Strange Things To Our Ears

TEXT:  Acts 17:16-20

INTRODUCTION:

A.      ATHENS, CITY KNOWN FOR IDOLATRY, FALSE GODS.

B.      IDOLS - NOT GOD BUT TAKE HIS PLACE IN OUR HEARTS.

          1.       Sometimes seen in statuary, sometimes in priorities.

          2.       Often seen in false concepts of God.

C.      OUR CONCEPT OF GOD INFLUENCES OUR LIVES.  IF OUR CONCEPT

          FALSE, LIFE WILL BE FRAUGHT WITH FOLLY( Rom. 1:22-25 ).

D.      MANY HAVE FALSE CONCEPTS OF GOD TODAY.  DANGEROUS

          BECAUSE THEY CLAIM ALLEGIANCE TO ONE GOD, THE GOD OF THE

          BIBLE.  WE WANT TO EXAMINE THESE GODS AND REMOVE THEM.

I.      SOME HUMAN CONCEPTS, PRESENT DAY IDOLS.

A.      CRUEL GOD, blamed for evil & sorrow( death, poverty, etc. ).

CELESTIAL SANTA CLAUS, will spoil us rotten.

B.      SUBJECTIVE GOD - "Taffy God," whatever we want him to be.  Our mood.

C.      TALKING GOD.  "PS." god.  Never finished talking.

D.      DENOMINATIONAL GOD, condones and encourages division.

E.      CHURCHLESS GOD, claims followers apart from the church.

F.      HOMETOWN GOD, doesn't observe us elsewhere.

G.      CHARISMATIC GOD.

II.     THE BIBLE SETS FORTH THE TRUE GOD.

A.      GOD IS GOOD( Psa. 100:5 ), Infinite sense( Luke 6:35-36 ), Kind and merciful

          ( Jer. 9:23-24 ).  Lovingkindness, justice, righteousness.

Rom. 11:22.  HIS GOODNESS AND SEVERITY.

          1.       God deals with us as a loving Father( Matt. 7:7-11 ).  What is best.

          2.       God means what he says( Acts 5:29 ).  We must obey( Heb. 10:31 ).

          3.       A righteous judge( Ecc. 12:13-14 ).

B.      Heb. 11:6.  BELIEVE IN HIM AS HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF( Mal. 3:6 ).

C.      THE SCRIPTURES COMPLETE( Jude 3;  2 Tim. 3:16-17;  2 Pet. 1:3 ).

          1.       Believe not every spirit( 1 John 4:1, 6 ).

          2.       Danger( Gal. 1:8-9 ).

D.      A GOD OF PEACE AND UNITY( John 13:35;  1 Cor. 14:33 ).

          1.       The desire of Jesus( John 17:20-21 ).

          2.       The demand of Paul( 1 Cor. 1:10 ).

          3.       How to achieve it( 1 Cor. 4:6 ).

E.      GOD'S FAMILY IS THE CHURCH( 1 Tim. 3:14-15 ).

          1.       Precious to him( Acts 20:28 ).

          2.       Precious to Jesus( Eph. 5:27-28 ).

          3.       Those who are saved( 1 Pet. 2:9 ).

          4.       God's eternal purpose( Eph. 3:10-11 ).

F.      GOD IS EVERYWHERE. REMEMBER JONAH( Psa. 139:7-12; Jer. 23:23-24 ).

G.      MIRACLES HAVE A PURPOSE( Heb. 2:3-4 ).

          1.       From God( John 3:1-2 ).

          2.       But not to last forever( 1 Cor. 13 ).

          3.       Faith rests in hearing the gospel( Rom. 10:17 ).

          4.       Demand for miracles a stumblingblock( 1 Cor. 1:21-24 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      WE NEED TO KNOW HIM AS HE IS( Heb. 11:6 ).

B.      GOD DESCRIBES HIMSELF( Psa. 46:10 ).

C.      GOD MAKES ALL HIS WILL KNOWN IN THE BIBLE

          ( 2 Pet. 1:3;  2 Tim. 3:16-17 ).