Through The Bible - Acts 19 - Part 3

Brett Meador: When everyone else is shining bright for Christ, it's amazing how bright a place can be. Pastor Brett Meador reflects how the light of the gospel through Paul brought glory to God. And this continued so that all they which dwelt in Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both of Jews and Greeks. How is that possible? It's because the disciples started going out and spreading the Word of God like wildfire. It shouldn't just be doing a church service here. We need to go out from this place and let our light shine. That's how you see the gospel grow like wildfire.
Guest (Male): Several dramatic events began to unfold during Paul's missionary journey to Ephesus, including a failed attempt by unbelievers to cast out a demon and a riot incited by silversmiths whose idol sales suffer as people turn to Christ. Pastor Brett Meador reflects how the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified through it all in Acts chapter 19 from today's word.
Brett Meador: Acts chapter 19. Well, verse eight, Paul, it says he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Disputing and persuading. Paul, who was once a Pharisee, brilliant, trained by Gamaliel, was probably able to hold his own when it came to debating. It says here, disputing and persuading. I would have loved to be able to hear Paul dispute and persuade. What is Paul disputing and arguing with these people? Well, verse eight tells us concerning the things of the Kingdom of God. Now, what is the Kingdom of God? Well, the safest way to start defining the Kingdom of God is to have a kingdom, you must have a king. And who is the king of the Kingdom of God? Yeah, King Jesus. But Paul, verse nine, it says here, but when diverse or some were hardened and believed not but spake evil of that way, remember that's a name for Christianity, the way. They spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. So Paul moves on because the hardness of some of their hearts. Don't be surprised if you have a similar experience. If you're sharing the good news of the gospel and there's people that are hard against you, there's a point where you need to leave and not just stay. Some people do that. I've noticed people on social media will talk and chat until the cows come home, and it's doing nothing other than letting all the trolls on the internet who love to debate Christians just go crazy. I feel like a lot of times you're throwing your pearls to the swine, which Jesus told us not to do that. You're taking all this love and care for social media people, but I think that a lot of that, I've not really met anyone. I'm sure there's somebody out there, but I've never met anyone who was saved by a social media chat. I'm not saying it's total without merit at all. I'm just saying I think we waste a lot of time. And that's why Paul says, "I'm out of here. These guys are hardened, and I'm not going to just waste the time with these guys." So was Paul being effective in his ministry? Well, let's read verse 10. Verse 10, it says, "And this continued by the space of two years so that all they which dwelt in Asia," that's again, Asia Minor like Turkey and Ephesus and all that, "those that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Did you hear what it said there? So that all they which dwelt in Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. How is that possible? It's because the disciples started going out and spreading, and the Word of God was spreading like wildfire. So yes, Paul was successful in his ministry. When everyone else is shining bright for Christ, it's amazing how bright a place can be. It shouldn't just be doing a church service here. We need to go out from this place and let our light shine. That's how you see the gospel grow like wildfire. That's what's going on here, which you gotta love that. While Paul was here, a couple of freebies for you, while he was here for the two-year period, it was during that time we know he penned First Corinthians and also he penned Galatians, wrote the book of Galatians during this two-year stint that he spent here. Verse 11, and God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Huh? What did they do? They took Paul's handkerchiefs and what did they do? Well, it's kind of interesting because what are these handkerchiefs and aprons? Well, I find it interesting the word handkerchief is interesting, "soudarion" in the Greek. It's a cloth for wiping perspiration, like a cloth used at the gym. So if you're at the gym and you have a towel with you, that's what they used. Now, why would he have a sweat towel? Because remember he would often make tents. He was a worker and worked with tents and leather. And it was hot and he would wipe his brow with a towel. And so then they'd take his towel and they'd go and touch people with it and they'd get healed. What's this apron thing? Well, the apron is "simikinthion," which is a covering worn by a workman or a servant, so like a woodworking type apron or leatherworking, tent-making apron that he wore. Question, was it Paul's power that was healing the people? No. Whose was it? God or Jesus, one and the same, right? So then what in the world's going on here? It's the word faith. See, people are tended like, "I don't think God's going to heal me." But it is funny how the Lord can use a point of faith or a point of contact. It's a little bit like the laying on of hands I just told you about. When I pray for a sick person and I lay my hands on them, is the sick person going to be healed because I laid my hands on them? No. But the laying on of hands is a point of contact saying we are going to pray together, I'm with you on this, and I have faith and I want to help your faith by let's lay hands. That's why the Bible uses that laying on of hands kind of thing. It's not the laying on of