June 11, 2017 NOTES NOT EDITED
The Whole World in His Hands?
The Whole World in His Hands?
Acts 17:22-31
The only gospel song to ever make
it to #1 on the Billboard Pop 100 chart was recorded by a 14 year old British
Boy by the name of Laurie London in 1958.
It is the only hit song of his career.
This song has been sung the likes of Whitney Houston and other famous
artists since topping the charts in 1958. The song is, “He’s Got the Whole
World In His Hands.” What a message of
hope!
But, does God really have the whole world in His hands? That’s a fair question, and one that the Bible answers. Paul gives us a straight-forward, comprehensive, and conclusive answer to that question. Let’s follow the process of how Paul comes to that answer as he engaged the philosophers in the beautiful city of Athens. Paul’s unwavering faith in God shows how to shine the Light of Christ in a sin-darkened world by asking and answering four questions.
1. First, What should we SEE? (16)
But, does God really have the whole world in His hands? That’s a fair question, and one that the Bible answers. Paul gives us a straight-forward, comprehensive, and conclusive answer to that question. Let’s follow the process of how Paul comes to that answer as he engaged the philosophers in the beautiful city of Athens. Paul’s unwavering faith in God shows how to shine the Light of Christ in a sin-darkened world by asking and answering four questions.
1. First, What should we SEE? (16)
Paul was “greatly distressed to see the
city was full of idols.”
This week in church we are travelling to the ancient city of Athens. Athens is one of the most significant, and the oldest, cities in the world. Athens traces her history back some 3,400 years. Her intellectual fathers were no less than Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Athens is often referred to as the “Cradle of Western Civilization,” or the “Birthplace of Democracy.”
Athens provides the backdrop for our discussion of the idea, “Does God Have the Whole World in His Hands?” Certainly, the gods (little “g”) had a hand upon Athens. Any ancient traveler such as Paul would have cast an eye upon statues of the gods of the Pantheon. From the glorious Parthenon, rose the statue of Athena, whose spearhead gleamed in the sun and could be seen from miles away. One would gaze upon other statues of the cities deities—Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, Neptune, Diana, and Aesculapius. All standing there majestically carved in stone and marble, or even gold and silver by the finest Greek sculptors. Athens was certainly a place of beauty immersed in the tradition of Greek mythology.
Amidst all the beauty of art and architecture, standing against the backdrop of the surrounding sea, Paul mentions not the beauty of this place, but the depth of its depravity. The Book of Acts records that Paul beheld “a city full of idols.” The term, “full of idols,” translates a Greek word found nowhere else in the New Testament, or Classical Greek. It is a word coined by Luke using a common compound construction meaning “smothered in, or immersed in idols.” From an earthly perspective, Athens was a grand and glorious testament to humanity. From a spiritual perspective, it was a city “crushed by idols.”
Today, what Reagan and others referred to as a “Shining City on a Hill,” that is, America, has much in common with ancient Athens. We have our monuments gleaming in the sun as skyscrapers reach up to capture the essence of the sun. We have our notable accomplishments in the arts and sciences. We bathe every day in the deep waters of technology and human progress. We are rich and fat as a nation (literally and figuratively). But, like Athens, we are “smothered beneath spiritual oppression and darkness.”
Our government grinds slowly on matters that really matter, but spend endless hours and taxpayer dollars to try to put crooks in jail—whether it be an underling at the NSA or the occupant of the Big White House. With all the mud slung on a daily basis in Washington, nobody remains clean.
America as her own, “No Go Zones,” as inner cities in Chicago and other inner cities resemble the ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, full of sin and violence. In many inner cities, one is more likely to encounter a stray bullet than a stray dog. It’s hard to take an honest look at the state of our Union, and our world. It’s an ugly mess!
We need to see the world as it really is. We need to look beyond the false picture of religious and political pundits, and take ownership of the harsh, horrible reality before us.
This week in church we are travelling to the ancient city of Athens. Athens is one of the most significant, and the oldest, cities in the world. Athens traces her history back some 3,400 years. Her intellectual fathers were no less than Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Athens is often referred to as the “Cradle of Western Civilization,” or the “Birthplace of Democracy.”
