Finding Hope in a Searching and Broken World

In a world filled with tragedy, confusion, and searching, it’s easy to feel the weight of brokenness and wonder where hope can be found. The fragility of life and the instability of our times force us to ask deep questions about meaning, purpose, and what truly satisfies. Just as Paul entered the city of Athens—a place overflowing with competing philosophies and spiritual confusion—so too are we called to step into our own culture, which is filled with endless voices promising fulfillment but rarely delivering it. The longing for something greater is universal, but so often, people seek to fill that longing with things that ultimately leave them empty: success, relationships, material wealth, or self-sufficiency.

Paul’s approach in Acts 17 offers a powerful model for how to engage a searching world. He begins by affirming the spiritual longings of the Athenians, recognizing their desire for truth even when it’s misdirected. Rather than starting with condemnation, he acknowledges their search and uses it as a doorway to introduce them to the God who is not far off. This is a crucial lesson for us: people are more open to the gospel when we meet them in their questions and experiences, rather than simply pointing out where they’re wrong.

Paul then confronts the misunderstandings that keep people from knowing the true God. He reveals that God is not a distant deity who needs our service, but the Creator who gives life and desires relationship. God is not using us for his own needs; he loves us for our sake, demonstrated most fully in Jesus, who entered our world, suffered, and died to bring us near. The gospel is the answer to the deep questions and misconceptions that people carry—God is both transcendent and intimately involved in our lives.

Finally, Paul calls his listeners to repentance—not just as a warning of judgment, but as an invitation to a more satisfying life. Repentance is not about mere moral improvement or escaping punishment; it’s about turning from empty pursuits to the only One who can truly fulfill our deepest longings. As followers of Jesus, we are called to affirm the spiritual hunger around us, lovingly confront misunderstandings, and invite others to experience the abundant life found in Christ. This is our mission: to be witnesses who step into the searching and brokenness of our world, pointing people to the hope and satisfaction that only Jesus provides.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Affirming Spiritual Longings: When engaging with those who are searching, begin by recognizing and affirming their spiritual hunger. People are often sincerely seeking truth, even if their search is misguided. By meeting them in their questions and experiences, we open a door for genuine gospel conversations, rather than shutting them down with condemnation. [61:28]
• 2. Confronting Misunderstandings About God: Many people view God as either distant or as someone who needs our service, but the gospel reveals a God who is both near and self-sufficient. God desires relationship, not because he lacks anything, but because he wants to give us himself. Jesus’ incarnation and sacrifice show that God is not using us, but loving us at great cost to himself. [78:17]
• 3. The Idols of Our Age: Just as the Athenians built altars to unknown gods, people today seek fulfillment in success, relationships, material possessions, or self-sufficiency. These modern idols promise satisfaction but ultimately leave us empty. Only God can fulfill the deep spiritual longing that every heart carries, and our role is to gently point others beyond their idols to the true source of life. [71:35]
• 4. Repentance as Invitation, Not Condemnation: The call to repentance is not merely a warning of judgment, but an invitation to a more abundant and satisfying life in Christ. True repentance means turning from lesser things to pursue the One who truly satisfies. It’s not about earning God’s favor, but about receiving the life he freely offers through Jesus. [84:33]
• 5. Our Mission as Witnesses: We are called to step into the confusion and searching of our culture, just as Paul did in Athens. This means affirming spiritual longings, confronting misunderstandings, and lovingly calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus. Our witness is most compelling when it is marked by compassion, clarity, and a deep trust that only Christ can meet the needs of the human heart. [85:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [54:48] - Fragility of Life and Universal Questions
• [56:58] - Searching for Meaning in a Confused World
• [58:07] - The Human Condition: Unfulfilled Longings
• [61:28] - Paul’s Approach: Affirming Spiritual Longings
• [64:18] - The Gospel Compels by Saving, Not Condemning
• [65:49] - How People Determine Truth: Tradition, Reason, Experience
• [68:21] - Engaging People Through Their Primary Lens
• [70:08] - The Idols We Create and Their Failure to Satisfy
• [71:35] - Relationships, Self-Sufficiency, and Modern Idolatry
• [73:22] - Pointing Others Beyond Their Idols
• [74:25] - Confronting Misunderstandings About God
• [77:11] - God’s Nearness and Desire for Relationship
• [78:17] - The Gospel: God’s Love and Involvement
• [80:14] - Jesus: The Proof of God’s Love
• [82:14] - The Call to Repentance
• [84:33] - Repentance as Invitation to Life
• [85:32] - Responding to God’s Call
• [87:20] - Prayer and Sending

Bible Reading

Acts 17:22-31 (ESV) —
> 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. 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. 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’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 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.”

Observation Questions

1. What did Paul notice about the people of Athens that helped him start a conversation about God? ([01:01:28])
2. According to Paul, what are some ways people try to find meaning or fulfillment apart from God? ([01:10:08])
3. How does Paul describe God’s relationship to humanity in verses 24-27? What misunderstandings about God does he address? ([01:14:25])
4. What is the significance of Paul mentioning the “altar to the unknown god” in his message? ([01:01:28])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul chose to affirm the Athenians’ spiritual search instead of starting with criticism or condemnation? How might this approach affect someone’s openness to the gospel? ([01:01:28])
2. The sermon mentions that people today have “modern idols” like success, relationships, or self-sufficiency. Why do these things fail to satisfy our deepest longings, according to Paul’s message? ([01:11:35])
3. How does Paul’s explanation of who God is (Creator, not needing anything, but giving life) challenge common misconceptions about God in our culture? ([01:17:11])
4. What does it mean that repentance is not just a warning of judgment, but an invitation to a more satisfying life? How is this different from how repentance is often understood? ([01:24:33])

Application Questions

1. Think about someone in your life who is searching for meaning or fulfillment. How could you affirm their spiritual hunger without immediately pointing out where they’re wrong? What would that look like in a real conversation? ([01:01:28])
2. Are there “idols” in your own life—things you look to for satisfaction or security—that might be taking the place of God? What are they, and how do they leave you feeling in the end? ([01:11:35])
3. When you talk to people about faith, do you tend to start with what’s wrong in their beliefs or with what they’re searching for? How could you shift your approach to be more like Paul’s? ([01:01:28])
4. The sermon says God is not distant, but near and involved in our lives. Is there an area of your life where you struggle to believe God is close? What would it look like to invite Him into that area this week? ([01:18:17])
5. Repentance is described as turning from empty pursuits to the only One who can truly fulfill us. Is there a specific “empty pursuit” you feel called to turn from right now? What would it look like to take a step toward Jesus instead? ([01:24:33])
6. Paul’s mission was to step into the confusion and searching of his culture with compassion and clarity. What is one practical way you can do this in your workplace, school, or neighborhood this week? ([01:25:32])
7. The sermon challenges us to be witnesses marked by compassion, clarity, and trust in Christ. Which of these do you find most challenging, and how can you ask God to help you grow in that area? ([01:25:32])