Living Missionally | Acts 17:16-34

Good morning, Watermark. How are we doing today? Good to see you. I want to give a special hello to everyone sitting in overflow in the Loft and the Chapel. We're in different rooms, but we're all here together. If this is your first time ever at Watermark, thanks for trusting us with your Sunday. We want to be a place where every person in this room can either take their first or next step with Jesus Christ. We gather every Sunday as the people of God. This is really a family reunion where we come together and get to hear from God and meet with God collectively.

We study the Bible every week because we believe it's not just an ancient textbook. We believe God has gone to great lengths to speak to us through his Word, so when we open it, it's like we're opening his mouth. So, I want to give us a moment to prepare our hearts to hear from God. I want to invite you to close your eyes, and here's what I want you to think about. Is there anything going on right now that would hinder you from hearing from God? If there's anything you need to talk to him about really quickly, anything causing you anxiety, anything distracting you, just bring that to him.

Then, if you're willing, I want to invite you to open up your hands, putting yourself in a posture ready to receive, and I want to invite you to pray and say, "God, would you speak to me this morning?" Whether you're spiritually skeptical or spiritually strong, I encourage you to pray that. "God, speak to me this morning." Then, would you pray for the people around you and ask God to speak to them as well? Then, would you pray for me and ask God to speak through me to you?

Lord, would you speak straight to our hearts this morning? I pray that every single one of us would leave changed, not because of my words but because of your words to our hearts today. We love you, Lord. We give this time to you. Be glorified here at Watermark. In Jesus' name, amen.

I shared with y'all last week that over the summer we took a family trip to Park City, Utah. While we were there, we decided to go whitewater rafting as a family. We hadn't been before, so we figured we'd give it a try. Here's what I learned: the Ateek family is terrible at whitewater rafting. We're just not good at it.

We got in the raft, and the instructor put me at the front left. She said, "Okay. You're our leader." I was like, "Makes sense. I understand why you chose me, so thank you." She put us in different places in the raft. What she told our family… She looked at me and said, "Okay. Y'all follow his lead." Well, that just didn't happen, because I was trying to follow her. She might say, "Forward two, one, two." I'm trying to row when she says, "One, two," but then Kat sitting next to me is like, "I need you to slow down. You're rowing too fast for me."

I'm in this tension. Like, I want to wait for my wife, but she's saying "One, two," so I want to row with her, but I also don't want to lose Kat. So that dynamic is happening. One of my sons is sitting right behind me, so I can see his paddle in my periphery. I'm like this, and when I'm like this, a second later I see his paddle. Another son of mine just has his oar on his lap looking for wildlife. My other son wasn't even given an oar. He's just sitting in between us.

I knew we weren't any good at rowing because the instructor… I mean, she was kind, she was gentle, but what she was really communicating was "Y'all are terrible at this," because she would say, "Forward two," we would go, "One, two," and she would go, "And one more time." That was her way of saying, "You didn't do it. We didn't accomplish what we needed to accomplish, so we have to keep going."

When I think about that experience, here's the reality: we did not move effectively because we were not rowing together. We were not in sync. I tell you that because as we step into Acts 17, this is a passage that invites us to row together. This is a passage about us being effective witnesses for the sake of the gospel, but if we are going to be an effective church for the sake of the gospel, we have to be synced up. We have to row together.

During my time away, I sensed a genuine desire in me to grow in living missionally. I want to be more effective. I want to become a more effective witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I thought about our church… We've been in the book of Acts all year so far. (Some of you are like, "And when is it going to be done?" The middle of November, just so you know.) We've been in the book of Acts so that we, as a church, can grow in living missionally. We've been in this book for several months, yet my sense is that we still have room to grow as a church.

I look at the "Jesus is Lord" light display. We have that there so that anytime someone trusts Christ, they can screw in a light bulb indicating that the light of Christ has flooded their hearts and now they are light in the world, but that light display has grown stagnant. My hope would have been that by now we would have seen that thing filled up two or three times over. So, I just want to say I think we have room to grow.

