• There are so many in churches today that the devil worries little about. Here in Ephesus two things began to happen in the lives of God’s people that made the devil begin to get worried. Does Satan worry about you?
• Revival always starts with a genuine sense of the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Only book that you could say this about – Living and Powerful – sharper – transforms
You could say of other books – Insightful – changed my way of thinking – changed my attitude about…
But the Bible is a book that doesn’t just change thoughts and attitudes, and perspectives
It transforms the heart – Cuts deep into the soul – exposes – what is wrong – does surgery
It is living – powerful to change a person fully – Mind /soul /spirit
Not just words on a page – but words with life and power because it comes from God
Impact that the word of God had on the city of Ephesus.
Ephesus was One of the largest and most impressive cities in the ancient world, It was a political, religious, and commercial center in Asia Minor.
Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the Roman empire with a population of 250,000.
Ephesus was heavily influenced by the worship of a goddess of fertility whom they identified with the Greek goddess Artemis, the virgin huntress. Romans identified Artemis with their goddess Diana.)
When Paul came to this city – he met 12 guys he thought were disciples of Jesus – Luke identifies them that way.
But something was missing – Paul asked – Have you been baptized in the spirit. –
Not only had they not been baptized in the Spirit they were not saved yet.
Paul preached Jesus – they were saved and baptized in the Spirit that day.
The work of God in Ephesus began with a move of the Holy Spirit thru the Word
8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
• How would you like a 3 Month Revival: Paul reasoning and persuading. Would you think the result would be a softened community for the gospel? Two different people can hear the same message and react opposite.
9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
• While many became believers there were others who were hardened by the Word of truth
• How did Paul respond? Withdrew with those who believed. Cut his crowd? Stopped preaching to unbelievers?
• How long did Paul do this? 2 years.
Tyrannus lite meaning is ‘tyrant’. Strange name unless changed during life.
Frank Zappa's four children were named Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva.
Sylvester Stallone – Sage Moonblood Stallone.
1) Forest Whitaker – Ocean Whitaker
2) Nicolas Cage – Kal –El
3) Jason Lee – Pilot Inspektor
A British couple in Kent, England chose this name for their baby Depressed Cupboard Cheesecake..
Sunshine Deathray. – Cover both extremes – being good – come here Sunshine – Bad –get over here Deathray.
One Greek manuscript adds a touch which sounds like the additional detail an eye-witness might bring. It says that Paul taught in that hall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The reason for that was it had become the custom in those ancient cities that all work would stop around 11am – because of the Heat – No AC – BRAZIL 12-2PM
People would go home and eat and sleep until about 4:00 – where they would return to work and work until 9 or 10 in the evening.
Historians tells us that there would actually be more people sound asleep in Ephesus at 1 p.m. than at 1 a.m.
It shows the believers and Paul were willing to sacrifice comfort and convenience in order to give the Word of God an opportunity to grow in their lives.
• Starting verse 11 we see the impact that the Word of God began to have in Ephesus when it was faithfully preached.
1. IMPACTING THE CITY BY MAKING DISCIPLES
11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
• Extraordinary miracles: God moves in our lives all the time but this was a moving of God that was not in any way ordinary. Handkerchiefs/aprons
The handkerchiefs spoken of here were actually the sweatbands Paul wore around his forehead when he labored as a tentmaker.
They were the leather aprons of a blacksmith.
Why were Paul’s sweatbands and aprons used for healing?
Woman with Issue of Blood: If I can just touch the hem ….. there wasn’t any power in the hem of Jesus garment
• For two thousand years there have always been those trying to copy the things that God does
TV program that encouraged people to reach out and touch there TV’s to get healed. Even suggested that if someone was deceased to put their hand on the TV also and they might be raised from the dead. I wish God would do today what He did in this situation.
Sons of a Jewish chief priest- Wanted in on the action. -
They treated Paul’s words as a magic charm or spell to drive the evil spirits out.
13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
• Was not uncommon for some to go around and collect fees for doing this. A priest named SCEVA had 7 sons who were doing this.
• Jesus’ name may have seemed like a magic spell they could use so they tried it.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
• This would be one of my most desired to see moment in the Bible. Red Sea parting…wall falling….bush burning…Peter on water… this evil spirit whooping up on these 7 fakes
• Does the devil know you? You any threat to him?
