Grace Church San Diego

What do suppose happens when you provoke God? Does He just push the reset button and wipe cities like Athens off the map? Does He just come along and swallow them up like my son Peter and the mini-ninjas (Please note he did not actually swallow them. No ninjas were actually harmed in the making of this sermon.) The city of Athens had bought a beautiful lie and with it came condemnation. Athens, it appears, is ready to be swallowed up whole. Has Paul’s arrival signaled impending judgment or mercy and grace? How will they escape the Lord’s vengeance?

Paul is thrust into the ancient world’s highest court of thought and his message has been custom-tailored for his audience. He quotes pagan poets. He starts with creation and not the Exodus. He is building his case and moving his audience towards one end. The context is different. His outline has been altered.  But the message remains the same. There is one God. There is one way. His name is Jesus and by Him, His death and His resurrection, you can find forgiveness of sins and life eternal. God’s finger has reached down out of heaven in judgment, pressing not on Athens but on His Son.

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