Untitled Sermon

Intro

In 1920’s, a man named Howard Lawton was seeking new opportunity for himself and his family amidst the Great Depression. So, Howard packed up his wife and 3 children into their car, where he cut a hole in the floor, so that they wouldn’t need to stop for bathroom breaks; and he drove from Athol Massachusetts to Detroit Michigan. By 1927 in the middle of the motor city Howard began a precision cutting tool manufacturing company, which makes tools that helped cut and shape parts for automobiles and other machinery. Slowly the business grew, so that by the time Norman Lawton (Howard’s son) had taken over the company it was established as a known tool manufacturer in southeast Michigan; but in the late 1960’s there was a major change; but… I’ll tell you about that in a little while.

~Because our passage for today, Acts 19: 8-12 gives us a blueprint of God’s commission for the early Christians when they entered into different cities and evangelize to the community. So, as we look at Paul’s example during his time in Ephesus, I want us to remember this: God’s great commission requires perseverance, by speaking boldly the Word of God, and through our obedience the Lord will use our ministry to further his Kingdom.

But first, some background context

~We are meeting up with Paul amidst his second missionary journey, with, Silas, and eventually Timothy. He has been traversing all-over modern-day Turkey, northern Greece, down to Athens, Corinth, and then finally Paul crosses over the Aegean Sea to Ephesus, which is back in modern Turkey. Paul’s trip to this point was approximately 1200 miles, that’s like us here in Philadelphia traveling to Oklahoma City, on foot, over several years.

~So, when Paul enters Ephesus, in verse 1 of chapter 19 “he found some disciples,” these people were believers likely converted by Apollos. So, at the start of Acts 19 Paul is building his ministry in Ephesus in the context of Apollos, which is what verses 1-7 of chapter 19 are about. Now, there is an entire sermon on Acts 19:1-7 that could be taught; but for our lesson these first 7 verses are context for how Paul is making sure all the Christians had properly responded to the gospel and were ‘on the same team’. So, by the time we get to verse 8 Paul was in the synagogue speaking boldly, reasoning, and persuading his fellow followers of YHWH both the Christians and the diaspora.

For many of us Christians—especially us reformed folk— we partly wish that Luke would’ve stopped this story at verse 8. Ideally, Paul would have arrived, made sure everyone was ‘doctrinally sound,’ laid hands on some people, baptized them, and for a few months continued debating, and discussing the bible and other theological issues, and then Paul would have moved on to the next town. This would have tied a little bow on Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. But is this how ministry for the kingdom of God has ever played out in history?

~All we have to do is look at the book of Acts, when someone (Peter, Stephen, Paul) publicly declares the gospel it is radically disruptive. The message of the gospel disputes culture, religions, and economic practices; if we followed Paul’s different mission journeys we would see a pattern. As he entered any town, when he began proclaiming the Gospel, it changed the way people thought about community, religion, and everyday life. The church fathers speak of how early Christians were conundrums to the Greco-Roman culture. Their lifestyle and practices were alien to the roman everyday life, so Christians were labeled Atheists, incestuous cannibals, and faced persecution for their ‘foreign religion.’

This disruptive presence is a lot like what is happening in the world of baseball. There is a minor league baseball team that is changing up how people play America’s past time, they are called the Savannah Bananas. Their goal is to make baseball as entertaining for the audience as possible by singing songs, having dance breaks, dressing in costumes and playing an entire game of baseball in under two hours. For some, this new way to play the sport is finally making baseball enjoyable again, while for others it is ruining the ‘sanctity’ of the sport.

~ Whether you have a strong opinion about baseball or not, the point is that when something new or ‘radically different’ enters our way of life, naturally humans resist that new thing. A common phrase we equate to this reality is someone being ‘set in their ways.’ So, as we follow the story of Paul’s ministry to the Ephesians in chapter 19, I want us to remember the acronym “S.E.T.”

First, Paul’s ministry faced Slander from the diaspora in the synagogue.

