Money Causes a Riot 2
Text: Acts 19:28-41
Introduction
1. Have you ever seen a mob on TV or movies? They are dangerous and can become murderous in an instant.
a. People in mobs are like cattle before a stampede. Ever see that? In the movie Red River, John Wayne and his men are moving cattle along the Chisolm trail, and the cattle are spooked by howling coyotes and such.
b. Then one of the men, trying to get some sugar, knocks down all the pans off the chuckwagon, and the cattle stampede, killing one of the wranglers watching over them.
c. Just before they stampeded, the cattle were tense, and the men knew it wouldn’t take much to set them off.
d. Mobs are like that. They’re tense, waiting for the slightest provocation to begin destroying whatever and whoever they want.
e. Mobs are not a good thing, in general.
2. Well, an angry mob was what the Christians in Ephesus faced, but God was with them and used those outside the church to keep things from getting ugly.
3. We have seen this, in a sense in our own lives, and we may face more of it in the future. But we need to trust God.
4. Reads Acts 19:28-41
Transition: The first thing we see is…
I. Dealing with Mob Rule (28-34).
A. The Whole City Was Filled with Confusion
1. Last week, we talked about the ruckus that took place in Ephesus, where the silver smiths were upset because the Christian stopped buying their idols of the goddess Artemis after listening to Paul’s preaching saying that these were no gods at all, and that the only true God was Jesus Christ. As a result, they got people all worked up and started a riot.
2. Here’s how the riot begins. In vv. 28-29 Luke tells us, “At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.”
a. After Demetrius got everyone, all riled up, it says, “their anger boiled,” literally, they were “filled with rath,” at the Christians in Ephesus and what they considered the offensive message of the gospel.
b. They began shouting, “great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon this angry mob spilled out into the streets and affected the whole city.
c. Luke tells us that the city was filled with confusion, and people ran into the theatre to stage a large demonstration.
d. They couldn’t find Paul, so, they dragged two of his traveling companions Gaius and Aristarchus and dragged them into the theatre.
3. Next, Luke tells us in vv. 30-31, “Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.”
a. Paul wanted to go into the theatre to speak up for and defend his companions but also to have the chance to preach to such a large group of people needing Jesus.
b. But the other Christians in town wouldn’t let him go in, fearing he would be torn limb from limb.
c. In addition, some of the officials of the province, who were friends of Paul, sent him a message telling him not to go in for they were afraid for his life.
d. It appears that Paul had reached some influential people in the community, and they begged him not to enter the theatre.
4. Then in v. 32, Luke tells us some very interesting news. It says, “Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.”
a. Luke says that this mob was in a state of complete confusion.
b. One group would yell one thing and then another.
c. The word translated “confusion literally means “to pour together,” and carries with it the idea of being in an uproar.
d. In fact, things were so out of control that the people said, “wait, why are we here again?” This would have made Luke’s original readers laugh because Greek playwrights often made fun of human weaknesses.
e. Doesn’t this sound like the world we live in today? All the people on the left yell one thing, and then those on the right yell something else.
f. The result is that no one listens to each other, and the result is complete chaos!
g. We have all lost our minds! As Christian song writer Larry Norman wrote years ago, “What a mess the world is in, I wonder who began it? Don’t ask me, I’m only visiting this planet! This world is not my home, I’m just passing through!”
5. Then Luke tells us in vv. 33-34, “The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
a. Alexander was probably pushed forward because the Jews wanted everyone to know that they were not in line with the Christians who were causing all of this financial upheaval.
b. They were afraid that this mob might take out their anger on the Jews because they were known for worshipping only one God and didn’t believe in idols like Artemis.
c. However, their attempts didn’t work as soon the mob was anti-Jewish as well as anti-Christian. Luke tells us that this madness went on for two hours!
d. Trying to reason with a hysterical mob that had gone crazy was a waste of time.
6. They didn’t know why they were shouting or why they were even there.
a. This is an accurate picture of what is known as a “mob mentality.”
b. People stop using reason and just follow along after the crowd.
c. Now, I realize that this is not a phrase that is as popular as it used to be, but I think it’s still going on: “everybody else is doing it!”
d. We fall in line with all the other crazy people and do whatever they are doing regardless of whether it makes any sense.
e. One time, Tina and I went to see Ricky Skaggs and his band play at a county fair. Right across from the grandstand was a large tower that people were bungee jumping off. Ricky looked at it and said, “That’s for people with more money than brains!” But “everybody’s doing it!”
