17th chapter of Acts. The unknown God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in his
high priestly prayer, prayed to the Father that he
would give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And he gave this definition of
eternal life in the next verse. Eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has
sent. That's eternal life. That's the
sum and substance of eternal life, is to know God and Jesus
Christ whom he has sent. The Apostle John wrote this,
and we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding
that we may know him. He's given us an understanding
that we may know God. That is the true God, and we're
in him who is true. We're in him even in his Son,
Jesus Christ. And to know God, the true God,
is eternal life. And our Lord gave this warning
in Matthew 7. He said this, Now many will say
to me in that day, Lord, have we not preached in your name?
Have we not cast out devils in your name? Have we not done many
wonderful works in your name? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you. I never knew you. So there cannot be any greater
blessing given to men than to know God and Jesus Christ in
And there can be nothing, absolutely nothing so terrible, so dismal,
so devastating, as to go through this life of 70, 80 years, professing
and holding to a religion, a religious tradition, or a false profession,
holding on to a uncertainty and to an unknown God, only to find
in the end that we've held to a false hope and we've heard
him say, I never knew you. And that's exactly what Paul
is talking about here in Acts 17. Turn to it, please. In Acts
17, verse 22. Then Paul stood in the midst
of Mars Hill, and he said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that
in all things you too, you too, are most religious and superstitious. It's evident to me, he said,
on every hand, at every turn, in every place, that the people
of Athens are too religious and superstitious. Paul said, I walked your streets,
I saw your buildings and your statues and your shrines and
your devotions, and I came to this conclusion that the whole
city, the whole city is given to idolatry. Someone said in
the days of Nero, Athens alone had thirteen thousand public
statues and shrines, it was easier to find a god in Athens than
to find a man. Have you thought about America
with all of its cults, denominations, buildings, temples, synagogues,
altars, shrines, emotionalism? Maybe Paul's saying this same
thing today to this generation. I perceive you're very religious
and superstitious. For he said in verse 23, I passed
by, I walked the streets, I passed by and I beheld all of your shrines
and your temples and your altars and all of your traditions and
devotions And I beheld him, and I found an altar with this inscription,
to the unknown God. You see, these people, these
religious people, had created all sorts of gods. They named
them, they named their gods. They knew their origin, they
knew when they found a new one, and brought him to life. They
knew the history of their gods. They knew the powers of their
gods, the limitations of their god, and their specialties. They were their gods. Someone
said, fitly named, because they created them. They created them
out of their own imagination. They were their gods. And just
in case, just in case, with the multitude of their gods, that
they missed one, that they missed a God along the way, to keep
from offending that God, to keep from neglecting that
God, they erected an altar to the unknown God. Because they didn't know the
true God, and out of fear and superstition and uncertainty,
They accepted all gods. They condemned none of them.
They just said, well, if there's one we don't know about, we'll
just erect an altar to him and call him the unknown god. But
my friends, listen carefully. If a person, if a person really
knows God, the living God, his character, his attributes, his
word, if he really knows God, that person will never worship
or accept any false god or false religion, if he knew the true
God. These people didn't know him. They had many gods, so they
just erected an altar to an unknown god. But if a man knows God,
he'll never erect any kind of altar or superstitious shrine
or worship in any way before any God but the true and living
God. Secondly, if a person really knows the Lord Jesus Christ in
his saving grace and in his tender mercies, if he really knows who
Christ is, who sent him, why he came, where he is, he'll never
tolerate, not for a moment, not even in a thought or word or
suspicion, He'll never tolerate a false gospel, never, never.
Paul was so dogmatic about this one gospel. He said if anybody
preaches any other gospel, even if it's an angel from heaven,
let him be accursed. If a man really knows Christ,
he'll never for a moment entertain any notion of any other savior,
never. And thirdly, if a person knows
that he's saved from his guilt and sin by the grace of God,
and by the grace of God alone, and through faith in Christ alone,
he'll never look to any works or ways of salvation except in
Christ. Never. He'll never. He'll never
entertain a notion of finding any relief from his guilt and
sin, except through the righteousness and blood of the Son of God.
Never. It's one who knows God. And fourthly, if a person knows
that God is spirit, not form and ceremony, but spirit, God
is spirit, and they that worship him, worship him in spirit and
truth, and have no confidence in the flesh. That person will
never, never tolerate an idol. Never. He will never tolerate
pictures, and images, and forms, and relics, and statues. No, he will he bow to, or participate
with others in such a practice, which to him is a denial of the
living God. So what Paul says here, whom
you ignorantly worship in Athens, I declare him to you. Let me
tell you about the living God, the true God. Now listen to him,
verse 24. God, the true God, the living
God, he made the worlds and all things therein in the beginning.
was the Word. And the Word was with God. And
the Word was God. And the same was in the beginning
with God. And all things were made by him.
