Download... February 5, 2012. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
Many are seeking after “something,” ..not really knowing what. Thank God we can know He, has the answers to all our needs! The vanities of this life, are only of empty substance. Ecclesiastes 1: 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity. And this in its great depths, is a description of the world’s condition, that we live in today!
There is no “human” way to really understand and apprehend the meaning of life. There are so many perspectives of “what takes place” (in the substance of life) making life seemingly an absurdity. Making life essentially with no meaning, beyond what is visually here, a vanity of vanities. Bro Goble shared some of a conversation he had with a man, who considered trying to apprehend the meaning of life’s values. He did not know how to apprehend God, so life to him, was in essence an absurdity. He considered suicide, in light of his thoughts. So in this conversation with Bro Goble, he asked, “What is the solution?” The scriptures define the needed answer. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. The man then asked, “How do I know that it is God, I should fear and not another?” Bro Goble shared that he understood his question, for he was once there himself. Then Bro Goble suggested he read through the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes for a better understanding, or explanation of life’s true “lessons.” Life, ‘without God,’ is truly an absurdity! Yet, when you honor God, then life is truly meaningful! How can this happen? Stay on your knees before God, until you are given a personal revelation, and apprehend the dynamics of life’s meaning! When you have fulfilled this, you will have fully awakened spiritually, and be no longer in “life’s spiritual slumber.”
TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
AND
ACTS 17:16-23
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
This period of time spoken of in the above text, was approximately 50 or 51 A.D. (Christ crucifixion was approximately 30 A. D.) It sounds like Paul here had a personal revelation from God. Verse 21 of Acts 17. These people had too much time “on their hands” to consider “new” or vain ideas (and nothing else!)
As societies become wealthier and wealthier to leisurely consider “new” ideas …they speculate and debate. And here also, these people of Athens, with abundant time on their hands, (coupled with their “wealth of mentality”), together, “gave themselves” to vainly speculate. All is vanity, here also, according to God’s word. And the vanity of it all, is an absurdity!
Verse 16, Paul’s spirit was stirred, in his observation of their idolatry, while they considered God “as if” fleshly. This in essence “made” God also of idolatry. Verse 22 “Leisure time” has a way to contribute, in causing people to be spiritually asleep! This morning we want to exhort you, to not be spiritually in slumber. This scriptural “account” took place approximately 20 years after Jesus death and resurrection. Paul, had up to this time, gone through much to prove himself, in light of his past reputation. He approximately had 15-20 years of being tested for his now true spiritual experience with God.
Verse 16 again, Paul daily at the synagogue, still stirred, throughout all his years of conversion, about these “fleshly disputes,” regardless from “educated scholars.” All Paul had was a personal revelation of God, and what He had done for him, to be “pressed” to address their idolatry. It is all we truly need! What Paul expressed in his spiritually stirred heart… was strange to the “fleshly” human mind. Athens, here, is “like” your geographical “fleshly location.” Is your spirit, like Paul here, stirred within you? Or are you more like the world, able to partake of their recreations, enjoying their social atmosphere, their ‘sophisticated education,’ etc.?
Is your spirit within you also stirred? One man here (Paul), ...was alone in his great spiritual concern. Yet his faith fully witnessed (to this group surrounding him), speaking out of his personal revelation of Salvation through Jesus Christ. He witnessed of Christ earthly birth, life, and death in our midst, for a sacrifice, for our Redemption. Somebody (Paul), was stirred into action! Paul did not inactively wait here in Athens (in his room or otherwise), but went to the “market place area,” to testify for the many people here in spiritual need.
There have been many “thinkers” Aristotle, philosophers, etc., here active in their vain speculations, and philosophies. Athens had become here, an epic culture center of idolatry. Today, Americans often want to be on television’s “American Idol,” wanting to be the next “movie star.” The next “American Idol.” God’s people do not follow after these vanities of too much idle time on their hands. Our “theme parks” today, are experts at “attracting” people’s attention with something “new” in entertainment. It obviously is not necessarily bad to enjoy those places, ...only if it takes “your destination” to spiritual slumber. What stirs you?