My hope is that a day would come where every single Sunday we're celebrating dozens of baptisms because people are trusting Christ and then publicly identifying with Christ through baptism. I want us to be light in this dark city, and I want God to use us to push back the darkness in Richardson, Plano, Lake Highlands, the Park Cities, The Village apartments, Preston Hollow, Frisco, Garland, and on and on. Just yell out your area of town. What is it? Yeah. Thank you for the 30 people who just participated.

Yeah, we want to be light there. We want to push back the darkness there. So, this is a passage where we need to get synced up. We want to row together so we can move effectively as a church. Just think internally. Answer this question. Do you want to grow in living missionally? Do you want to be a more effective witness for Jesus? If so, I want to invite you to turn with me to Acts 17.

If you're sitting there saying, "Look. I'm just visiting…" You're spiritually skeptical, spiritually searching. You don't know what we're talking about when we're talking about being a witness for Jesus. Here's what I want you to know: the message today is just as much for you. The truth we're going to talk about is something both believers and unbelievers need.

If you've been tracking with us, I just want to remind you. In the book of Acts, Paul goes on three different missionary journeys. We're in the middle of his second missionary journey. Acts 17, which is known as Paul at Mars Hill, is one of the most famous passages in the book of Acts, specifically because of how effective Paul is in reaching and engaging with unbelievers. So, we're going to learn from him today.

Look at verse 16. Here's how it starts. "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." Here's what you need to understand. Paul is waiting for his friend in Athens. Athens was the cultural and intellectual center of the Roman Empire. It was famous for its architecture and art. So, because Paul has time to kill, he hops on one of those scooters that are in every downtown area, and he just begins to scooter around Athens.

As he is sightseeing, taking a tour around the city, he sees that all the architecture and art is actually devoted to the Greek pantheon. What he sees are countless temples, shrines, statues, and altars, all dedicated to the gods of Olympus. Scholar John Stott described the city… Paul sees it full of idols. He portrays it as being under idols. Meaning, swamped or saturated, inundated by idols. A Roman satirist said it was easier to find a god in Athens than a man.

This is where we have to get synced up in rowing together. The first way we need to get synced up is we have to make sure we are understanding reality in the same way, because what we see happening in Athens reminds us of a very important truth: we have been made to worship. As Paul looks out into Athens and sees all the idolatry, this is a reminder that we have been made to worship. No matter who you are in the room, you've been made to worship.

Every human being worships someone or something. You don't have to learn to worship; everyone does it instinctively. We instinctively give extreme amounts of attention, affection, and devotion to people, places, things, and deities. We look to people, places, objects, or deities for our joy, satisfaction, and security. Every person in this room, in the Town Center, in the Loft, and in the Chapel… Everyone is worshiping someone or something.

You see it happen at the earliest age. I remember one of my kids… We were phasing out the pacifier. We got rid of every pacifier we could find in the house. Then one day, we found our son buried in his stuffed animals, sweating, taking a drag of a pacifier he had found that we had missed. Do you know what that is? That's worship.

Have you ever seen old videos of the crowds at Beatles concerts? Some of you are like, "Who are the Beatles?" Okay. You need to figure that out. Just look up some old videos. You see girls screaming and running and fainting just at the sight of the Beatles. What is that? That's worship. What's it called when there's a group of high school or college students who are all hanging out with each other…? All of their friends are right there with them, yet every single one of them is just sitting on their phone right next to each other scrolling social media endlessly. That's called worship. It's worship.

You don't have to teach worship. We do it instinctively. Why? Because we've been made to worship. We talked about this last week. Colossians 1:15-16 tells us (this is about Jesus), "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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."

