Called to preach the Gospel

By Pastor Michael Drichile

 

Hello friends, yesterday we went together in our study of the six hints of Christian walk with narratives from the book of Ephesians. 2:4-6 through Ephesians. 2:8-10, and believe it has been a great blessing walking together with you in the systematic study of God’s Word.

 

Our Text of today is Acts 17:18-28.

So please open your Bibles with us to the book of Acts 17:18-28.

 

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, what will this babbler say? Other some, He seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: We would know therefore what these things mean.

For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or hear some new thing.

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mar’s hill, and said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an alter with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declared I unto you.

God that made the world and all things there in, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from everyone of us:

 

 For in him we live, and move and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

Acts was written by Luke with variance of its exact date of writing, but large number of scholars asserts that the book was written around 64-65 AD as a sequel to Luke’s gospel to record the history of the early church for a period of about 30 years from 33AD to 65AD. It is a transitional book that serves to connect the Gospels to the Epistles, which record the instruction to the Church.

It is an Historic book giving continuation of the teaching ministry of Jesus and that of the Apostles, as the great commission begun to be fulfilled from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, Samaria and the rest of the Mediterranean world. The story begins with Christ’s ascension and the event of the Pentecost. As Gentiles, begin responding to the gospel, the focus shifts to Paul and his Missionary journey.

Like the Gospel according to Luke, Acts was a letter to Luke`s friend Theophilus, With its 28 chapters and 3 major divisions, Acts serves as the key link demonstrating shift in focus from-

-Law to grace, Legalism to liberty in Christ, Judaism to Christianity, Gospel for Jews alone to Gospel for Jews and Gentiles, Israel as God`s chosen instrument to the church, Synagogue and Temple, to Church,

, From Jerusalem to the World, Sabbath observance to Lord`s Day (Sunday). Having the Holy Spirit as its subject, Acts record the beginning of the Church, the growth and spread of the church with response to persecution.

Luke who wrote the book of Acts was believed to be an Antiochian by race and a physician by profession, a Gentile and a companion of Apostle Paul, who wrote his gospel after having a careful investigation about all the facts concerning Christ. (Luke 1:1-4).

It has not taken quite long since we met many of you in our prayer group and as Pastor Greg Hooker has always been advising and giving encouragement, certain individuals have reverted from our prayer group to start other things or to even bring lounge against this group with their intentions of flattery and unsound doctrine. It real hurts to see the vision to preach Christ and help His churches grow in a higher horizon can be thwarted or diminished by such persons who put in sheep’s clothing. We cannot help but believe the one they are fighting is Christ.

In today`s lesson we learned that Apostle Paul conversed with representatives of the most popular philosophies of the day, Stoicism, and Epicureanism in his second Missionary journey of AD 49-51, and they called Paul a “Babbler” a term in Greek ‘spermologos’ meaning the one who picks up seeds. They used this term against Paul because it refers to someone who pecks at ideas like a chicken pecks at seeds and then spouts them off without fully understanding them. Because these philosophers and the strangers among them spend their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or hear some new thing. And they are convinced that they are right in the duties of their work.

 

But Paul stood up in the midst of Mar’s hill, (also known as the hill of ‘Ares’) in Greek “god of war,” and said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very religious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UKNOWN GOD.

In the second century A.D. the Greek Geographer Pausanias recorded “altars of the gods named unknown” in Athens, Olympia and through Pergamum. But I tell you friends, Paul played cool, knowing all they are doing, he used humble approaches to speak to them quoting the very words of their philosophers and speaking on their very acts.

Paul speaks of the God who made the World and everything in it. He identifies this one true God as superior to all the lesser, competing deities that might be worshiped in Athens, with all their foibles and weakness and told them openly God does not live in temples made by man, nor served by human hands.

Beaten, persecuted and imprisoned, but he kept on preaching the gospel. He never stayed at one place as many of us do these days. Not on salary but kept on with faith, love and faithfulness to carry on with the work of the gospel to proclaim the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, stand up today to preach Christ. Everywhere you go take Christ with you and share Him by your examples, words and testimony. If you cannot travel outside your country to take the good news of Jesus Christ, Identify a Mission Organization and be part of them to preach Christ beyond borders, giving the support with the work of your hands and God will bless you for supporting Mission. Stand strong in all situations, philosophies and laws of our government that goes against the Bible. For it is our work to make it right by pointing people and their government to the living Word of our God and save our country and its people from the coming judgment.