 We're in Acts chapter 17. So why don't you guys go ahead and turn your Bibles? We're gonna be looking at verses 16 through 34 But I'm going to read verses one 16 all the way down to verse 21 and then I'm gonna stop and begin my study So I would really appreciate if you guys can do me a favor and can you stand as we read the scriptures? To give reverence to the word of God and then we'll begin our study Beginning in verse 16 Luke records for us This portion of Paul's story in which he is doing a work for the Lord And there's some things that I want to highlight here in my and what I want to do today is just encourage you to stand firm Especially in times like this. We're now Christians have been targeted We've been targeted. We you know people now are starting to hate us. Have you guys noticed that? They're starting to burn down and just trying to you know Keep us from worship keeping keeping us from doing all kinds of things that we were doing prior to this whole You know quarantine and I just want to be an encouragement to you today So hopefully you guys will allow me into your hearts as I share with you from the word of God beginning in verse 16 This is what Luke records now while Paul waited for them in Athens his spirit was provoked within him When he saw that the city was given over to idols therefore He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the Gentile worshippers and in the marketplace daily with those Who happened to be there? then certain a peccurian and stoic philosophers Encountered him and said what what is this babbler? one Well, what does babbler want to want to say? Other said he seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection And they took him and brought him to the era Pagas. I can't pronounce the word so let's just call it a swap me, right? saying May we now may we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore. We want to know what these things mean for all Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else But either to tell or hear some new thing and father We pray as we get into your word that you will speak to our hearts Convict those that need to be convicted come for those that need to be comforted strength those that are weak in Lord Father what we're asking of you is that you will meet every single one of us exactly where we're at So that when we leave these doors our hearts may be renewed a fire may May burn within us Lord for us to continue being faithful until you call us home God help us who stand firm in these days in Jesus name. We say amen. You may have a seat So as I mentioned, we are living in some hard times today where our faith is being pretty much Unapologetically challenged our faith is questioned our faith is mocked as your fellow brother in Christ As I mentioned I want to encourage you guys to stand firm and not to back down from these attacks on our faith In fact, we know as we study scripture this attack has been going on since the beginning of time And it will continue until God calls us home Jesus said made he made it really clear that in this world you will have tribulations And then he tells us not to worry right because he has overcome the world But we do know that these attacks are gonna come our faith is gonna be challenged The question is this will you stand firm? Well, I want to encourage you to be faithful to the end not to fold but to stand bold to raise our flag of faith Expecting others to salute it or expecting others to believe in our blessed Lord Jesus Christ in this part of scripture Listen closely We'll see how Paul had to stand firm in a pagan world Paul at this time is in a great city the city of Athens the intellectual and the cultural center of the ancient world and He's waiting for two of his of his main Helpers which is Silas and Timothy who are at this time in Berea Paul had went ahead of them And he's there in Athens as and as he's waiting He's walking the road the streets of this this ancient city in Athens now listen As he's waiting to be joined by his other partners. He finds himself alone in this big city Now I want you to think about that for a moment. He is alone in this city Where there's so many people so much thing is going on in that city And one of the things that I do want to ask is this have you ever been alone in a big city? Well, the reality is is that whenever we are alone anywhere our Character will be tested it's been said listen closely that the test of your character is what you do when you're alone in the big city You hear me you will be tested When no one's watching whether you're at work whether you're at home and Everyone else is at work or at school whether you're at school by yourself or wherever you might be listen That's where it shows Where you stand with God? Will you be standing firm or will you be compromising where you'll be will you remain faithful or will you be? Kind of pumpkin out on the things of God See the reality is that it is when we are alone that our two colors were show before God How I pray that whenever we are alone that our character may Stay the same and that is one of integrity and holiness and godliness So The only way to remain firm the only way to keep that character is very simple. You know what it is Being totally sprung up on Jesus That means totally in love with Christ Because when you're in love with Christ and when I ask that question, I really want you guys to think about it Do you really love Jesus with all your heart and soul? Because when you are in love with Christ when you are in love with him Literally, that's all you can think about. That's all you want to talk to that's all you want to