THREE RESPONSES TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

Text: ACTS 17:15-34

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INTRODUCTION:

1. Many years ago there was an itinerant preacher who visited a large city, a city very much like NYC.
2. It was a great city, a famous city, a city well-known for its famous universities, art museums, and architecture.
3. It was the cradle of democracy, philosophy, logic, physics, biology, ethics, political science and law.
4. However, it was also a very wicked city (much like NYC) – morally bankrupt, spiritually bankrupt, idolatrous, full of drunkenness, sensuality, adultery, and all kinds of sexual perversions.
5. The year was approximately 53 AD. The itinerant preacher was the apostle Paul, and the great city was Athens.
6. Paul was in Athens, waiting to meet his two preacher friends, Silas and Timothy (Acts 17:15,16).
7. Today is Easter Sunday (or if you prefer, "Resurrection Sunday"). This is a day when the whole world is reminded that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
8. This was the central message of Paul and the other apostles. This was part of the message that "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).
9. So when Paul visited Athens, he preached the resurrection of Christ. And he got three responses.

1. SOME MOCKED (17:32).
2. SOME PROCRASTINATED (17:32).
3. SOME CLAVED UNTO HIM AND BELIEVED (17:34).

 

1. SOME MOCKED (17:32).

1. Whenever we read the book of Acts, we need to remember that Paul and his fellow missionaries were preaching a doctrine that was unlike anything most people had ever heard.
2. Most of the citizens of Athens were idolaters (17:16). This stirred Paul’s spirit (17:16). His spirit was grieved at how the devil had blinded their minds and had enslaved them.
3. But rather than sit around and complain about the idolatry, and rather than toss his hands up in the air and give up – Paul preached the Gospel in Athens – both indoors ("in the synagogue" – 17:17) and outdoors ("and in the market daily" – 17:17).
4. Paul’s preaching was mocked because it focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was totally different from the worldly philosophies popular in Athens at that time (17:18-21).
5. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ is totally different from the worldly philosophies that are popular today.
6. But still we must preach salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ – not by good works, not by sacraments, not purgatory, not reincarnation, not evolution, not new-age paganism, not Mormonism or JW nonsense – just salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
7. Paul preached the truth even though he knew most people would not accept it (17:22-31). "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked…" (17:32).

2. SOME PROCRASTINATED (17:32b).

1. "And others said, We will hear thee again of this matter" (17:32).
2. I cannot say for sure but I think most of these procrastinators never got saved. I have had some experience dealing with procrastinators and I have noticed that they seldom get saved.
3. Procrastinators develop bad habits and they become set in their ways. They find it easier and easier to put off salvation, and then one day it is too late and they die and go to hell.
4. The Bible is full of these type of individuals – men and women who heard the Gospel but procrastinated – Felix (Acts 24:24,25), and Agrippa (Acts 26:1-28) are two that immediately come to mind.
5. There are many drunkards in hell. There are many liars in hell. There are many thieves in hell. There are many adulterers in hell. But this is nothing compared to all the procrastinators in hell!
6. Perhaps there is a procrastinator here in this tent this Lord’s Day. You need to stop procrastinating and start believing the Gospel.

3. SOME CLAVED UNTO PAUL AND BELIEVED (17:34).

1. Maybe it was because these men realized that God created them, and that Jesus was God (17:22-25; cf. John 1:1-3,10-13; Col.1:16; Heb.1:1-3).
2. Maybe it was because these men realized that God was going to judge them, and that Jesus was God (Acts 17:30,31).
3. But as important as these truths are – that Jesus Christ is our Creator; and that Jesus Christ is our Judge – I believe what really touched these unsaved Athenians is the precious truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins and rose from the dead (17:31b-34).
4. This is what sets Jesus Christ apart from all of the great religious leaders, all of the great prophets, all of the great teachers – Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, and so on – they are all in the grave but Jesus Christ is alive for ever more (Rev.1:18).
5. Friday night we were returning home from church and stopped to purchase a gallon of milk at the gas station on Linden Boulevard. There is a young Muslim man who works there who asked me many questions about the Lord Jesus Christ. I am praying that God will save this young man.
6. What about you? Do you believe in the resurrected Christ? Have you received Him as your Saviour? (Rom.10:9).

CONCLUSION:

1. A few years ago I read an interesting story about two young boys in Africa who were slaves to an Arab. This Arab told them stories about Mohammed, and he told them that his body was preserved in a coffin in the city of Medina.
2. One day these two youngsters had the good pleasure of hearing a missionary preach the Gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
3. That night, in the darkness of their little hut, they talked things over. "Well, what do you think?" asked one of the boys. "Our master tells us that Mohammed is dead, and that his body is kept in a fancy coffin; but this man today said that Jesus is the Son of God, who came here to die for us, rose from the dead, and is alive for ever more."
4. The other fellow thought about it for a few seconds and replied: "I think that I would rather believe in the Living One."
5. What about you?