Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
August 11, 2024
INTRO
We are continuing in the book of Acts, and we are going to see a familiar pattern in our passage this morning that has come up before in the accounts of the early church. IMPORTANT — You see, whenever there is an advance of the gospel, there is often a reaction of opposition. Just think about what we’ve seen so far in the book of Acts:
3000 people come to faith at Pentecost, Peter and John are dragged before the Sanhedrin.
The apostles heal the sick, and then they are thrown in jail.
Stephen makes his speech, and then is stoned to death.
Peter shares the gospel with Cornelius, then Herod arrested Peter.
People start accepting Christ in Philippi, then Paul and Silas are thrown in prison.
Paul preaches the gospel in Corinth, he is abused and dragged before the governor.
KEY — Here’s what I need you to see: The interplay of advance and opposition is ultimately a spiritual battle. There are spiritual realities behind these events. And yet, what we see over and over in the book of Acts is also true for us today: Nothing can stop the advance of the gospel! In the face of opposition we see miraculous deliverance, multiplication of ministry, the continued impact of lives being transformed, and the name of Jesus being glorified.
I think we need to open our eyes to the reality that the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth is an advance into enemy territory; it is a shining of light into darkness; it is an assertion of truth in the face of lies; it is the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord.
ILLUST — Someone who learned that the advance of the gospel is ultimately an advance against evil was the missionary Amy Carmichael. (SLIDE 2)
I’ve been highlighting missionaries over this series because it is important that we become familiar with key figures from church history and learn from their example.
Amy Carmichael was born in Ireland in 1867. Her father worked at a grain mill, and her family was deeply involved in their Presbyterian church. As a teenager, Amy started a Sunday school ministry to reach out to “shawlies”, which is what people called the impoverished young girls who worked at the mills and wore shawls instead of hats. As she shared the gospel and taught them the Bible, this ministry quickly grew to include several hundred young women. And God put a burden on her heart for discipling young people, especially the down-and-out whom no one else cared about.
During this time she attended a conference and heard Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Mission, speak on the importance of global missions, and Amy was inspired to become a missionary. Amy had a health condition that required her to go somewhere warm, so she set sail for the southern tip of India.
Amy spent 6 years learning the language and customs of the Hindu people of southern India, and she began praying that God would show her how she can minister to young children like she did in the mills of Ireland.
One day in March 1901, Amy met a 7 year old girl named Preena out on the streets. (SLIDE 3) Preena had escaped a local Hindu temple where she had been abandoned by her mother as a “gift to the gods”. As Amy spoke with this young girl, she slowly realized what this meant. Preena was one of hundreds of girls who were sold as slaves into temple prostitution.
Amy discovered the dark underbelly of the Hindu cultic system that made money from these helpless young women under the pretense of religious devotion, and she suddenly saw the reality of the spiritual darkness in India, and she felt a clear sense of calling and a renewed burden on her heart: I must snatch as many children as possible from this evil.
With the help of some missionary companions, Amy set up a discipleship home for girls who escaped temple slavery. (SLIDE 4) She loved these girls like a mother, and taught them the Bible and created a home that was marked by laughter, hard work, and most importantly by a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus Christ. By 1904 there were 30 girls, by 1907 there were 70, and by 1913 there were 130 girls who called her “Amma”, which means “mother”.
In 1918 she opened a home for boys also, and over the next three decades she cared for hundreds of destitute and abandoned children, teaching and modeling to them what it means to know and love Jesus, and shining the light of the gospel into the spiritual darkness of the Hindu temple system that controlled southern India.
Amy’s life was dedicated to advancing God’s kingdom and she brought the light of Christ into a spiritually dark place.
(SLIDE 5, title) Open with me to Acts 19:1-41. We are going to see Paul in Ephesus, a place of similar spiritual darkness that was under the grip of the temple cult of Artemis, as we see the kingdom of God advance, we will also see opposition ensue. Yet it is so clear that nothing can stop the advance of the gospel. Let’s read. READ Acts 19:1-41.
ORG SENT — We are going to tackle this passage in two parts. First, we will see the advance of the gospel in verses 1-22. Second, we will see the opposition to the gospel in verses 23-41. Remember, advance and opposition. And through this story we will get a sense of the spiritual battle that happens when the light of the gospel comes into a dark place.
MAIN 1 — Advance of the Gospel (vv. 1-22). (SLIDE 6)
Let me tell you about the city of Ephesus in the 1st century:
It had a population of around 250,000. It was the most important city along the western part of modern-day Turkey.
Just as Athens was a thought-center and Corinth was an economic center, Ephesus was a religious center. KEY: There was a distinct spiritual dynamic in Ephesus; (SLIDE 7) it was a city in the grip of evil spiritual forces.
