Bill Acton :: Acts 17 - The Witness on the Second Missionary Journey (Part 2)

Sermon Outline for Acts 17

The Witness on the Second Missionary Journey (Part 2)

1. The Witness in Thessalonica – Act 17:9
   1. The city
      1. The capital of Macedonia
      2. A busy commercial metropolis
   2. The content of the witness – Act 17:3
      1. The deity of Christ
      2. The death of Christ
      3. The resurrection of Christ
   3. The result of the witness
      1. Many believed – Act 17:4
      2. Many opposed – Act 17:5-9
      3. Paul and Silas leave
2. The Witness in Berea – Act 17:10-13
   1. The immediate response – Act 17:11
      1. The reception of the Word
      2. The readiness of the mind
      3. The research of the people
         1. Examining Scripture daily
         2. To find the truth
   2. The result – Act 17:13-14
      1. Many believed
      2. Many opposed
3. The Witness in Athens – Act 17:14-34
   1. The city - famous for art, philosophy, and religions
   2. The home of the Stoics and the Epicureans, Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle
      1. The Stoics - Pantheists - followers of Zeno, believing that everything is God
      2. The Epicureans - Atheists - denied God’s existence and anything after death
   3. Paul’s message on Mars Hill – Act 17:16-34
      1. The background
         1. The philosophical debates
         2. The pagan city
         3. The stirring of Paul’s spirit to teach
      2. The content – Act 17:22-31
         1. The introduction
            1. He commends their religious pursuit
            2. He observes their altar
            3. He identifies their “unknown god” (daimon)
         2. The thesis – Act 17:22-29
            1. The nature of God
            2. God is Creator – Act 17:24-25
            3. God is universally sovereign – Act 17:26
               1. Does not dwell in buildings
               2. Man cannot worship what man can make
               3. God directs the destiny of men and nations
         3. The application
            1. An appeal to forsake idolatry – Act 17:29
            2. A plea to repent – Act 17:30-31
               1. The urgency – now
               2. The imperative – God commands it
               3. The universality – men everywhere
               4. The reality
                  1. God has appointed a day of judgment
                  2. The standard of God’s judgment is righteousness
                  3. The righteousness demanded is the righteousness of Christ
                  4. The assurance is the fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
      3. The result
         1. Some mocked
         2. Some wavered
         3. Some believed
         4. Paul departed