Proverbs 6:10,11 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. If you mention values today as being 'Christian' values, the world “attacks” through the religious world of what “their values” consists of. They like to make the divine, 'earthy', ...essentially making it idolatry. To go against it, is to be labeled a bigot, fanatic, etc. There’s a label out there waiting for you, by this society of one 'wholly given over' ..to vanities. God’s people are stirred over this. We need to want God to stir our hearts about these vain conditions. If you only hearken back to a past, dead pastor, who then stirred you, you won’t submit to God’s ‘presently alive leadership,’ ..within His true Church.
What, 'still' stirs you? If you are still stirred to all of God’s Word ..count your blessings! If your conscience is not seared, a least a part is still affected by God’s Word and Spirit. Thank God! Yet, don’t condemn those not yet submitted to God’s message. Don’t judge their condition. They may not yet have “apprehended.” If they are truly rebellious, it is because they actually reject God and His Spirit. That then, is obviously a problem. But if they are only in a place of life, where they have not ‘yet’ apprehended, that does not consist of true rejection of God’s Word. If ‘after’ they have apprehended God’s Word, then they after reject it, that would be true rebellion against the authority from God’s anointed leadership, or other spiritual “messengers.” We need to be able to discern the difference between the two, "the lack of having apprehended," or, the rebellion of what one already understands.
Acts 17:21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) The people here always ‘went after’ …“something new.” And just like an analogy of a room smells of new paint, etc., being closed up with no fresh air, it will become a “problem.” Like these people having given themselves over only to the vanity of “exploring new things,” which bred an atmosphere of spiritual seduction. Idolatrous. This is the danger of modern “religion”, always seeking new ways, thoughts to energize themselves. It is vain and seductive. “New,” just for the sake of something new, won’t spiritually satisfy. This is not an equation of when God reveals a “nugget’ of truth which is new ‘to us.’ But a God given (‘new to us’) truth, will never be “the old no longer satisfies” me. Be careful! Truth doesn’t change! Only Truth, should be what we seek for, whether it is old or new, ‘to us.’ If one is always seeking something new, ..be careful, or you might get what you ask for, (essentially spiritual seduction).
Ask God to stir you up against the “new” seductions of this world’s values. Our present society rejects past values. They want to seek after something new of vanity. It becomes their “spiritual babysitter.” They are always asking for “something else.” Many leave God’s true Church because they want or seek something new of a fleshly or vanity filled mind. Ironically Paul exhortations did not cause some to be stirred away from their idolatry. Although some did, many did not react to be “stirred.” They, like today, desired more of their leisure and past time activities. “American Church Idol” is often what they (religious groups) follow after. “Religious” vanities, an absurdity!
The only thing that makes true sense in this life, is God’s Salvation from sin through Jesus. When Paul had gotten to Athens, the people were not in their right spiritual mind, but in a mind only found in the “wisdom” of men, full of “vain philosophies." They had become essentially tired of the Truths of old, or they would not have been vainly "exploring new ideas." Don’t be dissatisfied with Truth. Don’t look to fleshy excitements of “religious mentalities,” for life’s true satisfactions. Go deeper in the constancy of God’s Truth. The man (spoken about here earlier) Bro Goble had been talking to, was frustrated in spite of being educated in Philosophy. It is because Truth and real answers only come through God and His personal revelations.
Finding life hard to understand? Just humble yourself to seek God’s answers, to life’s problems. You cannot search for God in some fleshly esteemed manner, to apprehend Him. You must humble yourself to seek, and access God’s answers, ..to life’s problems. Again, you cannot search for God in a “fleshly esteemed” manner to apprehend Him. You must spiritually humble yourself before God, so He can through Salvation, cause you to grasp all He would give you in Redemption.
Our prayer needs to be, “God help us to be stirred as the apostle Paul was here, to witness of the gospel’s message. Have you been spiritually stirred, and not satisfied with the philosophies of mankind?
