Lectionary Year A
May 5, 2002

Acts 17:22-31
Contemporary Address

Step VI - Contemporary Address

A. Goals

(JFC) Proclaiming some of this lection's elements might be an inspiration to auditors to know their faith and its God better than before.

B. Describing the Audience

(JFC) This sermon might go well wherever theology might have taken a back seat lately.

C. Contemporary Address

(JFC) Sermon, entitled for this working draft, "You Know What . . .?"

Introduction
"You know what . . . ?" has recently become one of the not so silent pauses in conversations. You remember the other ones. The earliest I can recall is that ubiquitous, "Ya know?" Of course, "Well . . ." has been around forever, hasn't it?

I. Paul
A. Paul stood up, he stood up in the Aeropagus, he addressed the Athenians.

B. Paul declared his beliefs in God. In Romans 1:16-23, Paul encourages knowing God by grasping the true data of the Christian faith he is there expressing

II. God
A. God is Creator, par excellence. Genesis 1 and 2, of course, and Isaiah 40:21ff and 28, 42:5 as well as Psalms, like 19, 33, 75 and, perhaps most notably, 104.

B. God is knowable and findable. Moses believed searching for God could find Him, Deuteronomy 4:29 and Psalm 145:18 and Jeremiah 23:23 claim God is near to all, as Paul states in Acts 17:27.

III. Christ.
A. Christ reveals how God overlooks ignorance and forgives sinners, too. God saw to it we could believe that part of our faith by appointing Jesus to die for us right-wising us with God. That's part of what verse 31 seems to mean.

B. Christ's rising from the grave offers eternal salvation for all.

Conclusion
We can know this God whom Paul proclaims and whom Christ reveals even more fully.

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