There Is No Me Without You - Acts 17:22-28 (Pastor Hernandez)

John 4 says the Father is seeking “true worshipers” who worship in spirit and truth. That call puts form and feeling in their place and puts the heart before God. The Spirit presses the difference between hearing and listening, urging the church to quit staring at a fallible man and instead attend to what the Spirit is saying, with an open Bible and a focused mind. Worship, then, is not performance but obedience, not lip service but life.

Acts declares that God made the world and everything in it, does not dwell in temples made with hands, and “gives to all life and breath and all things.” The text insists on “one blood” for every nation and calls humanity God’s “offspring,” which flattens pride and smashes color lines. Genesis remembers God breathing into dust so a living soul could stand up, so dependence is not a weakness but the design. Hence the confession rises: “there’s no me without you, Jesus.”

Psalm 24 names the Lord as the world’s true Landlord. If the earth is his and the fullness thereof, then possession becomes stewardship and gratitude becomes the right posture. Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart shall see God, so access is moral and relational, not ceremonial. Salvation does not hang on what someone sees or feels about Jesus, but on obedience to God and faith in Christ, because the Word through whom all things were made is himself God.

Isaiah 43 speaks a steadying word: fear not, because the Holy One calls his people precious, redeemed, gathered, and kept. That promise steadies saints in funeral homes and in fiery trials, where rivers do not overflow and flames do not scorch. Ezekiel 18 closes the door on blame-shifting and self-justification by saying, “all souls are mine,” and by tying life to righteousness and death to sin. God alone judges, and his judgment runs deeper than appearances, reaching the heart where worship, obedience, and mercy either take root or die.

So relationship, not religion, becomes the measure. Thanksgiving, not entitlement, becomes the offering. The Spirit still seeks worshipers. The church answers by living what the lips confess: there’s no me without Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship in spirit and truth True worship starts where form cannot reach and where hype cannot hide. The Father seeks a heart that bends to his Word and a life that tells the truth about him. Techniques and vibes bow to obedience and integrity before God. Spirit and truth become the altar, not the backdrop. [01:56]
• 2. One blood cancels proud divisions Acts insists that God made all nations from one blood and gives life and breath to all. That doctrine disarms racial vanity and tribal suspicion at their roots. If all are offspring, then dignity is received, not earned, and neighbor-love is obedience, not option. The gospel pulls down walls that culture keeps building. [07:44]
• 3. There’s no me without Jesus Genesis says breath is a gift, not a possession, and Acts says God needs nothing yet gives everything. Dependence is not failure; it is creaturely honesty that frees the soul to trust and obey. When Christ becomes the sentence’s subject, “I” finally makes sense. That confession turns anxiety into stewardship and worship. [25:54]
• 4. God owns it all, practice stewardship Psalm 24 calls the Lord the Landlord of everything and everyone. Ownership claims melt, and borrowed time, breath, and resources ask to be used in his name. Gratitude grows teeth in vows kept, justice done, and thanksgiving offered. Stewardship is worship with receipts. [19:43]
• 5. God alone judges every soul Ezekiel 18 shuts the door on secondhand righteousness and inherited blame. Life and death hang on the heart’s posture before God, not on rumor, tradition, or human verdicts. Holiness becomes personal, concrete, and hopeful because repentance is real and mercy is near. Let God be the Judge, and let the church be faithful. [33:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:20] - True worshipers in spirit and truth
• [05:27] - Quit watching the man, hear the Spirit
• [07:26] - Life and breath from God
• [07:44] - One blood, not colors
• [09:47] - No me without your blood
• [14:30] - Hearing versus listening
• [17:52] - Apostle preaching in Athens
• [19:43] - The earth is the Lord’s
• [21:11] - Pure in heart will see God
• [23:01] - Salvation by obedience and faith
• [26:24] - God owns everything, stewards
• [28:00] - Fear not, you are precious
• [33:24] - All souls are mine
• [35:54] - Offer thanksgiving and pay vows

Bible Reading
- John 4:23-24 (ESV): "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
- Acts 17:24-28 (ESV): "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... for ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’"
- Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV): "The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers."
- Ezekiel 18:4 (ESV): "Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die."

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Observation Questions

1. According to John 4:23-24, what two qualities define "true worshipers," and how does this contrast with superficial forms of worship?
2. Acts 17:26-28 emphasizes that God "made from one blood every nation." What specific attitudes or divisions does this truth address? [07:44]
3. The sermon highlighted a distinction between "hearing" and "listening" to God’s Word. What practical difference does this create in how we engage with Scripture? [14:30]
4. Psalm 24:1 declares God’s ownership of everything. How does this redefine human concepts of possession and responsibility?

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does worshiping "in spirit and truth" require more than emotional experiences or religious rituals? How does this connect to obedience?
2. How does the idea that "all souls are [God’s]" (Ezekiel 18:4) challenge blame-shifting or excuses for unrighteous behavior?
3. The sermon stated, "There’s no me without Jesus." How does this confession reshape a person’s identity and purpose? [25:54]
4. Acts 17:24-28 says God "gives to all life and breath." Why is dependence on God a strength rather than a weakness?

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Application Questions

1. In what areas of your life do you prioritize religious routines (form) over genuine, heart-driven obedience (spirit and truth)? What step could you take to realign this?
2. How can you actively combat pride or prejudice in your heart by embracing the truth that all people are made from "one blood"? [07:44]
3. The phrase "there’s no me without Jesus" implies total dependence. What practical habit could help you daily acknowledge this truth in moments of anxiety or self-reliance? [25:54]
4. Psalm 24:1 calls us to live as stewards, not owners. What is one possession, relationship, or opportunity you need to surrender to God’s ownership this week?
5. Ezekiel 18:4 says God judges each soul individually. Is there a situation where you’ve judged others’ hearts unfairly? How can you trust God’s role as Judge instead?
6. The sermon urged focusing on "what the Spirit is saying" over human leaders. How can you cultivate a habit of listening to God’s Word with intentionality? [05:27]