hands that heals people. It's a point of faith and it's a point of contact. It's not Paul's handkerchief that's full of power. It's about Jesus. Did you know that God does special things, special iterations, special dispensations of things in time? Whenever he wants to do stuff, he can do it. And at this time in history, God says, "I'm going to use Paul's handkerchiefs and his apron to sort of be a point of faith for people to go, 'I believe in God because those were worn by Paul who he believed in God,' and people were healed by that." So it was a point of faith for them. What's another biblical thing object that we use that is another point of faith? Oil, the anointing oil. Anybody sick, call the elders and have them anoint you with oil. It's the same thing. Is there power in the anointing oil? No, but it is a point of faith. James 5:14, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." So very important. People get all crazy. When you go to Israel, it's crazy. You get people getting the holy anointing oil from Jerusalem, from the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. And literally, people will pay tons of money for oil from an olive tree from the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, if you want to do that just because it's fun to have some olive oil from the Garden of Gethsemane, great. But if you think it has magical powers because you bought it from Gethsemane, watch out for making relics holy. That's not really a biblical notion. But the Lord does use those as points of faith, which is kind of important. Well, so now we come into a new group of people. We leave the disciples that we just met, and now we're going to go to seven men. The first 12 guys got straightened out and dialed in. The next seven guys, they're not going to get straightened out. They're going to get tweaked out. Let's check it out. It's starting in verse 13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, oh-oh, which took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." Does it sound like they know Jesus? They're trying to go to these demon-possessed people that, "We adjure you by Jesus, the one that Paul talks about, that Jesus." That's a problem because he's not their Jesus, which means these guys are not saved. We can kind of infer that because it's not their Jesus, it's Paul's Jesus. And they're trying to deal with demons. Question, is it a good idea to try to deal with demons if you're not a Christian? Is it okay idea to deal with demons if you are a Christian? Do demons happen today? Yes. And can we be a part of God's plan to help free someone from demonic spirits? Yes. Can a Christian be demon-possessed? No. This is all what was just said is true, but these guys were not Christians, so they're opening themselves up to real trouble. Satan has power, demons have power. If you're a Christian, you don't have to freak out because the scriptures. We'll get into that in a second, but they say the Jesus that Paul says. Look at verse 14. It says there were seven sons, one of Sceva, a Jew, the chief of the priests, which did so, you know, try to get these demons out. Verse 15, and the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who the heck are you?" Okay, it doesn't say that, but they said, "But who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Why were people afraid? They thought, "Man, Peter, Paul, Silas, Barnabas, they've been dealing with evil spirits, no problem. But man, these are dangerous." So fear because of these sons of Sceva, these Jews that are sort of vagabond Jews trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus who Paul knows. These guys were opening themselves up to real problem because they didn't have the power of Christ in them. They didn't have a personal relationship with Christ. So it's really important. We gotta remember First John 1:5, "This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all." So if you're a Christian and you have Christ in you, what's in you? You have the light of the world, Jesus. And where there's light, there can be no darkness at all. First John 4:4, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." Satan does not have power over a Christian. Now, Satan can tempt and accuse and lure Christian people, but he cannot possess them. There are Christians, however, that I think are demon-obsessed. Watch out for that one. You can't be demon-possessed, but you can be demon-obsessed. Some Christians get a little obsessed with demonology and studying of that. Be careful with that one. If you encounter something like that, which I have, you can very calmly like they do in the Bible. You don't have to say, "Spirit manifestation, come out of him in the name of..." You don't have to do all that. You can just kind of calmly pray, even as Michael the Archangel says, "I rebuke thee, Satan," like he doesn't scream at him or anything like that. So as a Christian, you cannot be possessed. Demons are real, they're powerful, but our God is greater. Notice this demon says, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" There's kind of an interesting thing about that scripture because there's two words know and know, but they're two different Greek words interestingly enough. The word know, the first one there is this Greek word that is "ginosko." It means deep, intimate knowledge. That's the word "ginosko." But the second word, "And Paul I know," it's a different Greek word altogether. It's the word "epistamai," which means an acquaintance or to have attention, no, it's a little less intimate. So it's kind of interesting. The demons have a real intimate knowledge of Jesus. They have somewhat of a knowledge of Paul is kind of what they're saying. But that makes me wonder, am I known in hell? Do demons know you by name? Or does he not know you? Like these sons of Sceva, "Paul I know, Jesus I really know, but who in the world are you?" See, I would like to be known in hell. That means I'm probably doing something right. If I'm not doing anything that's storming the gates of hell and running for Christ and trying to be a light in a dark and godless, sinful world, if I'm not doing anything good, then I'm probably not going to be known in hell. But if I'm leading people to Christ, then I'm going to be known in hell. I'd rather be known in hell than to be not known in hell. And you say, "Well, Brett, I'd like to stay off the radar of Satan." I'd rather be on the radar of Satan and be effective for Christ because you know what? Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. You don't have to be afraid of Satan or his demons. But I think it is interesting that this dialogue is curious. "Jesus I really know, Paul I pretty much kind of know, but you I don't know." And that makes me want to be known. C.S. Lewis said this, "My hope is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I'm out of the fight." I like that. I hope that's true. When I die, I hope that Satan rejoices because I'm out of the fight here on this earth. I'd like to be known in hell as a threat and I hope you do too. Are you one that's outward enough to where the enemy, Satan, demons know what you're doing? Something to think about. Well, it says there in verse 16 of our text that they prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Beaten and stripped. And people were fearing but also magnifying Jesus. So that's kind of an important. People shouldn't be afraid if you're a Christian. You never are afraid. But they were afraid because a lot of them weren't saved yet. Well, verse 18, it says, "And many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men. And they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." So mightily grew the Word of God, and the Word of God prevailed. Verse 21, "After these things were ended, Paul purposed in his spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem saying, 'After I've been there, I must see Rome.'" So kind of an interesting change in Paul's goals. This is, remember missionary trip number three, but his ultimate trip, and if you know the end of the story, it's going to be the end of his life. He knows, "I want to go to Rome." And he's going to get a lot of interesting resistance to that, going to Jerusalem even. But he's guided by the Holy Spirit, determined basically his itinerary, what he was going to do. And he decided to go through Macedonia, Achaia, then Jerusalem, and then to Rome after that. Luke doesn't mention it here in the Book of Acts, but we know one reason Paul wanted to go through Macedonia and Achaia then to Jerusalem was to collect and deliver a fund that he had been collecting from other churches to help the church in Jerusalem. The saints in Jerusalem were under great persecution. So in Paul's journeys, he stopped at all these other churches to get money so that he could help the church in Jerusalem. Churches should help churches. And that's something Athey Creek does. We look for churches that we can help. If they're in trouble, if they're more in poverty, whether they're in Africa or in Portland, we love to try to help churches in financial ways or other ways. We've been a part of a church that didn't have water in the middle of the desert of Burkina Faso and we've dug wells and sunk pumps and made it so the whole town could get water from the church. The church was the source of water. And the Muslims come to get water from the church. Like it's such a cool thing to be able to help churches, but that's what Paul's doing. And by the way, if you want to study that part of it, it's Romans 15:25-31, First Corinthians 16:1-4 talk about why Paul's going to all those stops. But he says, "I must see Rome." This reflects Paul's passion to visit and serve the Christian community that was already there that's mentioned also in Romans 1:8-15. Now we get to the goddess Diana. Whoopee. You're like great. No, check it out. Verse 22, it says, "So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a season." And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. Again, that's Christianity called the way. For what happened? Verse 24, "For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana." By the way, the Greek name is Artemis, the Roman name is Diana. So they would call it Temple of Artemis or Temple of Diana. But they brought no small gain to the craftsmen, those that made these little Diana goddesses. Verse 25, "Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said, 'Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover you see and hear that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away much people saying that they be no gods which are made with hands. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.'" So Demetrius calls all the silversmiths. These are wealthy dudes that make these little goddess of Diana and what have you. Now, this is all in Ephesus. So Demetrius and all the guys, they're upset because they're losing money. So check out what happens. Verse 28, "And when they had heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out saying, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.'" And then in verse 29, it says, "And the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater." And when Paul would have entered into the people, the disciples suffered him not. Why did they tell Paul not to go in? Because it was a full-blown riot. Verse 31, it says, "And certain of the chief of Asia which were his friends sent unto him desiring that he would not adventure himself into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another for the assembly was confused, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together." Verse 33, and they drew Alexander out of the multitude and