In this sermon we will be studying the apostle Paul’s encounter with the major philosophers of his day in Athens. He encounters a myriad of Greek religious and philosophical ideas. How does he effectively engage them with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our study will be taken from Acts 17:16-33 and it is entitled Harvesting in Hard Soil.” I don’t know if you have ever thought about the question, “If you could live at any point in history and any place in history, where would you choose?” We often can have a rather romantic notion of some time in history when we thought the world was a more beautiful, or a more exciting, or more noble time in which to live. We think that our times are the hardest for Christians and the mission of Christ.
The doctrine of God’s providence teaches us that God has chosen and appointed the very times and the places for each and all of our lives. That’s what Paul proclaims in Athens. We are living in exactly the right time and the right place for God to do His good work in us and through us for His glory. As we consider how to live as Christians in a world full of suffering and injustice, it is helpful for us to know that God is at work and we don’t have to play God to orchestrate the best scenarios for kingdom life and gospel advancement. God is at work and His purposes cannot fail!
My wife’s favorite verse in the Bible is Job 42:2 where the suffering Job declares “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Can you say that? How does our life and mission change when we believe that God has providentially orchestrated everything for our good and the salvation of others? How does that shape our faith and the sharing of our faith in a world that seems so far from Christ?
Come and let’s be encouraged together through the Word and the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.