spend your time with I Tell you this after you're experiencing that that blessings that come and in our relationship with them when you're experienced The goodness of God through through through through his presence in our lives You will fall deeper and deeper and deeper in love. So when temptation comes Or or the temptation to compromise comes Your love for the Lord is what will keep you faithful wherever you're at whether you're in a with a group of people Or whether you are alone, but I want you to know that as Paul walked the streets of Athens His spirit was stirred up as we just read within him And the reason why is because he saw in this city the depth or the depravity or the wickedness that That hunted the city as you walk through Athens. He saw false teachers. Someone said peddling so dope uncle He he passed through pagan temples filled with empty people Idols surrounded him. In fact, this city was filled with cynicism Which simply speaks of skepticism or doubt or distrust suspicious and disbelief Athens in fact was the cultural center of this ancient world and Had its beauty it was it was it had when you were to visit Athens I've seen pictures, but you know the ruins But but I can only imagine the buildings and everything that was going on. It was no doubt, you know shocking incredible beauty and He's there in that city and he sees all these things going on In fact as I mentioned this city was the cultural center of the ancient world And it had an overwhelming glory. So when Paul came in there, he looked up to the mountain, which is called Acropolis, I think I pronounced it right Sitting at the top there was what's the Parthenon, which was dedicated to the sex goddess Athene Athens was also an intellectuals center of the world of the ancient world Our literature philosophy is what made ancient Athens It was actually the the native home of sacred teeth in Plato name spoken of with reverence In the philosophy realm It also became the adopted home of Aristotle and a pick up because and Zeno who were there as a result of this cultural superiority and intellectualism This was a city no doubt filled with synagogues snobbery debate lots of pride and Paul was there and he's about to meet some strong resistance as he will share about Jesus Christ Now, why do I say all this thing? But I want you to know that we live in a place today America where we find all these things today here and My encouragement to you is to to that when your faith is challenged When your faith is questioned You may be able to answer them accordingly That you will not back down But that you will stand firm and allow God To speak to them through you as you endure the persecution as you endure the mockery as you endure Whatever the enemy throws at you Because the reality is listen if we're standing firm and and we're committed or dedicated to the purpose Which is just to preach the gospel to the loss I'm telling you this man. Faithfulness is what allow you to do so But again, here he is in this beautiful city just like America And now we see him standing now. I want to give you a few things if you're taking notes first I want you to know that we will experience challenges to our faith like Paul You need to understand that things are not gonna be easy for us believers You you you don't just become a Christian and you put it on cruise control You hear me? You don't just go on cruise control If you are a child of God and you're living now your life in obedience to his word Oh, trust me, you will get challenged You will get challenged, but I want you to know there's no such thing of cruise control. There's no shortcuts We have to be engaged with God's purpose in our lives And he has revealed to us his will right to preach the gospel to make disciples well Are you doing it today? But Paul experienced three challenges that I want to point at you right now number one the apostle Paul faced superstitious idolatry Notice what it says in verse 16 now while Paul waited for them and Athens His spirit was provoked within him when he saw that city was given over to idols in verse 22 It says then Paul stood in the midst of a repugnus and said men of Athens I perceive that in all things you are very religious then you keep the teen James version uses the word superstitious not religion So there were idols or pagans images everywhere that Paul looked and the people of Athens Actually, if you're taking note, this is something to jot down had a prop some approximately over 30,000 different gods or idols that they worship You're probably saying I thought you said that that day will be like ours when I said like Athens was like America We don't have 30,000 different gods, but I want you to know something We have more you see our cities is filled with idolatry And the difference is that we give our idols different names And I'm gonna give you guys the difference here I'm gonna share the the old-time, you know names that they gave their idols and we're gonna see how they they mix With the idols that we have today So Again, we're living in a place where idolatry is the sin that dominates Now what is an idol? What is an idol? Well, an idol is anything. We love more And then an idol is anything we fear more Anything that we serve more or trust more than God It's anything that is first place in our lives Whatever your heart clings to or trust that is your idol That is an idol. I want you to know that idolatry is the greatest sin You hear me? It's the greatest sin that a man can commit Why because in Matthew 22 verse 37 Jesus said this you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind Now we know that Jesus does an