What are you relying On? A few years ago, I was hanging out with my family and we were getting ready to sit down at the table to eat a meal. Could have been lunch maybe dinner IDK. As everyone is getting in their chairs, I pull mine over and start to sit down. As I put my weight on it, the chair completely collapsed underneath me. There was wood everywhere!! Now, I’m not a small guy and so as you can imagine, my kids thought it was hilarious and they began to laugh even harder because for some reason, it’s funny when the big guy breaks a chair. In my embarrassment, I began to place blame on the chair. A week later, I decided to overcome my fear of the chairs. I had been using a different one all week, but I was determined to sit in another chair that looked just like the one I had broken before. After thinking it through and examining it, I convinced myself that this chair was in better condition and that I would be more careful. Well, as you can imagine, this chair also broke. Needless to say, it wasn’t the boost to my self-esteem I was hoping for! Coming out of that I learned some very important lessons. 1. My kids have a sense of humor that is like mine. 2. Cheap furniture is exactly that. It's cheap for a reason. 3. Wood glue and a tourniquet-style clamp is an excellent way to get those loose chair legs back together. What happened to me with those chairs is the same thing that we all can often struggle with. We lean on things we shouldn’t to give us support or significance and those things end up collapsing underneath us. Maybe it’s our career. We pour all our energy into climbing the ladder or building a reputation, thinking that success will bring us the security and happiness we crave. Then one day, a bad review, a missed promotion, or even losing the job shows us just how fragile that foundation really is. For some of us, it might be our finances. We work overtime, budget meticulously, and save as much as we can, thinking that a full bank account will protect us from life’s uncertainties. But then, the car breaks down, medical bills pile up, or the economy shifts, and suddenly, the thing we trusted to keep us secure feels shaky at best. Or maybe it’s people. We lean on friends, family, or a significant other to hold us up, expecting them to meet our every need. But people aren’t perfect—they let us down, say the wrong thing, or even walk away, leaving us feeling abandoned and alone. Many times, rather than learning from it, we end up going back to those same things. Over and over, we find ourselves in this pattern of constantly being disappointed. If that’s your story, maybe it’s time to make a change. Rather than feeling like everything keeps letting you down, you need to recognize that only God can truly support you. He is the only one who can meet your needs and hold you up when everything else fails. It’s time to stop trusting in fragile things and place your faith in the one who will never let you down. If you’ve got your Bibles, open up to Acts 17. But before we start let's pray. The Book of Acts tells the story of how the Church got started. It wasn’t an easy path. At this point in the story, Paul was in the city of Athens, Greece. Athens was a city known for its culture, history, and intellectual achievements. It had been a major center for philosophy, art, and politics. Famous thinkers like Socrates, Plato, mooand Aristotle once walked its streets, and the city was still proud of its intellectual traditions. But by Paul’s time, Athens had lost much of its former glory. While it remained a center for learning and debate, it no longer held the political or military power it once had. Instead, Athens had become a melting pot of ideas and beliefs. There was no official religion in the city, so people built temples, statues, and monuments to worship whatever gods or objects they chose. Everywhere Paul looked, there were reminders of how much the people depended on their own ideas and creativity to find meaning. Many of the people in Athens were artists, philosophers, and intellectual thinkers. They loved to discuss new ideas and debate different worldviews. If you ever visit Athens, you can still stand on the very hill where this story takes place. It’s called the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill. The Areopagus was not just a hill; it was also the name of a council of leaders in Athens. These men acted as judges and oversaw important matters of religion, philosophy, and even law. When Paul began talking about Jesus and the resurrection, the people were curious but also confused. The Areopagus invited him to speak so they could hear his ideas more formally. This was a big moment, as Paul was standing before some of the most educated and influential people in the city, sharing the truth about God. As we read the words Paul spoke that day, we’ll uncover four important truths about God. These truths are just as relevant today as they were then and can remind us to lean on God rather than relying on things that can’t truly support us. We'll start at verse 22. Acts 17:22–25 ESV 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. The first truth we see from these verses is this: Life comes from God Paul made a clear distinction between the gods that the Athenians worshipped and the one true God. He was addressing a society deeply embedded in idol worship, and his message remains relevant for us today. The contrast Paul draws shows us that while the Athenians were seeking life through countless gods, they were ultimately misguided. The gods they worshipped were no more than human creations, limited in power and influence. They were bound by the confines of human imagination, offering no real hope or life. Paul outlines several crucial truths about God: God made everything: The very fabric of our existence comes from Him. He is the Creator of the universe—everything we see and everything we can't see finds its origin in Him. This reminds us