Athens provides the backdrop for our discussion of the idea, “Does God Have the Whole World in His Hands?” Certainly, the gods (little “g”) had a hand upon Athens. Any ancient traveler such as Paul would have cast an eye upon statues of the gods of the Pantheon. From the glorious Parthenon, rose the statue of Athena, whose spearhead gleamed in the sun and could be seen from miles away. One would gaze upon other statues of the cities deities—Apollo, Jupiter, Mercury, Bacchus, Neptune, Diana, and Aesculapius. All standing there majestically carved in stone and marble, or even gold and silver by the finest Greek sculptors. Athens was certainly a place of beauty immersed in the tradition of Greek mythology.
Amidst all the beauty of art and architecture, standing against the backdrop of the surrounding sea, Paul mentions not the beauty of this place, but the depth of its depravity. The Book of Acts records that Paul beheld “a city full of idols.” The term, “full of idols,” translates a Greek word found nowhere else in the New Testament, or Classical Greek. It is a word coined by Luke using a common compound construction meaning “smothered in, or immersed in idols.” From an earthly perspective, Athens was a grand and glorious testament to humanity. From a spiritual perspective, it was a city “crushed by idols.”
Today, what Reagan and others referred to as a “Shining City on a Hill,” that is, America, has much in common with ancient Athens. We have our monuments gleaming in the sun as skyscrapers reach up to capture the essence of the sun. We have our notable accomplishments in the arts and sciences. We bathe every day in the deep waters of technology and human progress. We are rich and fat as a nation (literally and figuratively). But, like Athens, we are “smothered beneath spiritual oppression and darkness.”
Our government grinds slowly on matters that really matter, but spend endless hours and taxpayer dollars to try to put crooks in jail—whether it be an underling at the NSA or the occupant of the Big White House. With all the mud slung on a daily basis in Washington, nobody remains clean.
America as her own, “No Go Zones,” as inner cities in Chicago and other inner cities resemble the ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, full of sin and violence. In many inner cities, one is more likely to encounter a stray bullet than a stray dog. It’s hard to take an honest look at the state of our Union, and our world. It’s an ugly mess!
We need to see the world as it really is. We need to look beyond the false picture of religious and political pundits, and take ownership of the harsh, horrible reality before us.
One respected theologian said,
“What Paul saw was neither the beauty nor the brilliance of the city, but its
idolatry.” America may not worship
Jupiter or Mercury, nor bow at the shrine of Bacchus, but we are full of
idolatry. We idolize wealth. We idolize fame. Perhaps our greatest idol is the Shrine of
Pleasure. We accept every god or no god,
but we culturally and institutional rebel against The God, Yahweh, the God of
the Bible. Long ago the Judeo-Christian
foundations were eroded in American society and we are steeped in the darkness
of sin and rebellion.
Paul saw a beautiful city on a hill, lying beneath the smothering blanket of idolatry. We need to see this in our world today.
2. How should we FEEL? (16)
Paul saw a beautiful city on a hill, lying beneath the smothering blanket of idolatry. We need to see this in our world today.
2. How should we FEEL? (16)
16 While Paul was waiting for them in
Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the
city was full of idols.
The language in this verse is very
intense. Translators try to convey what
the idea of “being troubled” means.
Various translations attempt to convey the meaning such as the NIV,
“greatly destressed”; Phillip’s NT, “was exasperated;” or the Jerusalem Bible,
“was revolted.” The Message paraphrase
describes Paul’s state of mind in this way:
16 The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.
16 The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.
In Classical Greek the word also
had a medical use. It referred to a
person suffering a seizure, or epileptic “fit” as we once called them. It also described the uncontrollable shaking
of a person with an extreme fever. The
emphasis is on the intensity of the situation.
It is the same word the LXX (Greek
Version of the OT) uses to describe God’s feeling about idolatry such as in
Deu. 32:21:
21 They have
provoked My
jealousy with their so-called gods;
they have enraged Me with their worthless idols.
