WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:08.080 So in March of 2021, Grace, the one who just read the scripture, it's like a rap family service right now, we bought our first house. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:12.000 Now, one of the best parts of owning a house, if you're a homeowner, you know this, is that it's yours. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:18.640 You can do pretty much whatever you want to, you can paint it however you want, you do the yard work however you want, you can, you know, decorate it however you want, whatever. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:22.960 But on the other hand, one of the worst parts is that it's all yours. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.079 So something breaks, you don't have a landlord to call, because you are the landlord. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.359 So uh we learned this quickly uh in our house. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:34.719 So a couple months ago, on a Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.840 in broad daylight, I had to break into my house. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:42.159 So I got back from a meeting, walk up to the door, and my key wouldn't turn the lock. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:47.600 So, for context, I live just down the road across from session stands for a coffee shop. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:54.159 Um so this day, uh these people at their 11 o'clock coffee meeting got a nice show to watch me break into my house. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:57.359 Okay, so context, I have an audience as I'm breaking in. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:57.600 Okay. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:08.879 So at this point, uh I'm laying my right shoulder into the door, the lock won't turn, I'm I'm stuck out, I'm I'm getting increasingly frustrated, which the people across the street can see. 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:18.879 And I'm at the point where to the 25 people across the street, I feel like I'm doing something illegal, even though I'm it's my house, so I don't need to feel like I'm doing something illegal, but it looks like I'm breaking in. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:20.959 Like it looks like I'm breaking into my house. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:33.760 Um and so I'm you know trying to break the door open, and I would turn around every few seconds to smile at the people, to like let them know it's my house, even though I didn't owe them that, but I I gave it to them um to prove that I wasn't doing anything illegal. 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.840 So I'm I'm over it, I'm fed up, so I call my wife Grace, and I'm like, hey, what am I gonna do? 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:41.280 I I have work to do, I need I need things to do, and I I was stressed. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.040 It wasn't my best moment as a husband on the phone call, I'll confess that. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:51.680 But Grace, thinking very quick on her feet, is like, hey, I think the dining room window is unlocked. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:54.159 So you go unlock that, break in that way. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:55.200 And I was like, amazing. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.120 So I was so focused, I didn't even say bye, I just hung up. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.200 And it's like, I run I run around the house, I'm like, great, okay. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.480 So I dive in, I oh, I opened the door, um, and sure enough, it was unlocked. 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:03.280 My wife's right. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:08.400 And much like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, I dove right through this window, did not land on my feet. 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:11.120 Uh, I realized how unathletic I was in that moment. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:14.560 Uh you know, uh, and it must have been a painful sight. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.319 So, step one, all right, step one, I'm in the house, but we have a door issue, okay? 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.639 We have a doorknob issue that I need to figure out, okay? 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:21.599 So that's step two. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:22.719 Doorknob and the lock. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:24.159 I don't know how to fix this, okay? 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:29.439 So I pull up YouTube, some dude on YouTube tells me this is the doorknob and lock you need to get for this specific door. 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:30.639 So I'm like, great. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:47.599 So I head to Home Depot, and like the rest of us guys, didn't know what to do in Home Depot, didn't know how to how to figure out Home Depot, but none of us confess to that because we're too prideful, so going to Home Depot, pretend like I know I'm going, wander for like 20 minutes, find the lock finally, uh, bring it home, it's great, set it up on the door. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:51.919 So I get home and I'm ready, dial it in, got the screwdriver, all my tools. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:57.520 But in the heat of the day, I forgot that I had a guy that was supposed to come over and we're gonna hang out and catch up. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.120 And so I'm like, shoot, okay. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:04.479 So he comes over and I'm like, hey, we're just gonna have a certain refreshing beverage and work on this door together. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:05.919 Okay, that'll be our catching up time. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:06.240 Okay. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:10.319 So he comes over, we catch up uh while putting the lock on the door. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:16.159 The word of wisdom is to not have a deep catch-up conversation with a friend as you're putting a lock on the door. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:17.520 Okay, see why in a second. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:22.719 So we're talking, having a great time, measuring the door, screwing in all the things, right, getting it all dialed in. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:27.039 Um we get it, it works together, the lock turns, I can get in and out of my house now. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.080 We finished, it's great. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:29.759 I mean, it looks great, right? 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:32.879 Brand new, nice worn brass color, you know. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:34.000 It was great. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.919 We have a little toast and then go close the door, make sure it's all working great. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:40.000 It's dialed in, it's working well. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.159 I'm standing inside my house and I turn the key and it works great. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:50.159 Um, the issue is that the outside of the house, where the key's supposed to be, is where the knob is, right? 