Knowing God: The Answer to Humanity's Longing

In Acts 17, Paul finds himself in the heart of Athens, a city overflowing with idols, philosophies, and spiritual confusion. The Athenians, despite their sophistication and pursuit of knowledge, are deeply unsatisfied, always searching for something new to fill the void in their hearts. Paul’s spirit is stirred—not by the grandeur of the city, but by its lostness and the glory being stolen from the one true God. He encounters an altar “to the unknown god,” a symbol of humanity’s longing to know the divine, yet not knowing where to look.

Humanity was created for one purpose: to know God. All our pursuits—wisdom, strength, riches—are empty if they do not lead us to a deeper understanding and relationship with our Creator. God delights not in our accomplishments, but in our desire to know and understand Him. This is the heartbeat of our church: to know and love God, and to make Him known so that others may become lovers of God as well.

Paul’s approach in Athens is instructive for us today. He finds common ground with his audience, recognizing their spiritual hunger, and speaks with both truth and love. He does not begin with Scripture, knowing his listeners have no biblical foundation, but instead points to creation and conscience—universal witnesses to God’s existence. He explains that God is not a distant or needy deity, but the Creator, Sustainer, and Provider of all things. God is not far from any of us; He desires to be found and known.

Paul also addresses the futility of idolatry, both ancient and modern. Idols are not just statues; they are anything that takes the place of God in our lives—pleasure, power, possessions. True satisfaction and meaning are found only in a relationship with the living God. Paul calls his listeners to repentance, warning that judgment is coming, but also proclaiming the hope of the resurrection through Jesus Christ.

The responses to Paul’s proclamation are varied: some mock, some are curious, some believe. The measure of success is not in numbers, but in faithfulness to the truth. The gospel is for everyone—high and low, educated and common. The invitation remains: do you know the one true God? Are there idols that need to be cast down in your life? God is jealous for you, not because He needs you, but because you need Him. Today, the call is to know Him, to turn from idols, and to live as a living sacrifice for His glory.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Deepest Human Need Is to Know God All human pursuits—wisdom, strength, wealth—are ultimately empty if they do not lead us to a deeper knowledge of God. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him. God delights not in our achievements, but in our desire to know and understand Him personally. This is the true measure of a life well-lived. [35:23]
• 2. Idolatry Is Subtle and Universal Idolatry is not limited to ancient statues or primitive rituals; it is anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. Even in sophisticated societies, idols abound—pleasure, power, possessions, and self. God is jealous for our undivided devotion, not because He is lacking, but because He knows we are made for Him and only He can satisfy our deepest longings. [52:42]
• 3. God Is Knowable and Desires to Be Found God is not distant or unknowable; He has revealed Himself through creation, conscience, and ultimately in Jesus Christ. He is not far from any of us and desires a relationship with each person. The invitation is open to all: seek the Lord, and you will find that He is already seeking you. [66:57]
• 4. Faithfulness, Not Numbers, Is God’s Measure of Success The world measures success by numbers, influence, and outward results, but God looks for faithfulness. Whether many respond or only a few, what matters is that we are faithful to proclaim the truth and live out the gospel. God’s work is often hidden and slow, but it is always significant in His eyes. [76:21]
• 5. The Gospel Is for Everyone, and Demands a Response The message of Jesus—His death and resurrection—cuts across all boundaries of class, education, and background. Some will mock, some will be curious, and some will believe. The call is to turn from sin and idols, receive Christ, and become a new creation. The only question is: how will you respond?
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:35] - Introduction: The Unknown God in Athens
• [31:54] - Paul’s Missionary Approach
• [33:58] - The Purpose of Humanity: To Know God
• [35:23] - Boasting Only in Knowing God
• [36:42] - Three Steps to Knowing God
• [39:22] - Paul’s Grief Over Idolatry in Athens
• [43:22] - Engaging Jews, God-Fearers, and Philosophers
• [44:41] - Epicureans and Stoics: Competing Worldviews
• [50:01] - Four Worldviews: Naturalists, Spiritualists, Religionists, Gospelists
• [52:42] - Modern Idolatry and Its Roots
• [55:50] - Paul’s Address at the Areopagus
• [59:47] - Who God Is: Creator, Sustainer, Provider
• [66:57] - God’s Desire to Be Known
• [69:43] - The Call to Repentance and the Coming Judgment
• [72:17] - Four Responses to the Gospel
• [76:21] - God’s Measure of Success
• [79:07] - Knowing God vs. Knowing About God
• [81:42] - The Way of Salvation and Living Sacrifice
• [83:47] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Bible Reading

Acts 17:16-34 (ESV) — Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 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. 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. 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. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 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.’ 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, 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.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Observation Questions

1. What stirred Paul’s spirit when he arrived in Athens, and how did he respond to what he saw? ([39:22])
2. What was unique about Paul’s approach to sharing the gospel with the Athenians compared to how he spoke to Jews? ([57:51])
3. What did Paul say about the nature of God in his speech at the Areopagus? ([59:47])
4. What were the different responses of the people in Athens to Paul’s message? ([01:12:17])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul started his message by talking about creation and conscience instead of quoting Scripture? How does this show sensitivity to his audience? ([57:51])
2. The sermon says that “humanity was created for one purpose: to know God.” What does it mean to truly know God, not just know about Him? ([01:18:32])
3. The Athenians were described as always searching for something new but never satisfied. What does this reveal about the human heart and our deepest needs? ([56:36])
4. Paul calls out the futility of idolatry, both ancient and modern. How does the sermon define modern idolatry, and why is it so dangerous? ([52:42])

Application Questions

1. Paul’s heart was stirred by the lostness and idolatry he saw in Athens. When you look at your own city or community, what “idols” do you see people chasing after? How does this affect you personally? ([39:22])
2. The sermon says that idolatry is “anything that takes the place of God in our lives”—not just statues, but things like pleasure, power, possessions, or even self. What is one thing in your life that sometimes competes with God for your devotion? What would it look like to “cast down” that idol? ([52:42])
3. Paul found common ground with the Athenians and spoke with both truth and love. Think of someone in your life who doesn’t have a biblical background. How could you start a spiritual conversation with them in a way that is both truthful and loving? ([58:34])
4. The sermon says, “God is not far from any of us; He desires to be found and known.” Have you ever felt like God was distant? What helped you seek Him, or what could help you seek Him now? ([01:06:57])
5. The responses to Paul’s message were varied: some mocked, some were curious, and some believed. When you share your faith, how do you handle it when people respond with indifference, curiosity, or even mockery? ([01:12:17])
6. The sermon challenges us to measure success by faithfulness, not numbers. In what areas of your life do you feel pressure to “produce results” instead of simply being faithful? How can you shift your focus to faithfulness this week? ([01:16:21])
7. The call is to “know Him, to turn from idols, and to live as a living sacrifice for His glory.” What is one practical step you can take this week to deepen your relationship with God or to live more fully for His glory? ([01:23:05])