An elementary school teacher gave her children the assignment to draw anything of their choosing.  The children happily began to draw.  She went from seat to seat, looking at each child’s work.  She offered them encouraging comments.

One boy was drawing a fireman.  A girl was drawing a pony.  She came to Johnny’s seat and stopped.  She watched him work for a moment but could not quite make out what he was drawing. 

“What are you drawing, Johnny?”  “A picture of God,” he responded.  “But,” she gently offered, “no one knows what God looks like.” Without looking up, he continued drawing unfazed, “They will in a minute.”

That boy was confident that he could portray God for those who didn’t yet know what He is like.  What about you?  Do you know what God is like—who He truly is? 

We can know Him because He has drawn us a portrait of Himself in the world and in the word.  Today we begin a three-part series entitled simply, “God Is.”  The opening message is “Getting to Know the Unknown God.”  It will be based on Acts 17:22-34.

It is vital that we know God. How vital?  Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).  Let’s get to know Him and by so doing experience life at its fullest!

God Is

“Getting to Know the Unknown God”

Acts 17:22-34

1. The Audience

“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For . . . I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’” (17:22-23).

1. People are religious
2. People are restless

2. The Almighty

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man” (17:24).

1. He is sovereign
2. He is sufficient
3. He is savior

3. The Answers

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” . . .  But some men joined him and believed (17:32-34).

1. Some respond with contempt
2. Some respond with curiosity
3. Some respond with commitment

DIOS ES

“Conociendo al Dios no conocido”

Hechos 17.22-34

1. La audiencia

22  Hombres de Atenas, veo que ustedes son muy religiosos en todo sentido,23 porque mientras caminaba observé la gran cantidad de lugares sagrados. Y uno de sus altares tenía la siguiente inscripción: “A un Dios Desconocido”. (17.22-23)

1. Ellos eran religiosos
2. Ellos eran inquietos

2. El Todopoderoso

24 Él es el Dios que hizo el mundo y todo lo que hay en él. Ya que es el Señor del cielo y de la tierra, no vive en templos hechos por hombres, (17.24)

1. El es Soberano
2. El es Suficiente
3. El es Salvador

3. Las Respuestas

32 Cuando oyeron a Pablo hablar acerca de la resurrección de los muertos, algunos se rieron con desprecio, pero otros dijeron: «Queremos oír más sobre este tema más tarde…34 pero algunos se unieron a él y se convirtieron en creyentes. (17.32-34)

1. Algunos lo despreciaron
2. Algunos fueron curiosos
3. Algunos creyeron

I want to share with you the story of a beautiful young woman named Lauryn Lax.  She is a doctor and nutritionist.  Her mission is to help people struggling with eating disorders and similar issues. 

I’ll pick up her story several years ago when she was in her 20s.  She was a fitness fanatic.  She fixated on her weight.  She worked out at the local YMCA every day for hours at a time.  She ate little to nothing.

Her friends at the gym took note of the remarkable intensity and consistency of her workouts.  She was growing alarmingly slender.  They began to worry about her well-being.

They decided that they would intervene.  One morning they agreed to get to the gym parking lot before daylight.  They saw her park her car.  They converged around it.

What they did not know is that Lauryn had prayed that morning for help.  When she weighed herself at 4 am, she tipped the scales at 79 pounds.  She knew it wasn’t healthy.  These friends were to be the answer to her prayers.

They gently and lovingly insisted that she go to the hospital.  She resisted at first but reluctantly yielded to them.  Upon examination, doctors discovered that her heart rate was in the 30s.  She was in ICU for 3 days then the cardiac unit for 3 weeks.  For a while it looked like she might have to have a pace maker installed due to heart damage from the anorexia. 

But God was gracious.  For a year she worked her way back to a healthier place.  She pursued her studies with a new zeal and vision to help others.  She now has a story of help and healing that is benefitting others. 

She attributes the positive turn in her life to these friends.  She calls them her “angels.”  They loved her enough to confront her—painful though it must have been for all involved.  She was blessed to have friends like these that risked their own comfort to confront Lauryn.  We all need friends like these and we need to be friends like these.

God’s word calls us to this kind of friendship.  Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

In this message we will learn that faithful wounds hurt, help, and, ultimately, heal.

Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Days

“Faithful Wounds”

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:5-6).

1. Faithful wounds hurt
   1. The affection behind the wounds
   2. The aim beyond the wounds
2. Faithful wounds help
   1. Promises of help
   2. Protection from harm
3. Faithful wounds heal

Proverbios: La sabiduría antigua para los tiempos modernos

Proverbios 27:5-6

5 ¡Una reprensión sincera, es mejor que amar en secreto! 6 Las heridas de un amigo sincero  son mejores que muchos besos de un enemigo.