exaggeration, right? He doesn't give us these commands and then says well, you know what I just sounded good So I'm gonna tell you love me with everything you got When he tells us that we are to love God with all our being That's what God expects from us and how do we get there? That's something that you and God need to talk, but I know in my life My love for the Lord develop as I saw his faithfulness upon my life As I constantly visited the cross Opening up the scriptures and reading when Jesus was there on the cross dying for my sins Appreciating what he did What he did for someone that does not deserve his grace and his mercy But yet he still did it for me and for you But again the question I put to you today are you loving God with everything or is there other things in your life? Maybe a husband Maybe a wife kids family Getting Jesus says that you are to prefer him over anything else Maybe a job Sports how many people are not coming to church even today? Not so much because of what's going on but because the Dodgers are playing the Astral You know and they're watching the game here, and they're watching the message here Think about it if you really love God the way he tells us we will have a Healthy relationship with the Lord. We will walk in obedience. We will walk with the purpose of bringing him glory and honor Do you love God with all that is in you ask yourself that question Jesus says if you love me think about that if you love me if you really love me, what did you say? Keep my Commandments is that simple? You don't have to try to complicate. You don't need a theologian to break it down for you Hey, if you love me show me if you love me obey me is that simple and One of the things that I've learned in my walk with God That because he loves me the things that he gives to me is for my own good for his glory But my good just like when you tell your kids because you love them Don't be on your phone too much. It's gonna mess you up You're not telling me cuz you're trying to spoil their phone you tell me cuz you love them And you know the effects of being on a cell phone too long or eating candy when they're little don't eat all that candy Don't eat all those that chocolate. You're telling you giving them these commands because you love them Jesus says if you love me you keep my commandments well There was this superstitious idolatry in Athens There was all these people that love That love things more than the one who gave them these things but like I said we might have just as many idols here in America if not more idols in our society today that will face were just That we faced we what we do is we actually just changed their name as I said I was going to do now Let me give you some of the the names For instance, here are some of the modern gods that have old names The god of materialism That's the they call this god manum manum In this city we have those that worship the god of manum These are those that their lives are devoted to wealth business success achievements and so forth And we need to be honest with ourselves Even when I asked you do you really love god? And if you do you say you do Does business pull your heart Family success wealth achievements Because the reality is this the one you spend the time with the most that's the one you love So we need to be honest We need to be honest with ourselves And note that we may check ourselves you know For a long time I lived Not being honest to myself I thought that all my bad was my wife's fault I did And it wasn't to that day when god was really tugging at my heart Because I would blame everybody around me And I remember one day I went outside on my house It was Late night evening and I prayed and I prayed and I prayed and I told god because I was dealing with anger And I told god god, please deliver me. Please deliver me Please please all the way into the morning The only reason why I went inside because the kids were going to school and I looked like a bum right outside, you know But I was praying and asking god god, please break my heart. Please open my eyes. You know, what is it lord? I'm tired of this. I'm tired of being this person. I want to experience true joy and peace within me Help me god talk to me. Please And for hours I there I was begging god And it's not that god wanted me to beg him He just wanted me to he wanted to break me To where there's no more fight in me And I remember just finally I said okay god Please i'm getting cold out here. God said david You need to take responsibility for your own actions And just that moment I realized oh man, I've been the problem Lord forgive me See you have to be honest with yourselves If you love other things then god and tell god god, I'm sorry man. I put other things before you Because the reality is when we commit idolatry we're sinning And the bible says that the he who covers the sin shall not prosper. You can't progress you can't move forward But when you're honest with yourself and you confess your sin Oh god will bless you you forgive your course And then you're able to move on you may be you're able to continue on in your relationship with god as your love Depends in appreciation for what he's done and it's doing in your life But the reality is Who really dominates our heart? Is it our achievements our possessions? or jesus This god of manor has heavily influenced many lives if you think about it Think of the drug dealers the pornographers the liquid industries liquor industries With the public officials who betray america's integrity and the gambling industry All are influenced by the god of manor I pray the church is not influenced by the