Wrestling with Conflict
Acts 19:23-41
Introduction-
Good Morning everyone, please turn to Acts chapter 19 and we will spend some time looking into God’s Word.
This is the last Sunday before we go to the Election polls on Tuesday.
This is the last Sunday before some people will be happy and some people will not.
I am pretty sure since our country is divided about 50% on the issue of President that come Wednesday morning the discussions will be what was done right and what was done wrong.
Who should have stepped up to the plate and who should have shown up at the polls..
All the experts (Self proclaimed) will have an opinion and all the rest of us will just be looking at the results.
For the Christian who puts his faith in Jesus Christ, no matter who wins has to still believe that the Lord is in control! Amen! We do all we know to do by voting and then leave the rest up to the Lord.
But everyday, wither it be the elections or something else, we all deal with conflict. Some better than others-
Prayer-
Today, right now, we pray Lord that our hearts would be open to hear your word. To allow the scriptures to speak to our lives, and guide us as we journey with you. There are not only riots in the streets, there is rioting in our hearts, please Lord speak to us this morning- In Jesus Name! Amen!
Background-
The background of the text that Luke records for us is Paul’s travels just before he begin his missionary travels.
He is in Ephesus after two years of successful ministry.
While some had followed Apollos, some Paul, and some had followed John the Baptist, Paul runs into Apollos disciples in Ephesus and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed?
They had no idea what he was talking about and they respond that they were all baptized by John after repentance of their sins and confession of faith in Jesus.
Paul lays hands on them and they were filled with the Spirit and began evangelizing Ephesus and surrounding areas.
In two years time, they had made such an impact that lives were being saved and lives were being changed.
Scripture tells us that because of their witnessing of Christ that the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Does not mean they all accepted the Word of the Lord but they heard the word of the Lord.
God did such miracles through Paul that even handkerchiefs and aprons that he touched were healing people.
Some Jews who were going around invoking the name of Jesus over those who demon-possessed. They would say “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
How many already know that this is not going to turn out good when you try to cast out demons without the power of God doing it.
Jewish priest does it, and an evil spirit answers him and says- Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?
This man took such a beating from the evil spirit in a man , it almost killed him.
This became known to all Greeks and all Jews living in the area.
Many came to the city square and burned all those things that weren’t of God.
They began serving the Lord and changing their lives.
They stopped doing what they use to do that displeased the Lord.
Revival broke out and people began following ‘the way.”
Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life… they did not know what to call it so it was the way!
You can understand how it would cause turmoil as some were being converted and some stayed the same. Kind of what our world looks like today as believers serve the Lord and those that don’t want the way…say no way!
Acts chapter 19:23- 27 Read from Bible
Let’s stop there a minute, we see the first problem.
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when a group or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal (or self-serving) interests and professional duties or responsibilities.
A conflict of interest in your faith is where you do things that you know go against your beliefs.
At this time that Paul was in Ephesus, A man named Demetrius who was a silversmith made a lot of money making silver shrines of the pagan god Artemus.
He made man made items that sold well and now those people who were converted to faith in Jesus are going around telling people that these-man made gods are not gods at all!
He calls for a major meeting of all those involved in his industry and says that this trouble-making Paul has to be stopped-
He is bad for business- your business and my business.
He initiates a riot by upsetting other trade workers losing money and points the finger at Paul for swaying a large crowd of people.
If Paul was not stopped, he would lose his good name- for promoting idolatry.
Fact Jack- Not all people will be happy or are happy that you or other Christians come to faith! There may be a new name written in glory, but earth people without Jesus will not be happy
Because you upset the apple cart and your change effects more than you.
You getting saved affects your family, your workplace, your friends.
It affects how you think, and how you act.
What use to be okay is not okay anymore!
What use to satisfy you is now something that you have decided to get out of your life.
Some will be happy for you and some will be mad at you!
You can imagine when a revival like that takes place, a mass amount of people no longer were coming to Ephesus for the pagan celebration of Artemus.
They no longer needed to buy figurines of Artemus.
They were not shopping where they use to shop.
They were not hanging with the same people.
Some were not excited for the life change- they were mad at the person they believed caused them to be losing money and they wanted him gone! They wanted it to stop at all cost.
We understand the unsaved and un-revived people feeling that way- but there is another group to this conflict of interest.
The people who were changed by the power of God working in their lives, now having to deal with life change.
What about the guy who sold idol materials? He get’s saved and now he not only has to deal with life change but also job change- you cannot be a follower of Jesus and still sell idol material.
