To Know God
Acts 22 – 30
“Philosophy” derived from “Philio” meaning love and “Sophia” meaning knowledge.
There were two primary groups that loved knowledge, but understood it differently. Acts 17: 18
Epicureans believed in luxury and indulgence in sensual pleasure.
Stoics, this Hellenistic school of thought, was started by the philosopher Zeno. They believed the path to happiness is found in basically denying our emotions and feelings.
They believed God was in everything therefore anything could be worshiped.
Paul observed they were very religious.
In addressing them he observed their condition and began where they were, saying: “I perceive that in all things you are very religious.”
Initially they took this as a compliment, not knowing his view of religion. Religion is a system of works designed to gain the favor of a god. The biblical view of religion is that good works are not the way to God…
Religion can lead one away from God.
Sincerity in religion does not gain the favor of God. A person can be sincerely wrong.
He said he had been “considering the objects of your worship.”
They considered this also to be a compliment, praise for their art.
In reality he was speaking of their idolatry.
In the Ten Commandments is this restriction:
“You shall have no Gods before Me. You shall not make for yourselves any graven images, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water that is under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them….” Exodus 20: 3 – 5a
I Corinthians 10: 14 instructs us to “flee from idolatry.”
Paul observed a statue intended to insure no god was left out. On it was the inscription: “agnostos theos,” (ag–no-stas, tha-os) meaning “the unknown god.”
Six hundred years before Paul, a terrible plague came to the city and a man named Epimenides had an idea. He let loose a flock of sheep through the town, and wherever they lay down, they sacrificed that sheep to the god that had the nearest shrine or temple. If a sheep lay down near no shrine or temple, they sacrificed the sheep “To the Unknown God.”
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came to reveal the true God to us, and as the Lamb of God died for our sin and guilt. It is through Him God is made known.
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4: 12
How to Find Contentment
Contentment, who doesn’t want it. People go to great lengths to find it. Most such efforts inevitably seek it in material goods. Material goods are good, but alone are a distraction, often leading to the absence of contentment.
We live in a society where more is better, but more is never enough.
If your contentment is contingent upon things, it is inevitable you will suffer discontent because invariably there will be times you don’t have certain things. There are things that aid contentment which money can’t buy. Money can buy – – –
A bed but not sleep.
Books but not brains.
A house but not a home.
Medicine but not health.
Food but not an appetite.
Amusement but not happiness.
A crucifix but not a Saviour.
In her book entitled: “Living on Less and Enjoying It More,” Maxine Hancock said of contentment: “Similar to happiness, that greatly sought-after but always elusive goal of society. However, it is deeper and more fulfilling than happiness. It is a quiet plateau that can be reached internally even when there seems little external reason for it.”
That “quiet plateau” is reachable by means of “godliness with contentment.”
There were other ancient sayings circulating at the time of the writing of I Timothy which closely parallel this quote.
Democritus reputedly used the word “avarice” as a summary for improper love of money and said, “Expel avarice, the mother of all wickedness, who, always thirsty for more, opens wide her jaws of gold.”
“Always thirsty for more” describes our era. I repeat, we live in a day when more is better but more is never good enough. This “more syndrome” causes perpetual discontent.
Epicurus, building on the philosophy of Democritus said, “To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.”
When used in the New Testament “contentment” is used as a noun The Greek word is “autarkeia,” meaning self-sufficiency, carrying the secret of fulfillment in yourself, completely independent of outward things.
Godliness and contentment are Siamese twins joined at the cerebral cortex. That is, they are inseparable. Yet, many people still seek contentment by ungodly means. That’s like trying to find a black palomino.
If there is godliness there is contentment. In seeking to be more like Jesus one awakens to find self content. Now that you know where it is, go seek your objective: to be like Jesus. Therein is contentment.
A Heavenly Exchange
Read Isaiah 40: 28 – 31 First
Good news “those who wait on the Lord,” He “Shall renew their strength.”
This term “renew” means He shall exchange their weakness for His strength. This brings to mind the image of an exhausted athlete who brings his dirty, sweaty, stained uniform to the equipment manager and exchanges it for clean, fresh equipment.
That is what the Lord wants to do for us. We bring Him our weakness and exchange it for strength.
We might well pray, “Lord, I will provide the weakness if you will provide the strength.”
One successful African distance runner who had shown great endurance was asked how he does it. He said, “I just tell the Lord that if He will pick up my feet, I will put them down.”
At this point we can enter into a cooperative agreement with God. Notice the sequence.
“They shall mount up with wings like eagles.”
The text that describes us as faint, weary, and fallen now flows into a triad of refreshing potential.
An eagle is illustrative. God created eagles with certain abilities. However, for the eagle to live up to its potential, it must develop and use that ability.
The eagle is a masterful aerodynamic specimen. Its bones have air cavities, making them light, but not weak, the muscular structure is ideal for prolonged extension of the wings, and its sleek sculptured feather-coated cylindrical body lacks no aerodynamic advantage. Its anatomy makes it virtually a balloon so that when it spreads its wings, its tendency is to go up, not down.