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:51.680 It's where the latch is. 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:56.479 So perfectly I put the thing in backwards for people to break in and out as they pleased. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:56.960 Okay. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.840 The best part is that the screw was stripped, so I couldn't get it off. 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:02.240 Okay? 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:07.520 So here's what happened: I took the doorknob part off and put the old lock in the doorknob hole. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:13.439 So I had two doorknob, uh, two locks in the door that I had to get in and out of my that was my doorknob, was the lock latch, right? 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:16.160 So for two days, I had two locks on my door, no knob. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:17.839 You know me, I was not happy. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.680 Okay, so finally, uh I get it done, it was great. 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.120 Got uh my guy Roger Balko to help me out, it was great. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:28.000 But I'm not a great homeowner, okay? 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:28.639 I know that. 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:32.560 I'm not proud of it, but I I know that about myself, but I am committed. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:35.279 That's one thing I know about myself to my fault. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:36.480 I am very committed. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:38.959 I was gonna get in that house, dad gummit. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:44.319 I was gonna dive into the window, I was gonna fix the door, even if I did it wrong a couple times, but I was committed. 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:45.040 I was in. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.000 I could not function until the doorknob was fixed. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:48.879 You can ask my wife. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.000 I was not a great husband those two days, but we figured it out. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:57.759 In a much different yet similar way, God is incredibly committed to his church. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:04:59.519 Incredibly committed to his church. 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:01.199 I'm gonna put my cards on the table right now. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:02.959 All my type A's, you're welcome. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:07.600 It's my two main points that I believe in Acts 18 and 19, the word of God has for us. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:11.040 And I've been praying this week that the Spirit of God would open our eyes to believe this. 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:13.759 So here's my two main points we're gonna hit on today. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:19.199 Number one, God will build his church, and no earthly or spiritual power can stop him. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:27.120 And then point number two that we're gonna hit on today God in his grace to us exposes idolatry in our hearts to ultimately deepen our identity in him. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.480 So we'll keep those up on the screen for a sec so y'all can look at those. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.439 We're continuing our series through the book of Acts this morning. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:42.560 The book of Acts was written by the physician Luke, and he wrote this book under the inspiration of the Spirit to give these brand new Christians hope that Jesus is going to build his church. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:47.120 That this church that the risen Christ has built will be victorious. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:54.879 This church will be victorious over Satan, over those who are enemies to the gospel, over those who revile Christians, over kings, nations, political leaders. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:06.000 And in all the ways the church is pressed down upon in this book, we see Jesus continuing to show his faithfulness, continuing to build his church in spite of it, and that there's nothing that can keep him from his mission. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:10.480 Another major theme in the book of Acts is seen in what I would argue is Luke's thesis verse. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:14.480 And so what I mean by that is that we read the whole book through this one verse, and it's Acts 1.8. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:15.759 This is what it says. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:24.639 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:32.079 So the promise here from the risen Christ is that the gospel is not limited to a temple, a town, a nation, a people group, and ethnicity. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:40.560 It will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be set aflame and spread in this ever-expanding circle, beginning in Jerusalem and then expanding all the way here to Marietta, Georgia. 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:42.959 We exist because the book of Acts was fulfilled. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.800 So we find ourselves in an interesting stretch here in the middle of the book. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:49.040 We're gonna be camped out in Acts 18 and 19. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:54.000 And last week, Russ talked about from Acts 17 that righteousness is given to us from Jesus. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:04.959 That we have faith, we are acceptable to God, not because we hold it all together, not because we check off all these religious boxes, but because our substitute Jesus, who stood in our place, has given his righteousness to us. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.360 And so there's nothing we can add to that. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:10.879 We are perfectly acceptable to God because of the blood of Jesus for us. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:12.560 And that's the good news. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:20.240 Now, this morning, our main text, Acts 18 and 19, following this, we're gonna see some challenges at the kingdom advancing. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:24.240 In the book of Acts, our guy Paul, he's traveling all throughout the ancient world. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:38.240 So in Acts 18 and 19, we find ourselves at this place where Paul is finishing his second missionary journey and then going into his third, which is his final one, where he's going throughout the ancient world, ministering to these churches, planting churches, and then discipling and pastoring these people. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.000 So here's what we're gonna do this morning. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.720 We have almost 70 verses to cover, okay? 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:49.600 So I'm gonna summarize chapter 18, and then we'll do a deep dive into 18 to help us see what the Word of God has for us. