22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed:
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
Everyone worships. God made us to worship. Sin has corrupted how and what we worship, but it has not removed that desire altogether, rather it has just aimed it at things which are less than God Himself (Rom 1:21-23, 25).
Sex, self, spouse, money, comfort, control, kids, and even ministry are some of the most common alternatives we prefer to God. What is the thing you cannot imagine life without? There is a place deep inside of each one of us that cries out, “anything but that!” Whatever you use to fill in the “that” is what you worship. It is the person or thing to which you retreat when you feel out of sorts. It is the person or thing to which you give in order to get what you want. You run to it because it runs your life.
Everyone worships. They're doing it right now. Look around. Everyone has someone or something to which they willingly give their time, money, energy, effort, anxiety, affection, talent, etc… Every last single person you know. We all bow down to someone or something.
What many worship in ignorance, I proclaim to you.
There is a God worthy of every last thing you have. He made everything, including you. He is not limited to the places we here seek Him. He does not receive anything from us because He created everything we have and everything we are. If we give ourselves fully to Him, He only gets back what was rightfully His to begin with. He superintended all time and history and determined who would live where and when they would live there. You were born where you were at the time you were because He decided it. He put each of us where and when we currently are so that we would seek Him, reach out for Him and find Him. He is not far from any one of us. If He is so close to have intimately determined the day and place of our birth, He is near enough still now to hear if we should cry out to Him. We were created to live and move and have our being entirely and finally in Him. We were made by Him, so it is ridiculous to think that He would worship us or that we should worship ourselves. The time for overlooking this silliness is past and as you read this, God is commanding each and every person in each and every place to repent. Turn away from your idols and turn to Him. Die to the lifeless “that’s” which distract from Jesus. Just like God has set a time and place for you to be born, He has set a time and place for each and every last one of us to die. On that day, He will judge the world, one by one as they enter into His presence. The standard of judgment will be by the Man, Jesus Christ. He’s the only Mediator between God and mankind. He’s the only Way to salvation. God has proven that this Man, Jesus, will be the only means by which any will be judged “not guilty” by raising Jesus from the dead. He exalted and elevated Jesus to the place of highest praise. He owns the Name above every other name ever uttered by the hearts of men. By faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection you will find a place to exhaust your worship both now and evermore. You were made to worship Jesus. Don’t waste it on idolatry! (Acts 17:24-31; paraphrased)
People need to know this. Our neighbors are spending themselves on things that will rust and decay and waste away in graves. Tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes peeled. Everyone is worshipping. Proclaim to them the One worthy of all the efforts they currently waste elsewhere.
God, help us to look around. Our friends and families are spending their hearts and minds on substitutes that enslave them deeper into sin and suffering. You made all of us to worship. You deserve all of it. Lord, so much of it goes to waste in other places. Help gain glory for You in the hearts of more as we attentively look around and listen to our friends in order to proclaim to them what their hearts are stumbling over daily. Amen.
