Absolute Surrender: To What Are You Devoted?

Escape from idolatry- Acts 17:16

Acts 17:16 (ESV)16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

Personalize it method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word): Lord, please illuminate your Word today and help me know what application you have for me, amen.

Jeff, know that idolatry is ramped in western civilization as it was in Athens. So many turn to serving money, power, achievement, popularity, self image, etc. But the danger is more subtle than expected by the enemy's prey. Satan uses my gifts against my children just as he did in the garden. My children are tempted to elevate my gifts above me. They love the gift above giver Jeff. See that many will prefer their children to me. See that many will prefer their job to me. See that many will prefer their health to me. See that many will prefer their skills in whatever service or vocation to me. See that a superior love of my gifts or of my provision or of my works in comparison to their love for me is in fact idolatry. You too know that this has, and is, true in your heart Jeff. This is critical Jeff. You must seek me first to avoid the snare of idolatry in all the blessings I provide…

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Do not be fooled into living your life first for something other than me Jeff. Where is your devotion, your time, your focus, your effort…this is your idol. For what will you wake early or stay up late? For what will you spend your precious resource of needed sleep? For what will you forgo a meal? For what will you skip something that you value less? Consider your heart- find your answer in your own conviction Jeff. Know that I am jealous and I want that space in your heart…

Exodus 34:14 (ESV)14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Now in Athens they knew not of their deception and they sought to acknowledge and worship any God that they could imagine...

From the Bible Knowledge Commentary-

The Athenians, who feared they might overlook venerating some deity they did not know about, dedicated an altar to an unknown god. When Paul referred to this, he did not emphasize the altar but their ignorance of the true God.
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Ac 17:23). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The idolatry of the Athenians was plain to Paul but he also noted they had one unknown god…

Acts 17:23 (ESV)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.

John 4:22 (ESV)22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Jeff you knew me and yet still were deceived and served the idols of the gifts in your life. You abandoned the giver out of your selfishness and you did not return gratitude by loving obedience Jeff…

Acts 17:29–30 (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,

Daniel 5:23 (ESV)23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

See Paul's discerning method here in communicating with the Athenians regarding their state of idol worship...

From the Matthew Henry Commentary-

He lays down this, as the scope of his discourse, that he aimed to bring them to the knowledge of the only living and true God, as the sole and proper object of their adoration. He is here obliged to lay the foundation, and to instruct them in the first principle of all religion, that there is a God, and that God is but one…
He shows them that they themselves had given a fair occasion for the declaring of this one true God to them, by setting up an altar, To the unknown God, which intimated an acknowledgment that there was a God who was yet to them an unknown God; and it is sad to think that at Athens, a place which was supposed to have the monopoly of wisdom, the true God was an unknown God, the only God that was unknown. “Now you ought to bed Paul welcome, for this is the God whom he comes to make known to you, the God whom you tacitly complain that you are ignorant of.’ ’ There, where we are sensible we are defective and come short, just there, the gospel takes us up, and carries us on.
Henry, M. (1996). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ac 17:22–31). Peabody: Hendrickson.

See how Paul teaches to turn from idols using the truth about who I am and how I relate to my creation, which is wholely unlike what any idol can do. His discourse includes, among others, the fact of my provision of life and my sovereignty...

From the Matthew Henry Commentary-

He gives to all the children of men their life and breath; for as the meanest of the children of men live upon him, and receive from him, so the greatest, the wisest philosophers and mightiest potentates, cannot live without him. He gives to all, not only to all the children of men, but to the inferior creatures, to all animals, every thing wherein is the breath of life (Gen. 6:17); they have their life and breath from him, and where he gives life and breath he gives all things, all other things needful for the support of life. The earth is full of his goodness, Ps. 104:24, 27…
That he is the sovereign disposer of all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of his will (v. 26): He hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. See here, (1.) The sovereignty of God’s disposal concerning us: he hath determined every event, horisas, the matter is fixed; the disposals of Providence are incontestable and must not be disputed, unchangeable and cannot be altered. (2.) The wisdom of his disposals; he hath determined what was before appointed. The determinations of the Eternal Mind are not sudden resolves, but the counterparts of an eternal counsel, the copies of divine decrees. He performeth the thing that is appointed for me, Job 23:14. Whatever comes forth from God was before all worlds hid in God. (3.) The things about which his providence is conversant; these are time and place: the times and places of our living in this world are determined and appointed by the God that made us.
Henry, M. (1996). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ac 17:22–31). Peabody: Hendrickson.

Idolatry is deceptive and it is the deception that need die, not the deceived- for as much as they will surrender to me in this life. Notice how Paul respects the Athenians by acknowledging the positive elements of what he observes in their culture. A negative connotation might be taken from his word choice in the Greek text but the flavor was decidedly positive to win his listeners (cf. various commentaries)...

Acts 17:22 (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.

Acts 17:32 (ESV)32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

Pray Jeff that others will see the idolatry in their life as I have disclosed yours to you. Serve each other and be faithful to guard each others hearts from this subtle trick of the enemy. Let not your life be about you Jeff. Why would you continue on as if I did not raise form the dead and as if I did not command you to make disciples and as if anything you are desiring has value greater than I? Come to me and ask how it is that you might change this. Come to me in the quiet place of prayer and meditation on my Word and ask how to be freed. Come to me and ask how your life is to look then. Come to me and ask how you might honor me and seek me first. This prayer will not go unanswered- but come with a humble and contrite heart…trembling at my Word.

Application and prayer:

Today I will consider my heart by examining what I am devoted to
Today I will extend love and I will respectfully guard the hearts of other men that would hear
Today I will make known the true and living God that you Lord might be shown glorious in more lives
Today I will pray that faithful men will watch over my heart and help me to identify when I deceive myself

Thank you Lord for revealing the truth of this subtle dagger that penetrates our culture and deadens our hearts to you Lord. Please root this sin out of my life that you may reign supreme in my heart. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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