Hope for the Christian in Degrading Society Acts 17:16-34 Cooper Abrams

Introduction:    America's independence was won at a great cost and sacrifice of many people. On July 4th, 1776 our forefathers adopted the Declaration of Independence. Actually, a resolution of independence on July 2nd. It was debated and revised the declaration and on July 4th approving formally. It was 1783 that revolutionary war was over and the Treaty of Paris was signed and Great Britain recognized America's independence. For over 200 years America has enjoyed the freedom that was won.

           Since then selfish power hunger men have tried to destroy this nation and take away our freedoms. The main reason is that America was founded on moral principles given to us by Almighty God. These principles made us the greatest most powerful and prosperous nation in the world.

           However, these biblical principles are fast being lost and America since WWII has changed dramatically. Removing prayer schools in 1963 showed the extent of America's decline. In the following years, abortion was legalize, humanism under Dewey became the religious of public education, gay and homosexual behavior became openly accepted as normal behavior and family values began to rapidly decline. Divorce, and couples living without marriage began to increase until today it is common place with not stigma attached to it. To show the present moral decline of America we have elected a government and president that is openly anti-Christian, pro-Muslim, pro-terrorist, is neo-Marxist, left-wing, anti-capitalist, anti-American. Liberal politicians are daily making attacks on morality, religion and especially Christianity .

           "Coral Ridge Ministries recently did a survey and according to the study, 72 percent of evangelical Christians do not trust Congress, and 90 percent share that same opinion about President Barrack Obama. Moreover, 91 percent feel the Obama administration has pro-Islamic leanings that will eventually threaten the religious freedoms of Americans." (http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1004632)

           The question for Bible believing Christians is how should we respond to all this. We could spend a lot of time talking about how we got to the terrible spiritual state, but it would do little or nothing to change the situation. One thing is for sure, Bible believing Christians in America living for Christ has greatly decreased in the past decades. There is a great decline in spiritual living among Christians and with that comes a decline in discernment. Like the church at Ephesians in New Testament times we have lost our first love. Many have become as the church of the Laodiceans neither hot nor cold. Many have become salt that has lost its savor and thus is good for nothing.

           Many have ceased to be the light on the hill that shines forth God's truth of His love and salvation. Through worldliness which is idolatry they have let their light go out.

           After returning to Utah last week, several pastors asked me how I found things back east among the churches. Although there are a good Bible believing churches who love the Lord and are serving Him, I sadly saw the spiritual decline in many churches. Pastors and churches have lost discernment and are fast embracing false doctrines such as the Pre-wrath rapture lie, the Reformed movement. Many embracing false practices such the modern movement away from sound godly biblical worship to the false gospel of entertainment, health and wealth.

          The question is as I stated before, what shall we do?

I. A city wholly given to idolatry. Acts 17:16-21

A. In the Old Testament idolatry referred to worshiping idols and false gods. However, in the New Testament the word began to also refer to not only worshiping false gods, but worldliness and devotion giving honor to anything rather than to God. In other words, worldliness became a god because it gave preference over worldly things rather than giving God the preeminence in one's life.

          I think if Paul visited America today he would find exactly the same thing he saw in Athens. A nation wholly given over to idolatry. B. Paul saw the city of Athens was given over to false religion.

1. Paul went to the synagogue first and in his preaching addressed the idolatry of the city. He first went to the Jews the people who professed to know God and should be concerned about the situation there. He also went to the Gentile proselytes to Judaism.

2. Next he took it to the streets and carried the Gospel to the public. 3. Paul got the attention of the local crowd at the Areopagus. (Air re op a Gus) Areopagus was the high court of Athens. It was the place where the intellectuals gathered.

           "(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)" (Acts 17:21)

           Paul was led to the Areopagus by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:16-20) who heard his preaching and were curious. They brought him before these philosophers to hear his "strange new doctrine."

II. Sadly most Americas do not know who God is the same as Athenians—17:22-23
A. I am not saying America is not religious. America is very religious having every kind of false religious in the world. False religion is exploding in this nation. We have everything from atheism, humanism, to Oriental religions, Islam, the Green movement, to the modern false Charismatic religious of the health and wealth gospel and the churches who have perverted biblical worship changing it to putting on shows, music and entertainment. Preaching is not "Thus said the Lord" but a combination of psychology mix with false interpreted passages of scripture.