god of manor Then number two the god of alcohol the ancient people call this god bakua This is I probably mispronounced it as b a c c h u This is the god of drunkenness drugs debauchery Think about today Our youth Our young adults Even adults Is all about the party scene It's all about drinking All about alcohol The god of sex this this god they gave this god the name A name and in her name is venus afrodyte or athene This was the sex goddess the god of sexual lust and promiscuity And tell me if this is not true america is like a sex god We live in a sex saturated society Society america is immersed in a swamp of adultery fornication homosexuality and pornography The god of violence This was called the god of mars this god was called mars which was the god of power strength and revenge And today this god of violence is being worshiped You're saying how look at some of the video games your children are playing Grandfather, uh-huh think about it The god of wisdom and then and knowledge the name of of this goddess sofia of the goddess of wisdom And today tell me if this is not true many worship this god of intelligence And this is what the apostle pa was facing in his time and this is what we christians are facing in america today We are facing the god of alcohol the god of sex the god of violence the god of wisdom and knowledge the god of materialism This is what we're fighting against this is what we're we're we're we're called to to expose Because these are the things that are pulling people away from god rather than drawing people to god And people are falling into a pit of of of sin and pain and regret Because all these things that I mentioned are instruments that the devil uses to enslave even the christian To keep the christian away from the things that god has for them And the world from salvation So pa faced these these things in athens Anything we love again fear trust and serve more than god is an idol Matthew 633 jesus says seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness And everything else will be added unto you I mean do you believe that do you really really believe that? Because if you do you won't give your time to the things I just mentioned Because you trust god When you put him first he got you man. He'll take care of you Don't ignore your family. Don't ignore your spiritual family here at church You go I remember when I first got saved and I was coming here to capuchino valley One of the things that I told my wife my family and my friends. I say listen. Wednesdays is for god Sundays is for god a fellowship doesn't mean that I'm a part-time christian in the rich the other days I live like a devil no But I made it really clear even every job that I would get hired I say listen, I don't work Sundays and I don't work wednesdays And if you want me to work on wednesdays as long as I'm out so I can get there at church Why you want to go to church more boring now because that's something between me and my god but God must be first in our life Jesus has seek he first the kingdom of god An idol was simply someone wrote quote a magnified sinner unquote a person A magnified sinner not just up there Here's another thing paul face self righteous orthodoxy notice verse 17 He tells us there Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the jews and with the gentile worshipers and in the marketplace daily with those who happen to be There he faced self righteous orthodoxy He's now facing those who believe in the one true god He's facing those who were quote self satisfied unquote and who didn't know jesus as a lord and personal savior These were actually respectable centers Or religious to an extent These are those that look down on those that are superstitious But they've never seen Themselves in the need in need of a savior like jesus christ But paul was one at one time This self righteous bigot until he encountered jesus on the road to the mascus and his life was there transform Listen We'll meet many in our cities that may not be open devout idolatrous But they'll be self righteous Not seeing their need for a savior This is who was before paul these are the people that he was talking like in verse 17 These were worshipers these were people that had a knowledge of the true of the true living god But that's all just knowledge In verse 18 we see that paul faced Sophisticated philosophy these are those that see themselves as intellectual giants As mentioned Athens wasn't just a cultural center, but the intellectual center of the world at the time and philosophers will gather there in Athens What does philosophy mean? It simply means a love for knowledge A love for knowledge or love of knowledge So love of knowledge can never satisfy listen the deepest longing of the human heart And paul is there in Athens and he sees idolatry. He sees orthodoxy in this philosophy and now paul will have to face them notice in verse 18 Then certain apicurians and stoic philosophers encounter him And some said what does this babbler want to say? Others said he seems to be a proclamer of foreign gods because he preached to them jesus christ and the resurrection I love the fact that they acknowledge that looking knowledge that he was preaching christ and the resurrection He was preaching the gospel man to these intellectual giants there These intellectual giants So he encountered two types of philosophy while in Athens philosophy of pleasure For the note-takers pretty much the the apicurians were Were simply a group of people and let me give you something about him apiuchus lived about 300 years before christ and he had a philosophy that said that you really can't make