Great Divide

Title:“Great Divide – a Revival and Riot in Ephesus”

We will see in the section of Scripture

Theme:The Power of the WORD of God to cause either a Revival or a Riot [Revolt], and most certainly division or Great Divide!

Note:

- It has been said that everywhere Paul went there was either a REVIVAL or a RIOT.

- And this happened several times in the Book of Acts.

- In Acts 19, we see both a REVIVAL and a RIOT.

- We will also see that the teaching of God’s Word causes either a personal REVIVAL or a RIOT.

- Therefore, whenever the Gospel is Preached to individuals, or a group, family, or city like Ephesus we can except to see either, a REVIVAL,or a RIOT.

Background:

- Ephesus was a major city in Asia, famous for a temple built there to Diana.

- The Romans called this goddess “Diana.”

- While the Greeks called this goddess “Artemis.”

- The Temple of Diana was considered one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

- This goddess was considered by the Ephesian as the Queen of Heaven

- Emphasizing fertility, virginity, and the protection of childbearing.

- Ephesus was Popular tourist attraction in the Roman world

- Silver Shrines of Diana were a popular item to sell tourists

Quick Recap of the beginning of Acts 19:

- In the beginning of Chapter 19, we see a beautiful REVIVAL

- Because of the Great REVIVAL Paul’s plan is to leave Ephesus.

- Today, I want to focus on the complaint that Demetrius brings up against “The Way” referring to Christians.

LET’S PRAY:

Read Acts 19:23-29a

Acts 19:23 And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you SEE AND HEAR that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this PAUL HAS PERSUADED and TURNED AWAY MANY PEOPLE, SAYING THAT THEY ARE NOT GODS WHICH ARE MADE WITH HANDS. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in DANGERof falling into DISREPUTE, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be DESPISED, and her magnificence DESTROYED, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” 29 So the whole city was filled with confusion

Note: Confusion – disturbance

I. JESUS DID NOT PROMISED PEACE ON EARTH; but rather Division

Luke 12:51

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other”

New Living Translation

- Divide is to cause Division; and Division is a parting, disunion, dissension

Note:People are divided against each other when they individually ACCEPT OR REJECT God’s Word; Hence, in this section of Scripture and in the world, that we live; there is either a REVIVAL OR A RIOT, A DIVISION, a DIVIDE happening because the WORD of God is True.

II. THE RIOT STARTS BY DEMETRIUS BLAMING CHRISTIANS about a Commotion:

- Verse 23 records “About that time there arose a great commotion about the Way”

- A Commotion, stir, a disturbance about “the Way”

- Who is the Way? Jesus and His followers

- John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way”

- Acts 9:2, Saul said, [before his conversion] he was hunting down “any who were of the Way”

- Acts 19:9“spoke evil of the Way”

- Acts 19:23“great commotion about the Way”

- Verse 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, makes a decision to fight against “the Way.”

- Verse 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: two (2) key points

- In Verse 26, Demetrius brings up two (2) key points that personally made him mad about Paul and Christians; But we will see that his two points actually, caused the REVIVAL

III. THE REVIVAL STARTED BY PEOPLE HEARING the Word of God

1) FIRST Demetrius says, this PAUL HAS PERSUADED v26.

- How did Paul Persuaded People – He taught THE WORD

- Verse 8, says Paul “Went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.”

- Verse 9, “When some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude,”

- Verse 9, He [Paul] departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” – and Paul continued there for two years

- Verse 10 “all who dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the LORD Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”

- Please Don’t miss VERSE 20

- Verse 20 “So the Word of the LORD Grew Mightily and Prevailed.”

2) SECOND Demetrius says,

- Verse 26, Paul taught the people saying, “that they are not gods which are made with hands.”

- The statue of Diana was a grotesque multi-breasted image.

- verse 35, says “it fell from heaven.” Most believe it as a meteorite which was carved into the statue of the great goddess Diana!