We have been made through Jesus, and we have been made for Jesus. Jesus is God. The right way to respond to God is worship; therefore, because we have been made for Jesus, we have been made to worship. We've been made to give extreme amounts of attention, affection, and devotion to Jesus. We've been made to find our joy, security, and significance all in Jesus. We've been made for him.

I've used this illustration before, but I'll share it again. Why does the iPhone exist? The iPhone exists to put the world at your fingertips. Now, you can live like the iPhone exists for a different reason. You can flip it upside down, put your drink on it, and say, "Man, have you seen this coaster I have? It cost me hundreds of dollars, but this is an incredible coaster." Or, if there's a wobbly table, I can jam it under there and be like, "Man, this thing levels things so well." You might be like, "That's ridiculous." Yeah, because that's not what it has been made for.

You can live like you've been made to worship someone or something else, but it doesn't change the fact that you have been made for Jesus. You will be most fully alive and most fully satisfied when all of your attention, affection, and devotion go toward Jesus, when you find your joy, satisfaction, and security in Jesus. That's the one you've been made for. We have been made to worship. Blaise Pascal put it this way: "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ."

If we're going to row together, we have to start there and remind ourselves that we have been made to worship. The second truth we need to be synced up on is idolatry is giving to others the worship that belongs to Jesus. That's what idolatry is. If we don't give our worship to Jesus, we'll give it to someone or something else. That's called idolatry. This is what is happening in Athens. It's idolatry.

Tim Keller defines idolatry this way: "What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give." John Calvin said man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols. What's the point? Human beings consistently give to others the worship that belongs to Jesus.

Paul goes sightseeing in Athens, and what does he see? He sees the entire city giving to others what only belongs to Jesus. We're talking about living missionally. So, the natural question out of this text right now is to say, "Okay. When we look at our city, how do we see people giving to other people and things the worship that only belongs to Jesus?" But we're not there yet. That might be the natural question, but it's not the next question.

The next question is…How are we giving our worship to other people or other things, the worship that belongs to Jesus? Before we look at our city, we have to look at our lives. Do we give extreme amounts of attention, affection, and devotion to other people or things? Do we look to other people or things for our joy, satisfaction, and security? If we're going to be effective, we all have to row together in the same direction. We all have to destroy our idols and return our worship to the one it was made for, Jesus Christ. So, even right now, let me invite you to pray with me. Let's just give a moment.

Holy Spirit, would you show us who or what has our hearts? Would you show us the idols in our lives?

Is it money? Success? Is it stuff? Is it your phone? Is it lavish vacations? Is it youth sports? Is it politics? Food? Sex? Alcohol? A boyfriend or a girlfriend? Drugs? Is it binge-worthy shows? Is it comfort? Is it astrology? Is it spirituality that has no connection to Jesus?

What are the idols in our lives, Lord?

You can open your eyes. Look. If we're not truly worshiping Jesus, we can't expect unbelievers to. The third thing we need to be synced up on, rowing together on, is the right response to idolatry is anger. Here's where I get that from. Look back at verse 16. (We're still just on verse 16, people.) Luke, the author, says, "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."

He uses the Greek word paroxuno. Paroxuno was originally a verb that had medical associations used of a seizure or an epileptic fit. So, here it means that Paul is stirred up in anger. He's infuriated as he sees the idols. What's interesting to note is that Paul's response to the idolatry in Athens is the same response God had to the golden calf at Mount Sinai. What that means is Paul is responding to the Athenians' idolatry the same way God is responding to their idolatry.

Here's why the right response to idolatry is anger: because that's God's response to idolatry. Think about it this way. If Colossians 1 is right and we have been made through Jesus and for Jesus, that means we have been custom-made for Jesus Christ. Have you ever had something custom-made for you? Let me ask. By a show of hands, who here has a retainer? Anyone have one but not wear it? Yeah, that's a problem. That's my reality.