sense out of life And that the search of reason or truth by reason is impossible He believed that absolute truth would never be found So he said pretty much listen This is all you have this is all you can do you can be sure of so enjoy yourselves He's saying the wisest thing is pleasure based on your own personal experience And tell me if this is not what we see today People that are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god Who believe that absolute truth could not be found through reason therefore the wisest thing in their mind Is pleasure based upon experience Think about that for a moment In second Timothy chapter 3 When pa gives the list of the things that were happened in the last days one of the things that he says is that people will be lovers of pleasure Rather than lovers of god And we see that today even before the quarantine man Football season came And for some reason the church shrank. Oh, no no reason. We know the reason Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god And then you had the the philosophy of of of pride the stoics These were led by a philosopher named xeno who who um And this guy pretty much believed that everything is god and god is everything and that humanity is self-sufficient It was a form of intellectual and intelligent pride And we see those two philosophies in our world today But listen closely though as paul is walking Athens. He's running into these people his faith was his challenge the apostle paul is going to Express his faith with great confidence He ain't gonna shy away. He's not gonna back down because i'm telling you man I know a lot of people today, especially with everyone for some reason think they're political experts When our faith is challenged, we don't want no problem. So we're just gonna let you be no listen That's not what god wants from us. We have the truth We are to rise up and speak the truth. Why because the truth sets people free We need to speak the truth with confidence And let god do what he needs to do through us Don't let fear cripple you Don't let embarrassment keep you from speaking up Be faithful Be faithful So they wanted to hear what paul this babbler had to say as we just read They had a place called mars A place called mars heels where they would gather to discuss matters People would just gather around these intellectuals and they wanted to hear this new belief Whatever belief that came up. They just wanted to talk they wanted to gather information They wanted to build their knowledge bank or whatever right and there it is in mars and mars heels Pa there is standing with the opportunity to share with them. Keep in mind. He was walking the streets of Athens He's seen all these idols. He's seen the beauty of Athens He's seen the intellectuals and everything that's going he's catching all this and now he has the opportunity Listen, listen to what it says. He said they're asking what does this babbler want to you know want to say They're giving him an opportunity god has given him the opportunity What is he gonna do is he gonna shy away or is he gonna speak up? paul has an opportunity to share with them And now these philosophers want to hear him speak You can see god's fingerprints on this in this part of paul's life With all the indescribable beauty of Athens around him in the and in the shadows of the great philosophers like pleidos, saccharitizino And epica epichorus paul knew that this human wisdom and beauty of the city was nothing but quote Magnificent magnificent foolishness unquote without christ If that was us what will we said Will we be ready to for such a moment Like paul to speak the gospel to preach the gospel with boldness Or will we be sidetracked by the beautiful buildings? think about that sometimes Let me tell you there's a guy named brian mcdaniel. He's a missionary to haiti man Dude, if you ever get a chance to go to a mission to haiti with him do so my guy's crazy I love hanging out with them, man You know, but he shared one of the things that we used to love when we gathered there with him You know in the night when we're just telling stories because the tv don't not working up there You know, uh, he will always just keep us entertained with the stories that he will share And and and today I called him up and I said hey bro, can I share your story, man? He goes go for it. David, you know, I'll pray for you, bro He's praying for me and all that but he shared this story how he was sent to the himalayas up in india Um to go and and and to see what's going on because there was a pastor there In india who was actually supposed to be had supposed to plan a church and do a work for 12 years The the the work there was stale. It was dead. It was dying And he tells me how he heard that this path that every time missionaries would go over there to kind of Help them out in the mission work. Uh, what they were what this pastor would do is he will take them up there to the I think he forgot how high he said it was seven thousand You know, whatever he took them up there were all these these temples These buddhist temples were in all these statues and he said they were like 4 000 years old And he would just kind of show them all off and and stuff like that So when he got there with another buddy of his he said that the pastor said oh you got to see These temples you got to see this place man. It's gonna it's gonna blow you away man Oh, it's so beautiful and he's looking at him and saying no wonder this mission work here is dead This guy's so sidetracked He's caught up in the beauty of the of of the temples and and the history behind these statues And and my point that