The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
September 6, 2026
      • Bible Trivia
        Loading...

      • Acts 17:24NASB95

  • All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name
  • Doxology
  • One Day When Heaven
  • Run And Run (Christ Is All My Righteousness)
  • In Christ Alone

  • Turning the World Upside Down

    Truth tends to do that
    ILLUST: Inventions that did not take at first, but changed the world
    Automobiles - noisy, unreliable, never replace the horse
    Electric lighting vs gas
    Telephone - nothing more than a toy
    Trust me, this is going to be great
    Mocking and ridicule could not stop the power of invention
    Same as the Gospel
    Paul stands out, and people want to know why, so they ask him to come and debate, question and answer time with the Areopagus.
    Paul finds an audience to hear him out, they want to argue, he wants to share Jesus
    READ: Acts 17:22-34
    Back story: Paul’s travels, Thess - Berea - Athens - where he taught, etc.
    Sharing Jesus - Areopagus-style..

    Know Your Audience

    “I observe you are very religious in all respects.”
    Not rude, but observant
    The Greeks followed one of two philosophies to deal with the issues facing humanity
    Pleasure was chief goal of life - OR
    Rational abilities and self-sufficiency
    The Areopagus
    The “thinkers”
    Engaged debate - but minds made up - set in their ways

    Introduce God

    Start with Creation
    All believe we came from “somewhere”
    Paul appeals to nature - All are innately aware of God
    He later does this in Romans 1:20
    Romans 1:20 NASB95
    For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
    “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”
    THE God - the Creator - now you know
    Once introduced, they can no longer proclaim ignorance
    They were “covering bases” just in case
    God is in control of everything
    Created all mankind, beginning with one man, Adam
    To seek God, to live in harmony with God
    Their own poets had claimed to belong to God (v. 28)
    So, since you believe you are children of God
    Realize that it is NOT because…
    Pleasure will eliminate pain, OR
    Your own wisdom will connect you with God
    God is not some image
    God is not the result of your thinking
    (They wanted to worship a God they completely understood)
    So now, no longer ignorant - a crucial step

    Acknowledge the Problem

    QUESTION - What’s Wrong With the World

    What’s Wrong With the World?

    So many answers, so many problems, so many solutions
    Death - it affects everyone, even these great thinkers, and they know it
    THE REAL ISSUE - SIN - Explains all the “what’s wrong…”
    They are separated from this God
    REM: They were created to acknowledge God, worship Him and fellowship with Him
    Sin messed that up
    So they were to seek Him, to be reconciled to Him

    The Solution

    REPENT!
    God will judge the world - it is certain
    A Man came, died, and rose again to prove to all HE was God
    Athens - WHAT?? Forget it
    1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB95
    For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
    (THINK OF THE CONTEXT OF THIS VERSE, where Paul is…)
    Most rejected - laughed him off
    Some said they would hear more - being a bit polite
    A few seem to believe
    (So the effort isworth it)
    OVERALL - Frustrating for Paul
    Timothy sent to Thess to check
    Probably due to the frustration in Berea and Athens
    Surely the Thess are still doing OK? I pray they are!
    Because they believed the truth!

    People of Noble…

    I observe you are a religious people
    Our religious spectrum is confusing to the lost
    We need to reach them - how?
    The monuments we erect, the leaders we worship or despise
    The priorities people make
    God is important, unless…..
    What can we do?
    ILLUST: That food or drink you love, don’t ask me what I think about it, unless you want to hear
    If you ask me, I’ll tell the truth
    And small conversation can turn into full on debate
    What do we do with TRUTH?

    Know the Audience

    What do people around you believe?
    How do you know?
    What is important here?
    “I observe you are a close-knit community”
    “I observe you value family”
    “Many here are religious”
    ??Joke - attracting flies with honey..
    I’d rather be honest, sincere
    Finding those areas of common ground, common interests
    Sports, school, our Village, things that are important to people

    Introduce God

    (or re-introduce Him)
    Creation is visible - none are excused from knowing Him
    We all have a starting point - presupposition
    People say “I believe in God, don’t get me wrong”
    James 2:19 NASB95
    You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
    People need a personal introduction to God
    The Creator - created you, to know Him, to fellowship with Him
    TODAY, as then
    People rely on own wisdom to deal with the world
    People seek pleasure, satisfaction, YOLO mentality
    No time or reason to pursue a relationship with God
    If this is really uncomfortable to you
    Then start with you - you need to get to know God better
    “I can’t WAIT to introduce my best friend to you”
    Going to a fundraiser - I get to introduce my wife to lots of people - CAN’T WAIT
    I wake up here tomorrow - I get to introduce someone to Jesus

    Acknowledge the Problem

    What’s Wrong with the World? (handout, tract)
    Lots of answers, lots of solutions that fall short
    Death is the enemy
    Sin is the problem
    Sin and death affects everyone - EVERYone
    Romans 3:23 NASB95
    for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
    True then, true now

    The Solution

    Just as all have sinned, Jesus offered Himself for all
    Romans 5:8 NASB95
    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    John 12:32 NASB95
    “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
    Jesus is the solution
    We know that - I hope you do!
    OUR CHALLENGE
    Religion - confuses people
    The Bible - straightens that out
    The reality
    Most will reject the message
    Several here perhaps
    Most just don’t want to acknowledge the problem and the answer
    Some will be polite and say they will hear more - but will not
    “I’m looking for a church”
    “I’ll stop in on Sunday”
    “Yeah, I believe in God, too”
    A few, here and there, will come, and accept this message
    And they will cling to it for dear life
    I opened with the Gospel turning the world upside down
    Truth is, sin already did that, and it has only progressed
    Isaiah was right - Is 5:20
    Isaiah 5:20 NASB95
    Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
    Our friends and neighbors - call evil good and good evil
    CLOSE - Maybe we need to turn the world right side up?
    Maybe the Gospel did not “take off” at Athens
    The world changed b/c of the Gospel
    People may laugh at us for the faith we show
    Assuming our faith does show
    Paul had his Mars Hill
    Our mission is the same
    Speak truth when asked a question, and most decide between
    Convenience and self-interest
    Making hard choices and changing direction
    It is frustrating, Paul has his Thessalonican friends to be encouraged by
    Experiencing the faith of other believers kept him going
    Sunday and Wednesday are so important here - same reason
    ***********
    Talk “God” and people will be polite and listen
    Talk “Jesus” and it gets serious
    “Somebody” should tell these people the truth - about Jesus
    It gets personal, real quick
    Paul barely knew the people he tried to reach in Athens
    There are people you know, some better than others
    And they need to hear and see this message from someone they trust
    They need to hear it from “Somebody”
    (Repeat steps, and close)
    Know your audience, introduce God, acknowledge the problem, present the solution
    And PRAY

      • Romans 1:20NASB95

      • 1 Corinthians 1:18NASB95

      • James 2:19NASB95

      • Romans 3:23NASB95

      • Romans 5:8NASB95

      • John 12:32NASB95

      • Isaiah 5:20NASB95

  • Soon And Very Soon
  • How Great Is Our God

      • John 3:17NASB95

The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
cornerstone@wabash.net
618-723-2779
https://cccnoble.faithlifesites.com
7 members • 1 follower