If you would turn in your bottles to Acts chapter 17. Acts chapter 17. We began our study in this part, this last part of this chapter. considering the Apostle Paul at the Areopagus in Athens delivering this address that is relatively well known. We've spent several weeks looking in greater detail at the truth which Paul proclaimed to those polytheistic pagans who were his audience. Today we'll read verses 22 through 27 And our focal passage, our focal verse will be verse 27. Let's begin reading in verse 22. If you'll follow along, you'll hear a copy of God's word as I read. This is the word of the living God. So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, men of Athens, I observed that you were very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, to an unknown God. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you, the God who made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Heavenly Father, we pray that you would Bless your word. Bless your word to your people. God, we pray that you would convict us today. Your word tells us that your Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and righteousness and of coming judgment. And God, we pray that your Holy Spirit would work precisely in this way today. Here among your people, sanctifying those who are yours by the purchase of blood. And God, we pray that you would work among those who may be here today who are lost. We pray, as we have already expressed in our songs, as we've already expressed in our reading and our prayers, we pray that you would draw sinners to repentance in this very place. God bless now the preaching of your word and hide this preacher behind the cross. We pray in Jesus name for your kingdom's sake. Amen. Over the past few weeks, we've seen Paul in our study proclaiming the God of scripture, the one true and living God, the only God who is. And we've considered through his proclamation God as and Ase, no, God as the Ase being, the only one who is Ase. We've considered God as the creator of the world and all things in it, that God made all things in the space of six days and on the seventh day he rested, giving us a pattern for six days of work and a day for rest. We've considered God as the providential sustainer of creation. God's provident hand, His providential care, watching over and guiding and bringing about all things for His glory. Now we come to verse 27, and we find here Paul concluding his presentation. the attributes and the descriptions of God having been presented, Paul now comes to the purpose of all this work of God. Remember, creation and providence are ad extra works of God, those works of God that terminate outside of himself in this world. Creation and providence, all of these works have a purpose. And He gives us a purpose clause, a purpose phrase here. And I really want us to see this in verse 27, that it is a purpose clause. If you would look at the beginning of verse 27, you see the word that. Some of your translations may say, so that. That or so that indicates that this is phrase. Paul is summing up all these works of God, all that he has done and is doing. He made the world. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He gives life and breath and all things. He created Adam and Eve and nation of mankind. He has determined their dwelling places. He has determined their appointed times. He has determined the boundaries of their habitation. So that, this is a purpose statement. All this work of God has a purpose. He's not just doing things to do them. He's doing things on purpose for a purpose. He didn't do all these wonderful works for the purpose that we could just be happy, happy, joy, joy all the time, all the time. That was not the purpose. What is the purpose of God's work? What is it? And to make it very personal this morning, why did God put you here? I mean, that's really what it comes down to, creation and providence. all culminates in you being in the place where you are today. Why did God put you here? Why did God do all these things? He made this place for you to live in. He made you in the lineage, in the parentage, and in the birth order that you are in. He brought you to the place where you are in life, He has providentially worked all things together. Why? To what end? What is your chief purpose? Someone just thought back to the catechism question, what is the chief end of the man? And I'm not gonna argue with that catechism answer, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, but this text answers the same question a bit differently, worded a bit differently. What is your chief end? What is your chief purpose? The answer comes here in verse 27, that you would seek God. Beloved, the purpose of all this work of God is that they, Paul speaking of all of mankind, that they, which is you, would seek God. Now here, this is a purpose clause or a purpose statement, and it is not stated in this text as a command. But we need to understand that the purpose for which God has done all these things, the purpose for which He has worked, it should be seen as an imperative of Scripture. This is the answer to the question, why am I here? Then we understand the answer comes. This is the purpose, but it becomes an obligation. You are here on this earth where you are today to seek God. That's the purpose. Now the obligation, seek God. Well, now, who is this command for? Seek God. It's a purpose that comes to us as an obligation, as a command. Seek God. Who is it for? Certainly this is a command and an obligation for Christians. It certainly is for Christians. We're going to see it's not only for Christians, but it is for you, Christian. If anyone should seek God, Shouldn't it be those who are called by His Holy Spirit? Shouldn't it be those who are objects of His love, recipients of His special grace through Jesus Christ? Shouldn't it be those who are bought with the blood of Jesus Christ that would seek Him? Yes, Christians are to seek God. Christians, brothers and sisters, seek the Lord. Seek God. This is a purpose of God's prophecy. for your life and it is an obligation for you. But is this purpose statement and