-

- Psalmist Wrote in Psalm 115:2-9

3 Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

In Acts 17:24, Paul said,

- “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, DOES NOT dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

2a. SECOND POINT CONTINUED; Paul taught the truth.

- In verse 8, it says, Paul “taught about the kingdom of God”

- What is the kingdom of God?

- Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe.

- More narrowly, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority.

- What were the Results of Paul Teaching and PEOPLE HEARING THE WORD OF GOD?

IV. RESULTS OF PEOPLE HEARING the Word of God Verse 26

1. TURNED AWAY – FROM IDOLATRY verse 26

- Stop Worshipping the Silver Shrines of Diana v24

- Stop visiting Temple Great goddess Diana v27

- What does the Bible say about Idolatry?

- Exodus 20:3-6 You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, ...

- Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Men: What’s the Difference between Idolatry and Adultery?

- 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

2. Other Results – WORD OF GOD IS HEARD EVERYWHERE

- Verse 26 –Moreover, you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia

3. Other Results – SEE AND HEAR GOD WORD IN ACTION

Verse 26, – People could physically SEE AND HEAR?

What did people see and hear?

- Verse 11, “God worked unusual miracles.”

- Verse 12,“the sick, and the diseases left”

- Verse 12 “evil spirits went out of them”

- Verse 13, imposters were exposed, referring to “the itinerant Jewish exorcists”

- Verse 17 Godly “fear fell on them all”

- Verse 17 “the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified”

- Verse 18“Many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.”

- Verse 19 “many of those who had practice magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all”

- Verse 20 “So the Word of the LORD Grew Mightily and Prevailed.”

V. THE RIOTS START FROM REJECTING the Word of God

- Rejecting God’s WORD leads to sin

Verse 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

1) Look at the Strong, Aggressive Language v27

- Danger – Everything is in Jeopardy

- Disrepute – We are counted as worthless

- Despised – We are being looked down at

- Destroyed – We are going down

2) Also, Emotional and Persuasive Language - stirred Crowd v27

- Our Trade – Our Skills, Our Destiny

- Our Temple – Our Scared Place of Worship

- Our Goddess – Our female Deity

3) His Real Concern was Money

- Their Profit v24

- Their Prosperity v25

VI. RESULT OF REJECTING the Word of God

A. People are Full of Wrath v28

B. “Whole City was Filled with Confusion” v29

VII. Today everything is just the same:

- “The Word of God Causes a “GREAT DIVIDE,” a Division. The Word of God is either causing a personal REVIVAL OR A RIOT. 

Accepting the Word of God can cause a Revival:

- When we hear the truth of God’s Word, and believe it

- Then the WORD of God brings comfort

- Then when we trust in God’s WORD, we see unusual miracles

- The Sick are healed

- Evil flees

- Godly fear guides us

- Our hearts are convicted to repent

- We Stop practicing wickedness

- Jesus Christ is magnified in our life

Rejecting the Word of God can cause a Riot [Revolt]:

- They are Full of Wrath, and filled with Confusion

- When people reject God’s Word they rebel against their best interest

- They are rebelling against God

- They can yell loud, and use aggressive language like Demetrius; Danger, Despised, Destroyed.

- But the person who rejects or Despises God’s Word is the one really in Danger of being Destroyed

- They can use persuasive language to stir up the crowd.

- But in the end, they are on the losing team

- Demetrius Real Concern was Money

- Everything on planet earth will one day burn up

Here’s an example of a lifelong rejection of God’s Word:

In the Book of Revelation chapter 9, a third of mankind is wiped out, destroyed!

Revelation 9:20-21 New King James Version

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Today, God’s word is still powerful and causing division of the soul and spirit.

Hebrews 4:12

New King James Version

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

What is my takeaway from these verses; People, you, me, us are either accepting or rejecting God’s WORD. People are either drawing closer to our Heavenly Father by having a personal REVIVAL or suppressing the Truth of God’s WORD by having my own personal RIOT or REVOLT.

Acts—The Church Afire Darkness in Confusion (Vv. 13–1 6)

As Jesus himself stated, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (

Pray