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:54.399 So Acts 18 brings us again to the end of Paul's second missionary journey. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:59.199 Paul's in Corinth, which is about 50 miles west of Athens, and he's doing what he typically does. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:00.800 He's teaching in the synagogue. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:09.360 Um, and he's trying to persuade these Jewish men and women that the Christ they are waiting for has been perfectly fulfilled in the personal work of Jesus, which the Old Testament said he would. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:11.519 And as usual, the Jews get mad. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.040 And so Paul leaves. 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.120 He doesn't make it very far though, as uh Acts 18, 7 tells us. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:19.439 He tells us he left the synagogue and ended up next door. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:19.839 Right? 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:31.040 So he's teaching there, and we see that a couple Jewish leaders end up coming to faith right after these guys get mad at him, and then Paul has a dream, and it's almost as if this dream kind of caps off this missionary journey. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:31.920 So I want to read this for us. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.840 This is Acts 18, 9 and 10. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:45.039 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in the city who are my people. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:56.159 Paul gets this affirmation that his ministry will continue to expand, not because Paul is amazing, but because God will be faithful to the word that he promised, that the church will be built. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:01.440 So Paul stays in Corinth for a little while, sees a lot of people come to faith, and then he returns to Antioch. 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:08.879 And Antioch is where the main mother church of Acts was planted, where Paul would be sent from and then returned to often throughout the book of Acts. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:18.159 And then after this, Paul travels throughout the ancient world, visiting the churches that he planted, discipling them, pasturing them, and then that brings us right into Acts 19. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:20.720 So Paul has just arrived in Ephesus. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:28.960 Ephesus was this big cultural religious hub with business, economics, and again religion. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:31.519 And this is the kind of city that like we're thinking LA, New York. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.080 Like this is an epicenter of the ancient world, right? 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:41.840 So we learn that Paul arrives and he meets these uh twelve people who were disciples, but not quite of Jesus. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:47.360 And so Paul comes in, he meets them, he uh teaches them the right way, I guess. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:50.879 We learn that they know about baptism, but they have never heard about the Holy Spirit. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:55.600 And so it wasn't this moment where Paul had to start from scratch, but he just kind of had to redirect a little bit. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:58.320 And then they receive the Holy Spirit, they're baptized. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:08.159 And we learn in this passage that Paul's ministry in Ephesus, this sparking of the third missionary journey, begins with a violent and amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:11.279 Because that's how the kingdom of God advances over earthly powers. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.639 The power of the Holy Spirit coming in and being at work. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:21.440 So Paul baptizes these guys, and then we learn that Paul goes to this big lecture hall called the Hall of Tyrnanus. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:24.399 And in this place, Paul teaches for two years. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:31.279 And it's estimated that he taught about two million people over the course of these two years, because people would travel to come hear people give lectures. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:32.639 So he's lecturing in this place. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:34.639 It's an amazing missionary strategy. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:40.240 And we learn from the text that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.440 So as we continue on, just keep that little nugget in mind. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:45.919 So let's read again what Grace just read. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.600 It's crazy enough, I wanted to read it again. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.240 This is Acts 19, 11 through 20. 00:10:51.679 --> 00:11:03.360 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even the handkerchiefs or aprons that he touched, that touched his skin, were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:13.440 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I adjure you, by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:20.720 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Skeva were doing this, but the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you? 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:27.440 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:31.360 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:35.519 And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:40.559 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:49.919 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all, and they counted the value of them, and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:53.679 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:56.240 So this passage begins with an interesting note. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:02.559 Right after Paul baptizes these guys, we see that God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:06.639 Another way this word extraordinary could be translated is unusual miracles. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:15.200 In other words, these miracles weren't a primary part of Paul's missionary strategy, because his primary strategy was the proclamation of the Word of God to the people of God. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:23.679 These miracles were a way for God to bring significant affirmation to the ministry of Paul, much like Jesus in the Gospels, who would perform miracles to show that he was the Christ. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:24.080 Right. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:25.519 Very similar way. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:28.240 He's doing, God's doing this. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:32.799 He's performing supernatural things in a supernatural city. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:34.639 That's what we're gonna learn here in a second. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:39.679 So the next, uh in verse 13, we see this phrase, itinerant Jewish exorcists. