A Kind of Love Nobody Should Desire
Acts 19:21-41
www.crbible.com/sermons
Introduction:
1. Have you ever been a part of a mob scene, or seen one? It’s not a pretty sight.
2. The apostle Paul had been teaching the Bible and preaching the gospel in Ephesus for two years. There had been astounding spiritual victories, and Satan’s grip was loosening on this city. vs. 18-20
3. Paul was about to wrap up his ministry in Ephesus and move on, but before he could do that his ministry came to an abrupt end as a result of a mob scene.
4. What was the source of this riot? What was the root cause? 1 Timothy 6:10
5. When Paul’s ministry began to affect people’s pocketbooks and the local economy, a complete mob scene resulted. Nothing so mattered in the lives of those people as their money.
6. The Bible is replete with warnings concerning greed, covetousness, and materialism. Money itself is not evil, but when a love for money is born in a person’s heart, there is no limit to how low a man can plunge.
7. Because of this, every person must beware of the love of money. Why is this?
First, because the love of money is a form of idolatry – vs. 23-25
1. Did you notice what 1 Timothy 6:10 said? “…which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith…”
2. Did you know that you were not designed and created to love and worship material things or inanimate objects? They cannot love you back.
3. You were designed and created to love God and love people. Matthew 22:36-39
4. When we love things and worship and adore them more than God, this is called idolatry. In our text, what did Demetrius love and value? He loved his occupation, his silver shrines, and his wealth. He said he worshipped Diana, but money is what he really worshiped. Money was his god.
5. How about the Ten Commandments? #1 – No other gods before Me. #2 – Do not make any graven image to bow down to or serve. #10 – Thou shalt not covet.
6. When we love money, we break three of the Ten Commandments. As we covet money, we make it an idol and a god.
Second, because the love of money blinds you from the truth – vs. 26-27
1. Back to 1 Timothy 6:10. “…which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith…” The phrase “the faith” simply is speaking of the truth of God.
2. Their love of money causes them to err (stray away) from the truth of God. Demetrius’ love for money blinded him to the truth of God. He accused Paul of turning people away from Diana when, in reality, Paul was simply turning people to Jesus!
3. He talked about the great goddess Diana and her magnificence. Isn’t it interesting that nobody worships Diana today, and her magnificent temple has laid buried in the dust for centuries, while the gospel of Christ continues to be spread all over the earth?
4. Demetrius had one of the greatest apostles of the true God right there in his town. He had the opportunity to trust Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He could have been among some of the first Gentiles to ever trust Christ in the church age.
5. But he lost out on all of that and was blinded from the precious truth of God. Why? His love for money. Some of the primary tools that Satan uses to blind people from divine truth are a love for money, greed, and materialism. 2 Corinthians 4:4
6. This principle also applies in our personal lives. A love for money can blind married couples from the truth, blind children from the truth, and blind Christians in their daily walk.
Third, because the love of money brings confusion – vs. 28-32
1. Notice verses 29 and 32. Confusion reigned in Ephesus. But what brought the confusion? It certainly was not Paul. Paul had been there two years and had brought light, divine knowledge, and true wisdom from God to this city.
2. It was the town merchants’ love for money that brought this mob scene and the confusion. Here we are in 2013 and the same is true today. A love for money brings confusion to people’s individual lives, to any culture, or to any family. It brings:
• A confusion of priorities – Money became more important than their eternal souls.
• A confusion of proper reasoning – As we said earlier, a love for money blinds people from the truth and can twist people’s thinking to where they do things that make no sense
• A confusion in your belief system – Verse 32 states that some cried one thing, and some another. When a person becomes consumed with the accumulation of wealth, character, honesty, and integrity are tossed aside without shame in order to acquire more and more.
3. Remember, you were created to love God and people, not money and material things. When you love God and love people first and foremost, you begin to see with clarity the purpose of money and material things. Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 6:17-19
• Money is simply a tool for us to meet our basic needs, help others, and glorify God.
Fourth, the love of money will keep you from Jesus – vs. 33-41
1. For two hours the mob screamed, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” vs. 34
2. The town clerk finally got everybody calmed down and got them to disburse and dissemble. vs. 35-41
3. Do you know what is really sad to me? This mob had one of the greatest apostles that the world has ever known right there among them. They did not want to hear his good news about Jesus, His marvelous cross-work, and glorious resurrection.
4. They would listen to Demetrius and listen to the town clerk, but they wouldn’t listen to Paul’s message about Jesus Christ. They all left and went home in the same condition they were in when the mob scene started – lost in their sins and devoid of God’s presence. Verse 41 is so sad to me.
5. Their love for money kept them from the life-changing, soul-saving message of Jesus Christ. It is okay to have money, but it is a dangerous thing when money has you.
6. Christian, you were not created in Christ to love money, but rather to love Jesus. When you love money it will keep you from a close fellowship with Christ.
7. What do you love the most? How would those who know you the best answer that question? Money is to be used for God’s purposes, not loved. Love God, love people!
