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Intro:Creator, Provider, Ruler, God is also our Father. I'm so thankful that our God is also our Father. Near the turn of the century, a little boy, walking along the Mississippi River, saw an old man on the bank and began to chat with him. Suddenly, the little boy saw the majestic riverboat, the River Queen, making her way down the river. As the boat drew closer, the little boy stood up and began to shout at the top of his lungs, "Let me ride! Let me ride!" The old man looked at him, smiled and said, "Sit down, sonny. That riverboat's not going to stop for you." Then, to the old man's amazement, the mighty River Queen did indeed slow down and pull up to the bank. And as the little boy ran up the gangplank into the arms of the awaiting captain, the old man heard him utter two words that explained it all: "Hi, Dad!" That's the way it is with us. "God's not going to answer you," say the old men in our lives. "He's too busy. He's got elections to oversee and famines to figure out." Not true. Any of us who have little children know that the cry of our children has precedence over anything else we do. And the same is true of God.

I. God's Patience

28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent,...

If man is the offspring of God, then idols are less than man, for idols are made by the mind of man. Man is superior to idols; therefore, to worship idols is to degrade the exalted position God has given man.

Man is superior to idols; therefore, to worship idols is to degrade the exalted position God has given man.

If man is the offspring of God, then something created by man is less than God. God is above everything man makes. Therefore, to exalt the works of man's hand above God is to degrade the exalted position of both God and man.

If man is the offspring of God, then something created by man is less than God. God is above everything man makes. Therefore, to exalt the works of man's hand above God is to degrade the exalted position of both God and man.

Moving in logical sequence from his quotes, Paul emphasized a personal relationship with God. Idolatry was wrong; God could not possibly be like gold or silver or stone. God makes people—people do not make God.

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Paul tells the philosophers to reprogram their thinking about the Maker. The Athenians had tried to capture the Divine Nature in statues of gold, silver, stone, wood, something shaped by art and man’s imagination!

￫No sculptor can craft Him,

￫no artist can draw Him, ￫no builder can reproduce Him,

￫no museum can unveil Him

￫no mind can conceive Him

￫no eye has seen Him

Times of Ignorance

Paul said, "God winked at it" (v. 30). The Greek word is huperidon, which is more accurately translated, "God overlooked it." The blinking of an eye is sudden and temporary! God "blinked His eye;" that is, for a limited time He closed his eye to the indiscretions of the pagans. The inference, however, was that the time had passed, and now God was commanding men everywhere to repent of their sins. Ignorance must end because God had revealed himself not only in Old Testament Scripture, but also in the life and death of his Son. Universalism (This is not the apostate doctrine that all mankind are the children of God and will all go to heaven) is a lie. God will not eventually find some way to bring all people to himself.

Paul says that God “commands all men everywhere to repent.” “Commands” means “to give a charge, to enjoin, to give commandment.” Repentance is not suggested by God, but commanded by God. Repentance is not an option! Paul is clear that God commands all men everywhere to repent! Repent: metanoeo, met-an-o-eh'-o; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (moral feel compunction) :- repent. We have a change of mind about ourselves, our sins, our situation! This change of mind always leads to a change in action! God commands all men everywhere to repent.

God commands:

...Politicians, prostitutes, and philosophers to repent...

...Teachers, tramps, and technicians to repent... ...Those in poverty and those with plenty to repent

... Professors, procrastinators, preachers to repent...

...Upper class, middle class, lower class, and those with no class to repent...

...Those in Athens, in Africa, and America to repent...

...Scientists and socialists to repent...

...Those educated and elevated to repent...

...Those uneducated and unethical to repent... ...Family members and friends to repent...

God calls all men everywhere to repent. ￫Location does not exempt us from repentance. ￫Learning does not exempt us from repentance.

￫Reformation doesn’t exempt us from repentance.

￫Restitution doesn’t exempt us from repentance.

￫Resolutions do not exempt us from repentance.

If you have never come to repentance you are not right with God! God commands you to repent of your sin, repent of your idolatry, repent of your waywardness, repent of your rebellion, repent of your ungodliness!

II. God's Provision

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31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Paul claimed God did not live in isolation somewhere in distant areas of space; He was among men, watching and caring for them, and that one day all human beings would be accountable for their conduct on earth. He had appointed a representative by whom judgment would be decided, and the Supreme Court of Athens could not compare with the great court to be held in the presence of the Almighty. The Lord Jesus will judge the world—He has been anointed for this and appointed to this! He has been called by the Father to judge the world. says, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” God has ordained the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Judge of all mankind. All mankind will have to stand before:

* Not a council, but Christ *Not an earthly jury, but the heavenly Judge

* A man, but the MAN

* A pastor, but the Master

* Some deacons, but the Deity

*Some liberal Judge, but the Lord Jesus!

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God proved to “everyone” (πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν), i.e., to all human beings, that the judge whom he appointed to judge the world is fully and uniquely qualified for this responsibility. Human beings can judge other human beings, but not the entire human race; a universal judge needs special proof that he has the necessary credentials. The fact that God raised (ἀναστήσας) Jesus “from the dead” (ἐκ νεκρῶν) means, first, that God has power over the dead; second, that God has the authority to appoint a judge over the living; and third, that the one raised from the dead can legitimately receive the authority to judge the living and the dead.

This Saviour was killed and then raised from the dead, and one day, He will return to judge the world. The proof that He will judge is that He was raised from the dead. It was the doctrine of the Resurrection that most of the members of the Council could not accept. To a Greek, the body was only a prison; and the sooner a person left his body, the happier he would be. Why raise a dead body and live in it again? And why would God bother with a personal judgment of each man? This kind of teaching was definitely incompatible with Greek philosophy. They believed in immortality, but not in resurrection.

III. Gospel Persuasion

32 When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him. But others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 Then Paul left their presence. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

The message of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus prompted three responses in the crowd at Mars Hill on that day. The message of the resurrection still prompts these same messages. 1. Some Denied

When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him.

Some laughed and mocked and did not take Paul's message seriously. Some mocked. In particular they mocked the resurrection. Most either felt life just ceased at death or else a person passed into some fluffy cloud, some half-slumber and half-conscious state of being.

⇒ The idea that life would be so purposeful that a man would exist forever—that he would literally arise from the dead and live in a perfect state of being—was just beyond their understanding.

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2. Some Delayed

But others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.”

Others were interested but wanted to hear more. Some put off making a decision. They were thoughtful, trying to grasp the message and think through the implications, what living a life of righteousness would mean, the great price they would have to pay. They just were not ready to make such a commitment, not yet.

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3. Some Discipled

34 However, some men joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

A small group accepted what Paul preached, believed on Jesus Christ, and were saved. Men

Luke notes that “some men” (τινὲς ἄνδρες) were converted

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Luke describes their reaction to Paul’s preaching with two verbs: they “came to faith”

Luke singles out the conversion of a certain Dionysos (Διονύσιος), a member of the Areopagus Council (ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης), who also came to faith and joined Paul.

A Women

a woman with the name Damaris (Δάμαρις) was also converted.

Others

“others” (ἕτεροι) were converted as well.

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Jon Courson's Application Commentary - Jon Courson's Application Commentary – Jon Courson's Application Commentary New Testament.

Ivor Powell Commentaries - Ivor Powell Commentaries – Amazing Acts.

Analytical Bible Expositor - Analytical Bible Expositor – Acts.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Acts.

Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament - The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1.