Many Christians have let society
convince them that any show of anger by a Christian is always wrong. That is not the case. God, Himself, displays anger, and such anger
is righteous. In these cases, with Paul
and as with God and the Israelites, the “distress,
anger, jealousy, exasperation, irritation, or whatever such word you choose,” is
caused by the peoples’ penchant for choosing false gods and ignoring the God Who
gave Himself for us on the cross.
This deeply distresses God, and it should deeply distress us as well. We cannot simply sit idly by participating in a holy huddle once a week and think we are worshipping Yahweh, the True God. We cannot ignore sin and say we are pursuing righteousness.
As Pastor Eugene Peterson wrote in the Message Bible, Athens was like a “junk yard of idols!” I would suggest that our cities, our nation, and even many of our churches are not much different. Everyone is pursuing something or someone with a passion, and it is not usually Yahweh, the God of the Bible!
When we look out at our city—our cities, and our nation—we should see what Paul saw, “a city smothered in idols.” We should also feel what Paul felt, “deeply distressed to the point of righteous anger.”
Far from seeing abundant evidence that the world is in God’s hands—even though we know by faith it is—we should see it as smothered in total darkness, and it should literally break our hearts. But, seeing and feeling, as important as they are, are not enough. We must also ask ourselves:
This deeply distresses God, and it should deeply distress us as well. We cannot simply sit idly by participating in a holy huddle once a week and think we are worshipping Yahweh, the True God. We cannot ignore sin and say we are pursuing righteousness.
As Pastor Eugene Peterson wrote in the Message Bible, Athens was like a “junk yard of idols!” I would suggest that our cities, our nation, and even many of our churches are not much different. Everyone is pursuing something or someone with a passion, and it is not usually Yahweh, the God of the Bible!
When we look out at our city—our cities, and our nation—we should see what Paul saw, “a city smothered in idols.” We should also feel what Paul felt, “deeply distressed to the point of righteous anger.”
Far from seeing abundant evidence that the world is in God’s hands—even though we know by faith it is—we should see it as smothered in total darkness, and it should literally break our hearts. But, seeing and feeling, as important as they are, are not enough. We must also ask ourselves:
3. What then should we DO? (17)
16 While Paul was waiting for them in
Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full
of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and
with those who worshiped God and in the marketplace every day with those who
happened to be there. 18 Then
also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said,
“What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?” Others replied, “He seems to
be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about
Jesus and the Resurrection.
The is classic, Biblical evangelism
at its finest: meeting people where they
are and sharing the gospel with them in a well-reasoned, compassionate
way.
Don’t miss this: Paul’s anger and distress over the sinful state of the city did not cause him to lash out, but to “reach” out! Notice, Paul does not begin with addressing their false ideas (he will get to that soon enough) but he begins with “the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection” (v18). Too often we focus on what we are against, and we should first and foremost focus on “Who we are for.” We must always lead with our personally testimony of our salvation experience and trust in the Resurrected Jesus.
Paul always recognized the diversity of the groups he would encounter. To the Jews in the synagogue, he met them as a Jew in the synagogue. To the man in the agora (marketplace) Paul met them as a fellow pilgrim in the marketplace. To the intellectuals and philosophers, Paul met them as intellectuals and philosophers. As each situation changed, Paul’s methods changed—but, the message ALWAYS remained the same: “the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection.”
Most churches never change the way they approach the community. They may hold to the same gospel message, but they do not adjust their delivery to actually get that message into the minds and hearts of people.
Ironically, churches stuck in the mud of out-dated methods will often sing that old gospel song, “It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It’s good enough for me.”
They fail to realize that Paul was always penetrating the darkness in new places by adjusting his methods to meet the need of the moment. Paul said this himself. In 1Corinthians 9:20-22, he said,
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law —to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without that law, like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.
Let’s take a moment to recap where we are in our journey to answer the question: Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands?”
