began with what they knew about God—the natural knowledge. He started with what they confessed, namely, there was a god they didn’t know and from there He told them who that God was. He even quoted some of their own poets [v.28] and declared what they had written to be correct; but then Paul also led them to see that it was correct only when it was applied to the true God.

God has determined the “preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” [v.26] for all people; and He has given a conscience which says there is a god; and He has left evidence of His attributes in all of Creation for a purpose. His purpose is that with this limited knowledge—a knowledge which can only lead to idolatry and death on its own—that people will grope in their blindness trying to find something more. THEN we and other children of God who have the LIGHT of His Word can lead with that Light.

When we use God’s Word to shed light into darkness and blindness, idolatry can and will fall—in our hearts and in the hearts of others. When faced with the Gospel of salvation, idolatry cannot stand because an idol is really nothing. It is vulnerable and it IS defeated by Christ our Savior; and THAT is SOMETHING and is FOR REAL because it comes from the ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD—Your God and mine! Amen.

—Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt