The Four Riches (Week 1) // Sunday Morning Service

Reason stands as a gift from God, not a switch to be turned off. It invites a disciple to press the mind into worship, to trace the world’s intelligibility back to its Maker, and to let thought magnify God’s majesty rather than shrink it. Acts presents Paul as the model. The text shows him “reasoning” in synagogues and in the marketplace, engaging those with faith and those without, and refusing the shortcut of “the Bible says, so do it.” Paul lets truth meet people where they actually think and live.

Athens sets the stage. The city brims with shrines, “more gods than men,” and that sight does not make Paul smug. It makes him ache. His distress over idols echoes Jesus, who looked on the crowds as sheep without a shepherd. Compassion then sets the tone for persuasion. Paul acknowledges the Athenians as “very religious,” notices the altar “to an unknown god,” and starts where their consciences already tremble. He proclaims the Creator who needs nothing, who gives “life and breath and everything else,” who orders times and boundaries so that people might “seek him” because he is not far from any.

The altar is not a gimmick. The text’s quotation, “for in him we live and move and have our being,” reaches into Athens’ own memory. Paul cites their poet Epimenides and stands in the very Areopagus where, centuries earlier, sheep were loosed, altars to an “unknown god” were raised, and the city was spared a deadly pestilence. Now the gospel steps into that memory and names the unknown. The God who once showed mercy has acted openly in Jesus. The day of ignorance has passed. Repentance is commanded. The proof is a resurrection.

God’s providence then presses close. Paul’s banishment from one city becomes placement in another, and that placement becomes mission. Reason, education, craft, language, and story become tools in the Spirit’s hands. Paul’s Pharisaic formation meets Greek poetry without flinching because love aims to be understood. The Spirit opens doors. Boldness walks through them. A disciple who is filled is also sent, carrying the kingdom into coffee counters, clinics, rehab halls, and arenas, ready to notice altars in plain sight and to name the God who is nearer than people know.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Reason belongs in Christian worship Reason is not an enemy of faith but its ally, enlarging wonder and sharpening love. A Christian mind that traces causes and patterns can name the Giver behind them without shrinking the mystery. Thought becomes praise when it refuses to coast and chooses instead to seek understanding. [05:52]
• 2. Compassion fuels persuasion, not combat Paul’s ache over Athenian idols mirrors Jesus’ gut-level mercy for shepherdless crowds. Argument without tears hardens both speaker and hearer, but compassion makes room for truth to land. A church that first grieves will speak in a tone people can bear. [13:37]
• 3. Providence places disciples on purpose Run out of one town, Paul arrives in the very council chamber that once sought an unknown god’s help. Location, timing, and backstory become the stage for naming Christ. Nothing is wasted when availability turns circumstance into witness. [24:18]
• 4. Learn their poets to name their altars Paul reads Greek lines, remembers local lore, and starts where Athenian memory already hums. Love learns dialects, customs, and questions so the gospel can be heard as good news, not foreign noise. Cultural fluency becomes an instrument of grace. [20:20]
• 5. When the door opens, speak boldly The Spirit’s guidance does not erase courage but requires it. Opportunity often comes wrapped in confusion, curiosity, or pushback, yet the resurrection refuses to stay in the margins. Bold speech, given in love, makes the unknown God known. [31:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:09] - Apologetics 101 and early questions
• [03:36] - Concerts, coworkers, and honest seeking
• [04:47] - Beyond “the Bible says” shortcuts
• [05:37] - Use reason to magnify God
• [06:05] - Series intro: The Four Riches
• [06:56] - Faith-filled scientists as models
• [07:49] - Juliana Berners and fly fishing
• [09:03] - Einstein on art, science, and wonder
• [09:52] - Paul’s pattern: he reasoned
• [10:44] - Act 17 backdrop: Thessalonica to Berea
• [12:36] - Distressed by idols in Athens
• [14:18] - Compassion as the motive for engagement
• [15:10] - Invited to the Areopagus
• [17:20] - “Very religious” and the unknown god
• [18:54] - The Creator beyond temples and need
• [19:50] - “In him we live and move”
• [20:04] - Epimenides and Athens’ memory
• [21:13] - Sheep, pestilence, and unknown altars
• [22:25] - Standing where salvation was remembered
• [23:02] - Repentance and the risen proof
• [23:45] - The Lamb who saves all
• [24:18] - Providence places people for mission
• [27:18] - Experiences shaped for witness
• [31:22] - Be open and be bold
• [32:44] - Coffee, craft, and connection
• [34:15] - Filled to be sent
• [35:08] - Prayer and listening to the Spirit
• [37:30] - Grief for idol-chasing hearts
• [38:22] - Sent into ordinary places

1. What specific details about Athens caused Paul distress, and how did he respond initially (Acts 17:16-17)?
2. How did Paul use the Athenians’ own cultural and religious practices (like the “unknown god” altar) to connect with them?
3. In the sermon, what example was given about using language or cultural knowledge to build bridges with others (e.g., the pastor’s wife speaking Spanish)? [30:36]

1. Why do you think Paul chose to quote a Greek poet (Epimenides) in his message at the Areopagus? What does this reveal about his approach to sharing truth?
2. The sermon emphasized that Paul’s “distress” over idols mirrored Jesus’ compassion for crowds (Matthew 9:36). How might grief over brokenness or idolatry shape the way we engage others?
3. Acts 17:27 says God “marked out their appointed times in history… so that they would seek him.” How does this idea of divine providence relate to Paul’s forced journey to Athens?

1. Where do you see “altars to unknown gods” in your community—places or practices where people are seeking meaning but don’t yet know Jesus? How could you start a conversation there?
2. Think of a skill, hobby, or area of knowledge you have (like coffee roasting, fishing, or language). How could this become a tool to connect with others and share God’s love? [33:08]
3. When have you felt “distressed” over a situation or person’s spiritual state, like Paul in Athens? What practical step could you take to turn that grief into compassionate action?
4. The sermon mentioned being “filled to be sent.” What is one ordinary place (e.g., work, gym, coffee shop) where you could intentionally look for opportunities to reflect Christ this week? [38:22]
5. Paul used Athenian history to explain the gospel. What cultural stories, art, or questions in your community could you study to better communicate truth in a relatable way?