the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand and would have made his defense unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, with all one voice about the space of two hours cried out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Then the town clerk, now this isn't a little nerdy guy with glasses saying, "Hello, can I help you?" It's not. The town clerk, that's an unfortunate translation. This is an important powerful politician from Ephesus. When the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, "You men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?" Now, by the way, this is not in the Bible, but we know what this is. There was a tradition where a meteorite fell to the ground at Ephesus. The locals believed it was a gift from the gods, Zeus and Jupiter. And they believed it was a meteorite that was shaped that looked like Diana, the goddess. Some say they shaped this meteorite to be a Diana goddess, which later was destroyed when it was shipped to London in the 6th century. It's a long story. So this is a thing we know about that's not in the Bible, but it just mentions it here lightly. But verse 36, "Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought hither these men which are neither robbers of churches nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius, the craftsmen which are with them, have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies. Let them implead one another. But if you inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly." In other words, if you got a problem with Paul and these guys, sue 'em. That's what this town clerk says. And then verse 40, "For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account for this concourse." And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. What is he talking about there? Remember these people were under the Roman Empire and if there was a riot in Ephesus, the Romans would have said, "We're going to wipe you out if you don't keep calm." You were under the iron fist of Rome. So this town clerk says, "Hey everybody, chill out. We could get into trouble. So if you got a problem, do it lawfully against these guys." Well, I like this. How does Paul the Apostle and the guys change Ephesus? Did they go out and march against the goddess Diana? Did they have picket signs saying down with Diana? Diana is dumb. If you're worshiping Diana, you're going to go to hell. Is that how Paul changed the town? How did Paul change the town of Ephesus? He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and when the men of Ephesus said, "We believe in Jesus," they said, "We need to dump Diana." That's the way it works, folks. You don't go and picket and march and scream at everybody, but what you do is share the gospel. That's where people's lives are changed. We want to bring the gospel as many people as we possibly can. I'll finish with this one more Spurgeon quote. He said, "This is how we should endeavor to change society. I wish the gospel would affect the trade of London. I wish it might. There are some trades that need affecting. They need to be cut a little shorter, not by an Act of Parliament. Let Act of Parliament leave us alone. We can fight that battle alone, but it may come to an end by the spread of the gospel." I have no faith in any reformation that does not come through men's hearts being changed. You can try to legislate morality, but that's what he's saying, "I have no faith in that," Spurgeon says. But he says, "I have faith in somebody's heart who's changed by the gospel. That's what we put our trust in." So we have to be really careful with that, and I think Acts chapter 19 gives us food for thought.
Guest (Male): Pastor Brett Meador closing with a fitting illustration for the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to truly transform the hearts and lives of whosoever believes. And with that our verse-by-verse study in today's word of Acts chapter 19 will conclude in prayer in just a moment, so I hope you'll stick around for that. But first, Brett Meador is the senior pastor of Athey Creek Church just outside of Portland, Oregon. Each episode of today's word serves to enrich your understanding of God's word and support your ongoing spiritual journey. If you missed any portion of our study, you'll find all of his messages online at todayswordradio.com. That's todayswordradio.com. I also want to mention that if you'd like to share your story of how God has changed your life through these daily studies, you can email us at [email protected]. That's [email protected]. Well, with just enough time to offer a closing word of prayer, here again is Pastor Brett Meador.
Brett Meador: So Lord, we pray that you'd help these things to be retained in our minds, Lord. I pray that like these people that were transformed in Ephesus that we too would get rid of our stuff that's bad and evil, like they took their own books out. They weren't doing a book burning as much as just taking out their own stuff and burning it. Lord, I pray that we'd get rid of the things that are evil and contrary to you. I pray that we'd be filled with your spirit, Lord, that spirit-filled, lively church, not just for speaking in tongues and all that stuff, but that all the manifestations of the Holy Spirit might be evidenced and that we'd move powerfully, that the gospel would spread, Lord. So give us faith, give us wisdom, fill us with light and life that we might make a change, even as Paul made on Ephesus, may we make it in our city. So we give all this to you in Jesus' name, Amen.
Guest (Male): Amen. Pastor Brett Meador here on Today's Word. And that's all the time we have. Next time Pastor Brett will continue in the Book of Acts and examine the Apostle Paul's guidelines for effective ministry. Today's Word with Pastor Brett Meador is an outreach of Athey Creek Church in West Linn, Oregon.