Because Jesus Lives: Living and Witnessing in a Secular Age

Devotional

Day 1: Altars to Unknown Gods

Paul walked Athens’ streets, eyes tracing stone idols. He stopped at an altar inscribed “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” - their attempt to worship what they didn’t understand. Like them, we build modern altars: perfect jobs, flawless families, curated social media lives. We sacrifice time and peace to these unnamed gods, hoping they’ll give meaning. [20:29]

The Athenians feared missing a deity’s favor. Paul revealed their empty labor - the true God needs no stone temples or frantic rituals. He stands ready to be known.

What unnamed altar have you built this week? Write down three moments you chased approval or control. How might Jesus’ finished work on the cross free you from these silent sacrifices?

“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.”
(Acts 17:23, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one specific “unknown god” you’ve served this week. Ask Jesus to reveal His sufficiency.
Challenge: Text a friend about Paul’s altar discovery. Share one way it challenged you.

Day 2: Temples of Human Hands

The Parthenon’s marble columns gleamed as Paul declared, “God doesn’t live in temples.” Craftsmen’s chisels fell silent. The Lord of heaven needs no roof - He built the sky. Our strivings to contain God in church programs or personal achievements crumble like Athenian stone. [36:23]

God breathes life into dust. He needs no help running the universe, yet invites us to know Him. Performance-based faith insults His completeness.

When did you last exhaust yourself trying to “help” God? Picture Jesus calming the storm without your input. How does His self-sufficiency change your to-do list today?

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
(Acts 17:24-25, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for three things He gave you without your effort.
Challenge: Delete one productivity app or calendar reminder. Rest for 10 minutes instead.

Day 3: Boundaries of Our Days

Paul traced God’s fingerprints through history: nations rising, borders shifting, your birthdate etched in divine plans. The God who marked Greece’s mountains ordained your address and era. Every sunrise whispers His intent - “Seek Me here, now.” [37:51]

Your life isn’t random. The same hand that placed Athens’ agora positioned your kitchen table as a mission field.

What ordinary space have you dismissed as unimportant? How might Jesus’ resurrection power transform your commute, gym, or grocery line into holy ground?

“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, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.”
(Acts 17:26-27, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to show His purpose in your current season’s frustrations.
Challenge: Map your weekly routine. Circle three “ordinary” places to seek Jesus this week.

Day 4: From Idols to Living Stones

Paul’s voice rang across Mars Hill: “We’re God’s offspring!” Silver statues blinked dumbly. Dead gods can’t father children. The living Christ transforms stone-worshippers into living stones - His body. Repentance isn’t groveling, but running home. [39:58]

Jesus turned idol factories into resurrection communities. Your worst failures become His redemption stories.

What false narrative about God keeps you from running to Him? Picture the empty tomb - does your shame outpower His resurrection?

“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. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
(Acts 17:29-30, ESV)

Prayer: Name one lie you’ve believed about God. Replace it with a truth from John 14.
Challenge: Throw away or repurpose one object that represents old bondage.

Day 5: Answering with Scars

Paul stood alone before philosophers, his back still sore from Philippi’s rods. “Always be ready,” Peter urged. Not with debate tactics, but Christ’s scars. Our best defense? A life so healed that questions arise naturally. [42:49]

Jesus’ resurrection isn’t theory - it’s the pulse in your forgiven veins. Hostile crowds can’t silence a heart that’s died and lived again.

When did you last share your hope story? Your neighbor doesn’t need theology lectures - they need to see resurrection skin.

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
(1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for one opportunity today to share hope without words.
Challenge: Write your three-sentence resurrection story. Share it before sunset.

Sermon Summary

We gather around the resurrection and face a clear summons. Because Jesus lives, we must live for him in every part of our lives. The story from Acts shows Paul speaking to a city full of idols and an altar to an unknown god. That altar exposes the same pattern that lives in us when we seek safety, favor, or meaning in things smaller than God. God did not make the world because he needed anything. God created so people could seek and find him. The Creator gives life, sets the course of history, and yet draws near so that we might know him and live by him.

Repentance follows knowing who God truly is. Knowing the risen Christ means turning from self-made gods and trusting that his death and resurrection paid for our sin. Baptism points to that reality. Baptism does not clean physical dirt. Baptism marks a clear conscience toward God because Jesus rose and opens us to new life. The resurrection stands as God’s public proof that Jesus rules history and that his offer of forgiveness holds.

Living for Jesus means active witness in a culture that misunderstands God. Paul models how to engage thoughtfully with people who hold strange ideas and how to speak truth with clarity and respect. We must listen, learn, and then speak the gospel calmly and firmly even if people reject it. Living for Jesus also means continuing in faithful deeds when opposition comes and trusting Christ to guide the outcomes.

The sacraments and prayers affirm this life together. Communion feeds our faith with Christ’s body and blood and sends us back into the world strengthened to live and to confess the hope we have. We receive the peace of God and the call to repentance, forgiveness, and proclamation. This week we will hold fast to the resurrection, repent of our private idols, and look for ways to live for Jesus and to share the reason for our hope.

