Welcome to Worship
September 26, 2021
8:30am
Fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. —(1 Samuel 12:24)
Preparing Our Hearts for Worship: Rev. Bill Archer
Worship Song: Your Grace is Enough
Worship Team
Prayer: Rev. Peggy Peek
Redland Happenings and Welcome: Rev. Peggy Peek
Children’s Moment: Lisa Jenkins
Worship Song: Run to the Father
Worship Team
Worship Meditation: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Paul Owens, Bill Archer, trombone
Scripture: Acts 19:8-41
Sermon Series: Acts – The Cure Goes Viral
Sermon Title: Exciting Times
Rev. Mark Adams
Sermon Notes:
8 - Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9 - But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So, Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 - This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord.
11 - God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
12 - so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.
13 - Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
14 - Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 - One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”
16 - Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 - When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18 - Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
19 - A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20 - In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21 - After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
22 - He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23 - About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
24 - A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.
25 - He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.
26 - And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
27 - There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited—and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
28 - When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 - Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.
30 - Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.
31 - Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 - The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
33 - The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.
34 - But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 - The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
36 - Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.
37 - You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 - If then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.
39 - If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.
40 - As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”
41 - After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. —Acts 19:8-41
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world—and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” —Ephesians 6:12
“Ephesus was the waterhole for every kind of magician, witch, clairvoyant, and criminal. Con artists, murderers, warlocks and quacks all found the climate of Ephesus unusually agreeable.” —R. Kent Hughes
“Some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.” —Acts 19:9
“You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs.” —Acts 20:34
What exciting things happened as a result of the two years Paul spent in Ephesus sharing the Cure?
1.) God did
.
“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.” —Acts 19:11-12
“Biblical miracles are part of the means of establishing Christianity [as the one true faith.] Israel was brought into existence by a series of miracles, the law was given surrounded by supernatural wonders—and many of the prophets were identified as God’s spokesmen by their power to perform miracles. Jesus came not only preaching but performing miracles and the apostles from time to time worked wonders. It was the miracle authenticating the religion at every point.” —Bernard Ramm
“Biblical miracles, in contrast to miracle stories in pagan literature and those of other religions, were never capricious or fantastic. They were not scattered helter-skelter through the record without rhyme or reason. There was always clear order and purpose to them.” —Paul Little
“The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me.” —John 10:25
2.) God gave the
a
.
“Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.” —Acts 19:13
“One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know[about], and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” —Acts 19:15-16
“Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.” —1 John 3:8
“They were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. —Acts 19:17ff
“Heaven is the finest and most final of all Christian miracles. In that eternal place there is no pain or sorrow or death because the old order of things has passed away.” —Calvin Miller
3.) God destroyed a
.
“About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: ‘You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited—and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.’” —Acts 19:23-27
“The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” —1 Timothy 6:10
“They did not know for what reason they had come together.” —Acts 19:32
“A mob is a monster with heads enough but no brains.” —Benjamin Franklin
“Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.” —Acts 19:35-40
Time of Decision and Commitment: I Bow Down
Worship Team
Benediction: Rev. Mark Adams