That retainer was custom-made for you. It was molded for your mouth and your teeth. Now, let me ask you, by show of hands, who here has tried wearing someone else's retainer? No? Why not? I think I heard someone down here say, "That's disgusting." Yeah, it's gross. Right? Someone else's retainer is not for your mouth; it's for their mouth. Exactly.

You have been so custom-made for Jesus Christ. Your mind has been made for Jesus. Your soul has been made for Jesus. Your body has been made for Jesus. To give your mind, soul, and body to someone else or something else is gross to God. It's disgusting. Here's what we have to understand. Ultimately, what idolatry declares to Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…

What idolatry declares to the one who left heaven and came to earth to rescue us from slavery to sin; the one who laid down his life for us and was punished in our place; the one who rose and conquered the grave; the one who secured complete forgiveness for us; the one who has made us new; the one who comforts us, protects us, leads us, heals us, provides for us, sustains us, and lifts us up when we fall; the one who keeps us company on the most lonely of nights; the one who has secured our eternity; the one whose goodness and beauty are meant to satisfy us at the deepest level… To this Jesus, our idolatry declares, "You really aren't that great."

What it declares is "This person or thing is actually better than you, more worthy than you, more satisfying than you. I need this person or thing more than I need you." Do you know why our idolatry should make us angry? It should make us angry because, in the end, we've been duped. When we give ourselves to idolatry, we've been duped. What I mean by that is we have the wrong Jesus, because the Jesus we're responding to when we're giving our worship that belongs to Jesus to some other person or thing… The Jesus we're responding to doesn't even exist.

That Jesus we're responding to is some incompetent, uninteresting, unimpressive, made-up Jesus sold to us by the Father of Lies, the Devil. So, let me just give us another moment to pray. If the Lord is identifying any idolatry in your life, let's row together. Let's get synced up. This is a moment for you to go before the Lord and say, "Jesus, I've been duped, and I repent. I repent of the made-up version of you, and I worship you." Just give your attention, affection, and devotion back to Jesus. Repent of any idolatry in your life right now.

Lord, even to the things we want to cling to right now that we're afraid to let go of because we're still not convinced you're better than them, Lord, would you help us open up our hands and release the things that cannot give us what you can? Only you are worthy of our worship. In Jesus' name, amen.

We've still only made it through one verse. Now, finally, we're going to dial into the point of this passage, which is living missionally. The next point we need to get synced up on so we can row together is this. It's a long one. For those who are wordsmiths and points people, your hand is going to be exhausted after you write out this point, but here it is: living missionally is about Jesus getting the worship that belongs to him from others.

That's what living missionally is. Living missionally is about Jesus getting the worship that belongs to him from others. It's us wanting others to give to Jesus what rightfully belongs to him. So, if we're going to live missionally, there are a few things we really need to be synced up on to get it right, to live effectively.

First, we need to have the right feeling when we look out into our city and see the idolatry. By the way, the idolatry you're going to see at your work or at your gym or in your neighborhood is the same idolatry that is existing in this room right now. The hope is that as we look inside of us, we would be angered by it and repent. The hope is that we would look out into the city, and we would be angered by it and call others to repentance.

So, let's talk about the right feeling. If we're going to live missionally, let's talk about the right feeling as we live missionally. It goes back to the fact that Paul's spirit was provoked. He was infuriated. Why was Paul infuriated as he looked at the idolatry in Athens? Paul was angered for two reasons. The first reason Paul was angered was he hated to see people duped.

Think about my favorite Christmas movie, Elf. Do you know that scene with the fake Santa? I love that scene. What does Buddy the Elf confront him and say? He says, "You sit on the throne of lies." He says, "You smell like beef and cheese." What's the deal? What you see in Buddy the Elf is a passion, zeal, and anger that any child would be led astray by a fake Santa.

I'm going to tell you to look out for something the next time you watch the movie, because this is my favorite moment in Elf. It's so subtle. You won't see it if you're not looking for it, but now that I tell you about it, you won't be able to not see it. There's a kid right there with Santa, and Buddy looks at him and says, "He's a fake." Then, if you watch the kid's face…it's my favorite part…you see the kid mouth, "Fake." Just watch it. Go back and look at it. It'll bless your heart. Buddy says, "He's a fake," and the kid is like, "Fake."