Remember what Paul saw. He saw a world that was “smothering under a blanket of sinful rebellion.” In the words of Eugene Peterson, “He saw a junkyard of idols.” Paul saw a world horribly broken and teetering on the brink of destruction, both cultural and personal, and most importantly, eternal. Remember what Paul felt. The sorry state of the city caused a guttural reaction in Paul which left him feeling greatly distressed, and even angry at how the Devil had such a hold on this world. Remember what Paul did. He presented the gospel in a reasonable way and in a manner which people from many different walks of life and different places in society could interact with it.
What he saw; how he felt; and what he did all come to a climatic and conclusive answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands,” by what he said.
4. What should we SAY? (22-28)
Don’t miss this: Paul’s anger and distress over the sinful state of the city did not cause him to lash out, but to “reach” out! Notice, Paul does not begin with addressing their false ideas (he will get to that soon enough) but he begins with “the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection” (v18). Too often we focus on what we are against, and we should first and foremost focus on “Who we are for.” We must always lead with our personally testimony of our salvation experience and trust in the Resurrected Jesus.
Paul always recognized the diversity of the groups he would encounter. To the Jews in the synagogue, he met them as a Jew in the synagogue. To the man in the agora (marketplace) Paul met them as a fellow pilgrim in the marketplace. To the intellectuals and philosophers, Paul met them as intellectuals and philosophers. As each situation changed, Paul’s methods changed—but, the message ALWAYS remained the same: “the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection.”
Most churches never change the way they approach the community. They may hold to the same gospel message, but they do not adjust their delivery to actually get that message into the minds and hearts of people.
Ironically, churches stuck in the mud of out-dated methods will often sing that old gospel song, “It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It was good enough for Paul and Silas. It’s good enough for me.”
They fail to realize that Paul was always penetrating the darkness in new places by adjusting his methods to meet the need of the moment. Paul said this himself. In 1Corinthians 9:20-22, he said,
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law —to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without that law, like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.
Let’s take a moment to recap where we are in our journey to answer the question: Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands?”
Remember what Paul saw. He saw a world that was “smothering under a blanket of sinful rebellion.” In the words of Eugene Peterson, “He saw a junkyard of idols.” Paul saw a world horribly broken and teetering on the brink of destruction, both cultural and personal, and most importantly, eternal. Remember what Paul felt. The sorry state of the city caused a guttural reaction in Paul which left him feeling greatly distressed, and even angry at how the Devil had such a hold on this world. Remember what Paul did. He presented the gospel in a reasonable way and in a manner which people from many different walks of life and different places in society could interact with it.
What he saw; how he felt; and what he did all come to a climatic and conclusive answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands,” by what he said.
4. What should we SAY? (22-28)
The intellectuals and philosophers
(Epicureans and Stoics) who encountered Paul in the marketplace were so
challenged, or possibly irritated, by Paul’s message they would bring Him to
the Areopagus (v22), which was the
meeting place of the official council of Athens. Socrates had been summoned to the Areopagus 500 years before and also
accused of denigrating the Roman gods.
As you know, Socrates would later be condemned to death for his
views. It does not appear that Paul is
under such a judicial proceeding. The
philosophers just didn’t know what to do about his preaching and wanted a
“higher opinion.” The Areopagus is also called Mars Hill,
named after the Roman god, Mars.
Paul’s message here upon Mars Hill is perhaps one of the grandest intellectually sound and intriguing presentations in the history of preaching. It was profound in its simplicity. He was about to give the answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands?” The answer had four parts.
(1) First, God is the CREATOR (v22-24)
22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it —He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands.
Paul’s message here upon Mars Hill is perhaps one of the grandest intellectually sound and intriguing presentations in the history of preaching. It was profound in its simplicity. He was about to give the answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands?” The answer had four parts.
(1) First, God is the CREATOR (v22-24)
22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it —He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands.
Without this foundation, a person
cannot be saved. Paul shows the
foundational nature of believing in a Divine Creator in Hebrews:
11:6a-- Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists.
People who deny that there MUST be
a Creator necessarily believe that “everything
came from nothing.” This poses the philosophical question: what
caused nothing to become something and what did nothing use to construct that
something. Of course, this is absurd
on the face of the matter. If one
suggests that there is “something” that has always been (hence eternal), then
that something would be God—by whatever name we choose to call it. Paul knew to start at the beginning to answer
the question: “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands.” He is the Creator.
