Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers: Why is idolatry the greatest sin? Because it is a repudiation of the very purpose of life. Why do you exist? Why this planet? Why this creation? God made you. God created you. God created you to know Him and to love Him. And down in your heart, you have a desire to know Him and love Him.

Carrie Vaughn: Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the inspired and convicting lessons of acclaimed pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers. An idol is anything you love, serve, fear, or trust more than God. And Paul saw idolatry everywhere he turned in Athens.

Now today, in our cities, in our country, sometimes even in our churches, we can see idolatry. We all worship something because mankind is incurably religious. How did Paul deal with the idolatry that he met in Greece? How can we stand firm in our pagan world? If you have your Bible, turn to Acts chapter 17. We'll begin in verse 16. And once again, here's Adrian Rogers.

Adrian Rogers: Now, the episode that I'm going to talk to you about today is taken here from the 17th chapter of the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul is in the great city of Athens, the intellectual, the cultural center of the ancient world. The glory of Athens was overwhelming.

As a result of this cultural superiority, as a result of this intellectualism, it was a city that was filled with cynicism. It was a city that was filled with snobbery. It was a city that was filled with debate. And Paul is there. And Paul is going to share Jesus Christ, and he's going to meet strong resistance.

And we're going to learn some lessons because what happened so long ago is happening today in our society. This scripture that we're going to study is not just what has happened; it is what is happening. It is not just what God has said to others so long ago; it is what God is saying to our society today. Because history is like a broken phonograph record; it just keeps repeating itself.

There are three things that Paul met in ancient Athens. And those are the three things that you will meet, whether you live in Chicago, New York, Cincinnati, Dallas, or Miami, or Memphis. What three things did Paul meet there in Athens so long ago? First of all, he met superstitious idolatry.

What is an idol? Get it down big, plain, and straight. An idol is anything that you love more, fear more, serve more, or trust more than Almighty God. May I tell you that again? Listen to me. An idol is anything that you love more, fear more, serve more, or trust more than Almighty God.

An idol is whatever is in first place in your life. That is an idol. Whatever your heart clings to, whatever your heart trusts in, that is your idol. Now, may I tell you this: that idolatry is the greatest sin that a man, a woman, a boy, or a girl can commit.

Why? Because it transgresses the greatest commandment. What is the greatest commandment? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy soul, all thy strength, all thy mind. That's the first and great commandment. Idolatry, therefore, has to be the greatest sin because it breaks the greatest commandment.

Idolatry. Paul faced idolatry. Americans face idolatry. Anything you love more, fear more, trust more, serve more than God is an idol. Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." We have no right to worship anything other than Almighty God.

The second thing Paul faced this day in Athens was self-righteous orthodoxy. Look in verse 17: "Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the market daily with them that met him." Now Paul is not facing idolatry. He's facing those who believe in the one true God.

But they are self-satisfied. They do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior and Lord. These are the respectable sinners. The Apostle Paul had been this same kind of a self-righteous bigot until he met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and had his life transformed.

But you're going to meet many who may not be open, devout idolaters, but they're going to be self-righteous, and they're not going to see their need of the Savior. There's a third category that the Apostle Paul met this day in Athens, and this was sophisticated philosophy.

These are not superstitious idolaters. These are not the self-righteous orthodox. But these are they who see themselves as intellectual giants. We're going to face those. Look in Acts chapter 17 verse 18: "Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. Some said, 'What will this babbler say?'"

"Others, 'He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods,' because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection." I've already told you that Athens was not only the cultural but the intellectual center of the world at that time. And philosophers clustered to the city.

Philosophy abounded. Now, what is philosophy? The word literally means a love of knowledge. Somebody said philosophy is that system that tells us what we already know in words we cannot understand. Has philosophy met the need of a man's heart?

Let me read to you what some noted philosophers said about philosophy. Schopenhauer, world-famous philosopher, got to the bottom line, and he said this: "Life is a curse of endless craving and endless unhappiness." Well, for him, philosophy was a dead-end road.

Huxley, brilliant man, Julius Huxley, wrote this: "It seems to me that we are a cancer on the globe." That's philosophy. Bertrand Russell, arrogant, conceited, but honest enough to say: "Philosophy proved a washout to me." H.G. Wells, noted historian and philosopher, said this:

"Unless there is a more abundant scheme before mankind, this scheme of space and time is a bad joke, an empty laugh, ringing across the mysteries." Our own Dr. Robert G. Lee, former pastor of this church, said, "Philosophy is a chunk of cloud bank buttered with a night wind."