want to make I was giving up But I just want to share this other part of the story because he talks about that the guy that he went with He was training them how to be a missionary And then so what he did that later on after they saw these temples and everything they went down And it bothered him that this pastor was so sidetracked So he said man, did you see those idols and the guy's like, yeah, yeah He says man, bro, we should we should do something And so he doesn't think much. He's finally just said, oh, okay, whatever right? So he goes to sleep Then he wakes him up about three in the morning while everyone's asleep He says come on me. He goes like, where you going? Just come with me. Come with me So he takes him up the hill there where all the temples and the idols are And this he had me busting up man, and he tells this guy come come come. He goes, what are you doing? He goes, I need you to help me. So they put their hands on these statues That's four thousand years old and it says when I say three push he goes, what are you serious? He goes, this is idolatry, bro We got to get rid of this stuff and they pushed this idol down the hill And then they ran for their lives But this guy made Daniels who was such a character man He talks about how this pastor was so sidetracked How many of us are like that? In the fields that God has called us to serve. We're distracted We're caring about everything now around us. We're all look at that man the staples that are that's awesome Oh, look at this, you know when we should be engaged during the work of God Now, please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying don't go watch a legal agreement like nothing like this Especially you can't even do that right now anyway But you know what I'm saying that we can be so caught up in life In the worries of life the cares of this world We become like that sea that landed in the thorns remember where it says that the cares and the worries Choked it and the sea was cannot bear fruit. There was no fruit there May God help us not be those May we just go and be focused on the purpose on the call Paul looks at them and and realizes that they had covered their Other bases and we see that now no no check this out. Let's read now from verses 19 or 21 And they took him and they brought him To this place I called it a swami And he says may we know what this new doctrine is is of which you speak they tell paul I can imagine paul. He's like, oh man. I'm ready to go You don't you don't tell a teacher preacher man Give him the mic because you know what happens He says for you are bringing some strange things to our ears Therefore, we want to know what these things mean for all the Athenians and the foreigners And the foreigners who were there spent their time and nothing else but But either to tell or to hear new things So there he is paul's getting ready to share verses 23 and 23 He covers all the bases notice As paul is observing he talks to them verse 22 Then paul stood in the mist of You guys want to help me pronounce that? Thank you. See I knew I can you guys can do it and he says men of Athens I perceive that in all things you are very religious For I was passing through And considering the objects of your worship I even found an altar with the scriptures to the unknown god Therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim proclaim to you I love paul paul was taking whatever he can see and he's going to use it for the glory of god He's using wisdom. He's walking around. He sees all these statues That are you know erected to dedicate every god you can think of and just in case they miss one They made one and dedicated to this unknown god just so that if this unknown god is forgotten He won't be offended right? He won't be you know Look like if he doesn't exist just in case we don't you know hurt this god We'll just make one for that god that doesn't even know that he's a god or whatever He has it all covered all the bases. I've got these people He saw these statues that were dedicated to other gods And then that one to the unknown god and he used that one To bring to them a message which is recorded from the verse the verses down Notice what paul said about god on mars heels. He preached the one true god In the midst of this pagan society He said that the god that he speaks of Is of god of creative power 24 and 25 notice God who made the world and everything in it since he is the lord of heaven And earth does not dwell in temples notice that made with hands Nor is he worshiped with man's hand man's hands as though he needs anything since he gives to all life breath and all things He says god is the god of creative power God made everything he says and stands above all distinct from korea and is distinct from creation in america today We have gone and I like what one man said one preacher He said america today has gone from father god to mother earth And we see that today here But now our god can no longer be worshiping our schools But easter comes Easter day right or earth day. Let's go worship some dirt They chose to worship the creation rather than the creator sad He also saw how he talks about god It's a god of personal love and you see that in verses 26 to 27 Let me just read it quickly there as i'm coming to an end He says and he made from one blood every nation of man to dwell on all the face of the earth And has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling so that they should seek the lord In the hope that they might grow for him and find him though He is not far from each one of us for in him We live and more and move and have our being as also some