this command to seek God also for the lost? I will argue that this is a purpose and a command for all people, not only for Christians, but for all people. Verse 25 mentions explicitly all people. And look at verse 26, he speaks of, he made of one man, every nation. So he's speaking about all people and every nation. This is not only Christians, it's all people of every nation. And Paul is speaking, if we remember at the Areopagus to a crowd of lost people. a crowd of pagans. They are not disciples of Jesus Christ. And he tells them in verse 27 that this is the purpose of God's work and this is an obligation for them that they would seek God. This is not only for Christians. This is for, I can say, this is for you. Every one of you. John Trapp in his commentary says this, The apostle dealing here with philosophers, that's primarily the audience there at the Areopagus, philosophers. The apostle dealing here with philosophers disputes philosophically, showing them most learnedly and divinely the true use of natural philosophy, which they were utterly ignorant of. these great philosophers, and they had missed the whole purpose of philosophy. They missed it. And Paul is telling them now, this is the purpose. Seek God. Let us consider for a moment the ought-ness of seeking God, the obligation we ought to seek God. Paul's argument obligates His listeners and through the Scripture it obligates us as well. All people ought to seek God. Paul's appeal, speaking here at the Areopagus to pagans, doesn't come from the Old Testament Scripture. His appeal comes from natural theology. He presents the things about God which are knowable. And these things can be known by all people who observe, who look. As we have studied, aseity and creation and providence. These things are knowable just from observation of the world. Natural theology, is God revealing Himself apart from Scripture. God revealing Himself apart from Scripture. Now, He reveals Himself in a special way in Scripture, but natural theology is God revealing Himself apart from Scripture, and it is not sufficient. Natural theology is in no way sufficient for salvation, but it is sufficient to bring one to conclusions to bring one to some conclusions, to bring one to the conclusion that there is a God, and that there is only one God, and that the God who is, is to be worshipped. These things can be known from natural theology, from the things that God has created, revealing himself, made them knowable, and made us able to know. We can know that there is a God, we can know that there is only one God, and we can know that that one God is to be worshiped. And men can come to these conclusions by observation of what God has made knowable in creation and in his works of providence. So Paul makes this purpose statement, he bases it on the things that they can observe in natural theology And I'm arguing that this should be seen as a command for all people to seek God. Seek God. Well, if I'm gonna say that this text is a command that all people should seek God, we should ask some questions, right? We should say, well, does the Bible anywhere else command men to seek God? is that contained in the scripture. Now already we have had scripture readings this morning from Psalms. One thing I ask that I will seek is to dwell in the house of the Lord and to see the face of God. And Isaiah 55 is read for us. where we are commanded there to seek the Lord. Listen to these texts of scripture that command us, that instruct us to seek God. Matthew 6.33, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. What is that? A seeking God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Matthew 7, verse seven says, seek and you will find. Seek. That is a command. 1 Chronicles 16, 11. Look to the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always. Deuteronomy 4, 29. But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Isaiah 55, which we read earlier in verse six says, while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Listen, after you have departed from this earth, it's too late. Dead men don't seek the Lord. The instruction is seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. 2 Chronicles 7, 14. This will be a very familiar passage to some of you. We've seen it on t-shirts and plaques and tchotchkes. But have you ever thought of it as a command from God to men to seek Him? If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face. and turn from their wicked ways. Then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Seek my face. Amos 5, four, for thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, seek me that you may live. See the purpose of God's work is that men would seek him. And then there's a purpose in our seeking him that we may live. Seek the Lord that you may live. So if anyone is thinking now, like I have been thinking, you're thinking, well, wait, I thought it was impossible for unregenerate men to seek the Lord. That is for lost men to seek God. Isn't that impossible? How can this be a command if it's not possible? Well, this is important for us to understand at the outset. God commands things that men cannot do without His work. without his help, without his doing. God requires of men things that he must enable, empower, and produce in us before we can do them. Maybe you're thinking about Augustine's prayer. Lord, command what you will, but will what you command. Empower, enable, produce in us. Look down at verse 30. Now God commands all men everywhere to repent. Other translations say God is declaring that all men everywhere should repent. It's a command. It's the same thing here. It's a command, a requirement that men cannot obey unless and until God grants them the grace of repentance. God can and does command things that we are, by ourselves, unable to do. We know that the psalmist tells us, and then Paul quotes the psalmist in Romans 3, repeating this, no one seeks God. No one seeks God. We have all turned away. No one does good. and seeking God is doing good. That is a good thing to do. No one does good. No one seeks God. We like sheep have turned astray, each one to our own way. No one