Riot Proof Revival
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We’re finishing up Acts 19 this morning. Two weeks ago, we talked about seven key areas in our lives that we often struggle to fully surrender to God:
Time
Control
Image
Comfort
Habits/sin
Identity
Money
These aren’t just casual categories—they’re battlegrounds of the heart.
We looked at the story of the seven sons of Sceva to show the real danger of trying to walk in God’s authority without actually walking in surrender to Him. They tried to use the name of Jesus like a magic word—but without a relationship. And they ended up bleeding and naked.
When the people in Ephesus saw what happened, they were shaken. It woke them up. People who had built their lives around magic, idols, and spiritual counterfeits realized just how empty—and how dangerous—that path really was. They began turning to Jesus.
That’s where we pick up the story—right in the middle of a spiritual awakening.
And I believe this with all my heart: we are in the midst of a spiritual awakening today.
We are seeing the early rumblings of revival shaking our culture.
People are hungry for truth. They’re tired of shallow answers. They’re searching for something real—and Jesus is moving.
It’s exciting. It’s powerful.
But hear me: revival always attracts resistance.
That’s why we’ve been walking slowly and intentionally through the book of Acts.
Because we need to understand what it really looks like when the Gospel spreads—and what it costs.
History has a way of repeating itself. And Acts shows us the pattern:
The Gospel is preached.
people are saved.
Strongholds are broken.
And then—the enemy rises up.
That’s the rhythm of revival. Again and again.
But here’s what I know—and here’s where we stand:
There is only one thing Jesus ever said the gates of hell would not prevail against.
It’s not the government.
It’s not the economy.
It’s not a political party or a social movement.
It’s not tradition or popularity.
It’s the Church.
Why won’t the gates of hell prevail against the Church?
Because it’s not built by man—it’s built by Him.
It’s not held up by human wisdom or cultural approval.
It’s not powered by personality or performance.
It’s built by Jesus.
That’s good news this morning, we apart of something that is being built by Jesus.
But here’s the thing about what Jesus builds: it doesn’t stay still.
The Church is not a monument—it’s a movement.
And movements move.
So even in the middle of revival—even while God is shaking a city like Ephesus—Jesus is still calling His people forward.
That’s exactly what happens next in Acts 19.
The Gospel is gaining ground. The name of Jesus is being exalted. People are repenting. Revival is breaking out.
And then—we get one quiet verse that says everything about how the Kingdom advances:
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
Paul didn’t let revival make him comfortable.
He didn’t confuse momentum with permission.
He sought the Lord. He resolved in the Spirit.
That phrase right there—“resolved in the Spirit”—means he prayed, he listened, and he obeyed. He sought the Lord on what to do next.
Let me ask you: Do you pray and seek the Lord for His direction—or do you just hope He blesses whatever you’ve already decided to do?
You’ve heard me say this time and time again:
If you’re not being led by the Spirit of God, you’re not being led anywhere of value.
But listen—this isn’t just for pastors.
This isn’t just for church leadership.
Being Spirit-led is not a job description—it’s a lifestyle.
Too often, Christians act like it’s the pastor’s job to hear from God.
Like it’s only the preacher who needs direction from the Holy Spirit.
Like your role is just to show up and nod along.
But the Word says—“we walk by the Spirit.”
We. Not just me. Not just leaders. We means all of us.
This is about your life.
Your decisions.
Your relationships.
Your finances.
Your calling.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, then you are called to follow the Spirit.
You can’t expect victory in a spiritual battle if you’re living in the flesh.
You can’t expect clarity if you’re not tuned in to the voice of God.
You’ve got to walk by the Spirit—or you’ll keep walking in circles.
Thats my prayer for us this morning. That we would all walk out of here led by the spirit.
pray
Now watch this…Paul is being led by the Spirit—he’s resolved, he’s moving forward on mission.
But as we said earlier, revival always attracts resistance.And that resistance starts to take shape in verse 24.
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 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.
There are a couple of things to observe here:
Number one:
It says Demetrius “brought no little business” to the craftsmen.
That’s Bible language for he was making a lot of money.
He wasn’t just working—he was profiting big time from making idols.
Number two:
Look at who he gathered—“the workmen in similar trades.”
He surrounded himself with people just like him.
Let me say it clearly:
Don’t only hang around people that are just like you.
Because people just like you will usually tell you what you want to hear.
You need people who will challenge you, correct you, and call you higher—
not validate your dysfunction or fuel your bitterness.
Demetrius didn’t want truth—he wanted backup. And when your heart is off, you’ll always gather people who will protect your idol, not point it out.
Let me give you a real-world example:
A couple that’s having marital problems doesn’t need to hang out with other couples who just sit around complaining about their spouses too.
They need to be around couples who are fighting for their marriage.