The eagle is designed for flight in the upper atmosphere. They have been seen by pilots above 35,000 feet. They are fashioned to be at home in the upper atmosphere. As the air becomes more rarefied and defies most birds to enter it, the eagle becomes more at home. Turbulence causes thermal drafts that give the eagle greater lifting power. It loves turbulence; it works to the eagle’s advantage.
When God says we “soar like eagles,” He is saying He has designed us to soar above problems.
Though an eagle is aerodynamically designed and has a powerful body and wing system, the bird never knows it has such ability until it spreads its wings in flight. As believers we have certain spiritual reserves, but they are never known to us or revealed to anyone until we have to spread our wings. Adversity enables us to show our ability, by God’s grace, to rise above adversity.
Three Character Traits
Plato, the Greek philosopher, was once accused of dishonorable conduct. “Well,” he said, “we must live in such a way that all men will see that the charge is false.”
Three things are advocated in I Timothy 4: 12 as traits of an honest and honorable life. They are fundamental for all life.
The first is love, The Greek word “agape” means unconquerable regard for the welfare of another without regard for what is gotten in return. It means to seek only the good of others. It rules out bitterness, vengefulness, resentment, and does not tolerate hate. Not all who say, “I love you,” really love you. If they love you they will deal with you personally and never try to expose or exploit your weaknesses.
Love, such as a boy has for a girl or a girl for a boy, is instinctive. It is a thing of the heart. Agape love is a thing of the will.
Michelangelo was reviewing the work of some of his students. For a long time he paused silently before the work of one of his favorite students. Then with a brush he wrote one word across it: “amplius,” meaning “larger.” The young artist had shown great skill but his small canvas made the design appear cramped. Could it be our Lord is respectfully writing “amplius” across your life? Do you need to expand the horizons of your love? Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church is worthy of application today: “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” (Philippians 1: 9) AMPLIUS !
The second is loyalty. This is an appeal for devotion to Jesus regardless of the cost. Loyalty to Jesus is an authenticating mark which defies circumstances. It is true whether you are in the light or in the shadows.
A 20th Century example of loyalty in Corrie Ten Boom. She lived through the worst Satan could hurl at her. In a Nazi concentration camp she saw her family tortured, starved, and finally killed. She survived through a clerical error. Yet through all of her anguish, torment, and pain she was loyal to her Lord and strong in her faith.
Her loyalty might be explained by these words found on a cell wall in a German concentration camp:
“I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining.
I believe in love, even when I feel it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.”
The third is purity. Purity is an unconquerable allegiance to the standards of the loving Lord.
When Trajan was Emperor of Rome, Pliny his governor in Bithynia, wrote him of the Christians in his territory:
“They are accustomed to bind themselves by an oath to commit neither theft, nor robbery, nor adultery; never to break their word; never to deny a pledge that had been made when summoned to answer for it.” Aspiration to live by that standard today is admirable. Pause and realistically examine yourself in light of those three standards.
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So
You have a voice, but it is of no value if you don’t use it. It is constructive or destructive, depending on how you use it. How are you using your ability to communicate? Negative voices are releasing toxic information in our society. Are you seeking to rebut them in any way? Perhaps you voice won’t make a difference. Combined with others of like-mind it can. Even a single voice can make a difference. Consider that of a little man from the country named Telemachus.
Mark the year A.D. 391. The city Rome, Italy. The character involved was named Telemachus, a resident of a small rural village. Without knowing it he had been led to Rome by the Lord. He followed the surging crowd and ended up in the Colosseum. In amazement he heard the gladiators stand before the emperor and say, “We who are about to die salute you.” Only then did he realize that they were about to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd. He shouted out, “In the name of Christ, STOP!” The noise of the crowd drowned him out.
As the games began he pushed his way through the crowd and eventually dropped to the floor of the arena. This tiny little man continued to shout, “In the name of Christ, STOP!”
The crowd thought he was a part of the show and laughed at first. Then, realizing he wasn’t became angry. As he pleaded with the gladiators to stop, one plunged his sword into his body. He fled to the stand and as he lay dying his last words were: “In the name of Christ, stop!”
Then a strange thing happened. A hush fell over the crowd as the gladiators stood and looked at that tiny little man lying there. In the upper rows a man stood and made his way to the exit. Others followed. A dead silence gripped the crowd as others filed out.
The year A.D. 391 and that was the last battle to the death in the Roman Colosseum. Never again did men kill men for the entertainment of the crowd. This happened all because of one small voice that could hardly be heard above the crowd. One small voice — one life — that spoke the truth in Christ’s name: STOP!
Many people are suffering at the hands of others in our brutal society. Isn’t there a voice to say, “In the name of Christ, STOP!”
Let’s be candid, to speak up in defense of Jesus or any cause of which He would espouse you can expect there to be efforts to shout you down. I’ve been there, and they have done that. Regardless of whether you carry the day and your cause prevails or fails you can rejoice in that you were faithful. Speak up!
The disciples spoke up even after being ordered not to. They were beaten severely as a result. Thereafter they went out rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer for the Lord.