Who Do You Say That I Am?

Acts 17:16-34

 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. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

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. 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

as even some of your own poets have said,

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.”

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.

A   d_______________ view of Christ leads to a d_______________ life and d______________ worship.

1. You are not an accident.

2. God has the right to tell you how to live.

3. God does not need you, but you need him.

4. We are a universal people.

5. We have an accessible God.

6. We have a universal problem.

7. We need a non-negotiable gospel.

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Perhaps the most important question in the Bible is, “Who do you say Jesus is?” Our hope in this series is that you will be able to answer this question correctly. To get the most out of this series, here are some questions to prepare for next week.

Monday: Read Luke 18:18-30.

Question: Is Jesus simply a good man? Or is he more than a good man? Explain your answer.

Why do you think Jesus challenged the ruler about his riches? What might Jesus be challenging you about?

Tuesday: Read John chapter 1.

Question: How does John describe Christ’s unique identity?

Wednesday: Read Colossians 1:15-23.

Question: How does this passage teach us that Jesus is God?

What questions do you have after reading it?

Thursday: Read John 5:18

Question: What does it mean that Jesus is equal with God?

Friday: Read Hebrews 1.

Question: Is Jesus fully God?

Was Jesus created, or has he always been?