(2) Their “Unknown God” is also the SUSTAINER (25)
(2) Their “Unknown God” is also the SUSTAINER (25)
25 Neither is He served by human hands,
as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath
and all things.
A preacher wrote a book years ago
titled, “Your God Is Too Small.” I’ve read this book several times. The title intrigues on one hand, challenges
me on the other hand, and with both hands slaps me in condemnation.
So, many Christians live as if
their primary calling in life is to keep God from falling off His throne. God does not need us. We need Him.
We do not define Who God is, but He defines who we are. One preacher put the matter like this:
Any attempt to tame or domesticate God, to reduce Him to the level of a household pet dependent upon us for food and shelter, is a ridiculous reversal of roles. (John R. Stott)
Any attempt to tame or domesticate God, to reduce Him to the level of a household pet dependent upon us for food and shelter, is a ridiculous reversal of roles. (John R. Stott)
No God not only created the world,
He sustains it. God did not simply wind
the world up like a clock and toss it into the empty cosmos to run on its
own. As Paul will say in a moment, “In
God we live and move and have our being” (28).”
(3)
God Rules ALL NATIONS (26-28a)
26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over
the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of
where they live. 27 He
did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him,
though He is not far from each one of us.
28 For in Him we live and move and exist.
It may come as a shock for some of
you to realize, God is not an American.
I’m sure many of you think He should be, but He isn’t. God has many
people but only one agenda. Our
nationality is not the result of winning some geo-political lottery. We are born where we are born to give us the
best opportunity to come to know God.
God is absolutely sovereign and even our time and place of birth are in
His hands. There is no place, no time, no person, and no situation over which
God is not sovereign. The Whole World is
His.
(4)
God LOVES all nations (28b)
as even some of your own poets have
said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Paul knew the poets and
philosophers of Athens as well or better than the Greek philosophers. Paul was as knowledgeable of God’s world as
he was God’s Word. Paul was always
prepared to give a reasonable answer for his faith. Peter tells us we all should be prepared in
this same way (1Pet. 3:15-16):
15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect.
15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect.
Paul recognized and declared that
God’s love is universal. It is
trans-international. God does not pick
and choose Who He loves. John
declares: “For God so loved the [whole]
world.” God loves Muslims as
much as Methodists, Buddhists as much as Baptists, and pagans as much as
Presbyterians. God’s love is deep. God love is wide. God’s love is powerful.
God is the Creator of this world. God is the Sustainer of the world. God is the Ruler of this world. God is the Lover of this world. So, the unequivocal answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands,” is, “absolutely!”
God is the Creator of this world. God is the Sustainer of the world. God is the Ruler of this world. God is the Lover of this world. So, the unequivocal answer to the question, “Does God Really Have the Whole World in His Hands,” is, “absolutely!”
Even
when circumstances look bleak and chaotic, God is still in control.
Perhaps you have seen that cartoon of a frantic frog and a surprised stork. A stork has caught a frog and is trying to swallow it. The frog has decided, not to cooperate. In the picture you see the body of the frog and its legs sticking out of the stork’s beak. As the frog begins to slide down into the stork’s belly, he reaches out with his hands (OK. I know frogs don’t have hands. Work with me here)—the frog begins to squeeze the throat of the stork hanging on for dear life. Life is the stork. We are the frog. Sometimes, we just need to trust God and keep squeezing.
Perhaps you have seen that cartoon of a frantic frog and a surprised stork. A stork has caught a frog and is trying to swallow it. The frog has decided, not to cooperate. In the picture you see the body of the frog and its legs sticking out of the stork’s beak. As the frog begins to slide down into the stork’s belly, he reaches out with his hands (OK. I know frogs don’t have hands. Work with me here)—the frog begins to squeeze the throat of the stork hanging on for dear life. Life is the stork. We are the frog. Sometimes, we just need to trust God and keep squeezing.
He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands . . . and that includes YOU and ME!