that God is the ultimate cause of all things, not a mere figure in our lives or a force we can control. He’s the Lord of heaven and earth: God is not just the Creator; He reigns over all of creation. He is sovereign and in control of everything, whether we recognize it or not. This truth calls us to submit to His authority and trust in His plans for our lives. He doesn’t live in temples: God is not confined to a building or a place. Unlike the idols the Athenians worshipped, which were housed in temples, God is omnipresent. He is with us wherever we go, in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Our relationship with God isn't limited to a specific location or time. He’s not served by man: God doesn’t need anything from us to sustain Himself. We don't serve Him out of necessity; we serve Him because of His goodness, grace, and love. He doesn't require our offerings to fulfill Himself—He is self-sufficient. He’s self-sufficient: God is complete in Himself. He doesn't depend on anyone or anything to exist or be satisfied. His power, knowledge, and love are infinite and never run dry. This stands in stark contrast to the idols the Athenians had to tend to, constantly in need of upkeep and attention. He’s the source of life: Life, in its truest sense, originates from God. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are sustained by Him. Without God, life would cease to exist as we know it. While we may not be bowing down to physical idols made of stone or wood, the reality is that many of us still place our faith and trust in things that will ultimately let us down. We might not have figurines or statues, but we can have functional idols. These are things we turn to for life, meaning, and purpose—whether it’s our job, money, relationships, success, or even personal achievements. When we place our faith in these things, we are, in essence, making them idols in our lives. The warning here is that just as the Athenians' gods were powerless to give them true life, the things we turn to apart from God will also fail us. Money can’t satisfy our deepest needs. Success can’t fill the emptiness we feel in our souls. Relationships, while important, can’t provide the ultimate purpose and fulfillment that only God can. We might think that we’re not idol worshippers because we don't have statues in our homes, but the truth is, any time we allow something else to take the central place that God deserves, we’re not too different from the Athenians. We can fall into believing some common lies that serve as modern-day idols. These are things we put our hope in, to gain something—maybe even to define or identify ourselves: A better version of ourselves: We often buy into the lie that if we just change something about ourselves—whether it’s losing weight, getting a nose job, or achieving a certain look—all of our problems will be solved. The truth is, that no external change can fix the deep issues within us. A relationship: We wrongly believe that finding the perfect person will solve all of our problems. But the reality is, no one person—no matter how wonderful—can fulfill all of our heart’s longings. It’s too much pressure to put on anyone, and it’s not fair to them either. Attaining things or seeking achievement: We work ourselves to death, believing that having more stuff or achieving success will bring us happiness and fulfillment. But the truth is, talk to anyone who has sacrificed every relationship they have in the pursuit of wealth or success, and they’ll tell you—they’re miserable. Money and success can’t provide lasting joy. Religion: We may attend church, read our Bible, and follow all the outward signs of being a “good Christian,” but if there’s no heart connection with God, we’re just going through the motions. God doesn’t want our behavior alone—He wants our hearts. When we pursue anything other than Jesus to give us life—whether it’s a golden idol or a relationship, success, or even religion—it will ultimately let us down in a big way. The only true source of life is God. In a world full of distractions and counterfeit gods, He is the only one who will never fail us. He alone is the giver of life, and in Him, we find our true purpose and fulfillment. If that is you today, let me encourage you to realign your heart with the one who gives life, and turn away from the things that promise life but only bring emptiness. We'd love to pray with you after the service. Let’s keep reading. Let’s pick up in verse 26. Acts 17:26–28 ESV 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Here is the second truth we learn from this passage: God wants us to find him In these verses, Paul referred to God’s sovereignty. God’s sovereignty is the doctrine that God is in control of everything big and small—every detail of our lives, every event in history, and every moment in time. It’s a mind-boggling thought, but it's a foundational truth about who God is. For some, God’s sovereignty is a scary thought. It might feel overwhelming to think that God is in control of everything, especially when life seems chaotic or unfair. But for me, it is a comforting thought to know that God is never worried, confused, scared, or perplexed. He is never caught off guard by the events of the world. Everything that happens, big or small, is under His rule and purpose. I heard someone once say, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” It’s amazing to think about how great God is! He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10): “Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” There is nothing outside His knowledge or control. So back to what Paul was saying. Because God is sovereign, Paul shares in Acts 17:26 that He determined two very important things: Allotted periods of time—God has set the time for everything. Nothing happens by accident. He knows when we are born, when we live, and when we will leave this earth. Our lives are in His hands. As it says in Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Boundaries of their dwelling places—God determined where we live. The place you were born, the family you were born into, the circumstances surrounding your life, all of this was not random. It’s part of God’s divine plan. As Acts 17:26 continues: “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place...” Why did God do this? Paul answers this question in Acts 17:27: “That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” The reason God has placed us in specific times and places is so that we might seek Him. God is not distant or disconnected from our lives—He has designed everything with the purpose of drawing us to Himself. This brings us to the incredible truth that God is knowable, and He desires us to know Him. The passage goes on to say that God isn’t far away: “Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). God is near. He wants us to find Him. For some of us, God feels so far away. There has been so much that has happened in your life that makes you believe that He wants nothing to do with you. You may feel abandoned or alone, wondering if God even cares. But that is not who God is. The God of the Bible wants to have a relationship with you. He is actively pursuing you. In Jeremiah 29:13, God says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” God wants us to seek Him with our whole heart, and He promises that when we do, we will find Him. Perhaps today, your attending service is an example of God’s pursuit of you. Could today be the day that everything changes in your life? God is always near and ready to meet you where you are. In James 4:8, we are reminded: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This is the heart of the gospel: that God, in His sovereignty, has placed us where we are so that we might seek Him, find Him, and know Him. And when we do, He offers us the gift of life—life in its fullness, a relationship with Him that brings peace, joy, and purpose. This is where our Reformed brothers and sisters in Christ sometimes go wrong. While they rightly emphasize God's sovereignty, they miss the vital part about how we are to seek Jesus in order to truly know Him. It's not just a matter of intellectual understanding or doctrinal knowledge; it’s about a personal, relational pursuit of Jesus, through repentance, faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Only then can we experience the fullness of life that God desires for us. Let’s keep reading! Let’s pick up in verse 29: Acts 17:29–31 ESV 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” We find Jesus when we repent of our sins and follow Him In these verses, Paul challenged the people of Athens to change their perspective on who God is. He wanted them to see God as patient, loving, and just. These characteristics of God are vital for understanding why He allows certain things to happen, especially the brokenness and evil we see around us. In Acts 17:30, Paul refers to the “times of ignorance that God overlooked.” This is a significant point. Currently, we’re in a season where God is patient with our sin. He allows time for repentance. However, because of this divine patience, it may appear as though evil is winning in the world. If we look around, it’s not hard to see the brokenness, injustice, and suffering that abound. We may wonder: Why does God allow this? If He’s in control, why doesn’t He just stop it all? The reason is that God desires everyone to come to repentance and to enter into a relationship with Him. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God’s patience isn’t a sign of weakness or neglect, but rather a demonstration of His desire for all people to turn to Him and be saved. In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul further emphasizes God's heart: “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God is actively giving us time to repent and be saved. His patience gives us the opportunity to seek Him, to turn from our sin, and to embrace the life He offers through Jesus Christ. The Bible makes it clear, though, that this season of patience won’t last forever. Acts 17:31 speaks about a future day of judgment: “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.” That day will come. It may be after we die, or it may be when Christ returns, but a day of judgment will come. And on that day, we will all be judged for our sin. The Bible teaches that if we are outside of a relationship with Jesus, we are spiritually dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1), and we need the life that Christ offers. However, there is good news: John 3:16 reminds us of God’s love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” If we repent of our sin, turn away from it, and place our faith in Jesus, we are forgiven. We are reconciled to God because of the righteousness that Jesus gives to us freely when we believe in Him. Now, this truth is something we, as Christians, are called to share with the world around us. The gospel is not something we keep to ourselves. Imagine, for a moment, that you’re standing on the dock of a great ship that is about to set sail. The Captain is preparing to depart, and everyone still on the dock will be left behind. This ship represents salvation, and the Captain is Jesus, who is about to sail to safety and eternal life. Your friends, family, and even strangers are still on the dock, unaware that the journey is about to begin. They need you to help them board the ship before it’s too late. This is the urgency of the gospel. It’s not a time to sit idly by; it’s time to help others get on board before the Captain sets sail. As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 10:14-15: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” We, as followers of Jesus, have the privilege and responsibility to share this message of life with others. God is patient, but the day will come when He will return, and the opportunity to repent