           There was no authoritative Bible preaching, no standard of truth, no guideposts for true biblical living.

B. He began by addressing their religious views (superstitions) Acts 17:24-27

           Paul said he saw an altar to the unknown god who they ignorantly worshiped. They worshiped many gods and were afraid they had missed one so they erected an altar to the "unknown god."

C. What truth did Paul proclaim to them. Acts 17:24

1. God is the Creator. John 1:1-4 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4)

2. God is the Sovereign Lord of all—"…seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth" (Psa 135:6)

3. God is independent, Almighty, Omnipotent. "…dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Acts 17:25 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing…"

4. God: Universal Provider— "seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

             "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

5. God is not a racist "…And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…"

6. God controls history "…and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation…"

           "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:17) 7. God Is The Real Evangelist—That they should seek the Lord

III. How do Bible believing Christians respond to the current state of our nation and society.
A. First we must change our thinking and repent of our worldliness. Paul told the Athens, "we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." (V30)

B. Christians must preach the real gospel and be the salt and light in the world that Christ has given us the commission to be. Paul preached the coming resurrection of dead. He proclaimed the wonderful and frightening truth that all men will one days stand before their holy an righteous Creator and be judged by Him. Man is responsible for the life he has been given and the sins he commits. The man who lives unto himself rejecting God is guilty before God and condemned by His sins.

           However the Good News, the Gospel is that if any man will believe God's word, put His faith and trust in God, who is Jesus Christ who paid our sin debt with His own blood, God will forgive that man's sins and give him eternal life.

          There is coming a day of judgment when God will judge all men. Acts 17:31 "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

Conclusion:
1. We should expect ridicule and rejection the same way that Paul did. V32 ‘And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter."

2. Also expect some changed minds and hearts. We should expect that some will believe and be saved. Acts 17:34

Among those who heard the Gospel and believed was man named Dionysius (Di o nish ous) the Areopagite, (Airy op a gite) and a woman named Damaris,(Dam are us) and others with them.

3. First we must repent in our hearts of our failures and sins before God. We cannot help others if our relationship with the Lord is not right. 1 John 1:8-10 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:8-10)

4. Next we must ask the Lord for guidance and strength.

           "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:13-15)

5. I heard a well known preacher who was discussing the current world situation and our declining world. He warned of the seriousness of our plight in the face of the way our President and politicians are taking us, plus the worsting situation in the world which will soon if not stopped lead to a lost of all our freedoms and a government under a dictator. He said it does not seem like anything will turn this current escalation toward destruction and knowing God's prophecies we are end the beginning of the end of this age.

6. Thus our course should be clear that we drawn close to our Lord and Savior, fully confident in His plan for the world and live a godly obedient life which is God's will and proclaim His name where ever we can being faithful in our assembling together, in our prayers, in our giving and personal witness for Christ.

          In Leipzig, Germany at St. Nicholas church, a group of believers began to pray. There was a great nuclear threat. The Pastor opened the church for prayer every Monday for people who wanted to pray for peace. The Beatitudes were read each pray session "Blessed are the peace makers." About that time, six people in Leipzig, Germany started a prayer group. They gathered at St. Nicholas Church each Monday night and prayed for peace. Afterwards, they would stand outside with a candle for one hour. Each week, their numbers grew. Other prayer meeting were held in East Berlin, Dresden, and other East German cities. They would sing, pray, march, and hold candles. The church could hold 2,000 people, but that was too small to hold all of Germany's desire to be free from oppression. Monday 16 October 1989 saw 120,000 people in the streets of Leipzig; there was no violence. There were non-violent demonstrations all over East Germany.

          Ronald Reagan made an impassioned speech on 12 June 1987 in West Berlin; he said, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

           On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down. Was it Mr. Gorbachev that tore it down? Was it Ronald Reagan?

          Was it the new president, George Bush? No, it was Germans. A leader of the Communist Party in East Germany said, "We had planned everything, we were prepared for everything, but not for candles and prayers."

          Dear friends God has promised to always be with us and has told us to pray. I do not know God's plans, but what ever it is would you join with me in praying for America. We should pray for revival and reformation and God's protection in these troubling times.



July 4 ,2010

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