Riot and Revival
Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Acts 19:21-32
Acts 19:21-32
Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!”
He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.
It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.
He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”
At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.
Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
Everywhere Paul went, there was a revival or a riot. People either received the Word of God with gladness or they tried to kill Paul. At the beginning of this chapter, Paul is preaching in the synagogues and many believed. But at the same time, the Bible tells us
But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.
Paul was no stranger to controversy. He had ran into trouble with religious leaders many times. They hated Paul because he was leading people to Christ and the Pharisees and Sadducees were losing their influence.
Acts 19:23 is a little different than running into trouble with Jewish leaders. Verse 23 says that serious trouble developed. The KJV says “no small commotion.” This was not just a disagreement. This was not a few Jewish leaders getting upset. This was an entire city about to go into a riot.
Paul was used to upsetting the Pharisees but now he has upset an entire city.
Ephesus was the center of trade in Asia Minor. It was a major port and was the center for the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, or Diana in Rome. The temple of Artemis was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. The temple was held up by 100 large marble columns. Artemis was said to be the daughter of Zeus. In Greek mythology, she against marriage and known as a “virgin goddess” but her followers worshipped her in what became known as a fertility-cult. There was a craftsman guild in Ephesus that was obviously a very big source of income. They built small shrines of Artemis that depicted her with her two lions and sold them to people to take home as souvenirs and for their personal worship.
The leader of this guild, a man named Demetrius, gathers the craftsmen together to come against Paul and his preaching. What does this story show us and what does it have to do with today?
When the gospel goes forth, it disrupts society
The gospel is counter to the culture. Anywhere the gospel is preached, it has the power to disrupt society.
The gospel confronts every false worship and every idol. The gospel confronts every sinful thing in society. The gospel is offensive to sinful culture.
The gospel has come into this great city and not only disrupted the spiritual atmosphere but it is disrupting the economy. These men were making a lot of money crafting these shrines. Once Paul began to preach in the city, people turned to Christ and stopped buying the shrines. They no longer needed those idols.
Welsh Revival 1904 - A revival broke out in Wales, UK that was so powerful and so strong that all the bars had to close because they were empty. There are stories about the workers in the coal mines of Wales. They were known for swearing, drinking, and gambling. During the revival, they began to have meetings underground. The mules they used for pulling the carts stopped obeying their commands. They were so used to being commanded with cursing, they did not understand the new language the men were speaking so they did not respond.
One newspaper report read: Truly God has visited His people in Wales. It is not a question of one town being awakened, but of the whole Principality being on fire. Profanity silenced, public-houses deserted, theaters closed, betting books burned, football teams disbanded, police courts idle, family feuds pacified, old-standing debts paid, sectarianism and ecclesiasticism submerged, the family altar erected, and Bible study became a passion.
Within 6 months, 100,000 people were saved
2. When the gospel confronts idolatry, there will be opposition
When we take the gospel into society, and people start giving their lives to Christ, not everyone is going to be happy about it!
When the gospel confronts idolatry, people will get upset.
He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
Whether the idolatry is false gods, money, status, some other sin, or religion, when the true gospel is preached, it always brings opposition. People who are unwilling to give up their idols do not want to see anyone else free either.
Their response is not your responsibility. Your responsibility is to preach the gospel. Do not get offended when they do not accept the truth.
RIOTS RELY ON REBELLION
REVIVAL RELIES ON REPENTANCE
Repentance leads to revival and not everyone will be happy when revival breaks out.
When people stop going to the ABC store or the distillery because the whole county is being saved, the people running those places will not like it. When people give their lives to Christ and there is noone left to buy drugs from the dealers, do you think they will be happy about it?
(Kevin Wallace story, Ron Carpenter story)
3. Spiritual battles cannot be won in the flesh
When Paul left Ephesus, he knew the battles the Christians would face. They were living in the midst of hell, basically. All around them was a godless society. Not much different than we live in today.
You might have to live in it, but you do not have to be of it. Do not let what is going on in culture get in your boat.
When Paul writes them a letter late, he makes certain to make them aware that the battle is not physical but spiritual.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
Do not get caught up in arguments with the world. You are not at war with people. People are not your enemy. The evil spirits of this world are your enemies. You are fighting a spiritual battle.
But God has not left you unarmed. He has given you weapons of warfare that are not fleshly weapons.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
God would not give you weapons if he did not expect you to fight. While God does not want you to get entangled in the affairs of this world and fight fleshly battles, he does not want you to stand on the sidelines with your hands in your pocket or your head buried in the sand waiting for it all to end. These Scriptures tells us that he expect us all to fight. Paul calls it the good fight of faith. But we do not wage war like the world wages war. We fight in the spirit, knowing that we cannot lose, knowing that Christ has already won the victory.
Are you tired of seeing the enemy destroy lives? Are you tired of seeing the enemy take territory and destroy families? Are you tired of seeing people destroy their lives with drugs, alcohol, pornography, and sexual immorality?
Are you tired of looking around and it looking like the enemy is winning?
Are you ready to stand up and take territory? Are you ready to fight back with all you’ve got? Are you ready to see your lost family member wrecked by the power of God? Are you ready to see this region turned upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you ready for war????
Stand with me!!! Let out a battle cry! Let the enemy know you are going to make him pay for everything he has taken from you, every lost night of sleep, every tear for your lost family member, every person you have loved who you lost to addiction, every person you have lost to cancer, every person you love who is trapped in sin?
4. Revival comes from boldness
The advancement of the Kingdom of God is not going to come from a quiet, private faith. It will come from bold warriors for God, proclaiming the gospel without fear and with the authority of heaven.
If you have this gospel, how can you keep it quiet? Jesus said, “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden”, and who takes a light and places it under a basket so no one can see it? It does not take much to see that the world is very dark and getting darker.
The only thing that can break the darkness is the light and darkness cannot stay where there is light. It has to flee. If you do not like the darkness you see, you have the solution. Take the light into the darkness and Jesus promised you the victory. He said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Revival does not require man’s approval. It is not dependent upon the approval of religious leaders. Revival is dependent on people repenting and turning to God with a hunger and a desire to see the glory of God poured out in a society.
Will you be bold? Will you do your part in advancing the Kingdom of God?