He knew that philosophy, the love of knowledge, can never satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart. And here is the Apostle Paul there in the great city of Athens. And he sees this idolatry. He sees this orthodoxy. He sees this philosophy.

Not only are you going to confront these things, number two: You can express confidence in your faith. I want you to believe this. I don't want you to throw up your hands and say, "Well, what is the use then? We're up against odds too great for us."

Oh, no you're not. You can express confidence in your faith. Look, if you will, now, in Acts chapter 17 verses 19 through 21: "And they took him," that is Paul, "and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, 'May we know what new doctrine whereof thou speakest?'"

They always wanted their ears tickled. They said, "Let's let this stranger talk." "For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these things mean." For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

They said, "Let's hear what this babbler will say." They had a place there called Mars Hill. I've been up on Mars Hill many times, where they would come and make their discourses. Paul has an opportunity now. Remember, he's in the city of Athens. He's seen all of this. And they say, "Hey bud, let's hear from you."

If that had been you, what would you say? Would you be ready to give an answer? Now, Paul is given a great opportunity to speak. Remember now that he's in the city of Athens. He's looking around at the accoutrements of the Golden Age of Pericles.

Remember now he's in the shadow of the philosophers: Plato and Socrates and Zeno and Epicurus. Remember now that all of this beauty, indescribable beauty, is all around him. But the Apostle Paul knew that this human wisdom and beauty were magnificent foolishness without the Lord Jesus Christ.

Religion was a mockery, and beauty was vain without the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, Paul looks at them. He almost says something humorous. He realizes they had covered all of the bases. Look, if you will, down in verse 22: "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, 'Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.'"

"'For I passed by and beheld your devotions, and I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.'" Paul walking down the street. Here's a god here, here's a god here, here's a god here, here's a god here.

And then, in case they missed it, they put a god on the shelf and said "the unknown god. We don't want to offend him, whoever he is, we're going to worship him." You see what they were doing? Covering all the bases, like the woman who married four men in succession.

She married a banker, and then she married an actor, then she married a minister, then she married an undertaker. One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, four to go. She's covering all the bases. That's what they were doing.

Now Paul begins to speak, and I want you to see what Paul says about God. What would you have said? Paul begins to mention the one true God. He begins to stand for the faith in a pagan society. Number one: He says this, that God is the God of creative power.

Acts 17, verse 24: He says, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things."

What Paul said about this God is: He made everything. He's the God of creative power. Therefore, He stands above and distinct from creation. Now, what has happened in America today is this: we've gone from Father God to Mother Earth.

Have you noticed how much religion there is based on the earth today? In our public schools today, we cannot celebrate Easter, but we can celebrate Earth Day so we can go out and worship dirt. Think about it. Paul, with this one statement, he vanishes all the gods, all the gods of Athens.

And he says, "You can't put this God in a corner in your temple. You can't put this God on a shelf. He is the God of creation." But also, number two: He's the God of personal love. Look in verses 26 and following: "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."

Now notice this. Why did He create them? "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. For in him we live, and move, and have our being." He is a God of infinite love who loves us.

Why is idolatry the greatest sin? Because it is a repudiation of the very purpose of life. Why do you exist? Why this planet? Why this creation? God made you. God created you. And God created you to know Him and to love Him.

And down in your heart, you have a desire to know Him and love Him. I have a pastor friend, Nelson Price, pastored in Marietta, Georgia. He had a friend named Claude Brown. Claude Brown had a trucking firm.

Claude Brown, before he employs anybody, gives them a polygraph test. One of the questions on the polygraph test is: "Do you believe in God?" It's a lie detector test. He has a sworn affidavit from the man who gave the polygraph test.

He said in every instance, in every instance, when a person professes to be an atheist and he comes to that question and he says, "No, I don't believe in God," the polygraph says he's lying. Every one. Every one. He's lying.

Why? Because down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore. What is Paul saying? He is the God of creation. He is the God of infinite love who made us to know Him and worship Him.

And He is the God of supernatural salvation. Look in verse 31: "Because God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead."

Now, Paul is talking about the resurrection of the dead. He's talking about a Savior, therefore, who suffered, bled, and died on a cross, was buried, and walked out of the grave and shown to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead.

He's not ashamed to preach the resurrection of Christ there on Mars Hill. Some thought he was insane, but he did it. You should expect converts to your faith. You should expect converts to your faith. Listen, there's going to be challenges to your faith.

But expect converts to your faith. When you share the Lord Jesus Christ, I can tell you after many years of ministry and preaching, there are people who will believe. Notice in Acts chapter 17 verses 32 and 34: "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, 'We will hear thee again of this matter.'"

