Day Eleven: Acts 17-20

One of my favorite parts of the book of Acts is the sermon that Paul gives at Athens in Acts 17.  I love everything about it.  I love how they invite him to come and speak,  because “all Athenians... seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.” (17.21).

I love how he starts at a place where his audience can relate.  He sees an altar with the inscription: “to the unknown God.”  And so when he starts to speak, he says, this “unknown God” is the one I’m going to tell you about.

I love his description of God: “human hands can’t serve his needs - for he has no needs.  He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.” (17.25)

I love how close he brings God to them: “he is not far from any one of us.  For in him we live and move and exist...” (17.28)

And I love his big finish: “For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” (17.31).

Culturally relevant.  Rhetorically brilliant.  Eloquent and powerful.  A home run, right?

Well, not quite: “When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, ‘We want to hear more about this later.’... but some joined him and became believers.” (17.32-34)

It’s like Luke is showing us, even when you do everything you can do, there will be some who laugh at you in contempt and others who will remain undecided.  The truth is, there are so many factors going on for whether or not your attempts to speak truth to someone or show love to someone is accepted or rejected.  You can’t control a person’s response, and you can’t craft a sermon perfect enough to guarantee a positive outcome.

And the point is, that’s not your job.  And your focus shouldn’t be on the outcome, but rather, did I preach faithfully, did I love faithfully, did I serve faithfully?

Did I do all that I could do to honor my Lord?  

Leave the results to him.  That’s his department, not yours.

Lord, so many times my love and service is tied too closely to people’s response to me.  Help me to focus on faithfulness and not results.  Amen.