The reason I draw your attention to that is that's what living missionally is. It's us moving into people's lives and saying, "The thing you're giving your worship to is a fake." Our greatest desire is to see them get it and say, "Fake. It's a fake." That begins a process of them finding the one for whom they've been made.

Paul is angered because he can't stand the thought of people being duped. The second reason, and maybe the primary reason, Paul is angered by the idolatry is because he can't stand the idea of someone or something else getting the worship that belongs to Jesus. John Stott put it this way. (By the way, his commentary is fantastic.) "Whenever he [Jesus] is denied his rightful place in people's lives, therefore, we should feel inwardly wounded and jealous for his name."

Henry Martyn, who was born in 1781 and died in 1812, an Anglican missionary, was the guest of a Muslim friend for dinner. His host described for him a painting he had seen of Jesus bowing down before Muhammad, and this was Henry Martyn's response. He said, "I was cut to the soul at this blasphemy. […] 'I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified; it would be hell to me if he were to be always thus dishonored. […] It is because I am one with Christ that I am thus dreadfully wounded.'"

We have to remember that. Just think about those tubs. Do you want me to drag those tubs back out? It's about that time. What was the point of the tubs? We're in Christ. We've been united with Christ. We've been united within Christ's death. We've died with Christ. We've been buried with Christ. We've been raised with Christ. We live in Christ. So, when people dishonor Christ, we should feel it. When the worship that belongs to him is given to something else, it should grate on us the way it does God.

During my time away, I went to Austin on a study trip, and I was staying on this street, which is a different area of town than the rest of the city. It's concentrated with idolatry. As I looked, and as I walked around the street, I felt like I was provoked, because it was so clear the gods of this street. The gods of this street were sexuality. It was nature. It was people's pets. You look at people's dark jewelry and their tattoos. They're spiritual, but it's a spirituality that has nothing to do with Jesus.

It was in this concentrated area, and I felt convicted. The reason I felt convicted is I left my city, and in going to a different city, my spirit was provoked, yet there are days in my own city that I'm not. That tells me I've grown calloused in some ways to the idolatry all around. So, I want to invite you to just think. See the idols. See the idols of people. Just think about them right now. What are the idols in your neighborhood, at your workplace, at the gym? See the things getting the worship that belongs to Jesus, and allow yourself to be stirred by it. That's the right feeling.

Now let's talk about the right action. What do you do with that anger? Watch how Paul responds. We're finally moving on to the next verse. What did he do? It says, "So…" Or, therefore. This is the result of him being provoked. "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."

This is interesting. How did Paul wage war on the idolatry? He actually reasoned. He entered into conversation and discussions. He didn't get in an echo chamber with his buddies and just start ranting. He didn't hop on social media and rant about how the world is going to hell. No, he reasoned. He also didn't retreat. He didn't cocoon himself in a Christian bubble so that nothing in the world would harm him. No, he moved forward. He engaged, and he reasoned. Just think. When it comes to living missionally, what best describes you: ranting, retreating, or reasoning?

Then, notice who Paul engages. It says he reasoned with the Jews and the devout persons. These are the religious people. Do you know anyone who's religious, yet their religion is religion not relationship? They kind of know about Jesus. They're seeking to do things that appease Jesus, but they don't know Jesus. Maybe God put you in their life for a reason, for you to reason with them.

Paul reasoned in the marketplace. This was where everyone came to hang out or to shop. For us, this would be at work or in coffee shops or at the gym or on the sidelines of sports games. Then he engaged with the Epicureans and the Stoic philosophers. He engages with the intellectuals. He's engaging everyone.

