"Who Are You?" (Part 3)

Acts 19.11-17

“Who Are You?” (Part 3)

K. Adrian Scott

Today’s text finds us during the Apostle Paul’s third missionary journey, and while he and while he is in Ephesus particularly, he develops a ministry there which lasted for three months.Ephesus is located on the west coast of modern Turkey, and according to Dr. John Constable, a noted Bible scholar, “its religious influence continued to draw worshippers to the Temple of Artemis (Greek) or Diana (Roman). This magnificent temple was four times the size of the Parthenon at Athens and was renowned as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.”The greatest glory of Ephesus was that she was the guardian of the most famous pagan temple in the world.”

V. 11-12; “And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.”

Note: “God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.” There was no question here as to who was working in Paul’s life - God was at work in the life of the Apostle Paul. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was so great upon Paul that even articles of his clothing were taken and when the clothing touched a sick person, or one who was possessed by an evil spirit, they were healed! This is a miracle within itself, because as the apron or handkerchief was taken from one place to another, we are reminded that God is everywhere, and He is everywhere at the same time because there is no distance with God. God does not have to come here or go there because God is everywhere! This is the doctrine of God’s omnipresence.

v. 13; “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.”

In short, twelve non-believing, non-Christian Jewish proselytes were praying, or at least attempting to pray as they laid hands on people, just as they had seen the twelve believing Apostles, or at least the Apostle Paul do, and in their attempts to pray they also prayed using the name of Jesus by whom Paul also preached.

Here are two important things we should have learned last week from these verses -

These men are not Christians, but Jewish proselytes; they were attempting to pray in the Holy Spirit without the Holy Spirit indwelling them;

These same men were attempting to perform miracles in the name of Jesus without having the name of Jesus in the spiritual DNA. Listen to what John 14.13-14 says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? First of all, what does it not mean? Saying the words, “in the name of Jesus” is not a magic formula so that whatever we pray for we are guaranteed to receive. God is not a genie in a lantern. We also know God only answers our prayers when what we are praying for is in accordance with God’s will for our lives. Here, the Word of the Lord - “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5. 5-22).

So, here is the will of God -

1. don’t be asleep spiritually, but be sober;

2. don’t be a drunk;

3. put on the breastplate of faith and love’

4. put on the helmet of salvation;

5. be an encourager;

6. build one another up, (as opposed to ourselves);

7. respect those who labor among you;

8. esteem them in love because of their work;

9. be at peace among yourselves;

10. admonish the idle;

11. encourage the fainthearted;

12. help the weak;

13. be patient with them all;

14. do not repay anyone evil for evil;

15. seek to do good to one another and to everyone (including unbelievers);

16. Rejoice always;

17. pray without ceasing;

18. give thanks in all circumstances - for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

19. do not quench the Spirit;

20. do not despise prophecies;

21. test everything;

22. hold fast what is good;

23. abstain from every form of evil.

Nowhere on the list of things that are God’s will in Christ Jesus is a new camel, a new shawl, a mansion, a Lexus. It is simply to be a better, more effective Christian in the Kingdom of God.

So, what does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? It means we are praying with the authority of Christ.