Most of us eat every day, some of us too much, because yesterday's
food is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do
some of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the Word of God to
keep us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change
all of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need
to live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker Elle David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning.
It is Tuesday, December five, twenty twenty three. Hello, my
name is El David Harris. I am your host, and this is your
Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day and today is no
exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series, God's Mission, My
Mission. Our caption for today is Paul and the Unknown God. We have
teased that for a few days. Now we're going to jump into it a
little bit more. Let's go ahead and pray and then get underway. Father
in Heaven, thank you for giving us this new day and for the privilege
we have to open your word again. And thank you for your Holy Spirit
who teaches us, please help us to learn in Jesus name, I pray
Amen and a men again Paul and the Unknown God. All right, so
we're going to begin by simply reading from the Book of Acts, the Book
of Acts, chapter seventeen. Jump right in here and read verses twenty two
and twenty three, and then we'll circle back in and see if we can
make some sense out of this. All right, And so the Bible reads.
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill. Remember that's in the
areopagus where government and judicial convenence would happen. And in this case we see
where many, many, many gods, almost like the Pantheon of Gods would
be erected. Right. So Paul is there in the midst of Mars Hill,
and he said, ye, men of Athens, I perceive that in
all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your
devotions, I found an alter with this inscription. What did it say to
the unknown God whom therefore ye ignorantly worshiped him? Declare I unto you?
So what our brother Paul was doing was bringing their attention to the unknown,
helping them to know that they did not know the true and living God,
and he's now about to introduce him, okay. And so when nebukud Nezzar
before he got saved, you know, the Bible says that he said,
to you know, the people of God, who is this God that will
deliver you? Don't do what I say? You don't worship me? Who
is this God who will deliver you? And so for a good while,
more than seven years, God is introducing himself to nebuchad Nesser, and so
Paul is giving them the easy way out. I wish I had the time
to deal with the nepicud Nezzer introduction, but God did prevail ultimately when you
have a chance to look at Daniel chapter four for more details. But Paul
is giving these people the less difficult way to get to know the one,
true and Living God, blessed be his name. So they were superstitious,
they were devoted. They did say, you know what, there's something out
there we don't understand. And Paul is using this as an opportunity to insert
the God of Heaven and let's see what happens. Okay. So the first
thing we want to do, based on verse twenty two again I perceive in
all things that you are too superstitious is to respect if you want to use
the right word, or identify and acknowledge diverse beliefs, diverse beliefs because Paul's
approach shows the importance of at least acknowledging that there are ways that other people
believe. He didn't go in there guns blazing, shooting down all of what's
not right, even though at other times maybe the apostles did that. But
in this case he's providing an opportunity to people whose beliefs differed from his own.
Instead of outright dismissal, understanding and acknowledging these beliefs can create a foundation
for meaningful dialogue. Remember this was one of the chief areas for reason Athens,
where people were philosophers, they were intelligent, they loved discourse. And
so Paul is saying, let's use under the whole goes this opportunity and show
people the one true and living God that clearly they may be acknowledging without knowing,
and then give them the opportunity to connect with him. Let's read again
now from verse twenty three. For as I pass by, so he is
walking by, He's observing. I beheld your devotions and then I found an
altar with this inscription to the unknown God. He's now finding common ground.
You worship, I worship. You worship all of these gods, and I
worship the One, True and Living God. You worship. Oh wait a
minute, I see something here. This is something that our God can be
attached to so that I can give him or give them, excuse me,
an opportunity to connect with God. Okay, to the unknown God again.
Finding common ground not turning our backs on truth, not making it seem as
if we don't believe what God has said. But finding common ground is identifying
and building upon what we can agree with. Now, I know, ecumenism
is a really tricky situation. That is not what I'm talking about. These
people worship, we worship. They worship the unknown God. We want to
introduce the Unknown God. This is the conversation that Paul is having. So
Paul did this with that unknown God concept, and it can be a powerful
way to connect with others and share your perspective. Paul was sharing his perspective,
but he needed to do so with humility. That's the next thing.
Paul's respectful and humble approach as opposed to presenting himself as an all knowing expert,
teaches the value of humility in interactions. This can foster openness and prevent
alienation. You see, sometimes when we come into a new setting, people
say they typecast us. They begin to predict based on the pain that they
have experienced by people in the past who behave like us, who look like
us, who say that they're believers right, people who say that they are
Bible believing Christians sometimes have done things that were not according to scriptures. And
so when we come into a new setting, sometimes the audience or the people
on the other side of the conversation are saying, yeah, I know what's
going on here. I know how this person is. I know how that
person is. But God is giving us a really good lesson about humility through
Paul's Paul's interaction here. Also it says here in verse twenty three, whom
therefore or ye ignorantly worship him, Declare I unto you value spiritual curiosity?
Ask the question when we're in connection with people we're either unfamiliar with or people
that we have been interacting with, but their system of understanding is different from
ours. We need to ask the question, because it is in seeking,
asking, seeking, and knocking that that God will answer. He will,
he will make himself manifest, he will, he will reveal himself. So
when people are curious, give them what they need under the holy gooes,
ask God, what do these people need? They're curious, they want to
know, And God demonstrated that many times. Nicodemus experience with Nicodemus and John
chapter three is one great example where he asks the question, well can a
man go back into his mother's womb and be and be born? And then
Gus said, marvel, not that I say unto you that you must be
born again. That which is born of flesh, Nicodemus, is flesh.
This is why you struggle with all kinds of addictions and challenges. This is
why your relationships aren't the way they need to be. This is why even
in your religious circles, you go too far on one end and don't go
far enough on the other end. Nicodemus, so don't marvel when I say
that which is born of flesh is flesh. But that which is born of
the Holy Ghost is spirit. And so he valued spiritual curiosity in that case
as well. And of course understanding the cultures from which people come is also
a good thing to do. Paul and the Unknown God gave us an example
of how to witness in unknown areas. Peace. Thanks for joining us listening.
Friends. Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every
word that comes from the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion
with El David Harris, make it a great day. Yeah,