Agnostic? Really?

A Man Appointed

(Acts 17:22-34, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 18, 2012)

[22] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

Paul was alone in Athens and his spirit was greatly provoked by all of the idolatry in the city. That may seem like a situation that is far from your own. Yet this same apostle informs us that covetousness is idolatry, and we do live in a world full of covetousness.

Not only that, but we live in a world that is covetous and largely agnostic. Even many who may put a religious label on themselves, if forced to do so will openly acknowledge that they do not know if there is a God.

When Paul considered how he might speak as an ambassador for Jesus Christ in the city of Athens, he began with an agnostic altar that he encountered while going around this simultaneously religious and irreligious city. They had many objects of worship, but in the midst of all these was an altar with this strange inscription, “To the unknown god.”

The Greek word used in this inscription is the one from which we get the English word, “agnostic.” When I think about agnostics, I think of them sleeping late on Sunday mornings. But as I considered this altar that the apostle referred to before the Athenian Areopagus, it occurred to me that many people who are agnostics find themselves in situations where they suddenly turn to God in prayer. Many others find their conscience bothering them about something in their lives, and they have the distinct impression that the God that they do not know about is not pleased. Many may, during a very excellent moment, feel the presence of the God they do not believe in, and inwardly acknowledge that feeling, even enjoying it, and then go on with life.

How many agnostics feel that God is with them on their wedding day or at the birth of a child and never say anything about it to anyone? How many people might like to put a coin in a moneybox at some shrine with this inscribed on it, “To the agnostic god” just to say “Thanks?”

Paul used this agnostic inscription to start a conversation with people that were not steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. He made a very exciting announcement to those who were assembled in front of him that day: “What you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you.”

[24] The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, [25] nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Anyone can be an agnostic, especially for some period of time in life. No one can live in this world without having any experience of God. Psalm 14 says, “The fool is saying in his heart that there is no god.” But, no disrespect, deep down the fool is lying. Everyone has experienced god.

The God that we proclaim with our words and our lives is the God of everything that we have ever experienced. As Paul said that day, “He is the Lord of heaven and earth.” People make temples to all sorts of gods, but it should be plain to everyone that the real God whom we all have experienced does not need our temples, or anything that our hands could build. We do not give life to Him. He is the Being who gave life to us. On your first day of life outside of your mother's womb, I hope that someone was very happy to see you. At that moment, that person may have had this thought racing through her heart when she heard your cry, “Thank you, God!”

[26] And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, [27] that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, [28] for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;[f4]
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’[f5]This God who does not need any of us to build Him a house, has made a house for us. Not only do we have a tent of flesh to dwell in, our bodies, but we also are part of a family, and part of a nation. Anyone can be agnostic about Him. That requires no special intelligence. But consider this: He is not agnostic about you.

He determined the places and times of every creature on this planet. He gives us our dwelling place. Consider this: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” That is why Paul can say to every agnostic in his hearing regarding the Lord God, “He is actually not far from each one of us.” He is not a disinterested heavenly being. Imagine this: “We are indeed His offspring.” Even people who were very far from the Hebrew Scriptures have figured these things out from their own experience of the god they were agnostic about. They knew themselves to be more than lifeless objects of silver or gold. They knew that they were created by someone in whom they somehow lived, but were not yet fully acknowledging.

[29] Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. [30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, [31] because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” [32] Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” [33] So Paul went out from their midst. [34] But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.What an outstanding announcement: “The times of not knowing are over.” How do we know that those days are over? God has appointed a Man for the forgiveness of all our covetousness and idolatry that only led to fear and death. That appointed Man, Jesus Christ, died for our sins, and became for us the living object of faith for the world in His resurrection from the dead.

This God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has also appointed a coming day on which He will judge the world through the Savior of the world, Jesus, the resurrection Man. Some will mock this and continue to have occasional logical, if hidden, slip ups, where they offer sacrifices to a god that they do not believe in. Their conscience will bother them as if there is a god to whom they must one day give an account. They will cry out to the god that they do not believe in when they are gripped by tragedy, and when the best things in life come through for them their hearts will murmur, “Thank God.” But we are those who are not content to worship an unknown god. We are those who at some point come to this conclusion, “We will hear you again about this.”

1. What does Paul say about the Athenians?

2. What does he say about God?

3. What would repentance look like for Paul's listeners that day?

4. What was the reaction of those listening to Paul's teaching about the resurrection of Jesus, the appointed Man of God?

OT Passage: Psalm 4