And without him was not anything made that was made. He's the
creator. God is the creator of all things. Turn with me to Colossians chapter
1. Colossians chapter 1 verse Verse
16, Colossians 1, 16. Verse 15, who is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? For by him
were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by him
by him, and he is before all things, and by him all things
consist, and he is the head of the body, the Church, who is
the firstborn, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
and in all things he might have the preeminence." Who is this
God? He made the world. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof, the world, and all they that dwell therein,
it's his, the one God. He is the Lord of heaven and
earth. David said, where is your God?
Our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased, what the Lord pleased. That did he in heaven, in earth,
in the seas, in all deep places. That's our God. Let me ask you
to turn to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 45. Our God created all things,
and he is Lord of all things. He's the sovereign Lord of all
things, in creation, in providence, in salvation. Listen to Isaiah
45, verse 5. Listen to this. I am the Lord.
There's none else. There's no God beside me. I girded
thee, though thou hast not known me, when you didn't know me.
I girded you and kept you and blessed you. That you may know
from the rising of the sun and from the west, there's none beside
me, I'm the Lord, there's none else. I form the light, I create
darkness, I make peace, I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these
things. Drop down, ye heavens from above.
Let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, let them
bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I the Lord created them. That's my name. Look at Isaiah
46. The next chapter, Isaiah 46 verse
9. Listen. Remember the former things
of old, for I'm God. There's nothing else. I'm God.
It's not like me. I declare the end from the beginning. And from ancient times of things
that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I
will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
yea, I've spoken it, I will bring it to pass. I've purposed it,
I'm the Lord. You don't make him Lord, he is
Lord. We recognize him, we declare
him, we honor him, we exalt him, but you don't make Jesus your
Lord, he is Lord. He's the Lord of heaven and earth.
Look at the next line here. God made the world and all things
therein, seeing he's Lord of heaven and earth, and he dwells
not in temples made with hands. I know sometimes we say, well,
you know, I was glad when they said unto me, let's go to the
house of the Lord. But we go to a place to worship, a place
to offer sacrifices and offer praise and thanksgiving. But
God doesn't dwell in houses and temples and shrines and synagogues
and cathedrals. God dwells not in temples made
with hands. How foolish to talk of God's
house as if God could be confined to any place. Turn to 2 Chronicles
2. This is the statement that Solomon
made in the dedication of the temple which he built unto the
Lord. Solomon built that awesome temple,
and this is what he said in 2 Chronicles 2. verse 5, at the dedication of
this great house. He said in 2 Chronicles 2 verse
5, And the house which I built is great, for great is our God
above all idols of God. But who is able to build him
a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain
him? Who am I then that I should build
him a house, listen, save, only to burn sacrifices before him? That's the only reason. Somebody says God has no hands
but your hands. What kind of God is that? God
has no feet but your feet. The seeing eye and the hearing
ears of the Lord. And listen, let's read the next
verse. God dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Verse 25, listen. Neither is God worshipped with
men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to
all breath and life and all things. God is sovereign, totally sufficient, independent
of all creation. In the book of Psalms, chapter
50, I want to read some verses here in Psalm 50, verse 9 through
15. I want you to listen to this.
In Psalm 50, verse 9, here's what we're saying. God's not
worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing
he giveth to all, all things, life, breath, and all things.
Listen to Psalm 50 verse 9. I take no bullock out of your
house, nor he goats of your foes. You going to give God something?
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon
a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains. I know the eagles, and even the
buzzards, and vultures, and the songbirds, and the wrens, and
the robins. I know all fowls of the mountain. I know the wild beast of the
field. That deer you shot last year, that's his deer. It wasn't
yours, it's his. All of the beasts of the forest
are mine, saith the Lord. If I was hungry, I wouldn't tell
you. The world is mine, and the fullness I have. Will I eat the
flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving. That's the only thing you can
give God, is thanksgiving. He owns everything else, it's
His. You can give Him thanks. Pay
your vows to the Most High God. What are your vows? Your promises,
your vows, your commitment, your faithfulness. And call upon me
in the day of trouble, and I'll deliver you. And you'll glorify
me in that deliverance. But God doesn't need anything I have. And I want you to read, there's
no better way to answer this question, or this proposition,
than to read God's answer to Job in reference to this question. So let's turn to Job. I love this portion of Job. I
really wish you would sometime today or this week, sometime
soon, while it's still on your mind, to read chapters 38, 39,
40, and 41 of the book of Job. Four chapters. 38, 39, 40, and 41 of the book
of Job. I want you to listen to the Lord as he speaks to Job
in reference to this question that I've been raised. Verse
1, chapter 38. Then the Lord answered Job out
of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel
by words without knowledge? Now gird up now your lorns like
a man, and I'll demand of you, and you answer me. Now God's
speaking to one of his dear, dear, dear children, a righteous
man, a man very unusual in the sight of God, God's servant.