Key Takeaways

1. Resurrection demands a living response We must not treat the resurrection as mere history or private consolation. The risen Christ calls us into a way of life that shapes decisions, relationships, and courage in trial. Our actions must reflect that we belong to the living Lord who gives us life. [24:25]
2. Idols hide inside our hearts Idolatry often looks respectable and familiar when it wears the clothes of achievement, security, or approval. We trade the sovereign God for fragile substitutes when we expect those things to secure our future or worth. Repentance strips those idols away so worship can return to the Creator. [33:37]
3. God creates to be known God’s acts in creation and history aim at relationship not self supply. The Triune God who lacked nothing chose to make creatures able to know and respond to him. That divine purpose grounds our dignity and gives meaning to history and to personal calling. [36:23]
4. Repentance rests on the resurrection Repentance does not end in guilt. Repentance turns us to Christ whose resurrection proves his victory over sin and death. Because he rose, judgment and forgiveness join: a clear offer to be reconciled and to live under his just rule. [39:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[10:27] - Opening hymn and liturgy
[20:06] - Acts 17 reading
[21:57] - 1 Peter 3 reading
[23:43] - John 14 gospel
[29:10] - Preaching to pagans explained
[36:23] - God the creator and his purpose
[39:58] - Call to repent and believe
[41:12] - Live for Jesus and share faith
[65:33] - Announcements and next steps
[68:19] - Closing and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 17:22-31 (ESV)
Paul’s address to the Athenians about the "unknown god," God’s purpose in creation, and the call to repentance.
- 1 Peter 3:13-18 (ESV)
Encouragement to live for Christ, suffer for doing good, and share hope with gentleness and respect.
- John 14:15-19 (ESV)
Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and the connection between love, obedience, and new life in Him.

Observation Questions

In Acts 17:23, Paul references an altar "to an unknown god." What does this reveal about the Athenians’ spiritual mindset, and how does Paul use it to point them to the true God? ([32:24])
According to 1 Peter 3:15, how should believers respond when asked about their hope? What specific attitude does Peter emphasize?
In John 14:18, Jesus says, "Because I live, you also will live." How does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on living for Jesus in everyday decisions? ([24:25])
The sermon mentions baptism as a "pledge of a clear conscience toward God" (1 Peter 3:21). What does this contrast with, and why is the resurrection central to this promise?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize that God "does not live in temples made by man" (Acts 17:24) in a culture filled with idols? How might this challenge modern assumptions about where we expect to "find" God?
The sermon states, "Repentance rests on the resurrection" ([39:58]). How does Jesus’ resurrection transform repentance from guilt-driven behavior to a response of trust?
1 Peter 3:16 urges believers to keep a "clear conscience" when sharing their faith. What does this imply about the relationship between our actions and our witness?
The sermon claims, "God creates to be known" ([36:23]). How does this truth reshape our understanding of purpose in daily work, relationships, or struggles?

Application Questions

The sermon warns that idols often wear "the clothes of achievement, security, or approval" ([33:37]). What subtle idols (e.g., success, control, others’ opinions) might you be tempted to rely on for worth or security this week?
Repentance involves turning from idols and to Christ. What is one practical step you can take this week to actively turn toward Jesus in an area where you’ve sought control?
Paul modeled engaging others "with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). Who in your life holds beliefs vastly different from yours? How could you listen first and then share hope without compromising truth?
The sermon urges believers to "live for Jesus even when opposition comes" ([42:11]). Where do you feel hesitant to stand firm in your faith? How can you rely on Christ’s resurrection power in that situation?
Baptism and Communion are called "sacraments [that] affirm this life together." How can regularly participating in these acts strengthen your daily trust in Jesus’ victory over sin and death?
The sermon challenges us to "look for ways to share the reason for our hope" ([43:14]). What is one specific opportunity this week to explain your hope in Christ to someone, even if it feels uncomfortable?

Sermon Clips

46s

#CreatedToKnowGod

“But then he decided to create the world and everything in it so that there could be a bunch of people in Neenah, Wisconsin in the year of our Lord 2026 who would get to experience the joy of knowing him. And everything that he has done since then from creating the world to stepping into the world, to going all the way to the cross, to guiding history, to seeing to it that you were born in the time and place that you were born, to bringing you here today. All of that has been done so that you could know him. And it worked.”

45s

#RepentAndTrustJesus

“Today, we got to see how Paul preached to pagans. He encouraged them and us to turn away from idolatry and to put our faith in Jesus. We saw his example of how he lived for Jesus and shared his faith even in difficult circumstances. So let's take that to heart. My prayer for you this week is that you will repent of your idolatry and trust in Jesus for forgiveness. And that you'll be motivated and encouraged in every situation no matter what you might face to live for Jesus and to share your faith. May God grant it. To him be the glory. Amen.”

39s

#RepentTurnToJesus

“So God wants us to turn from our idolatry and repent. Repentance means that we recognize our sin and we feel sorry for our sin. But then we don't just wallow in that sorrow, instead we turn to Jesus, we look to him And we trust that he has paid for every single one of our sins on the cross. Because he's done that, we are forgiven. We are right with God and we put our trust in him. That is what repentance is. And that's what God commands us to do.”

37s

#FaithNotForLikes

“If I can just get the perfect Instagram post so I get all the likes and all the attention coming to me, then everything is going to be good. If I can just perform a little bit better then maybe God will like me a little more and bring good things into my life. If that's the way that you operate, do you know what Paul would call that? Ignorant. That's ignorant because that is not how God works.”

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Martin Luther Church, Neenah WI This sermon · AI assistant

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