of your own poets have said for we are All his offspring therefore since we are the offspring of god We are not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone Something shaped by art and man's devices So again in there we see Him explaining the god's a god Of personal love. He is of god of infinite love who loves everyone unconditionally god created us and you know this to love him To worship him And god has created within our hearts If people are truly honest To want to know him that desire to want to know him You know, I heard a story. I don't remember the details exactly, but I heard this one story about this one guy Who was an atheist and he went to actually it was a friend who was who had atheists atheist friends And he talks about he said that he went to this guy and And and and this guy would take the polygraph test to see whether someone is lying And he said man, he told his one friend man It's crazy because you know every atheist that I would take this polygraph test on them I would ask them if they believed in god And he said and did you know that all of them failed the test When they said no, we don't believe in god Because deep down in their heart, they know there's a god God put that in their heart For them to want to desire god But as they constantly keep rejecting him more and more and more they get to a point Where now they're not even thinking of god, but that's when we come right? We come with the truth. We come with with with god's word Faithfully proclaiming to them that god loves them and quickly verse 37 we see how god Paul talks about how god is the god of supernatural salvation Again in verse 31 He says because he has appointed a day on which he would judge the world in righteousness by man whom he has ordained He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead From the dead Supernatural salvation. He's talking about the resurrection of the dead Therefore he's talking about a savior who suffered bled and died on the cross who was buried and walked out of the grave And so and shown to be the son of god with power by the resurrection of the dead Paul was in a shame to preach the resurrection of christ on mars heels And we shouldn't be of a shame to preach the gospel In our homes and our schools and so forth And now as I close notice verses 32 to 34 And when they heard Of the resurrection of the dead some mocked while others Said we will hear you again on this matter verse 33. So paul departed from them However, some men join him and believe among them is Dionysus The uh a carol pipe I don't know how to pronounce that either This is where I say first Corinthians chapter one god uses the foolish right here here go A woman named damaris and others with him So I want you to note something With this We need to understand this truth When we're sharing the gospel Expect people to listen Expect conversions because the word the gospel is powerful And it saves souls Someone took the time to preach the gospel to you And you were in a time where you didn't want god remember that But something happened You listened and god opened your heart and you were able to receive Listen closely as I close Expect converts To your faith As you preach there will be those Who will believe and others who will reject But as you preach expect these responses number one expect people to mock you We see that in verse 32 The question I want to ask you are you willing to be laughed at? Are you willing to be laughed at? It's been said That some Rather face a lion than ridicule Are You okay with people laughing at you? Here we're talking about paul an intellectual man A rabbi who was taught under garmelio And he's okay with it by him being laughed at why because he knows That regardless of what they say or do ha they heard the gospel number two Expect people to put it off notice verse 32 it says we will hear you again on this matter They were putting it off so some Will not mock But some after you share the gospel with them they'll put it off But I want you to know that these people that are putting it off are playing russian roulette with their own lives Because the more you say no the harder it'll be for you to say yes Some will put it off You can also expect number three verse 34 Like some respond it some to make the decision to follow god So some will mock some will put it off, but know this there'll be those There'll be those that will accept And when you see that person get saved Oh, man It'll bless your heart You're gonna want to save more people Trust me man saving souls is addicting it is You want when you see them walk forward or raise your hand and you brought them you're like, oh, yes, god, this is so cool And and then you want to oh and then then you're gonna try to convince that person that you're brought You want to go preach the gospel with me? Yeah, okay, now you're both pumped up now. You're doing no work for god So you expect those three things But we have to stand firm Because I will tell you this pa did And he got the opportunity to preach the gospel Some saved and if you were to interview pa he would have told you know what those souls Regardless of the mockery Regardless of those putting it off They were worth it They were worth it Are the people that god puts in your mind all the time worth You are they worth it to you? Do you want to see them save? Then don't give up Remain faithful that god may use you if not Maybe just to water the plan. That's fine But you want to be used by god in a way That will bring him glory and to see your loved ones friends and so forth get saved. Trust me It will it's gonna continue To move you to do more for god