Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Worshiping an Unknown God

Worshiping an Unknown God

Last updated on: November 27, 2017 at 3:45 pm by Jim Erwin

Worshiping an Unknown God 2017-11-27T15:45:27-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Worshiping an Unknown God

October 13, 2016 Year C

Acts 17:22-34

People say they believe in God, but they don’t know Him or worship Him. People say they are religious, but they don’t go to church. People like to enjoy the latest fad, but they don’t want to make commitments.

We live in very similar times as the people of Athens in this passage. We live in a world where people are worshiping an unknown God. They worshiped God in ignorance (Acts 17:30). We do too.

We are ignorant of the command that God will judge us for abandoning Him when He clearly made a way to come to Him (Acts 17:30-31).

People today say that they know Jesus, but they don’t follow Him. Instead, they fashion a worship experience of their own making. They abandon the clear way that Jesus said to experience worship.

Jesus never wanted us to make idols (Acts 17:29). Jesus never wanted us to worship in isolation. Yet people today choose to abandon the very community Jesus created for worship – the church.

Jesus created the church (Matthew 16:18). He expected Christian to commit to His church. You cannot know God without knowing the Son. You can’t know the Son outside of the church.

Other gatherings are great (like Fellowship of Christian Athletes), but they cannot be a replacement for the church. Replacing the church with anything other than the church is creating an idol.

How many of you attend a church? How many of your parents attend the church with you? The reason I ask this question is because you are the next generation. The difference between people worshiping a God they don’t know and worshiping the true God is the level of commitment.

It doesn’t matter what church you identify with: Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Episcopalian, Full Gospel, non-denominational, Assembly of God.

Go to church. Worship the Known God. If you say that your parents don’t go, then invite them. Be the witness that you say you are by attending these lunches. Being a Christian witness isn’t just for school. It’s for the home as well. Go home and invite your parents to church. The church needs your families. They need their participation, not just yours.

If they don’t know God because they don’t know Jesus, then pray for your parents. Share the Gospel with them. Invite them to worship this God which is unknown to them. Use their non-commitment as a starting point.

Don’t let them give you excuses. Excuses are about the past, not the present or the future. You go to church to worship a known God. They should join you.

If that doesn’t bring them to church, or you can’t bring them because your parents won’t go, or they are stubborn. Then make the choice today’s to not make the same mistake with your children.

Prayer: God, please reveal Yourself so that I may worship You as the True God.

Photo by Plexes (originally from Pixabay)

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Previous Post

October 11, 2016

Psalm 66:1-20 Praising God’s Work In My Life

Next Post

October 20, 2016 5 Prayers To Protect Me Everyday

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group is known for their rejection of military service and voting?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Catholic Anglican Amish Pentecostal