They Tried It

Pray

Give Honor

Text: Acts 19:11-20

Acts 19:11–20 (NLT)

God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”

Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

They tried it…is a colloquialism that we often hear in our everyday conversations.

It’s a phrase that packs a punch, describing someone who attempted something bold,

something audacious, ‘

and even something reckless without fully understanding what they were getting into.

like When someone tries to show off at work, taking on a project far beyond their expertise, and ends up making a mess of it, we might shake our heads and say, "They tried it."

Or when a student, without studying, attempts to ace an exam by copying from others, only to get caught in the act, we may say, "They tried it."

When someone tries to belittle your achievements, thinking they can undermine your confidence with a few slick remarks,

yet end up exposing their own insecurities, we say again, "They tried it."

And when your child tries to sneak out past curfew, thinking they can outsmart you,

only to find you waiting at the door when they return, we smile and say, "They tried it."

They tried it...speaks to that mix of ignorance, ambition, and oversight, that usually leads to spectacular failure.

They tried it… is said when someone is trying to get over on you, belittle you, or deceive you with a sense of overconfidence.

and it is here in this text, we see some people who are “Trying it” again.

These people are the “seven sons of Sceeva, a group of Jews traveling from town to town, trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus and Paul,

yet it backfired quickly.

Now this is an amazing time in the life and ministry of the early church.

Paul is in his third missionary journey in Ephesus.

Ephesus was a major city, located in modern-day Turkey,

and it was a significant city for commerce, culture, and spirituality.

The city was known for its grand temple which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The people of Ephesus were deeply spiritual, often engaging in magic and superstition,

and they sought power and control through various rituals.

In Ephesus, from a birds eye view, we see a clear difference between the real power of God and the ineffective tricks used by local magicians.

But in that day, it was not so clear.

The word of God said that a group of Jews were traveling from town to town, casting out demons.

They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their Magical and spiritual ritual, yet it failed miserably.

Which begs me to raise the question,

What went wrong for the sons of Sceva?

Where did they miss the mark?

Because they were saying the right things yet this time, it did not work.

They were doing it in the name of Jesus, yet it did not work.

Why did it not work?

if you’re taking notes,

they missed the mark because....

They did not have.......A Personal Relationship with Jesus (Acts 19:13-15)

Listen to what the word says,

Acts 19:13–15 (NLT)

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”

Remember, In this magical- spiritually charged environment,

the Apostle Paul was performing extraordinary miracles, In the name of Jesus.

The power of God was so strong that even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched Paul were healing the sick and casting out demons.

The seven sons of Sceva saw the miracles performed by Paul and tried to imitate them by invoking the name of Jesus.

However, they lacked a personal relationship with Jesus, which is the foundation of true spiritual authority.

They used His name like a magic formula, not realizing that the power comes from knowing Him intimately.

It's crucial to understand that Paul's power did not stem from an "abracadabra" or mere words.

It was an outward expression of his deep relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul's journey to this point was marked by a radical transformation.

He was once Saul, a zealous persecutor of Christians, known for the imprisoning and even approval of the execution of believers.

But on the road to Damascus, he was knocked off his high horse

and He encountered the risen Christ in a blinding light.

From that moment on,

Paul's life was radically changed.

He went from being a persecutor to a preacher, from a jailer to a freed man in Christ.

And Paul endured hardships, including imprisonment, chains, and ridicule.

Paul's relationship with Jesus stemmed from personal experience and profound encounters.

In Acts 12, we find him imprisoned, facing trial and potential death.

But in the darkest hours of the night, an angel of the Lord appeared,

waking him from his sleep and leading him out of the maze of the prison, for the sake of spreading the Gospel.

and with all that Paul has been through up to this point,

Paul has no problems facing demons.

His trust and reliance on his relationship with Jesus gave him a power that only Jesus could give.

The demons were scared of Paul. They knew him by name.

So when the seven sons of Sceva come and try to cast out demons by imitating what they heard, it backfired.

and the truth of the matter is,

We must be careful of the Ministry of Imitation and Regurgitation.

Because that can only get us so far.

The enemy can show up at any moment and expose who or what we do not know.

When the priests tried to cast the demon out,

they said, I know Jesus, and I know of Paul but Who are you? We’ve never met. I don't know where you come from.

I know this Jesus and I know Kirk Houston, but who are you?

I know this Jesus and I know this Michael, but who are you?

I know Jesus and I know Susan, but who are you?

I know Jesus and I know dianna, but who are you?

Children of God, we must know Jesus for ourselves.

We can't rely on just regurgitating church jargon or mimicking spiritual practices.

We need to cultivate a personal, living relationship with Jesus.

The enemy does not care about what job you have,

whether you're the CEO or CFO,

the enemy doesn't care about what kind of clothes you wear,

The enemy doesn't care about the Facebook posts you make.

What the enemy is truly afraid of is your relationship with Jesus.

When you know Him intimately,

when you trust Him completely, a

nd when you rely on His power,

you become a threat to the kingdom of darkness.

and when he tries to arise,as the word says, the spirit of the Lord will lift of a standard against it.

It takes a personal relationship to overcome addiction.

It takes a personal relationship to conquer sickness.