"So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed." And let me just stop right there. The gospel has power to change lives. This morning, and every time when I preach, anytime you witness, there will be one of three responses.

First of all, there will be derision. Some mocked. Some laughed. Are you willing to be laughed at for your faith? Did you know that some people would rather face a lion than face ridicule? What a fearful weapon that derision is.

They laughed at the Apostle Paul. Now, Paul was brilliant. He had the equivalency of a triple PhD. But he was willing to be thought a fool for Christ's sake. Some of you ladies are being laughed at by your unsaved husbands.

Some of you kids at school may be laughed at, especially in the university, by your sophisticated professor because you're an old-fashioned Bible believer. Some of you businessmen may be laughed at because you keep a Bible on your desk and bow your head and pray in the cafeteria and thank God for your food.

You will be laughed at. Harry Ironside, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, was on a ferryboat and they were going from Oakland to San Francisco. And they were singing and fellowshipping, and a man challenged him. He said, "What are you doing?"

He said, "We're worshipping God." He said, "You're a bunch of fools." And he said, "That's true. We're a bunch of fools, but we're fools for Christ's sake. Whose fool are you? Whose fool are you?" Some laughed. And then others said, "We will hear you again."

Not only derision but delay. They just put it off. But the Bible says, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." And there's some of you who are not going to laugh, but you're just simply say, "Well, not today. Perhaps tomorrow, some other time I'll give my heart to Jesus Christ."

One of the devil's favorite ways to send a soul to hell. Someone has wisely said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If you ever intend to give your heart to Jesus, do it now. There was derision, there was delay, but there was decision.

And the Bible says, "And others believed." And I've been preaching this book long enough to know, ladies and gentlemen, there's power in the gospel. And I know that not every seed will sprout. But I know when you preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, when you show this God to be the God of creation, the God of personal love, the God of salvation, the God who made it all, there's something in the human heart that will say, "Yes, that is the truth. And I will accept that as my truth."

Years ago, after the Civil War, there was a steamboat in the Mississippi River that made a trip from Vicksburg down to New Orleans. And that boat left every Wednesday. It was the plushest riverboat on the old Mississippi. One night, a fire broke out in that steamboat.

And the captain said to the first mate, "Go down the halls, the corridors, awaken the people. Tell them the ship is on fire. Do it as quickly as you can." They had no alarm system. This first mate got up and began to run down the halls of that ship, knocking on the doors, saying, "Get up! Get up! Get up! The ship is on fire!"

You know what happened? There were some who thought it was a joke, and they just laughed and went back to sleep. They thought perhaps it was a prank. There were others who got angry. They thought perhaps some drunk didn't know what he was talking about.

They rolled over and went back to sleep. There were others who were sleeping so soundly they never ever even heard the knock. And there were others who were awakened, gathered their things, got out before the fire closed the corridors, and saved their lives.

Derision. Don't laugh your way into hell. Delay. Don't turn over and go back to sleep. Decision. Give your heart to Jesus. Friend, listen to me. I didn't come here to make a talk. I came here to tell you about Jesus. To tell you that God loves you and He wants to save you.

And He will save you if you'll trust Him. If I could do it for you, I would. But I want you to come to Jesus and do it today. If you want to be saved, Christ stands at the door. If you will hear His voice and open the door, He will come in.

Would you pray a prayer like this: "Dear God, I need You. I want You. Jesus, You died to save me. You promised to save me. You shed Your blood to save me if I would trust You. I do trust You. I believe You're the Son of God.

I receive You into my heart today, now, this moment, now, as my Lord and Savior. I give You my life, and I receive Your life into me. Save me, Lord Jesus, and begin now to make me the person You want me to be. And give me the courage to make it public. In Your name, I pray. Amen."

Carrie Vaughn: If you prayed that prayer just now, we would love to know about it. And we'd like to offer you an insightful resource on our website. It's our "Discover Jesus" page. You'll find answers you may need about your new faith as well as a response section.

Let us know how this message has affected you today. Go to lwf.org/radio and click the tab that says "Discover Jesus." Welcome to God's forever family. Please, let us hear from you today.

Hi, this is Carrie Vaughn, and this program has been brought to you by Love Worth Finding, a nonprofit ministry showcasing the powerful preaching and teaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers. We operate solely through the generous gifts of individual supporters just like you.

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Guest (Male): We were so blessed to read this note from a gentleman who took one of our new online courses. He said, "I have been listening to Dr. Rogers for a few years, and my faith has grown stronger. I've been learning how my prayer life and Bible study affects my service to the Lord. This course took things to the next level. Thank you so much."

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