Couples who will speak life, give truth, and model grace.
Because if you’re not careful, you’ll seek out voices that make you feel better about staying broken—when God is calling you to be made whole.
That’s exactly what Demetrius did.
He didn’t want people who would challenge his motives or confront his idols—he wanted backup.
And when your heart is off, you won’t look for truth—you’ll look for agreement.
You’ll gather people who protect your idol, not point it out.
Now watch how he spins it:
27 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 deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Make no mistake—this wasn’t about devotion. This was about dollars.
This riot didn’t start over theology.
It started because the Gospel was messing with their money.
But notice what Demetrius does:
He doesn’t lead with profit—he wraps it in religion.
He masks it in patriotism.
He hides greed behind tradition, loyalty, and fear of losing cultural influence.
He made it sound noble. But don’t be fooled.
The love of money will convince you it’s about morality, or loyalty, or legacy—anything but greed.
That’s why Paul warned:
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Look at what jesus says:
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
This wasn’t about serving their goddess—this was about servicing their bank accounts.
And when the Gospel threatens your idol, it’ll always expose what you’re really serving.
You’ll serve one—and sacrifice the other.
That’s not just a clever phrase.
That’s a spiritual law.
You will serve Christ—or you will sell Him out.
We love to criticize Judas for betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
We shake our heads and say, “How could he?”
He walked with Jesus… saw the miracles… heard His teaching—
and he sold Him out for some cash.
But let’s be real—we do it all the time
We trade obedience for convenience.
We sacrifice conviction for comfort.
We treat giving like a choice, instead of an act of worship.
We ignore God’s voice in favor of business, budgets, and bottom lines.
Judas made a deal. And every time we choose money over mission—we make one too.
It may not feel like betrayal, but it’s a slow drift.
And it doesn’t start with one big decision—it starts with small ones, where money wins and obedience loses.
So let me ask again:
What do your finances say about who your master is?
Are they building the Kingdom—or just building your comfort?
If you pay attention to his words, Demetrius’ motivations were clear.
He didn’t care that Paul was preaching.
He didn’t care that lives were being changed.
He was fine with the Gospel—until it messed with his income.
The moment the message started cutting into his money, he had a problem.
And listen—that same spirit is alive today.
As long as the Gospel stays in its “place”…
As long as it doesn’t challenge anyone’s idols…
As long as it doesn’t call for repentance, sacrifice, or surrender…
Culture’s fine with it.
But the minute the Gospel starts confronting what people profit from—that’s when resistance shows up.
Turn to your neighbor and say, “You know he’s talking to you, right?”
And if they’re not smiling, just pray for their budget.
Alright—let’s keep it moving before I…or Todd gets an email.
verse 29
29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel.
So now we see a crowd getting stirred up and rushing to the theater.
And here’s the thing—it didn’t take much.
Just a few angry words… a few inflated fears… and boom—mob assembled.
This wasn’t a group of people thoughtfully responding to the Gospel.
This was a crowd being manipulated by fear and self-interest.
Acts 19:29 shows us how quickly a crowd can form—not around truth, but around the threat of losing power and profit.
The riot in Ephesus didn’t come from sound reasoning—it came from stirred-up emotion.
It wasn’t about Artemis. It was about influence.
And it escalated fast.
It was manufactured outrage—economic panic disguised as religious passion.
so where is Paul in all of this? let’s check in with him verse 30:
30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.
Paul wanted to go.
Paul was ready.
He wasn’t afraid of the crowd—he was ready to face it.
But the disciples wouldn’t let him.
Even the Asiarchs—government officials who were his friends—tried to stop him.
And look at the contrast here…
In verses 24–26, Demetrius surrounded himself with people who shared his bitterness and protected his profit.
In verse 30, Paul is surrounded by people who challenged his boldness and protected his mission.
One group stirred up a riot.
The other restrained a reckless impulse.
Which group are your friends?
Are they stirring your flesh—or guarding your purpose?
Are they hyping your emotions—or helping you hear the Spirit?
You need people in your life who will tell you no.
And listen—if no one can tell you no, then the yeses in your life are worthless.
Because unchecked boldness can be just as dangerous as hidden bitterness.
And sometimes the most spiritual thing your friends can do… is hold you back.
verse 32:
32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Now here’s my favorite part of the riot…
THE PEOPLE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE RIOTING ABOUT.
The crowd didn’t even know what they were mad about.
That’s what happens when you follow the wisdom of man—it leads to confusion.
When there’s no truth to stand on, people are easily swayed.
Confusion thrives when conviction has no foundation.
They called him forward. He tried to speak.
But the moment they realized he was different — they shouted him down.
Not with logic. Not with debate. Just noise.
Two hours of it.
Sound familiar?
“Oh — you’re a Christian? Well… love is love!”