But God's service needs to be reprimanded in reference to this
question. Listen. Where were you when I
laid the foundation of the earth? Declare if you have any understanding,
Joe. Who has laid the measures thereof,
if you know? Who has stretched the line upon
it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Who laid the
cornerstone of the earth? When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Who shut up the sea
with doors, when it break forth as if it had issued out of the
womb? When I made the clouds the garment thereof, and thick
darkness a swaddling band for it, and break up for it my decreed
place, and set bars and doors, and I sent to the sea and to
the oceans. Hitherto shall you come, and
no further. And right here your proud ways
will be staked. Job, have you commanded the morning
since your days? Have you caused the dawn to know
its place? That it might take hold of the
ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it. Look at verse 16, Job 38, 16. Have you entered the springs
of the sea? Have you walked in the search
of the depths? Have the gates of death been
opened to you? Have you seen the doors of the
shadow of death? Have you perceived the breadth
of the earth, the width, breadth and length of the earth? Declare
it now if you know it all. Tell me about it. Where is the
way where light dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is
the place thereof? that thou shouldest take it to
the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the path to the
house thereof. Knowest thou it because you were
then born? Or because the number of your
days is great? Have you entered the treasures
of the snow? Have you seen the treasures of
the hail? Look at verse 33. Do you know,
knowest thou the ordinance of heaven? Can you set the dominion
thereof in the earth? Can you lift up your voice to
the clouds that abundance of waters may cover you? Can you
send lightnings that they go and say unto them, here we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward
parts, or given, or hath given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds in
wisdom? Who can stay the bottles of heaven? When the dust groweth in the
hardness and the clouds cleave fast together, when thou hunt
the prey for the lion, wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion, fill
the appetites of the young lion, when they couch in their dens
and abide in the covert to lying way, who provides the raven with
his food? When these young ones cry unto
God, and they wonder for lack of need. Oh, read this, these
four chapters. awesome greatness about God. He's not worshipped with men's
hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he give it to life and
breath to all things. Look at verse 26, and God hath
made one blood of all nations of men to dwell on the face of
the earth. We have no cause to strive against one another. We
have one blood, Adam. The root of all men and women
is from Adam. One blood, all nations on the
earth. Colors may be different, but the blood is really the blood
of God. And we have no cause to seek
preeminence over others. We have no cause to destroy the
lives of other people. There's one root, there's one
source of all natural life, and that's Adam. We were created
in him, we lived in him, and we die in him. Now one man, sin,
entered this world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men. Another scripture I want to read
from Job is Job 14. Job 14, verse 1. This is the history
of all mankind. Created in Adam, stood in Adam,
fell in Adam, sinned in Adam, died in Adam. Chapter 14, verse 1. A man that
is born a woman is a few days and full of trouble. He cometh
forth like a flower, and he is cut down. He fleeth as a shadow,
and continueth not. Just thou opened out eyes, Lord
God, upon such a one. Will you bring me into judgment
with thee? Who can bring a clean thing out
of an unclean? Not one. Seeing his days are
determined, man's days are determined by God, the number of his Decades,
centuries, years, no, months. Months. The number of his months
are with God. And thou hast appointed his bounds
and he cannot pass. So we come to verse 27. All of
that to come to this part right here. That they should seek the Lord,
the living God. the true and living God, they
may seek him. Not an unknown God. Not just seek the right
religious form, that's not going to help me. Not just to seek
the right tradition or doctrine. Not just to seek the right church
or denomination or tradition. I've got to seek him. That they should, that all men
should seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, seek the Lord
while he may be found, he said. Call on him while he's near.
Jeremiah said, look at Jeremiah chapter 29. Jeremiah chapter
29. The Lord said in Jeremiah 29
verse 13, listen. Verse 11. Jeremiah 29 verse 12, Then shall
ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I'll
hearken to you, and ye'll seek me, and ye'll find me, when ye
search for me with all ye have, and I'll be found of you, the
living God, the true God, this God with only God. And I'll turn away your captivity,
and I'll gather you from all nations, and from all the places
where I've driven you, saith the Lord. And I'll bring you
again into the place which I caused you to be carried away. Seek
the Lord. And here's an interesting word
here. He said that men should seek
the Lord if happily, wonderfully, graciously, lovingly, they might
feel after him and find him. Is that possible? To feel after
God and to find God? God is spirit, I know that. God
is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. But you can feel
after him. You can find him, the living
God, if you want to know him. If you seek me with all your
heart, you'll be found, he said. You'll be found in me. Yes, you
will. How do I seek him? Seek him in creation. The heavens declare the glory
of God. The firmament showeth his handiwork. Listen to the
book of Romans here a moment. I'm going to turn and read you
this. In Romans 1, verse 19. Verse 18 says, The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in
unrighteousness. Because that which may be known
of God, that which may be known of God is manifest in them. God has showed it to them. How?