seeks God. This is a true statement. No unregenerate person seeks God. No man left to himself without any input, without any work of God in him, seeks God. But this does not nullify, nor does it weaken the obligation that we have, that we see in this text of scripture in Acts 17 and elsewhere, the command to seek God. And our text here in verse 27 makes the obligation for every one of us pretty clear. The obligation, the command is there, but what's more, we have in the scripture promises that for the one who does seek God, there is a reward. Listen to these rewards, these results for the one who seeks God. Some of these will go hand in hand and will be paired. Remember Matthew 7, 7 said, seek and you will find. Matthew 7, 8, the very next verse says, he who seeks finds. Jeremiah 29, 13, you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Psalm 9, 10, And those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. You have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 34 10, the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. These are promises. Isaiah 55, six and seven again. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have compassion on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. Seek the Lord, there is reward. Psalm 119.2, how blessed are those who observe his testimonies, who seek him with all their heart. Lamentations 3.25, the Lord is good to those who wait for him, the soul who seeks him. James 4.8, draw near to God. What is that? A seeking God. Draw near to God, and some of you know, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. So we have the commands of Scripture to seek God, and we have the promises for those who are recipients of grace who seek God. But now in our text, Paul, Paul points us back in this next phrase to the bitter truth, the reality, that when men are left to themselves, no one seeks God. Seek God, verse 27, so that they would seek God, and then we have this, if, perhaps, they might grope for Him and find Him. if perhaps they might grope for him. And the groping, groping is like a blind man feeling around in darkness. Maybe you've been in a dark room. I just think we've moved some furniture this week. I left lights on in the house all night last night. Because if you've got to get up and go to the restroom in the middle of the night, you don't want to be tripping over stuff. I didn't want to be groping around in the dark looking for the furniture so that I didn't stub my toe or fall over. That's the idea of groping around. It's being in the darkness. Maybe you've been in a dark room and had to feel along the wall to find the light switch. Isn't that silly? It makes you feel silly. It makes you feel helpless. It just makes you feel foolish, doesn't it? That's the idea here of groping like a blind man feeling around in the darkness. Paul describes men seeking God like a blind man groping around in the darkness. And he adds this at the beginning of this phrase, if perhaps, if perhaps. Now that's New American Standard. The King James says, happily, not happily, but H-A-B-L-Y, happily. per adventure. The idea here is, Paul is letting us in on this truth, a man seeking and finding God is not the likely thing. It's not the likely thing. First, we already know that men left to themselves don't seek God, and then we can remember the creator-creature distinction, and we can come back with, Who are we? How are we even to seek God? Because he's revealed himself. But we come to this and we see why Paul says, if perhaps, if perhaps, why would man think he could seek for and find God? This is unlikely. And Paul is straight up with us and tells us, yes, this is unlikely. Listen to what John Gill says. that though it is possible for men, and he's speaking here of natural theology, though it is possible for men by contemplation of the perfections of God, visible in the works of creation and providence, so to find God as to know that there is one and that there is but one who has made all things And so to be convinced of the vanity and falsehood of all other gods and to see the folly, wickedness and weakness of idolatrous worship. So you can see all those things in natural theology. Yet, he continues, at the same time, It very strongly intimates how dim and obscure the light of nature is, since those who have nothing else to direct them are like persons in the dark who feel and grope about after God, whom they cannot see. And after all their searching and groping, there is only a happily, a peradventure, I would add, and if perhaps, a maybe, John Gill continues, that they find him. What's the problem? John Calvin attributes the problem of this peradventure, this if perhaps, this happily, this unlikely maybe, he attributes it to the blockishness of men. I like that. John Calvin says on our best day, we are blockheads. the blockishness of men. So we have peradventure. If perhaps it's not likely. This is like an emotional roller coaster. Seek God peradventure. Perhaps it's not likely. And then Paul says, seek God. And this is a mere impossible quest. And then he adds, though he is not far from each one of you. It's up in that. And we have to hold all these things kind of in tension as we understand this. Though he is not far. The Lord is not far from each one of us. Now this brings up the question, the Lord is not far from each one of them. How near is the Lord? And it brings the question, in what sense then are we to seek God? Are we to seek God in a spatial or physical sense? Is that what's being spoken of here? Are we seeking God? Is God not far from us? in space, in physical space? In the Old Testament, it might seem that way. Right, remember the Old Testament, where the presence of God was represented in a place that could be seen in a cloud or in a pillar of fire. or in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. And that seemed like that's the place of God, and in a sense it was. But remember that we're also told the whole of creation cannot contain God. And in this very text, God, who created all things, does not dwell in temples made with man. So we speak of the house of God, but where is God