“Correcciones”

1. Correcciones que lastiman

2. Correcciones que ayudan

3. Correcciones que sanan

Nitroglycerin is a fascinating product.  It is a liquid compound.  It can kill or it can heal.

It is a primary component of dynamite and explosives.  Alfred Nobel used it in the creation of dynamite and armaments. 

At the same time, nitroglycerin can heal.  Doctors discovered that it is a vasodilator.  It is used to dilate the vascular system and is used for heart conditions.  Heart patients can ingest a pill and the effect can be life-saving.

That’s crazy isn’t it?  The same thing can either kill or heal.

The tongue is like that.  Proverbs 18:21 makes this truth clear: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Over 150 times Proverbs refers to our lips, our mouth, and our tongue.        Proverbs may have more to say about our words than about any other subject.  It gives us God’s counsel on communication--His wisdom for our words. 

Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Days

“Wisdom for Our Words”

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21).

1. Power of our words
   1. Words have an amazing power
   2. Words have an ambiguous power
2. Parameters for our words
   1. Let’s curtail our words
   2. Let’s clean up our words
3. Possibilities of our words
   1. Words can cure
   2. Words can cheer
   3. Words can correct

Proverbios: La sabiduría antigua para los tiempos modernos

"Sabiduría en nuestras palabras"

" La vida y la muerte dependen de la lengua;

los que hablan mucho sufrirán las consecuencias.”

(Proverbios 18:21).

1. El poder de nuestras palabras
2. Las palabras tienen un poder asombroso
3. Las palabras tienen un poder ambiguo

2. Los parámetros de nuestras palabras
3. Vamos a limitar nuestras palabras
4. Vamos a limpiar nuestras palabras

3. Las posibilidades de nuestras palabras
4. Las palabras pueden curar
5. Las palabras pueden corregir

Once there was a frog who made friends with a flock of Canadian geese.  He dreamed of flying with them to exotic locations.  He came up with an idea.  He told a pair of the geese that if they would each hold an end of a stick in their beaks, he could hold onto it with his mouth and he could go with them when they flew south for the winter.

Sure enough, two of his geese friends held a stick in their beaks and he jumped up and clamped onto the stick with his mouth.  Off the odd trio flew.  All was going well until they flew over a farmer in his field.  He looked up and saw the geese and the frog suspended by the stick.  He whistled and with admiration said, “Well, look at that.  That’s amazing!  A flying frog.  Whose idea was that?”

The frog said proudly, “It was miiiinnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeee.”  Splat.

All was going well until pride caused his downfall.

Pride has caused the fall of many more besides.  Today’s message is: “The Peril of Pride.”  We are in a series of messages entitled, “Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Days.”  In its wisdom, Proverbs has much to say about pride—and none of it especially good.

Proverbs 29:23 says, “One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”  Another translation, the New American Bible (revised edition), puts it this way, “Haughtiness brings humiliation, but the humble of spirit acquire honor.”

In the NAB translation, there are four key words: haughtiness, humiliation, humble (or humility) and honor.  I want to use those four words as the hooks upon which we will hang our thoughts for our message today.

Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Days

“The Price of Pride”

“One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).

1. Haughtiness

“Haughtiness brings humiliation, but the humble of spirit acquire honor.”

2. Humiliation

“Haughtiness brings humiliation, but the humble of spirit acquire honor.”

3. Humility

“Haughtiness brings humiliation, but the humble of spirit acquire honor.”

4. Honor

“Haughtiness brings humiliation, but the humble of spirit acquire honor.”

Proverbios: Sabiduría antigua para los tiempos modernos

"El precio de la soberbia"

"La soberbia termina en humillación, mientras que la humildad trae honra”

(Proverbios 29:23)

1. La Soberbia

"La soberbia termina en humillación, mientras que la humildad trae honra”

2. La Humillación

"La soberbia termina en humillación, mientras que la humildad trae honra”

3. La Humildad

"La soberbia termina en humillación, mientras que la humildad trae honra”

4. La Honra

"La soberbia termina en humillación, mientras que la humildad trae honra”

Ray Raney, Adm. Pastor

"Sabiduria sobre el trabajo

Proverbios 6.6-11

1. Una Ilustración del trabajo

a. Considere la hormiga

b. Imite a la hormiga

2. La Iniciativa para  el trabajo

a. Sin supervisión

b. Sin pereza

3. El Incentivo al trabajo

a. Asequrar el presente

b. Asegurar el futuro