~Like I said, for many of us we wish this story would’ve ended at verse 8. But it doesn’t. We read that despite Paul’s preaching and proclamation of the Gospel there were still individuals who “became stubborn and continued in unbelief,” that phrase ‘became stubborn’ can mean quite literally ‘became hardened’ which was a common phrase in the Old Testament used for peoples who were unwilling to believe in the one true God. Now, for many of us it doesn’t take us long to think of the family member, friend, or coworker that still has a ‘hardened heart’ to the Grace and beauty of the Gospel; and we also may have experienced what Paul faced in verse 9 that comes alongside the ‘hardened heart’ of the unbeliever; as that person “speaks evil,” whether that’s animosity, criticism, or slander about yourself or Christians in general. But for Paul and the disciples, what makes this opposition so difficult is that it was all happening in the confines of the synagogue congregation.

For us, it is easy to quickly look out into the world, on the internet, or on the news and find examples of how Christians/ Christianity are being slandered; but I want us to think about how Paul was with fellow worshipers of YHWH. Though the Jews attacking the proclamation of the Gospel by Paul and the Way in the synagogue were not Gospel believers, they were at one level, fellow believers in YHWH. Sadly, Christians are also guilty of practicing this type of slander within our own congregations and denominations. Christians attack and accuse one another simply because we do not agree with the person across the aisle, or with the church down the road. But that is not what Christ calls us to when he prayed in John Chapter 17 verse 21 saying, “they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” And Paul from our story today, echoes this same truth in his letter to the Ephesians 4:2-3 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The body of Christ should strive towards unity, despite our disagreements.

~ As for the ministry happening in Ephesus, like I said, not all of the members of the synagogue congregation were believers. So, as verse 9 says “he [Paul] withdrew from them [the unbelievers in the synagogue] and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the Hall of Tyrannus.”

This takes us to the second letter; Paul’s ministry faced the Environment of the Ephesian culture.

~Now you may ask, ‘wasn’t Paul already interacting with the Ephesians while living in the city?’ In Short, yes, Paul was a tentmaker and his job had him working and living life in the center of Ephesus, but up until this point Paul’s ministry and major teaching was done in the synagogue. But following verse 9 Paul’s ministry changes setting. So that the major Christian Presence in Ephesus was found in daily teachings at the Hall of Tyrannus. So, what was the Hall of Tyrannus? And why is it important? Well, this hall was not like a local ‘community hall’ where you can host a wedding, township meeting, bingo, and seniors jazzercize all in the same week. No, the Hall of Tyrannus was a place of learning, and prestigious learning at that. We know this because archeologists have located the Hall of Tyrannus directly to the left of the Library of Celsus {Show Picture} and this was in the Center of Ephesus; this would be equal to having a classroom right next to or connected to the Library of Congress. And Paul’s job as a tentmaker meant his shop was in the city’s major market (called the Agora) and that was located directly to the right of the Library of Celsus. So, what makes this so difficult? For some of us, we would appreciate that short of a daily commute.

But let me paint a picture for us of Paul’s daily routine. He would’ve started his day working in a market filled with discussions over current events, gossip, and politics of the city, while the major trade happening would have been slaves from across the Roman empire and silverwork, mainly idol-making to the major god of the city, Artemis. After work Paul would’ve crossed by the Library of Celsus filled with people and scrolls discussing religion and philosophy of the time, while the facade of the building dawned statues to the gods of wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and virtue. Finally, he would’ve entered the Hall of Tyrannus along with fellow believers and curious listeners who had just walked similar paths like Paul’s, hearing, seeing, and experiencing these same realities of the culture. And so, when it was time to speak about and proclaim the gospel, the burdens and influences of the day would’ve been ever present on every person's heart sitting in that room.

~What should make us stop in this story is Luke’s use of the Verb ‘withdrew’ in verse 9. The use of that word fundamentally indicates a separation or distancing between two entities. That means, Paul and his fellow Christians became separated from the synagogue, separated from people of similar beliefs, perspectives, and ways of life; but it doesn’t say Paul and the disciples withdrew and turned up the road, going to the next city, or found another synagogue with better music. No, they remained in Ephesus, and they withdrew— in a way— into Ephesus. The same Ephesus filled with slave-trade, pagan philosophy, idol worship, and imperial dominion.