You cannot do the things you use to do because now inside of you have the Holy Spirit of God convicting you of the things that needs to change in your life.
Pretty hard to keep driving a beer truck when you get saved-
Dope dealer on the street
A tax collector or other job that steals from those who need it most.
Why? Because you loyalty changes when your life changes-
Conflict of loyalty
When you come to Christ, you certainly do not understand everything about the faith that you are going into- but as the Lord shows you things for your life and service to the Lord,
He begins to add and subtract from your life things that hinder or help your life. Those that help are to be added and those that hinder are to be subtracted.
The conflict of loyalty happens when we know something has to go and we will not let go of it. Inside the Lord wants it gone and we are hanging onto it.
Demetrius knew that to get the heart of the people to sway his way, he could not only go religious on them but took what people believed and magnified a problem-
They are degrading the goddess Artemus.
She will lose integrity.
She will not be elevated to the position she had before because this foreigner Paul and these others from the way are inflicting us with their views and opinions and we need to stand on our old views.
Jonathan Cahn is one of his books calls it a Metamorhosis- it is a changing from one thing to another- a decision of faith, a lifestyle of a group, or a mindset of a nation. If we are not careful, we change who we are for the worse instead of the better.
He says when you create your god, you create your own truth, and then you cannot have absolute truth.
You overrule the word of God and create new laws to nullify old laws. You begin driving god out of the public square, out of government, out of the instruction of your children, out of culture, and eventually out of your life. (end quote)
The bottom line is when you create idols, you move God out of your life. The two cannot dwell in the same place. So while revival is breaking out in some, hostility and anger is breaking out in others.
You see this was not about just the sale of idol material, it is about lifestyle, about your allegiance, and about your eternity.
Idol worship broke the union of the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of life, the sanctity of obeying God’s laws over your own man-made laws.
It put its approval on sex with others than a spouse, it defiled the marriage bed and created a culture moving away from God and not towards the things of God and everyone will not be happy when you change and you want change.
Loyalty had changed-
Converted people now were convicted what they did before is no longer accepted as a child of God. (They struggled with that)
Unsaved people were losing revenue because Paul was pointing people to Jesus. ( They struggled with that)
Does that sound familiar? Does that look like today as we see rioting hearts hurting each other and hurting inside?
What they were putting on the altar had changed!
To the converted, the altar of sacrifice had changed and they were now putting their offering on the altar of God.
Not only is the world mad when a person is converted and changed, the world feels their rights have been taken away because someone else exercises their right to change.
The world believes when all else fails, you cannot fight fair, you bring out the claws and no holds barred attempts at stopping the opposing forces against you.
Acts 19:28-43 Read from Bible
This doofus of a city clerk stands and quiets the crowd, after a failed attempt by Alexander a Jew and tells the city people to quiet down because these men did not robbed the temple or blasphemed the goddess.
His words…Everyone knows that Ephesus is known for protecting and serving Artemis the goddess.
You have a grief against them, do it through the courts the right way!
you think this man has common sense and wanting to save the city but that is far from the truth- this man knew that if he didn’t settle the crowd, the ones he himself stirred up, the Romans would come into the city and get the rioting under control and that would hurt them more.
To the Romans empire strife and discord shows rebellion and they would not stand for rebellion.
The commotion would be seen as an unlawful gathering and they would respond quickly and swiftly.
The clerk’s loyalty was on the almighty dollar and did not care one bit about anything else!
When your heart changes, your loyalty changes, and then your purpose will change.
quickly, last thing,
Conflict of purpose-
When the Lord takes something out of your life, I believe He gives back better if you let Him.
God has a bigger shovel of blessing- you cannot out give God!
You see how that revival started, the gospel was preached and those who made a change threw the things of Artemis in a fire and burned it- they willingly got rid of it!
Godly purpose starts after we begin to get rid of our idols.
What do we need to throw in the fire?
Close-
When you come to Christ, there will be things from your past you have to give up, some things you want to give up, and some will be a struggle to give up.
You will not enjoy the benefits of Godly blessings until you are obedient to the things that He has already told you for your life.
There will be conflict of interest, but you will find purpose as you put your loyalty and efforts into kingdom life and kingdom service.
A kingdom mindset doesn't avoid life, nor does it neglect responsibilities; rather, it involves Christ into all of our daily affairs.
A kingdom mindset takes Jesus into the mess and complications of our lives, and it integrates Him into everything that we do by seeking His direction, guidance, and wisdom.
