EASTER
May
13-15, 2023
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Acts 17:22-31
“CONNECT THE DOTS!
At one point or another we’ve all done
them. Dot to dot or connect the dot puzzles. Both in school and at home
children of all ages have enjoyed connecting the dots to see what picture was
revealed. Sometimes our children’s worship bulletins have them too. Today in
God’s words for us we have a verbal dot to dot presented to us by the Apostle
Paul. He was on what is known as his Second Missionary Journey. (PICTURE of
missionary journey) After he was invited to leave Berea by the Jews who
rejected Jesus Paul went to Athens and waited for his missionary companions,
Silas and Timothy, to join him there. After visiting the Jewish synagogues in
Athens to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah Paul did some sightseeing. Though not
as prominent as it had been when Greece controlled the Mediterranean area
Athens was still an important city in the Roman Empire. It was considered a
center both for worldly wisdom and philosophy and at the same time pagan idol
worship. One historian quipped that there were more gods than people in the
city of Athens.
Paul saw this and was distressed. As
we ought to be too. Idol worshipping people go to Hell. Paul found a way to
talk with these people about what was important. “Men of Athens, I see that
you are very religious in every way. 23For as I was walking around
and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which
had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’” Paul found some common ground,
their natural knowledge of God. “You are religious people. That is a good thing.
You are even covering your bases just in case there is a god you missed. Well,
there is one, the only one. Let me tell you about Him.”
“Now what you worship as unknown—this is
what I am going to proclaim to you. 24“The God who made the world
and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in
temples made with hands. 25Neither is he served by human hands, as
if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and
everything they have. 26From one man, he made every nation of
mankind to live over the entire face of the earth. He determined the appointed
times and the boundaries where they would live. 27He did this so
they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is
not far from each one of us.” “The God you didn’t know about before
this is the Creator. He doesn’t need our worship, but He wants us with Him. No
coincidences. God determined when and where you should live so you will know
Him. That’s why I’m here.”
“For in him we live and move and have our
being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his
offspring.’ 29“Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should
not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image
formed by human skill and planning. 30Although God overlooked the
times of ignorance, he is now commanding all people everywhere to repent, 31because
he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by
the man he appointed. He provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from
the dead.”
No more excuses. You aren’t stuck any more with just the natural knowledge of
God that tells you there is some god. Think it through, a god you have to make
is no god at all. Let me reveal the true God. Jesus. The proof. God raised Him
from the dead.
Here Paul begins to connect the dots. The
first one is resurrection, Jesus’ resurrection. Because He is true God who will
come to judge the living and dead, repent. Connect the dots. Jesus’
resurrection is the reason for repentance. Turn from the false gods to the only
one who saves. Looking religious isn’t good enough. Worshipping some god isn’t
good enough. Only Jesus saves. Turn to him and you will be saved. You will get
new life. Connect the dots. Jesus’ resurrection leads to repentance and your
own resurrection.
Now Paul knew exactly what he was talking
about. He lived it. Paul died that day when he was on the road to Damascus when
he was converted to faith in Jesus. Back then he was known as Saul. He looked
more religious than most of his fellow Jewish people. He zealously served the
god he had made up in his own mind and so he tried to wipe out everyone who
believed that Jesus was God. Can you imagine the fear, the shame, the “what
have I done?” feeling when he saw the blinding light from heaven and heard the
voice of God declare, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!” All his zeal, all
his religious efforts were not only wasted but worse, a direct attack on the
only one who could save him. Saul, who would be Paul, died that day. He died to
his sinful way of making God in his image when he realized Jesus lives. He had
a complete change of mind, repented, and was given a new life as a follower of
Christ. All his zeal was now put into service for Jesus. Connect the dots.
Resurrection. Repentance. Resurrection. Having lived that he called the men of
Athens to do the same.
And his words call us to do the same. If
Paul walked around our community what comments might he make? I see you are a
very religious people, or maybe used to be. Look at all the fine churches you
have built. In some places of your city there is one on every block! Look at
your money. “In God we trust” it proclaims. But do you? Too many of those
churches are empty waiting to become artists’ workshops, unique apartment and
air Bnbs. Your claim on your money appears to be empty too. Your trust is not
in God. You give the glory He is due as Creator to your own dreamed up
cockamamie lie called Evolution. Your money should say In Science we trust or
In ourselves we trust. You offer rainbow and unicorn prayers as your
legislators meet to pass laws to legally protect mothers and doctors who murder
babies and slowly erode the rights of your citizens who want to worship the
true God. Connect the dots. Resurrection. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
He will be judging. So Repent. Have a complete change of mind so that you can
honestly say “In Jesus we trust.” And then live a new life that shows it.
Resurrection.
That’s what Paul might say if he walked
around our communities. But what if he visited our homes? I can see, people of
Jacobi, that you are a religious people. You all have a Bible or two in your
homes. Some of you have a cross and a picture of the Lord Jesus. You make a
point of actually warming a pew in church, at least when it is convenient and
does not interfere with other family items, or when mom asks you to for
Mother’s Day, but I don’t hear a lot of talking to Jesus in your home. Why does
that Bible have dust on it? From your calendar and budget books it looks like
your Triune God is actually, recreation, entertainment and personal comforts.
Worshipping God only when and how it is convenient for you is not worshipping
God but self. And having a one hour a week relationship with God is not
acceptable to Him. In the past He did not overlook that among His people but
gave them over to be conquered by foreign nations. Do you think it will be
different for you? Connect the dots. Resurrection. Jesus lives! Do you
understand the privilege you have to be chosen by God to know and believe in
Jesus as Savior? He lives and loves you. His death paid the price for all of
your sins. He rose to prove it. Connect the dots. So repent. Have a complete
change of mind about just going through the motions of having faith. You need
to die a little each day. Die to sin so you are alive for Jesus. Connect the
dots. Resurrection. Jesus died for you so that you should no longer live for
yourselves but for Him who loves you and freed you from your sin by His blood.
New life. Resurrection.
Look with me please at a portion of the
worship summary in your bulletin. It reads in part, “True love involves
obedience. Jesus did not simply say he loved his heavenly Father. He proved it
by obeying his Father, even when that obedience meant dying on a cross for our
sake. Love for God who lives in us leads us to a life of obedience. The God who
lives in us calls us to live for him. It is as simple as that. Love for our
risen Lord means obedience to his commands.” On this Mother’s Day every mom
here knows this. Children, it is your willing obedience that shows love for
mom. That’s a gift she will cherish every day. Jesus is much greater than mom.
He deserves far greater obedience. Connect the dots!
I’ve done many dot to dot or connect the
dots puzzles in my life. The real joy in a dot to dot is seeing what the
picture finally looks like. Paul has connected the dots for us between Jesus’
resurrection, our need for daily repentance, and our own resurrection. This is
what the final picture looks like. (Welcome into heaven).
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