spatially? Well, he's omnipresent, isn't he? He's omnipresent. That means God is everywhere all at once. The psalmist says, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol or in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest parts of the sea, even there, your hand will lead me and your right hand will lay hold on me. How many have sought to run away from God? I mean, we think of Jonah running away from God. That didn't work out very, he didn't get very far from God. I remember a time in my life when I ran away from God. I knew that he was everywhere, but I was running from him in another sense. That's the sense in which here we are commanded to seek God. John Gill considers God's nearness by looking at the natural theology from Paul's argument. And he says this, not only by his omnipresence and immensity, whereby he is everywhere, but by his power in supporting all of their beings. God is not far from you because he is upholding your life. You, my friend, are a life support. Your next breath, it's from the hand of God. Your heartbeat, it's from God. He is everywhere. He is supporting all our beings. Gil continues, and by his goodness in continually communicating the blessings of providence to them, God is near to us in his providential work. Gil is saying that God is everywhere. And if you look at creation and you look at God's providence in the world, his providential care in your very own life, you can seek God there and find him. You can find his hand, you can see his handiwork. God is everywhere. God is everywhere, so there's no need to search for him, to seek God spatially. He's everywhere. This command to seek God implies something more. It implies seeking him for worship. It implies relationship. Seek God as a worshiper. Seek God as a repentant believer. Seek God in this way. And for those who seek God, he is not far. He is not far. Ephesians speaks of those who were far off being brought near. Those who are far off being brought near, and God is not far from us. God, beloved, is not far from you. He is closer than your breath. He is closer than your next heartbeat. because he is providing every breath and every heartbeat. John Trapp again says, God is not so far as the bark is from the tree. Not so far as the bark is from the tree, the skin from the flesh or the flesh from the bone. He is nearer to us than we are to ourselves, though we see him not. And I would add that Most men seek Him not. The command, the obligation, the aughtness of seeking God is here. It's the purpose that God has done all these works of creation and providence to bring us to this place in our life. It's so that you would seek God. He is not far. He is near. For all who believe in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sin, He is near. Ephesians tells us when it speaks of those who are far off, separated from God by sin, but it speaks in the same passage of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, the shedding of His sinless blood to pay for our sin, and through that we have been brought near To all who call upon the Lord in repentant faith, he is near by the blood of Jesus Christ. Lost person, hear the command of scripture. Seek God while he may be found. Seek God now, do not delay. Christians, allow this text of it to be a reminder for us, to be a correction, to be a wake-up call. What are you doing with your life? What are you doing? Seek God. Your purpose, Christian, is to seek God. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God in the service of seeking God. Seek God first. where he has promised that he will be found. Seek God in the gathering of the church, in the preaching of Christ, in corporate worship. Seek the Lord whenever his body gathers. Sunday at 10.50 should be considered the bare minimum for a Christian. Seeking God. Christians, how many of us would just raise our hands today and say, I know the command is to seek God and I wanna do the bare minimum. I just wanna get by. None of us would say that. But we seem to be just doing the bare minimum. Seeking God an hour or two a week. We should seek God with our whole selves. The scripture in many of those commands to seek God said, seek God with all your heart, with all your strength. Seek God with all that you are. There's so many things that must be done, but we can seek God in all of that. See when the church has scheduled meetings and make those meetings a priority for your attendance. Whenever we meet, here's a little hint for you. We meet to seek God. That's what we're doing. Seek God in church attendance. Seek God in prayer. Seek God in study, serious study of scripture. Seek God in the sacraments, the Lord's table, and in baptism. When we baptize, are we just watching? No, we're seeking God. When we come to the Lord's table, we're not just eating a cracker and drinking a cup of wine. We're seeking God. There are certainly opportunities for us to seek God on our own, in our homes, in privacy, and we should take advantage of those opportunities. The point I'm making here is that Christians should prioritize seeking God in the corporate gatherings of the body of Christ. We should seek God. Seek the Lord while he may be found. So many of us have lost focus. So many of us have forgotten, we forget. We forget the purpose and the why of all of this, of all of creation and all of your works of providence, that we would seek God, that through our seeking that you may be glorified. that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed. God, we need your help to refocus our attention, to purge our lives of the things that detract and take away and draw us from seeking you. God, help us, convict us that anything that takes us away from seeking you is sin. God, give us hearts to seek God and we pray Lord. For our children. For our families. For our loved ones, our neighbors. Or those who left to themselves will never seek you. We pray. For your grace. Your effectual grace. to bring them to a place, to bring them to a desire, to bring them to be motivated to seek you, that you may be found because you are not far from any one of us. We ask this in Christ's name, amen.