What Unbelievers Need to Understand

Jun 16, 2024 
GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

Neil McClendon, Lead Pastor

Acts 17:22-34
What Unbelievers Need to Understand

1. Religion worships the wrong things, v. 22-23

Syncretism is the process by which aspects of one religion are assimilated into, or blended with, another religion. This leads to fundamental changes in both religions.

2. Christianity is the worship of the one true God, v. 24

3. God’s nature makes Him knowable, v. 24-28

1) He is Creator, v. 24

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
                                                        -Romans 1:18-20

2) He is self-sufficient, v. 24
3) He is provider, v. 25
4) He is ruler of the nations, v. 26
5) He is knowable, v. 27-28

Arguments are only persuasive if they work within the plausibility structure existing in the midst of the hearers.

4. What you think about God matters, v. 29-30

“Your thoughts about God are all too human.”
      -Martin Luther

5. Final judgement is clarifying, v. 30-31

1) The final judgment is good news

   “A world without judgement is a world of anarchy, a world in which those who terrorize others sin with impunity.”
      -Thomas R. Schreiner

2) The final judgment reminds us of the nature of God

"This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
                    -2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

3) The final judgment teaches us that evil won’t triumph

4) The Gospel doesn’t make sense if there is no final judgement 




Mental worship…

Is there a chance you are someone who is religiously superstitious but doesn’t have a personal relationship with God?
What has the capacity to become your “objects of worship?”
What attribute of God brings you the most comfort these days?
What thoughts or feelings does the reality of the final judgment stir up in you?
What did you hear today that you want to think about or ask questions about this week?