It was the home of the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. (SLIDE 8) This is a depiction of what the temple looked like in the 1st century.
This temple was 450 feet long, 225 feet wide, and stood over 60 feet high.
It has become known in recent archeology that Greek structures like this were painted in vibrant colors.
Here’s the point: This temple dominated city life in Ephesus. It was the main event in Ephesus, the center of culture, and the most popular tourist attraction in the city.
Here Paul enters one of the most prominent spiritual cities in the world, and Luke records an incredible impact of his ministry (SLIDE 9). Now, here is a moment when we need to be careful to parse out the unique aspects of this moment in the 1st century versus what we should expect from church ministry today. Remember: descriptive vs. prescriptive.
Let me point out a few unique aspects to what God was doing through Paul that describe this moment in the early church, but likely look different for us today:
(SLIDE 10) He brought clarity to the gospel (vv. 1-7)
People in Ephesus had only heard about John the Baptist. So Paul tells them about Jesus and the Holy Spirit comes just like Pentecost. This was unique to the 1st century at this time of transition from John’s ministry that prepared for the Messiah, and the dawning of the Messiah himself.
(SLIDE 11) He taught daily until everyone heard the gospel (vv. 8-10).
After trying to teach in the synagogue, he gets the opportunity to lecture daily in the hall so Tyrannus (lit. tyrant). F.F. Bruce wrote, “One wonders if this was the name his parents gave him or the name his pupils gave him!”
Result: All the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (v. 10). We’re not sure how this was possible, but Luke tells us it is true!
(SLIDE 12) God did extraordinary miracles through him (vv. 11-12).
Even the handkerchiefs he used to wipe the sweat from his brow while teaching in the heat of the day at Tyrannus’ lecture hall could heal people! This is not normal! Luke literally uses the word “extraordinary” for a reason!
(SLIDE 13) Others who tried to exercise spiritual power were exposed as frauds (vv. 13-16). This is the story of the 7 sons of Sceva.
Remember: There is no neutral in the spiritual realm. There is real power in the name of Jesus, but his authority is not to be used like a vending machine.
Now, these unique aspects of the ministry of Paul in Ephesus are not necessarily prescriptive, but Luke ends this record of the advance of the gospel in Ephesus with an incredible description of the impact on the people of this highly religious city who were under the grip of evil. I want to summarize these for you, because (SLIDE 14) whenever the gospel advances, you are likely to see these results:
(SLIDE 15) Reverence increases (v. 17) — READ v. 17.
(SLIDE 16) Confessions happens (v. 18) — READ v. 18.
(SLIDE 17) Lies are destroyed (v. 19) — READ v. 19.
ILLUST — Ephesus was famous for what historians call the “Ephesian Letters (grammata)”, which were written charms, amulets, and spells that were thought to hold spiritual power. These scrolls were bought and sold like collectors items.
Those who came to faith in Christ burned the scrolls that they owned, and value of the scrolls was calculated to be 50,000 drachmas.
A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage.
50,000 days of work (if you worked 5 days per week) = almost 200 years!
At the median income for an individual in Dakota County, if you work 5 days per week, your daily wage is about $192/day. If you work 50,000 days at that wage, you would earn over $9.6M!
So the value of the sorcery scrolls that were burned in Ephesus was the equivalent of almost $10,000,000 today!
KEY: For the Ephesians to take these books of sorcery and burn them was evidence of their thorough conversion! They burned the lies of their idolatrous religion. ASK: Do you know who is the Father of Lies? Satan! These are HIS scrolls they are burning! In other words, there is no place for lies and evil in the church!
(SLIDE 18) Truth spreads (v. 20) — READ v. 20.
APPLY: This is so important: These four things are evidence of a movement of God. This is what happens when the gospel advances! Let’s pray for this to happen in our neighborhoods, in our community, and in our nation!
We must have a vision for our this kind of transformation in every area of our lives! (Mention podcast — Vision Renewal Part 1: Cultivating for Christ)
But remember, the pattern of the book of Acts is that whenever there is an advance of the gospel, there is often opposition. This is because there is a spiritual battle happening, and whenever Satan sees the gospel advance, he will try to do anything to stop it.
MAIN 2 — Opposition to the Gospel (vv. 23-41). (SLIDE 19)
Whenever there is the grip of evil in people or in a place, this passage highlights some of the ways that those who are opposed to the gospel will react.
You see, in this account of the riot in Ephesus, we see a man named Demetrius reveal the way that the gospel feels threatening to those who are living in idolatry and sin. He gathers his friends who are invested in the temple worship of Artemis, and he lays out (SLIDE 20) three reasons why the advance of the gospel threatens their worship of a false god:
(SLIDE 21) Economic Interests — READ vv. 25-26
Demetrius says that their livelihood is threatened! They make lots of money off of these pretend gods that are made by human hands.
