Acts 19 (NLT) — 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. …23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!” 28 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. 30 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. 32 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. 33 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!” 35 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. 37 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. 40 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.
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“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. —Jesus (John 14:6)
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BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS
1) Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or something that caught your attention, challenged or confused you? What was your favorite part of the sermon?
2) Jason talked about how the Ephesian church was focused on reaching out to others in the city. In your own life, can you think of anyone who reached out to you to tell you about Jesus and/or living the Christian life? What do you remember about what they said and/or did that was helpful to you?
3) What is the culture of Huntington Beach Church? Daily Church? The Garage? How would you describe the culture of your church?
4) How has the culture of your church impacted you personally? How has it influenced your spiritual growth?
5) How have you contributed to the culture of your church? What can you do to contribute more?
6) Six years after Paul was in Ephesus, he wrote a letter to the church he had started there. We call that letter the book of Ephesians. In this letter, he gave instructions on how to live in a way that will make an impact on the city of Ephesus. This week we’re going to look at a few of the things he wrote to help us better understand how we can live so we can have an increasing impact on the world around us. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminded the Ephesians of who they were as followers of Christ. This new identity is not something we have to work for – it is ours because we are Christians. It means we no longer have to define ourselves by what others say, what our feelings say or what our successes and failures say. This new identity provides freedom and security and is the foundation of the changed life that Chris talked about. Stop right now and read the book of Ephesians and jot down what it says about who YOU are in Christ.
7) How would you describe what a person would be like and what their life would be like whose life consistently reflects the truths of these verses?
8) Can you identify one or two areas Paul talked about in which you’ve seen significant growth in your life over the years?
9) Is there anything that has been particularly helpful in causing this growth?
10) Which point from this weekend’s message or Life Group study is most important for you to remember?
11) Pray for one another in your Life Group and pray for your spiritual leaders.