will be over. So, the invitation today is clear: Repent of your sin, follow Jesus in faith, and you will be pardoned for your sin. You will be made right with God and receive the gift of eternal life. God desires for everyone to experience this grace and forgiveness, and He’s calling each of us to come to Him. We should be taking every opportunity to share this life-giving message with those around us. There’s a vessel waiting to set sail—let’s help others get on board before it’s too late. Let’s finish out the chapter and end with Paul’s final truth: Acts 17:32–34 ESV 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. The final truth is simple but it’s important: Every person must decide whether or not they will follow Jesus In this story, we see two different responses to Paul’s message. Some mocked him, dismissing what he said as nonsense, while others believed and accepted the truth of the gospel. This division still exists today: when the gospel is shared, some will choose to reject it, while others will embrace it. As we wrap up, I want to challenge you with this important question: What will you do with Jesus? Maybe you’ve never come to faith in Christ. You’ve been a good person, lived a decent life, and maybe you even do good things for others. But here’s the truth: the Bible teaches that our good works alone will not save us. In Ephesians 2:8-9, it says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” No amount of good deeds can earn us a place in God’s presence. We are saved only by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins on the cross. Maybe you’ve been a regular church attendee. You’ve gone through the motions, participated in services, and maybe even served in ministry. But your church attendance won’t save you. It’s not about where you sit on Sunday morning; it’s about where your heart is. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” The question is, have you truly surrendered your heart to Jesus? Maybe you’ve even gone on a mission trip or done something great in service to others, and you feel like that should count for something. But as noble as those things are, they won’t save you. Matthew 7:21-23 makes it clear that doing good things in the name of Jesus isn’t enough if we haven’t truly followed Him: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” The reality is, there are only two types of people in the world: those who have repented of their sin and, by faith, are following Jesus, and those who haven’t. As John 14:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There’s no middle ground—either we have made the decision to follow Jesus, or we are choosing to stay on our own path. So, I ask you again: What will you do with Jesus? The opportunity to decide is before you. If you haven’t yet made that decision to repent, to turn from your sin, and to place your faith in Jesus, today is the day. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” There is no guarantee of tomorrow. For those who have already made that decision to follow Jesus, I challenge you to live out that commitment every day. Share the hope of Christ with those around you, because they too must decide what they will do with Jesus. Conclusion As we wrap up, I want to remind you of the chair story I started with. Every day, we place our faith in something. We trust in things like relationships, being a good person, or our personal success. But I want to ask you: Is that thing you place your faith in strong enough to save you? Just like when you sit in a chair, you trust it will hold you up. You place your weight on it, believing it will support you. But what happens if that chair is broken or unstable? It can’t hold you. Similarly, the things we put our trust in—whether it’s our good works, our relationships, or our accomplishments—are fragile and unable to save us. They will fail us at some point. But there is a chair that will never fail. There is a foundation that is unshakable. Jesus is that foundation. He is the only one who can bear the weight of our sin, the only one who can give us the life we need. When we place our faith in Him, we are standing on a solid rock that will never crumble. So, what will you do with Jesus? Will you continue to trust in things that are not strong enough to save you? Or will you place your faith in the one true Savior, who has the power to forgive, heal, and give you eternal life? The choice is yours, and the time to decide is now. Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank You for the truth of Your Word today. You are the only true source of life, and we acknowledge that our faith must be in You alone. Lord, we ask You now to examine our hearts. Show us anything that is standing in the way of fully embracing Jesus and following Him with all that we are. Root out any idols, distractions, or false hopes we’ve placed our trust in. Help us to turn to You completely so that we can experience the fullness of the life You offer. As we continue in worship, may our hearts be open to Your refining work. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Exhortation - As we leave today, I want to challenge each of us with this thought: What will you do with Jesus? Every day, we place our faith in something, but only Jesus is the solid foundation that can hold us up. Maybe you’ve been relying on your own strength, your good works, or other things that are ultimately unreliable. Today, I invite you to place your full trust in Jesus—the only one who can save you, transform you, and give you eternal life. As we go from here, remember this: the time to decide is now. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Repent, believe, and follow Him. Let’s leave this place committed to walking in the fullness of the life He offers and sharing that hope with others. May we be a people who trust in the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ. Go in peace, knowing that He is with you, now and always.