KEY: Idolatry is so often driven by money! There are whole industries built on the idols of beauty, food, fashion, pornography, sports, politics, and even celebrity preachers! Idolatry will show itself when you threaten its ability to make money.
(SLIDE 22) Reputation — READ v. 27a
The word “discredited” here literally means “to be a nobody” or to “have no name.”
At the end of the day, those opposed to the gospel are often most concerned with protecting their own reputations.
But those who believe the gospel realize that their worth is not in their reputation, but in the secure reality of God’s love in Christ! You are not a “no name”! You bear the family name of God himself! As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
KEY: The call of the gospel is the call to lay down your life. And you boast in Christ, not yourself or your own ability or your reputation.
(SLIDE 23) Power — READ v. 27b
Instead of the word “robbed”, some of your Bibles use the word “deposed”. Demetrius is saying that Artemis could be overthrown and deposed from her place of glory and power.
KEY: Sin and idolatry and evil is always concerned with being toppled and losing power in your life. Satan doesn’t want to be deposed from being in control of your life. Those living for themselves don’t want to give up power and control of their lives.
But in the gospel, you freely open your hands to let go of control, and you take those open hands and you receive forgiveness and you receive God’s very presence and HIS power through the Spirit.
Now that we’ve identified the typical ways that evil and idolatry feel threatened by the gospel, let me show you how this story unfolds:
After Demetrius’ speech, he goes out to stir up a riot.
Ephesus had a major road called the “Arcadian Way”, which was a marble-paved street that was 30 feet wide with colonnaded halls on either side and ran from the harbor on one side of the city to the theater on the other side of the city.
This street is where the vendors of Artemis’ religious trinkets sold their wares. Demetrius goes running up and down the Arcadian Way stirring up the people and leading them into the theater. Here’s a picture of the theater in Ephesus (SLIDE 24). The theater could hold 25,000 people. It was the main gathering place for the city.
The confusion and shouting is indicative of the opposite of the fruit of the gospel: (SLIDE 25, appears together)
Confusion reigns without Christ.
Unreasonableness reigns without Christ.
KEY: Chaos will win apart from the gospel.
IMPORTANT — The work of the evil one will bring confusion and chaos (v. 32).
Some were shouting one thing, others were shouting another.
Most of the people didn’t even know why they were there.
KEY: Evil is not reasonable. It will shout you down (eg: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”)
Look at how the riot ended: The city clerk (chief administrator) skillfully talks down the crowd and everyone goes home (vv. 35-41). But I don’t want you to miss this: Look at the first thing he says, the main argument (SLIDE 26) for why they don’t need to be in such a frenzy. READ vv. 35-36.
The clerk says that Artemis’ glory and power are undeniable. So why worry?
KEY: (SLIDE 27) He doubles-down on the delusion and idolatry. When we see the way that opposition comes as the gospel advances, we see that evil and idolatry will often continue trusting in lies.
APPLY: Don’t be surprised when the gospel moves forward that people feel their interested are threatened, that their reputations are on the line, that they are losing control or power over their own lives. Don’t be surprised when chaos and confusion and unreasonableness begin to creep in. Don’t be surprised when a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker hears the gospel and decides to double-down on their beliefs and choices that are separating them from God.
KEY: In these ways, (SLIDE 28) the advance of the gospel will cause the grip of evil to show its true colors. It is because the fruit and transformation of the gospel stands in such contrast to fear, to self, to power, to confusion, and to lies.
Friends, Paul saw this unfold in Ephesus, and he learned something so important that we need to understand about the nature of the church. When a church takes a step toward greater gospel impact, when we choose to trust in Jesus, when we seek forgiveness and bear with one another in love, when we proclaim the truth of God in the midst of the lies in our world, we are displaying the wisdom of God and the power of God in the face of evil forces that have their grip on the people and places around us.
Later in Paul’s life, he wrote a letter to the Ephesian church. And in this letter, Paul articulates this important lesson he saw unfold as the gospel advanced and people opposed it in Ephesus. This is what he wrote in Ephesians 3:10-11, (SLIDE 29) “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The “rulers and authorities” are the spiritual forces of darkness. Just as Amy Carmichael realized when she met Preena that there are spiritual forces of evil at work in the Hindu temples of southern India, and just as Paul realized that there are spiritual forces of evil at work in the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, so we too must understand that there is a spiritual battle happening for the hearts and minds of people today!
Secular humanism is just as much a form of religious idolatry as any other false worldview! Evil has its grip on our culture and our community!
And yet, here my clearly: The advance of the gospel through the ministry of the church is the equivalent of putting evil powers on notice! They have already lost the war! Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Nothing can stop the advance of the gospel!