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.159 Didn't think you'd hear that today, I'm thinking. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:44.000 Book of Acts. 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:51.919 So in our story, we have these seven men who are Jewish exorcists, and they're the sons of a Jewish high priest named Skeba. 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:55.679 So these men see the ministry success of Paul. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:13:01.120 They see Paul healing people even without him noting because his handkerchief were falling on them. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:09.759 And so these people, these Jewish exorcists, get jealous and they start trying to do the same thing as Paul, but with false motives. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:11.519 Because they're Jewish. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.759 They don't believe that Jesus is the Christ. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:24.399 So they call on the name of Jesus, but falsely, so that rather than healing the man, that we learned in the passage with the unclean spirit, the man attacks them so aggressively that they run out of the house beaten and naked. 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:25.440 The word of the Lord. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:26.240 Amen. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:34.080 So in Ephesus, as we'll continue to see, the supernatural was a very, very present thing in their culture. 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.240 They were a supernatural people. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:39.840 This is something noticeably lacking in our American culture, isn't it? 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:41.360 Even in Christian circles. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:46.559 Our natural inclination is to be hyper-focused on what we can see, touch, feel, smell, and that that's normal. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.720 But in this Ephesian context, the supernatural was more real to them than the natural. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:52.320 And so that's important for us to recognize. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:57.279 And God here, as he is continuing to expand his kingdom, is using supernatural means. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:04.480 Paul, empowered by the Spirit, heals people, and these Jewish exorcists, not empowered by the Spirit, are overcome. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:06.559 And this again echoes our big point. 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:08.480 God will build his church. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:12.559 But it doesn't take long to look around and feel the opposite, does it? 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:19.759 We look on social media, we hear the news, we hear people saying horrible things about the church, saying that the church is dying. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:21.919 We see terrible things happening all around us. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.679 We see incredible suffering. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:29.919 We see people die often at unimaginably young ages, and then we get discouraged, and rightfully so. 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:34.799 Perhaps in these moments we sit and look and think, Lord, are you are you here? 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:36.879 How are you letting these things happen? 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:39.440 Lord, how are you letting our culture disintegrate around us? 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.120 Are you even working? 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.799 And I want to take a moment to let the word of God encourage us today. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:49.200 God will build his church, and no earthly or spiritual power can hinder that. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:53.039 It's been 2,000 years since this book, and we're still sitting here. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:54.639 And that's evidence of that. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:05.279 So this has both universal, corporate, and individual implications for us, meaning God is as committed to his worldwide church, big sea church, as he is to you individually in your sea today. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:16.720 God is far more committed to you than you are to him, and no matter what comes your way, whether that's suffering, immense doubts in your faith, things that you're wrestling with, life circumstance, he will hold on to you. 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:18.320 That's good news. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:22.720 So what do we see happening immediately after these exorcists run out of the house naked? 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.039 The name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:37.679 So much so that we see men and women across the Ephesian landscape coming and forsaking their practices of sorcery, selling their magic books, not talking Harry Potter here, and bow the knee to Jesus. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:44.480 And Luke lands us at this conclusion, and this is notably with Luke, a flex of the power of God over evil. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:45.919 This is Acts 19, 20. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.840 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.639 And we got one more passage for the day, so let's read it together. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.279 Acts 19, 21 through 27. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:05.120 Now, after these events that we just read, Paul resolved in the spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaea and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:11.039 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:14.559 About that time there rose no little disturbance concerning the way. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.279 The way was how they referred to as Christians at this time. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:23.120 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:28.879 These he gathered together with the workmen in similar trades, and said, Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:38.799 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:52.960 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be dis deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship. 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:59.279 So Paul is here in Ephesus, that's what he means by Asia, and we meet a new character in the story, Demetrius. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:04.960 Demetrius, we learn, is a silversmith, and his particular uh job was to literally make idols. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:13.200 And these idols weren't to some JV god or goddess, this was to the five-star All-American QB Artemis, who I'm sure you're all familiar with. 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.680 Artemis was a big deal in Ephesus. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:23.759 She had a temple, and this temple was so beautiful, so magnificent that it was actually considered one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.240 It was a centerpiece of Ephesian worship and culture. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:28.799 And here's a picture of what it likely looked like. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:29.920 It was beautiful. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:31.119 It was unbelievable. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.920 I want to show a picture of it today, next. 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:36.079 This is what it looks like today. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:42.240 People are still bowing the knee to Jesus in faith, and for ten bucks you can go walk through this temple now. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.279 Now we learned in the passage that Demetrius is upset. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:50.240 And he's upset because through the preaching of Paul, people are coming to faith in Jesus. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:52.960 And this is resulting in Demetrius losing business. 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:57.119 Paul's preaching had been so effective that it was literally transforming an economy. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:01.200 In the Hall of Tyrinus, again, he taught over two million people. 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:06.319 Then he met the sons of Sceva, and after that, the name of Jesus was presented to be the one true God. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:11.039 So many people who were practicing witchcraft and dark arts were converted. 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:17.920 And this affected the Ephesian economy so much that the dude who made idols for Artemis was noticing a difference. 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.839 So what does Demetrius do? 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.640 As one would, he incites a riot. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:28.559 It's in this moment that God is exposing the rampant idolatry in this city. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:35.839 And as this idolatry is exposed, the people whom it is affecting get mad. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.079 Now I mentioned earlier, I live right across the street from Session Stand, right? 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:42.160 It's a coffee shop over there. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:43.759 Sometimes it's a lot of fun. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.240 When I'm feeling extroverted, I see a lot of people I love. 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:47.599 I get to go give them a hug. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:49.119 Hey, it's great. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:50.799 Those days are great. 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:55.839 Other days, when I'm feeling introverted, it's not as great when I see a lot of people. 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.319 So I'm gonna just tell a little story. 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:03.839 Maybe uh I've learned that I am the most introverted at the worst times. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:09.839 Okay, maybe something annoyed me that morning, maybe I'm just looking for a quiet walk, and it always happens. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:19.759 Get my shoes on, get my AirPods in, podcast rolling, and I go up to my front door, got a little window in the front door, I look out, and I see, I just get getting a grip on who's there, right? 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.640 And I know what I do is I'm planning, right? 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:28.240 I look outside, I see, I see a hundred people, I'm like, okay, social preparation time, right? 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:31.599 I gotta rally myself up, uh, I gotta get ready. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:35.359 Now I feel like my typical walk time is about 1015, right? 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:36.319 Especially on Fridays. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:37.680 I love a 1015 a.m. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:43.519 walk because that by then I've got some good reading in, I got my coffee done, I'm I'm feeling good for the day. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:49.359 But you know what's happening at 1015 on Fridays is the 915 Lulu Bell class just got out, okay? 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:56.240 And much like clockwork, I look out the front door and there are 47 extroverts at session stand, okay? 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.799 So in this moment, I'm at my front door making decisions, okay? 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.240 I'm thinking, I got three sides of my brain going on at this moment. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.079 I'm like, Sam, you do work at a church. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.160 Like, you should go say hey, right? 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:10.880 Then the other half of me is like, no, I have earned this quiet walk. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:13.200 Podcast is going, I want a quiet walk. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:18.559 But then the other half of me is like, ah, you do have three or four kids in the youth group, so you probably should say hey to her, right? 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:22.880 Now I know this is silly and it exposes my selfishness and how introverted I am. 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:27.519 But the point I'm trying to get at is that safety and comfort are huge heart idols to me. 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:33.359 And whenever those are threatened or exposed, my heart fights a little bit, or at least maybe negotiates. 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.480 Because that's what happened whenever our idols are exposed in our hearts. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:38.000 We we like to fight a little bit. 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:39.359 We talk about this a lot. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:41.039 Idols work sort of like this. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:46.720 Idols say, I will be okay, whole, satisfied, as long as you fill in the blank. 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:54.799 But then the gospel, to contrast to that, says this I am okay, whole, satisfied, because of my beloved identity in Jesus. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:00.079 What we know and believe about idols is that they're not external habits or sins or whatever. 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:04.400 Idols are deep core identifying beliefs about ourselves. 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:07.200 And we're ultimately getting at this whenever we place faith in them. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:15.440 We want to be justified in a specific way, and in idolatry, we are not finding that in the saving work of Jesus in that specific way. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:21.680 And whenever we have a deep core identifying belief exposed, as we see in Ephesus, it hurts. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:23.279 There's a little fight. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.000 And this is what God is doing to the city of Ephesus. 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:35.519 He's doing surgery on it, he's exposing where this city is hurting, ultimately so that he can heal the city. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:37.039 He's building a church there. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:41.759 But in order to build it through his servant Paul, again, he wants to expose the idolatry there. 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:46.480 And as he does this, people in the city freak out, beginning with Demetrius. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.119 So much so that there's a full blown riot. 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:51.440 But there's something notable within the riot. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:57.680 People rioting were so confused by the riot that they didn't even know why they were rioting in the first place. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.839 And this is what idols do in our heart. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:06.079 They can't fulfill what they promise, and so we're always left confused, blinded. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:12.960 What we believe through the Word of God is that true joy and life come from the presence of Jesus as he moves towards us. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:18.079 And even as we continue to fall back into these idolatrous beliefs, we too become blinded and confused. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:25.200 But often, whenever our heart idols are exposed, our first instinct perhaps might be to fight, to self-justify, to negotiate. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.640 But we see that the God of the Bible is committed. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:33.119 That even as we wander, as we stray, he always returns. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:37.759 He always seeks to bring our hearts back because he is far more committed to us than we are to him. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:39.519 I want to close with this. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:44.559 Artemis was a primary goddess in the Greek religious system. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:50.799 Her temple was four times the size of the Parthenon and was the cultural and religious centerpiece of this city. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:23:04.319 And to win at the souls of the people of this city, God went after the city's center to poke at it, to do a little surgery on it, to show them how fragile their faith in Artemis was, so that they could see how sufficient the cross of Christ was for them. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.720 My favorite story in the whole Bible is the story of the woman at the well in John 4. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:11.440 We talk about it at students on Sunday nights all the time. 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:20.079 This woman, a Samaritan, which was unheard of for Jesus to be talking to her, was the first person that Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God to in the book of John. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:23.759 There's one thing I love and hate about this story. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:32.799 Jesus, to heal this woman, to give her the redemption and restoration that her heart most needs, he pokes at her deepest heart wound. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:44.799 This woman gets poked at by Jesus at the very place that she feels the most shame, at the very place that she is trying with all of her energy to hide from, and that's her sexual past. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.640 Because he knows that that is what is keeping her from full life found in him. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:49.839 He knows that. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:52.079 She believes she's too far gone. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:55.200 She believes that the Messiah couldn't possibly love her. 00:23:55.440 --> 00:24:00.880 She believes that the rivers of living water that Jesus is promising to her are just out of her grasp. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:02.720 But what does Jesus do? 00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:04.480 He moves towards her. 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.559 What does the God of the Bible do? 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:08.640 He moves towards his people. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.839 So maybe you find yourself this morning like the woman at the well. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:15.839 Maybe this morning you've had a season you felt far from the Lord. 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:20.079 You've had a season where you feel exhausted from getting beat up by life. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:23.359 Perhaps you just find yourself at the end of yourself this morning. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:28.400 The invitation right now is to just collapse into the arms of Jesus. 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:32.079 Perhaps for the first time, but if not, perhaps for the millionth time. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.160 That's the invitation this morning. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:37.519 And what I want you to believe is that Jesus is so committed to you. 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:42.720 He looks at you with such empathy, with such tenderness, never with an eye of judgment. 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:47.680 And he just is always inviting you back into his arms because that is where full life and full joy come. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:49.279 Let's pray together. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:52.880 Father, thank you for your word. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:57.839 Thank you that it is sufficient for all things concerning life and salvation. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:00.960 Thank you, Lord, that you have upheld your story. 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:10.240 That even 2,000 years later, as culture is pressing down on the church, as the world looks down on Christianity, Lord, you are still committed to us. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.920 Lord, we look forward to the day where we get to be with you in heaven. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:24.319 But even now, as we live in this in-between, the already finished work of Jesus, but the not yet fully finished new heavens and new earth, Lord, we grieve that life is not the way it's supposed to be. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:27.759 We experience a lot of heartache, a lot of trial. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:30.480 And so, Lord, we ask that you would come quickly. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:33.039 We need you, we need your grace. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:37.759 We confess that we have a lot of things in our heart that are far from you. 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:45.839 But Lord, I'm thankful for the gospel that it moves towards us, that the heart of Jesus moves into our lives even as we wander. 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:51.519 Pray that as we heard from your word and as we received the sacraments, Lord, I pray that you would speak to our hearts even now. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:52.960 We pray this all in Jesus' name. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:53.759 Amen.