Just a sidenote. This is one of the reasons I love our ministry Great Questions. There are a lot of smart people in the world who believe you have to commit intellectual suicide to believe in Christianity. They would say that Christianity is for the gullible or the simple-minded. The reality is that our faith isn't blind; it is deeply informed.

I'm so thankful for people in our body who have brilliant minds. If you have a brilliant mind… And that's not to say some of you don't, but some have just been wired in different ways. Man, if God has given you that ability to think critically, we need you, because there are people in this world who need to be engaged on such an intellectual level that we need you. Let me just ask you. Who are the religious, the passersby, the people in the marketplace, and the intellectuals you're engaging with? I just want to call us to take a step in mission.

As I was preparing for this, I was reminded of something Watermark members did from the earliest of days in this church. Does anyone here remember your top 10 list? Does anyone still have a top 10 list? A top 10 list is simply the 10 people who don't know the Lord who you're praying for and seeking to engage. Let's bring that back. I encourage all of you to create your top 10 list of unbelievers who you want to pray for and pursue.

You might be like, "I don't know 10 unbelievers." Okay. Well, let's work on that, but pray for as many as… You have three? Start with three. Get your top three. Get your top five. Get your top one, but pray. Then, there are four words I'm going to be harping on over the next few months while we're still in Acts.

I want to invite everyone who calls this place home to, every week, be committed to praying for unbelievers. Secondly, to commit to befriending unbelievers. Like, know their names. Know their needs. Share a meal with them. Befriend them. Who are you befriending? Thirdly, to invite unbelievers. Invite unbelievers to church. I'm excited about what's coming.

I'll tell you from now, for our Advent series, it is going to be an apologetics series where we're going to talk about these important aspects of the faith, these things that keep people from the faith. We're going to spend all of December talking about it. You should prepare from now. Start inviting people from now, every single Sunday. This is a time in the year when people are trying to get back into healthy rhythms. Invite people to church.

Then share. Share the gospel. Share your testimony. This is one way you can challenge one another in your Community Groups. Don't let your Community Group just turn into a fellowship time. That's so important, but challenge each other to pray, befriend, invite, and share.

The final thing we want to get synced up on so we can row together is the right mechanics. What are the right mechanics of living missionally? What are some tools you can put in your tool belt? What are some ways you can operate that will be helpful to unbelievers? I'm going to show you. What happens is you have the Epicureans and Stoics, and they're amused by what Paul is sharing. They don't agree with it, but they want to hear more. So, they invite Paul to basically give a defense at the Areopagus, which is known as Mars Hill.

So, I want to look at what he shares. Look. We're going to leave so much meat on the bone. There's no way we can unpack all of this. I'm going to be looking less at the particulars of what Paul said and more at how Paul engaged. I think it'll be helpful. So, I'm going to give you a list of the right mechanics. Here we go. I'm going to move quickly.

First, let me encourage you: connect before you convict. Here's what it says in verse 22: "So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 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.'"

Do you see how strategic Paul is? He doesn't come right out of the gate trying to convict them of their idolatry. No, he builds a connection. What's the connection? The connection is worship. Let me encourage you. Get people talking about the things they worship. If you want to see someone come alive, if you want to get access to someone's heart and mind, just invite them to share about what they worship.

Secondly, find the right starting place. Verse 24: "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth…" Do you see where Paul starts with people who have never heard about Jesus? He doesn't start with Jesus dying on the cross. He starts with Genesis 1:1. He goes all the way back to the creation of the world. Why? Because he's talking to people who are pantheists, who believe God is in nature.

He's trying to make the point, "God isn't in creation; he stands over it. He's the Lord of heaven and earth." He finds the right starting place for these people. That's why I like to ask people the question… If we get into a spiritual conversation, the question I bridge with is "Is faith something that is important to you?" When I ask someone, "Is faith something that's important to you?" what that does is it opens them up to share with me what faith looks like for them, and that tells me what the starting point should be.