B. Endure and Remain Faithful
1. An American journalist in 1993 interviewed a group of children from a Sunday school in southern Sudan where Arab Muslims regularly raided their village and slaughtered Christians. Many of their relatives had already been killed. The journalist asked, "Would you turn to Islam? Or would you prefer to die for Christ! And if so, why?" The children replied, "We will remain Christians because that is the truth." As they spoke, their faces seemed to glow with light, just like Stephan’s, Christianity’s first martyr. (From a sermon by David E. Watters, Breaking the Law...For God’s Sake, 8/14/2011).
2. In the midst of mob mentality, we need to remain faithful to Christ.
a. “This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.” (Rev. 13:10c).
b. Church, we are living in what is known as “post-Christian era,” of American history.
c. The truth is we can no longer refer to the U.S. a Christian nation.
d. Christianity is ridiculed in our educational community, and young Christians going to college at public colleges and universities are facing verbal attacks and sometimes more.
e. Christianity is under attack in the media and social media.
f. Christianity is also under attack in our government. The phrase in our Constitution is understood as the “freedom FROM religion,” rather than the “freedom OF religion.”
g. Now, we are not under the same persecution as our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. But I don’t believe it’s far behind.
h. What are we to do? We must endure and be faithful. We must stand up for our rights and be bold in the proclamation of the gospel.
i. “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32-33).
Transition: We also need to remember…
II. Sometimes God Uses Unlikely People (35-41).
A. The Mayor
1. Now, a new character enters the stage of events, and believe it or not, he was a voice of reason. It says in vv. 35-36, “At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.”
a. Into this mass of hysteria steps the mayor of Ephesus. He was the highest ranking civic official. He was the one who usually presided over the gathering of citizens, and he was the representative at the local headquarters of Rome, in Ephesus.
b. Now, he was very concerned that news of this uproar might get back to the officials.
c. His main job was to keep the peace and make sure that things don’t get out of hand. If things do get out of hand, he could lose his job or even be thrown in jail.
d. So, he was going to do all he could to calm this angry mob and be a voice of reason.
e. He begins by assuring them that they were the guardians of the temple of Artemis.
f. His reference to the “image that feel from heaven,” was actually a meteorite that was considered to be divine and placed in the temple as an object of worship.
g. They considered it proof that Artemis was a great and powerful goddess. He then uses this as a reason to not do anything rash and that they should remain calm.
2. The mayor continues his message to the people in vv. 37-39 by saying, “You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. 38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.”
a. He makes it clear that these Christians had done nothing illegal.
b. He also makes it clear that they were not “temple robbers,” a term that can refer to sacrilege by removing sacred objects from the temple.
c. In addition, they hadn’t spoken evil of the goddess and were merely proclaiming the greatness of Jesus Christ.
d. So, in his mind this was not a religious matter, but rather a civic matter, and if the silversmiths wanted to, they could take the matter to court, as they had a good legal system.
e. It would be better to settle this in court rather than this illegal lynch mob.
3. After this he warns them that to continue this chaotic assembly could cause them real problems. In vv. 40-41 it says, “I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.”
a. He reminds them that to continue this behavior could get them in trouble with Rome.
b. His responsibility was to maintain law and order. If the people continued out of order, the Romans could place them under martial law and remove many of their civic freedoms.
c. Remember, some of them didn’t even know why they were there, and if the Romans asked for an explanation, they wouldn’t know what to tell them.
d. So, he dismissed the crowd, and they went home.
4. There are times when God uses unbelievers to get us through difficulties.
a. It was about this time a year ago that we had to depend on the court system, lawyers, and a judge to have our rights to disaffiliate from our denomination.
b. They tried to prevent us from leaving, but God used a Jewish judge to have our rights honored.
c. Sometimes God uses unlikely people to do remarkable things.
B. Shadow of the Almighty
1. Illustration: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" In the English parliament back at the beginning of the 19th century, William Wilberforce led the charge to abolish slavery in Great Britan. He fought and fought to no avail. After a while, he decided that he was going to give up and move on to another issue. John Wesley heard about Wilberforce’s decision from his deathbed and sent for him. This is the verse he gave him. A couple days later, Wesley died. For 45 more years, Wilberforce fought the parliament on slavery, and three days before he died, he saw slavery abolished in England. If God be for us, who can be against us?
2. When trouble comes your way, put your trust in Almighty God for he will be your stronghold and mighty defender.
a. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.” (Ps. 91:1-5).
b. God is our great defender, he is the Almighty God, and no one can stand against him.
c. He is in control of all situations, institutions, and people.
d. He will use unlikely people, unlikely circumstances, and unlikely situations for our good.
e. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Rom. 8:28).
f. No matter what you are facing, or who is against you, remember that God is for you, and he is in your corner.
g. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” (Is. 43:2-3, NIV).
Conclusion
1. We learned today…
a. How to deal with mob rule.
b. Sometimes God uses unlikely people and situations.
2. What’s the point preacher? No matter what you are going through, or who is against you, God is your great deliverer!
