Acts 19:11-20 | The Gospel Advances in Ephesus

My name is Hector Franco. I have the privilege of serving as the Senior Pastor at MEFC. I want to welcome you to our church.

One of the things that we do at MEFC is go through sermon series:

Books

Chapters

Word & Spirit (Acts 19)

In our passage today we will encounter demons, exorcisms and witchcraft.

Different reactions:

Fear

Skepticism

The reality is that Scripture speaks of an unseen realm where angels and demons exist. As a matter of fact, in Africa, in Latin America, and in Asia, people have a concept of the spiritual world.

I can testify to this fact as I grew up in Southern Mexico (Oaxaca) where witch doctors, indigenous occult practices and religion as mixed together.

The Bible acknowledges and addressed the reality of the spirit world. Let’s look at today’s passage.

Acts 19:11–20 “11 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. 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.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 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. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

Pray!

In our passage today we see how the power of Jesus brings about true freedom and transformation in the lives of people.

Jesus alone is our only hope for true freedom and lasting transformation.

This passage shows what happens when Jesus shows up in town: He brings amazing freedom and transforming power.

MEFC: Investing in people to experience Christ’s transforming power, together.

We want people to experience a personal relationship with Jesus.

Now, let’s look at the passage to see how Jesus brings freedom and transformation to people’s lives:

1. Jesus has power over sickness

Acts 19:11–12 “11 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.”

God is doing the healing. Paul is the instrument

“Extraordinary miracles.” Pieces of clothing that had been in contact with Paul “were carried away to the sick to the sick, and their diseases left them…”

No intrinsic healing efficacy is ascribed to the handkerchief or aprons. It is through the power of Jesus’ name that these miracles take place.

2. Jesus has the power over darkness

Not only was healing was taking place, but we are also told in v.12 that evil spirits were coming out of people.

Acts 19:13–14 “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.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.”

The power of Jesus cannot be manipulated even though these itinerant Jewish exorcists thought otherwise. They thought that the name of Jesus was some “formula” to be used and manipulated for their own purposes.

Who are these itinerant Jewish exorcists?

Jewish exorcists would typically relied on elaborate rituals, magical objects, Hebrew incantations, and the invocation of powerful names. The residents of Ephesus were attracted to sorcerers and exorcists, looking to them to provide blessings and cures for a price.

Josephus, a 1st century historian, writes about the exorcists of the NT times in his book, Antiquities of the Jews. He describes this Jewish exorcists using their technique to cast out demons by invoking prayers that King Salomon had left behind for them (not in the Bible). They would use certain plants (roots) and do a specific ritual to draw the demon out and cast it out.

Among the Jewish exorcists were the seven sons of Sceva, a Jew described as a chief priest. Scholars aren’t sure if he was really a high priest or a self-proclaimed high priest. Either way, the Jewish high priest was the one man who was authorized to pronounced THE Hebrew name of God, once a year during the day of atonement.

These seven sons of Sceva (sounds like the name of a rock band) somehow thought that they could simply use and manipulate the name of Jesus for their own purposes by saying:

“In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”

Luke describes what happened next in Acts 19:15–16 “15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Yikes! These people wanted to cash in on Jesus’ name.

This is not the first time. In Acts 8, a sorcerer named Simon sees the power of God in action. He offered Peter money saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”” (Acts 8:19)

Acts 8:20–21 “20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.”

These exorcists knew of Jesus but they did not know Jesus. They did not belong to Jesus.

V.17 reveals what happened as a result:

“And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.”

Only Jesus has the power over darkness and to break the chains of bondage.

3. Jesus has the power to bring deep transformation to people’s lives

Ephesus is a city deeply influenced and in bondage to the occult.

What brought transformation to this city? The Word & the Spirit!

The Word of God is central in Acts 19.

Acts 19:10 Paul taught in the Hall of Tyrannus for two years“so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

And

Acts 19:20 “…the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

There was the preaching and teaching of God’s Word along with the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

Jesus has the power to bring deep transformation to people’s lives. How?

Acts 19:18–19 “18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 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.” ($20/hr | $10 mil)

The Bible strongly condemns the occult practices in Deuteronomy 18:9-11:

You shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who practices:

[these occult practices overlap]

divination (to seek divine wisdom, crystal ball)

tells fortunes (to predict the future, palm reading, horoscope)

interprets omens (explanation of why certain events are taking place)

a sorcerer

a charmer

a medium (also known as psychics, connects humans with the spirit world)

a necromancer (connects humans with the dead in order to receive guidance or help)

one who inquires of the dead

We have seen a growth in new age practices (1970s).

new age integrates elements from various world religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

The New Age movement teaches that we have everything in ourselves necessary to achieve fulfillment. The self is the highest good. We exist to guide ourselves, heal ourselves, and fulfill our own destinies. Many who embrace New Age practices believe in karma and reincarnation. As in Hinduism, the ultimate goal in the New Age movement is to achieve oneness with the divine. Adherents of New Age spirituality reject the biblical doctrines of the fall, the sinfulness and depravity of man, the need for an atoning sacrifice, and the need for a mediator between God and man.

Some of the new age practices are: meditation, yoga, and self-healing techniques such as reiki (ray-kee).

New Age tells me that people are looking to experience transformation. Let me tell you about my Jesus.

Jesus alone is our only hope for true freedom and lasting transformation.

People experienced the transforming power of Christ in their own lives. What’s the process:

Confession

Renouncing

Surrender

John 8:31–32, 36 “31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus alone is our only hope for true freedom and lasting transformation.

Kathy’s Testimony

My name is Kathy Berres.

I struggled with the fear of dying from cancer for my entire life, as soon as I was old enough to know what cancer was and that one could die from it.

This fear, I believe, entered me while I was in my mom's womb when a very tactless doctor told her that she likely had cancer and would die from it…and she was so worried with having two little children at home and a baby on the way….

It was a consuming, crippling fear that would show itself as soon as I would have a “symptom.” I struggled with this even after becoming a Spirit-filled Christian.

When I was not fighting this fear, I had no fear of death, and I just knew I would die of something other than cancer because that would be God's grace!

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in complete shock. Initially, I questioned God, “why? Why would You allow me to have cancer when this has been my biggest fear my entire life? I was so confused and questioning.

Through a time of prayer ministry and the Holy Spirit speaking to me through His word, it was revealed to me that this fear was a stronghold in my life. This stronghold was a much greater battle to be fought than the cancer. It needed to be broken once and forever in my life. So, God, in His great mercy, allowed me to go through this battle in order to receive freedom from the one all-consuming controlling fear I’d dealt with all of my life.

As He walked beside me through this, He ministered such incredible peace to me that was beyond all human understanding, to the point that as I headed into surgery, I had complete and total peace that would not be shaken.

He carried me, and He gave me such amazing grace in knowing the only way to break the stronghold and have victory over it was to allow me to go through it. And today, I am cancer-free, and the stronghold of this fear is broken …to God be all glory!!

Jesus alone is our only hope for true freedom and lasting transformation.