God: 'Walk in own empty, worthless ways'

 From today’s sermon at my church:

“When God separated Israel away He left the Gentiles to themselves. Why did He do that and, more importantly, what is the condition of the Gentiles when this happened? If you’ve ever wondered how to think about what’s going on in the world out there today . . .

“There’s a philosophy of the world called critical theory that morphs into social justice. You don’t want social justice, you want biblical justice.

"In Paul’s words, biblical justice is Colossians 4:1: [1] Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

“In Acts 14 Paul’s talking to some pagans. They called him Mercury and Jupiter; they tried to make sacrifices to him. He asks, ‘Why are you making sacrifices to me?!”

[15] And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
[16] Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
[17] Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

“Vanity means these empty, worthless ideas. You remember Ecclesiastes? ‘Vanity, vanity, all is vanity, sayeth the preacher.’ Solomon says, ‘You come, you live, you die. You come, you live, you die, and it just turns out to be nothing.’

“There was a time in history when the nations said, ‘We don’t want God,’ so God said, ‘I will let you go in your own way. Dream up your own thinking and I’ll take my nation out and show you what it would be like to have me as your God.’

“In time past there was a point where God allowed the nations to walk in their own ways; develop their own thinking processes.

“Paul’s at Mars Hill in Acts 17 talking to the intelligentsia, the elitists of his day. He says: [30] And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [31] Because he hath appointed a day, in the 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 hath raised him from the dead.

“Now things are different than they were back there. He says, ‘Where you guys were is you were ignorant.’ I love what he says there because it’s just such a funny thing. You’ve got the intelligentsia of the educated world. People think the Greeks are the greatest minds, the greatest scholars.

“Our president, the first time he ran for president, had to quit because he plagiarized some British guy’s speech. He’s done that all his career, but he’s not the worst one. These Greek philosophers were.

“You know where they got it all? From the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. It was on the table for hundreds of years before they ever said anything. Every Greek philosopher that you can list, you can find his philosophy in the Book of Ecclesiastes, but who studies that?

“Acts 17: [16] Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

[17] Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
[18] Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
[19] And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
[20] For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
[21] (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.)
[22] Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
[23] For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

“I love that. He said, ‘You elitists, you philosophers, you Epicureans, you Stoics.’ You know, the ‘great’ Greek philosophers still being read and taught today. Paul said, ‘You’re just a bunch of superstitious numbskulls.’ ”

(another post later)