We live in a culture that is confused about truth. We don’t trust truth. If absolute truth exits, we aren’t sure anyone can find it. In this vacuum, we spin data to gain power. Whoever wins the spin game, rules. At one time, we considered the Bible to have authority based on truth. Today, the Bible is still respected by many and read by some, yet it is neglected by most. It doesn’t hold much sway in the court of public opinion when it comes to defining truth. One of the reasons for this is that so much of the church has abandoned its assignment as definer and defender of truth. When the church neglects or abuses scripture, it curses the world. God has not given that assignment to any other entity. The government cannot define truth. The family cannot define truth. Even an individual cannot define truth. God has granted that privilege and responsibility to his church. In the past decade, we were given a window of opportunity to bless the world with the truth of God’s word. Mostly we have squandered it on religious consumerism. Too often we have bowed at the feet of Apollos-like speakers who have swelled their churches and ministries with consumers taken like “market-share” from smaller churches with fewer resources and less gifted speakers, or with listeners who have yet to learn to think with a biblical perspective. In order to attract the crowds and retain the numbers, our sermons have become motivational but not revelational nor transformational. We have forsaken the mandate to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Those disciples, when prepared, have proven they can turn the world upside down. The early disciples even faced down the mighty Roman Empire. Their splattered blood on the pages of history testifies that no government, political system, ideology, or natural disaster can stop the transforming power of a people who are captured by the truth found in Jesus Christ. We have amalgamated the spiritualities of various religions, mixing them with the postulations of scientific experiences; the result is that we have few clues to finding real meaning in life. We stand amidst the confused crowds wondering: Why are we here? Where did evil come from? What is truth? How do we fix our plight? It doesn’t help much when we are inundated with newsletters and emails from various ministers concluding that America is under judgment and encouraging us to appease God with some form of religious activity. When the Apostle Paul went into Athens, he was grieved because of the idolatry he witnessed. It is always sad when idols are erected. They render people hopeless. They can’t talk. They won’t work, and they don’t satisfy. They are projections of man’s imagination and are, therefore, unable to change anything man can’t do himself. As Paul preached the gospel in both religious and marketplace settings, his message got attention. He was brought to the Areopagus where different philosophies were presented and discussed. It is important for us to see his presentation to the culture of that day: 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. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 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, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 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.' 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, 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."
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Acts 17:-34 (ESV)
The first thing we notice in this text is the confrontational nature of the gospel. Paul’s message was different. He did not try to fit his message in with theirs. His was unapologetically superior. He declared that he knew something they did not. They were at least honest enough to admit they did not know everything. So they erected a monument to the “unknown god.” Paul sets out to explain to them something they could never know by observation alone. Truth is not self-evident. The one who is true must reveal it to us. All the philosophies of the world can never know truth apart from God’s gracious revelation of himself. If God chooses not to explain an event in history, we can only speculate as to its meaning. Think of it. Who would have ever known the eternal significance of Abraham leaving Ur and traveling to Canaan? Who would have known the meaning of the Great Exodus? Who could have imagined the significance of an accused prophet dying outside the gates of Jerusalem? Only when these events are explained by God do we get the picture. How could we ever know the full meaning of the Old Testament if God had not given us the New Testament? It was the inspiration of New Testament writers who could say regarding Old Testament prophets and promises: “This is that.” (It seems dangerous to me that some today are sure they are interpreting Old Testament prophecies in current events. Do they have the same level of Inspiration as the New Testament writers?) Paul addressed this in his letter to the Corinthians: Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 26-10 (ESV)
In contrast to Paul’s approach, we tend to try to synchronize our message with the philosophies of current thought. Since we are ruled by consumerism, we wait for the consumer to tell us what to believe and what to preach. We can’t afford to contradict his or her demands. We are too dependent on the consumer’s resources. In trying to become more relevant, we have become powerless. In a world obsessed with comfort and wealth, we promote a gospel that features formulas for obtaining these either now or later in heaven. We have not grasped the eternal life that motivated Paul to preach and suffer for what he preached. He had nothing to gain but Christ, and nothing to lose because Christ was his life. Periodically, I hear someone say that we would be better off if we had more persecution. It is not hard to find. Just get in public and declare that the Bible is the authoritative truth of God. Get on Larry King and declare that Jesus is the only way to the Father. You can find valid persecution if you present a true Christian worldview. All religions are seeking to answer some basic questions. As Paul confronted the various beliefs of his day, we find a clear answer to the foundational questions. HOW DID WE GET HERE? Either we came out of nothing or we came from something. Since we can’t conceive of “nothing,” we conclude that something was here first. What was it? Was it personal or impersonal? If it was a speck of matter or wave of energy, then that is god. If it was a person, then what kind of person? Was it one or more than one? Notice that Paul is sure about the answer to this question. God created everything that is. He is a person who does not need temples nor does he need serving. He is complete in himself. Since we are his offspring, we are sure he is personal and is knowable. He is like us, in that we are made in his image. This flies into the face of the polytheists who conclude that the many gods in the heavens somehow created mankind out of their own conflicts but have no viable relationship with it. It also contradicts the ideas of those who conclude that we came from impersonal matter and evolved randomly through the millions of years. We were created by a personal and good God.
WHAT WENT WRONG? It seems everybody will admit that something is wrong. The materialists say that, given enough time, things will work out. The polytheists say the gods haven’t been appeased. The pantheists say we need to lose our individuality and become part of the cosmic force. The postmodernists say we can mix all of these and have a worldview cocktail. Paul says that we all have a common ancestor. (This eliminates any ground for racial discrimination. If evolution is the answer to creation, mankind could have regions where some are superior to others.) Adam, having the dignity of being created in the image of God, made a choice to introduce sin into divine order. Through this sin, creation was marred. It affected everything that related to mankind. Through sin, separation occurred. Separation from God produced death, and death has spread to all parts of the earth. This answer is offensive to the mind that has concluded that man is supreme. It demands a savior and pride resists that.
HOW IS IT FIXED? Paul is confident and clear. History is a record of God working through mankind to redeem creation. He gave a promise to Abraham that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He alone is the standard of judgment. Jesus will judge everyone and everything. All people are accountable and will answer for their response to him. By his death, he paid the penalty of mankind’s sin. By his resurrection, he is affirmed as the final sacrifice and Lord of the universe. Because he has defeated sin and death, he offers hope for full restoration of all creation. Everything that was marred by sin is being restored by the power of his resurrection. We can note that not many received Paul’s message at the time. Some Bible students have even concluded that Paul wasted his time addressing the culture as he did. They insist he should have stayed in the synagogues and left the marketplace alone. That is a wrong conclusion. We are thankful for Paul’s clear confrontation with the philosophies of his day. It helps us know how to confront our culture with the authority of God’s revealed truth. It is worthy of mention that the gospel did permeate the whole Greek world. Paul’s seeds of truth came up. If we are paying attention, he gives us tools to navigate in the world of discourse. We can equip our children and the members of our churches to think with the mind of Christ and to not only confidently confront the other views, but change our culture for the glory of God. At some point, we must decide if it is possible to have disciples today like those of the early church. If it is, we have work to do. If we are just making cultural Christians, we can continue to promote the values of a consumer culture and hope our ticket to heaven is valid. Yes, there is truth. It is a person, and we can know him. Why not know him as fully as possible?
SYNERGY - Better Together: October 01, 2010 click for more > Five Pillars of New Testament Discipleship: : October 15, 2010 click for more > Family Reunion Retreat: December 03, 2010 click for more >