This leads me to my final Letter of our Acronym:Paul’s ministry dealt with the Time spent in Ephesus.

~This point may seem so simple, but in our 4 verses of Acts 19 there are two temporal indicators, one we have already read in verse 8, telling us of the three months Paul spoke in the synagogue; and the second comes in verse 10, “And this continued for two years.” What exactly ‘continued’ for two years? That was Paul’s daily teaching in the Hall of Tyrannus. That meant for Paul and his ministry he was constantly sharing the gospel with others every day. But this also meant Paul worked in the Agora, he walked that same path daily to the Hall of Tyrannus, and it would not be surprising if he and his disciples still received slander and evil speech from those in the synagogue over those two years living in Ephesus, day in and day out. I think we can easily forget when we read the bible how fast that time passes in Scripture, from one verse to the next could be 50 to 100 years in the future.

~And this is has become an issue today, for many of Christians fulfilling the great Commission through our ministry turns time into our enemy. And in a culture where instant gratification and results are the ideal, the temptation is to add that ideal into our philosophy of ministry. So that the idea of spreading the gospel divulges into a ‘silver bullet sermon’ or ‘experience’ that will create thousands upon thousands of full developed Christians. Now, I want to acknowledge that I have just spoken about the hypercriticism within Christianity and my goal is not to accuse anyone of this philosophy of ministry; rather I want us to see the truth of scripture. That God’s use of Paul ministering in Ephesus was not a one and done super sermon; rather it was about 730 days of daily teaching the Word of God.

(**Gospel focused point**)

Now, some of us may see this story of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and dismiss it as a message for those who have been called into full time ministry; that the average layperson is not called to persevere in spreading the Gospel like Paul. Some of us may look at this story and be filled with self-doubt, saying to ourselves ‘why would God use someone like me? I barely know anything about the Bible, I don’t even know if I truly believe in God, and if he really knew how broken I was he would never want me to talk to other people about him.’ Regardless of where you may see yourself, God has commissioned ALL Christians in Matthew 28: 19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” this call is for you, me, and every person who calls themselves a Christian.

But for those who may be still questioning all of this, whether it be faith in the gospel, your place within the kingdom of God, or even your worthiness to proclaim the name of Jesus. Let’s take a moment to remember who Paul was, because at this point in his life it is easy to see Paul’s passion and knowledge of the gospel, and his desire to serve God; but when we first meet Paul—who was known as Saul at the time— he was actively seeking out Christians to persecute, accuse, and kill; and Paul himself even years after his conversion writes to Timothy, who is pastoring the church in Ephesus saying “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I (Paul referring to himself) am the foremost.” God uses broken people in a broken world to spread the healing power of the Gospel; and God in his loving sovereignty has placed each one us in the time, place, and circumstance he wants us, so that we may be missionaries for the Kingdom of God.

So how can we persevere in our ministry?

~At this point in our story, it can feel as though the commission to do ministry for the Kingdom of God is an impossible task, a never-ending storm of dealing with persecution, worldly influence, and slow results. So how did Paul Persevere? Well, he didn’t, by himself at least, it was God who preserved Paul. If we look throughout Paul’s missionary journeys, one thing remains consistent, God called Paul to proclaim the Word of the Lord wherever he went; and in Ephesus we get an insider look into what that meant; Paul was Daily discussing, teaching, and preaching the Word to his disciples and anyone who would listen; and as he was preaching the Gospel to others, the Lord was using Paul’s own words to preach the gospel to himself.

In college I had Pastor who advised my friends and I to’ preach the gospel to ourselves every day.’ He didn’t mean just living out the gospel message in your daily life- though that is important –he meant literally preaching the gospel to yourself every day. Remembering that you cannot live a life honoring and glorifying to God on your own power, that we are all sinners; Yet, in spite of our rebellion and shortcomings God, in his love sent his son for us who lived a life loving and ministering to humanity, to the point that when Jesus died on the cross and raised again three days later, he did that not for himself; but for us. So that we may live life in light of what he did for us.