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen. being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so they're
without excuse. God said, this God made the world,
this God made all things therein, this God is the God of heaven
and earth. Seek him. He calls the stars
by name. He said, let there be light in
their life. Seek him in creation. But not only that, seek him in
his word. God has given us the Word, the Word of God. That's our foundation,
his Word. Seek him in his Word. Seek him
in his Son. He's given us the incarnate Word. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That's Christ.
Seek him in his life, in his death, in his suffering. in his grace, in his mercy. Seek him in his church, wherever
the people of God meet together and worship God, the true and
living God. Seek him there. Seek him in his
gospel. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. That we should seek the Lord,
if happily we might feel after him and find him, because he's
not very far from any of us. Where is he? Turn to Psalm 139. You want to find this God? I'll
tell you where he is, Psalm 139. Listen to this, Psalm 139. O
Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. You know my down sittings,
you know my uprisings, Psalm 139. You understand my thoughts
afar off. You compass my path in my lying
down. You're acquainted with all my
ways. There's not a word in my tongue, but Lord, O Lord, thou
knowest it altogether. You have beset me behind and
before. You laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It's too high, I can't attain
to it. Wherewithal shall I go from thy spirit? Whither shall
I flee from thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, you're
there. If I make my bed in here, behold, you're there, that is,
in the grave. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me,
thy right hand shall hold me. Why, I say, well, surely the
darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about
me. Yea, the darkness hideth not
from thee. The night shineth as the day,
the darkness and the light are both alike unto thee. Seek him,
feel after him. find him in creation, in his
word, in his beloved son, in his church, in his gospel, in
his presence. And listen, he's not very far from the true
and living God. Verse 28, for in him we live and move and have
our being. See, you don't go to a place
to find God, or to an altar, or to a priest, or to a temple. You go to Him. He's not far from you, because
in Him you live. Let me ask you this. Take your
next breath. Thankful for it. Who gave it
to you? Take your next step. Who enabled
you to do it? He did. Then why can't you just
lay hold upon him and feel after him? Take your next bite. Who supplied it? In him. In him we live and move
and have our being. Because even one of your philosophers,
any one of your pagan poets says, why we're his offspring, we're
God's offspring. Is that so? Yes it is. Let me tell you about that. We
are his offspring. Verse 29, for as much then as
we are the offspring of God. What does this mean, the offspring
of God? God said, let us make man in
our own image. In the image of God, created
he them. male and female. He made us. That's what he said. In him we
live and move and have our being. He made us. We're his offspring.
Are you with me? Then if he's your offspring,
and I'm his offspring, why would I want to go to an altar and
find him? Or to a temple? Or to gold or silver or stones? Why would I think of God as an
image? As an art? As a device of men? He's a person. I'm a person. He's a soul. I'm a soul. He's
a spirit. I'm a spirit. God made me in his image. God
has a heart. I have a heart. God has a mind. I have a mind. I'm not a beast. God has a will. I have a will.
My will is in bondage. by nature, but is set free by
Christ. I have a will. Who desires the
will of God? That's right. I have a will.
I have feelings. I hurt. I cry. I rejoice. I'm not a monkey. I was made in the image of God.
I'm the offspring of God. I have love. I love people. I have faith. I believe God.
I have kindness. I like to feel kindness and show
kindness. I have loyalty. I have loyalty
right here. And I hope you have it in me.
I have truth. So why in the world would I look
for God in a shrine or an altar or gold or silver or anything?
God is a spirit. Why would you even visualize
God in Why would you even walk to some place and say God's here?
I'm leaving that place. Well, well, verse 30, this is
the close. The second, two more verses.
Well, the time of this ignorance God has put up with, this ignorance,
all these gods and shrines and altars and all these things. images and idolatry, God's put
up with it. He suffered through the years
while these pagan, pagan people have declared God to be who He's
not. But now, because Christ has come,
because Christ has entered this world as the Messiah, the Redeemer,
the Christ, He's the living word, the incarnate word, He's the head of his church.
He's the preeminent one. So God commands everybody. He
doesn't invite us. He doesn't give an invitation.
Kings don't give invitations. They give commands. He commands
us to repent. Be done with your idols and your
foolish talk about God. Because here's the reason. Listen.
Here's the command. God has appointed a day. into
which he's going to judge this world in truth and righteousness
by that man whom he hath ordained, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer,
the Messiah, the Christ, him who loved us and gave himself
for us, his blood that gives us sanctification, his obedience
that gives us sanctification, his blood that gives us justification.
God has given assurance to all men in that he raised him from
the dead. That's our God. And we don't
have the patience with or tolerance with or any kind of association with
any other God. This be your God, O Israel.