Pursuing The Call Part 8 How The Good-News Affects Christ-Followers Series

ACTS

Pursuing The Call – Part 7

Dr. Tom Bartlett

August 11, 2019

Acts 19:21-41

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How the Good-News affects Christ-followers

Acts 19:21-41 (ESV)

THE GOSPEL HAS A PROFOUND AFFECT ON . . .

How we think about money

Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” (Vs. 21-27)

? Understand that men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them!

? When money is more important than God, it becomes our god.

How we see the world

When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Vs. 28-34)

? Understand that most people are opposed to any world-view that doesn’t match their own

? Jesus’ teachings are in contrast to every other world-view

In who we place our trust

And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

? There is no need to disrespect another belief system, the truth stands alone.

? Remember that Jesus is the answer, not politics.

MANUSCRIPT

How the Good-News affects Christ-followers

Acts 19:21-41 (ESV)

Illustration – If you’re a student of church history, you’ve heard of the great Welsh revival or 1904, a revival in which some 100,000 people came to Christ in a 5-month period, which for a country that small in 1904 was huge. The equivalent of what that would be in the U.S. today would be twelve-and-a-half million conversions in a five-month period.

The social impact of the Welsh revival was astonishing. Judges came to court, but had no cases to try. Robberies, murders, burglaries, rapes or embezzlements dropped dramatically, even to zero in some areas! The District Council in one city held an emergency meeting to discuss what to do with the police now that they were inactive.

The Welsh revival later spread to America, though in a more limited fashion. Listen to an article in the Denver Post, dated January 20, 1905.

“For two hours at midday all Denver was held in a spell…the markets of trade were deserted between noon and two o’clock this afternoon, and all worldly affairs were forgotten. Going to and coming from the great prayer meetings, thousands of men and women radiated this Spirit which filled them. Seldom has such a remarkable sight been witnessed—an entire great city, in the middle of a busy weekday, bowing before the throne of heaven and asking the blessing of the King of the Universe.”