Thirdly, build a case for how Jesus is different. Paul says, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man…" Their gods lived in temples. "…nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." He's building a case for how Jesus is different. The Athenians think Paul is just trying to add another god to the Greek pantheon. Paul is saying, "No, he's different altogether. In fact, he's the only true one."

What does this look like for us today? I believe we live in a "Good for you" culture. "Good for you." Have you ever shared with someone how Jesus has changed your life and their response was "Well, man, good for you"? Kind of like, "Man, I'm glad you found a god that works for you." The underlying assumption is, like, "Man, there's a buffet of gods. You just need to find the one that is most satisfying to you. It might be different for me than it is for you, but just find the god that works for you." But there is no god like Jesus. Build a case for how he's different.

I mean, Jesus was God who left heaven and came to earth. Our God died in our place. Our God rose and conquered the grave. Our God ascended and now is seated at the right hand of God, ruling and reigning. Our God has sent his Spirit who lives inside of us. Our God has secured our eternity, and it's not based upon our works, but solely based upon his perfect work on the cross. That's different. Every other religion says, "Here's what you need to do to get to God." Christianity says, "You couldn't do it, so he came to us."

Next, appeal to purpose. Look at what he says in verse 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, 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…"

Everyone in this world wants to know, "Why am I here? Why do I exist?" So many people spend their entire lives still trying to answer the question, "What was I made for?" You were made for Jesus. That's what Paul is saying. He's saying you have been put here… It doesn't matter where you're from, your background, or nationality. Everyone here has been put here for the purpose of seeking God, to know God. And good news: He's not far off. He can be known.

Next, use culture. Verse 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.'" You can use culture to engage in conversations. I think every country singer is contractually obligated to mention Jesus in their song…Jesus, their dog, and the alcohol they like to drink. There are movies that portray good and evil so clearly. There are songs that wrestle with the meaning of life. Use them.

I have two more for you. Next, call them to repentance. Verse 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. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…"

We have to be clear with people. What is the right response to Jesus Christ? It is to repent. What does that mean? It means to turn from every rival object of worship. It is taking our worship back from the people and things we've given it to, and it is to give our worship solely to Jesus Christ.

Then, finally, put them in front of Jesus for judgment. Here's what I mean by that. Put them in front of Jesus for judgment now before they stand before Jesus in judgment at the end. Verse 31: "…because he [God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man [Jesus] whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

The fact that Jesus Christ rose and conquered the grave means he's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and every single person on the planet will stand before him and give an account one day. You can put people before Jesus now before they stand before Jesus. What does that look like?

That's why it's so good sometimes to ask people the question, "If you were to die tonight and you were to stand before Jesus Christ and he were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into heaven?' what would you say?" Put them before Jesus for judgment now. Let them figure that out now so that when they actually do stand before him one day, they can hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

When you stand before Jesus one day, the question won't be "What have you done to earn your way in here?" The question will be "What did you do with Jesus when you knew who he was?" That's it. I'll close by encouraging you to trust God with the results. If you were to read the rest of the passage… I mean, Paul gives it all he has, and how do people respond? Some people mocked him and Jesus. Some people said, "I want to learn more," and then others trusted. Leave the results to God.

I want to invite you right now to respond. If you're here this morning, and you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, let me just ask you. If you were to die and stand before Jesus Christ tonight and he were to ask you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" what would you say? The only answer is "I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to save me. I bring nothing; you've done everything."

So, maybe you want to put your trust in Jesus Christ today. I invite you right now to say, "Lord Jesus, would you come into my life? Thank you that you died on the cross for me. Thank you that you rose from the dead for me. Would you come into my life, would you forgive me of my sins, and would you lead me in a new life?"

Lord, would you have your way in our church? Would you purify us, Lord? Would you reveal our idolatry? Then, would you reclaim the worship that belongs solely to yourself? You're a good King, Jesus, and we worship you. We love you. It's in your name we pray, amen.