It takes a personal relationship to mend broken relationships.

It takes a personal relationship to say no to things you want to say yes to.

It takes a personal relationship to say YES to things you want to say NO to.

It takes a personal relationship to find peace in the midst of turmoil.

It takes a personal relationship to overcome financial struggles.

It takes a personal relationship to navigate life's uncertainties.

If we want to make it in this season of our lives, it takes personal relationship to do so.

They missed the mark because they did not have...........

and because they did not have personal relationship,

They also did not have.........The Power to Resist (Acts 19:16)

the bible says,

Acts 19:16 (NLT)

Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

When they “Tried it” and confronted a demon-possessed man, the evil spirit recognized that they had no real authority or power.

So this spirit, Leaped on them, OVER POWERED THEM, and attacked them with so much violence that they left naked and bettered.

They missed the mark, because Without the Holy Spirit,

they were left powerless and vulnerable,

and the demon-possessed man was able to overpower them, because they were trying to do it in their own strength.

This vivid account underscores the peril of attempting to confront spiritual forces without genuine knowledge, authority, and power from the Holy Spirit.

In our lives, we may face spiritual battles where the enemy seeks to challenge our faith and authority in Christ.

and Just as Paul faced trials, imprisonments, and confrontations with demons, we too may encounter such spiritual warfare.

but we must have the POWER to resist the enemy. The sons of Sceva got overpowered because they were not connected to the power source.

The power source would have reminded us to

James 4:7 (KJV)

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

The power source would have reminded us to

1 Peter 5:8-9 (KJV)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The power source would have reminded us to

Ephesians 6:11-13 (KJV)

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

The power source would have reminded us

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (KJV)

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

They tried it, but they had no power.

and in this day and age YOU NEED POWER

They tried it, but they had no power.

And in this day and age, YOU NEED POWER.

You need power to walk right,

power to talk right, power to live right,

power to pray right,

power to love right.

Power to overcome the trials of life.

Power to stand firm in the face of adversity.

Power to resist the temptations that come your way. WE NEED POWER

Power ower to break free from addiction.

WE need power to overcome sickness.

You need power to restore broken relationships.

You need power to find peace in the midst of turmoil. YOU NEED POWER

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Romans 8:11 (KJV)

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

They missed the mark because they did not have personal relationship

They missed the mark because they had no power to resist,

But even though they missed the Mark,

They caused Powerful Repentance (Acts 19:17-20) Acts 19:17-20

Acts 19:17–20 NLT

The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

Despite their failure,

this incident led to a powerful reverence for the name of Jesus throughout Ephesus.

People recognized the true power of God, leading to widespread confession, renouncement of evil practices, and burning of sorcery scrolls.

The fear of the Lord spread, and many turned to God with sincere hearts, resulting in profound repentance and transformation. They tried to make themselves known,

and it backfired. The event caused a deep respect and fear for the name of Jesus to spread throughout the city of Ephesus.

Many who had believed came forward, openly confessing their previous evil deeds and renouncing their former practices.

Those who practiced sorcery brought their scrolls and books, burning them in public. These books were worth millions and The value of these materials was significant, demonstrating the depth of their repentance.

As a result of these actions, the word of God grew mightily and prevailed, indicating a powerful movement of faith and transformation within the community.

so in other words

God still found a way to get the Glory.

As God always does, He found a way to get the glory.

Despite human failures and the enemy's attempts to mess up His plans, God’s power and purpose prevailed. They tried it, but God still got the glory.

and this isn’t the first time they tried it.

They tried it by trying to kill the Israelites. Pharaoh enslaved them and ordered the killing of their male babies to suppress them. But God got the glory. He delivered the Israelites with powerful signs and wonders, parting the Red Sea and bringing them to safety (Exodus 14:29-31).

They tried it by trying to kill the Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, by throwing them into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the golden image. But God got the glory. He protected them from the flames, and they emerged unscathed, leading King Nebuchadnezzar to praise the God of Israel (Daniel 3:27-30).

They tried it by trying to kill Daniel by throwing him into the lions' den because of his unwavering faithfulness to God. But God got the glory. He shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was unharmed. King Darius then issued a decree that everyone must fear and reverence the God of Daniel (Daniel 6:21-27).

They tried it by selling Joseph into slavery, intending to harm him and thwart his dreams. But God got the glory. Joseph rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt, and God used him to save many lives during a severe famine, including his own family (Genesis 50:20).

They tried it by inflicting Job with suffering, taking away his wealth, health, and family. But God got the glory. Job remained faithful, and in the end, God restored his fortunes, giving him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10-17).

They tried it by plotting to kill the Jewish people through Haman’s decree. But God got the glory. Esther’s bravery and Mordecai’s wisdom led to the Jews' deliverance, and Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10).

They even tried it by imprisoning Paul and Silas for preaching the gospel. But God got the glory. An earthquake opened the prison doors, and the jailer and his family came to faith in Christ (Acts 16:25-34).

But that’s not the last time they tried it.

They tried it by putting Jesus on the cross. They thought they could end His influence and mission by crucifying Him. But God got the glory. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He conquered sin and death, providing salvation for all who believe (Philippians 2:8-11).