~Because as we preached the gospel daily to ourselves, the persecution, worldly influence, life struggles, and hardships of this world would become secondary to the truth of the Gospel. And I can’t help but think that what persuaded Paul to preserve in his ministry was the Gospel and the Word of God that he daily taught to those around him; so that even burdens and struggles he faced in Ephesus became quiet whispers in comparison to the glory and power of the Gospel truth.

So, what are the results of persevering in our ministry?

~As we finish up, I want to look at our last three verses starting in verse 10 “so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so thateven 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” Now, before you walk out of here convinced that if you just ‘do what Paul did’ you will be able to heal people and cast out demons, we need to acknowledge Paul is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. This is a unique office of the church held by men who had direct interaction with the person of Jesus. This means these Apostles had unique responsibilities and giftings that were essential for the foundation of church; and these gifts and responsibilities have not continued into the church today. (if you have questions or disagree, I’d be more than willing to chat with you at some point after the conclusion of our time here). So, one gift that the Apostles had was the ability to perform miracles in the name of the Lord, and we see this throughout the book of Acts. But we also see in the following story to our verses in chapter 19, not everyone could perform these miracles.

~These results of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, were evidence of the Gospel impacting and changing the community. The ministry’s impact wasn’t simply that Paul was healing people and casting out demons; it was that the people from a pagan and worldly culture were turning from their former sinful ways and were seeking insight, guidance, and help from Christians ready and willing to share the gospel. The people were turning away from the brokenness of the streets and temples and literally seeking out the church for help. And through all of this as verse 10 says “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

So, what happened to our Lawton family and their cutting tool company, having already faced hardship during the Great Depression, then World War II, the company was reaching a turning point. 1967 under the direction of Norman Lawton the company decided to branch out from metro Detroit, setting up 6 other small manufacturing companies across northern Michigan. Today, they have over 15 different facilities globally; and 97 years later this is a fourth generation cutting tool company better known as Star Cutter.

~But what we see through the ministry in Ephesus was not a display of Paul’s amazing leadership abilities, strategic management style, or his super Christian abilities; it was God’s use of Paul and his faithful obedience to Proclaiming the Gospel. And unlike Star Cutter that has impacted a few select areas of the World. The Ministry and Church of Ephesus was foundational for the establishment of the Global church. Because only years after its founding the spread of the Gospel through the region is spoken of in Scripture; to the point where the seven churches of the book of Revelation all had roots to the church in Ephesus.

So, what should we expect as we do our own ministry?/ Outro

~As we come to the end of our time, I want us to consider what all this means for us. When it comes to ministry, not all of us are called to traverse over land and sea spreading the gospel like Paul; nor are all of us called to expand and plant churches in different cities across the world. But like we discussed before, we all are called by the Great Commission to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” So, whether it’s our workplace, schools, or sport teams we all have a mission field,

So, what should we expect

First, we should obediently go and prayerfully enter our places of mission persevering in living out the Great Commission.

Second, we should expect everyone and everything to be ‘S.E.T.’ in their ways. But pray for the Lord to move. We will face opposition, persecution, and temptation; and we should expect this all to take time.

Third, preach the gospel daily, both to yourself and to others with the expectation that the Lord will use your message to bless and further his kingdom as he wills.

Finally, if you are someone who has questions or the Holy Spirit is working in your heart about what it means to be a Christian, or what your ministry looks like in your life? Please come talk to me or another leader, we’d love to chat!

I’ll leave you with this, our call to participate in God’s mission for the kingdom of God is not an easy one, but it is rewarding; as Charles Spurgeon said, “To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in this world. And with every soul you bring to Jesus Christ, you seem to get a new heaven here upon earth.” Let us go now with this hope in mind.

In the last resort, we engage in evangelism today not because we want to, or because we choose to, or because we like to, but because we have been told to.

John Robert Walmsley Stott (English Preacher)