“Oh — you’re a Christian? My body, my choice!”
“Oh — you’re a Christian? You can’t judge me!”
“Oh — you’re a Christian? Then affirm my lifestyle or you’re a bigot!”
They don’t want a conversation. They want a chant.
A crowd.
A cause — even if they don’t know what it’s for.
Culture will always unify to silence truth. So the Church must unify to speak it.
Yes—with love.
Yes—with grace.
But also—with backbone.
Because when the world gets loud, compromise won’t cut it. Only conviction in Christ will.
And I’ll be honest with you—
I’m sick and tired of letting culture dictate how the Gospel is communicated.
I’m tired of softening the edges of truth just to keep people comfortable.
I’m tired of watching churches bend over backward to be accepted—while Jesus is calling us to stand firm and be faithful.
The Gospel doesn’t need to be edited.
It needs to be preached.
With clarity.
With courage.
With conviction.
We’re not here to win approval—we’re here to proclaim the truth.
We’re not called to blend in—we’re called to stand out.
And if the truth offends, so be it.
We’re not trying to be offensive—but we also won’t be apologetic for what God has said.
Because when culture gets loud—the Church cannot go silent.
When lies are shouted—truth must be declared.
And not watered down.
Not sugar-coated.
But Spirit-led, Gospel-rooted, Jesus-centered truth—spoken in love, but spoken with a backbone.
Because here’s the reality: People’s eternity is at stake—and we’re acting like the worst thing we could do is offend somebody.
No.
The worst thing we could do is stay silent while they walk off a cliff spiritually.
The worst thing we could do is let comfort take priority over calling.
The worst thing we could do is be liked by everyone and obedient to no one.
We’re not called to be cruel—but we are called to be clear.
We don’t speak truth to shame people—we speak truth to save people.
And silence never saved anyone.
So yes, speak with love.
Yes, lead with grace.
But don’t you dare lose your backbone.
Because this isn’t a game.
This isn’t a debate.
This is eternity.
And if it feels like I’ve preached four mini-sermons already… it’s because I probably have.
But hey—Acts 19 is wild!
We’ve got revival, riots, greed, idols, mobs, and now… a were about to see politician preaching peace…
Let’s land this.
35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
Look who silences the mob—the town clerk.
Not a disciple.
Not an apostle.
A government official who didn’t even follow Jesus.
And yet—God used him.
Not every argument needs your voice.
Especially on Facebook.
Some of y’all are out here writing full-blown essays, fighting strangers in comment sections, trying to win theological cage matches.
Arguing with people you haven’t seen since high school.
Losing your peace over someone with a cat profile picture named “Linda.”
And God is like, “I didn’t ask you to go viral—I asked you to be faithful.”
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do…is close the app and open your Bible.
Because while you’re out trying to win the internet,
God might be using someone you’d never expect to bring peace to the chaos.
Demetrius stirred the crowd.
Paul didn’t even get the mic.
But God still got the last word.
Why?
Because we’re not fighting people—we’re fighting powers.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
So stop swinging fists in a spiritual war.
Your weapons are not carnal.
They are truth, righteousness, prayer, and the Word of God.
Let God do what only He can. and this is why we pray for our officials—regardless of their political party. Because if God can use a pagan town clerk to stop a riot in Ephesus,
He can use anyone, anywhere, at any time to accomplish His purpose.
So don’t get so caught up in who’s in power that you forget who’s actually in control.
Our hope is not in who sits in office—but in who sits on the throne.
But…Don’t think that just because this fight called for silence, we can stay silent in every fight.
Paul didn’t stay quiet forever—he stayed quiet for that moment.
The mission never stopped.
The Gospel never paused.
We don’t get to hide behind:
“I’m just living it out”
while the world shouts lies in surround sound.
Because faith doesn’t come by watching—faith comes by hearing.
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
There is a time to be silent.
And a time to speak.
So pray like it’s a spiritual war.
Wait like it’s God’s battle.
But when the Spirit says, “Speak”—don’t whisper.
Don’t apologize.
Don’t hold back.
Because when the Word goes out—it never returns void.
So here’s the takeaway from today:
Revival is real.
Resistance is inevitable.
But God always gets the last word.
And when the world gets loud—you don’t shrink back.
You don’t compromise.
You don’t apologize for the truth.
You stay Spirit-led. Gospel-rooted. Jesus-centered.
There will be moments when God calls you to speak—don’t whisper.
There will be moments when He calls you to be silent—don’t panic.
But in every moment, trust that He is in control
And don’t forget this:
The Gospel doesn’t need editing—it needs proclaiming.
So walk out of here with your eyes open, your heart surrendered, and your backbone intact.
Because this isn’t a game.
This isn’t a debate.
This is eternity.
Let’s pray.