Cross country family in Hawkins: We are the two parents there most every meet. They know a handful of kids in the state of Texas who run cross country. They look for them at each meet and keep up with their progress. They are the only ones that can threaten beating their son . Other kids are just there in the race unnoticed.
17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
2. IMPACTING THE CONCIENCES BY CHANGING LIVES
Read of a church where you cannot become a member unless you stand before the congregation and confess all of your sins. I am thinking that would be a very small membership. We could only do one per week for the sake of time.
18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
• Which is the bigger of miracles? Healed from aprons or clean hearts.
• American churches have very little of this going on. We know the Bible better than others parts of the world…better facilities…professional sounding music… but very few broken heart.
• What is God looking for? Broken and contrite heart….
A true change of heart will result in specific actions:
19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
• The city of Ephesus had a large number who practiced the specific sin of magic. This sin kept them deeply rooted into demonic activities. Brought and burned
• 50,000 – 150 yearly salaries 1 per day salary
• America has its own brand of sins that needs to be burned up. Materialism – celebrity worship – image -
If you’re burned-out with Bible study, prayer, or meditation—chances are it’s because you need to burn something up.
20So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.
• For God’s Word to grow the soil has to be prepared
Edinburgh, Scotland. It is home to a famous university. Dozens of churches, one which, St Giles' was at the center of the Scottish Reformation which was led by John Knox (1514-1572). Many of the other churches in the city are now a mere shadow of their former glory and power.
Beneath this exterior Edinburgh is a source of palm readers, fortune tellers, witches and warlocks, superstition, evil spirits and magic. A history of empty religious activity which has resulted in generation after generation of people being held in the bondage of fear, superstition and darkness, resulting in wasted lives.
A group of Christian teenagers who were witnessing warned us not to be fooled by the beauty of the city. Just a few blocks from where we were standing, they said, hundreds of lives being ruined by illegal drugs. Edinburgh, we learned, leads the United Kingdom in drug trafficking. Following that conversation there was a sports riot on the main streets. After a soccer match had ended, thousands of youths began fighting with each other and the police. The riot began because the wrong team won!
21Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
3. IMPACTING THE CROWDS BY CAUSING RIOTS
• When People begin to get truly serious about God in their life in that they:
1) Confess their sinful past
2) Change their sinful future
Then Satan begins to take the church seriously.
23About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said,
The idol of the goddess Diana was unbelievably ugly. 1) Fashioned from a chunk of black rock believed to have been sent from Jupiter, she was a grotesque-looking multichested female.
Yet people came from all over Asia to worship at the shrine of Diana, the goddess of fertility.
Just like today – they made a killing in the souvenir business, making miniature shrines
But now that was changing – Business was slow – shutting down
In the Welsh Revival of 1901, under the ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne, so great was the revival that every tavern and pub in Wales went broke.
How many anti-alcohol sermons did McCheyne deliver? None.
How many tirades against taverns? Zero.
People simply lost all interest in alcohol when they got touched by the Lord.
The same thing happened in Ephesus. When people got saved, the idol business dried up.
Owners motivated by money – staged an uproar
Literally yelled in the town square –for 2hrs –
"Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.
26 "You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
27 "Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence."
28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
29 The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia.
30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
• Demetrius has stirred the city up into chaos. Paul’s companions are dragged into the riot and Paul is convinced not to follow into the theater.
32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
• The crowd continually shouted although most who where there did not even know why? How similar is that to what we see today.
• Are riots like this more or less common today on the streets of America? Cities almost hope their sports teams don’t win lest the celebration destroy parts of the city..
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
• The town clerk finally steps in and speaks with a voice of reason even though he is definitely wrong about some of his facts.
1) Our city is better than this: 35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, "Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? 36"So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. ( I don’t agree this is undeniable) Meteor?
2) Our Courts are able to address the problem: 37 "For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38"So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 "But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.
3) Our City is likely to get in trouble for this: 40 "For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today's events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering."
41 After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
WHAT HAVE WE SEEN IN EPHESUS:
1. Impacting the City by making disciples
2. Impacting the Consciences by changing lives
3. Impacting the Crowds by causing riots.
