People and Their Gods
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Text: Acts 18:24-19:41
Intro
Intro
Hook: *be engaging* seven wonders of the ancient world… end with the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. We are going to travel there tonight, not physically but mentally. Explain the temple. Wait to explain Artemis.
Context: Paul just brought the Gospel to a region named Achaia, in the city of Corinth. He brought the cure to the cancerous city because he cared for them. His message was simple: The Christ was Jesus. What does this mean? Now this message will be carried forth to Asia, in a city called Ephesus, which is where the temple of Artemis stood.
Thesis: Everyone has a religion. Only one is worth following. Let’s look at three from our text.
Read Acts 19:23-41
Pray
Body
Body
The Way (Apollos and Paul)
Assertion (identification through baptism… power… holy spirit… healing… deliverance, these are all things that accompany the Way, following God)
The religion of “the Way” as it was called is the only worth following.
Evidence
Acts 18:24-19:10 Explanation of “the Way” (18:25-26; 19:9, 23) which included baptism in the name of Jesus, which followed with a reception of His gift to his followers, the Holy Spirit.
Commentary (scripture, exposition, story)
Star Wars… this is the Way.
Syncretism (magicians)
Assertion
Evidence
Acts 19:11-20 Explanation
Commentary *use anecdotes!*
Syncretism: the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought
The magicians would use whatever combination of names to accomplish their purpose. Whatever god would get the trick done. Explain Acts 19:11-19
The Book of the Acts (Bruce): “According to magical theory, the potency of a spell is bound up with its secrecy; if it be divulged, it becomes ineffective… The spells with which [the Ephesian letters, aka magical scrolls] abound are for the most part the merest gibberish, a rigmarole of words and names considered to be unusually potent, arranged sometimes in patterns which were essential to the efficacy of the spell. They fetched high prices.”
“The implication is that the name of Jesus was effective to deliver and to heal only when used by those who genuinely called upon Jesus as Lord.” (Pillar Commentary)
“It is important to add that Luke does not say Paul traded in healing handkerchiefs or the like, or that he initiated such practices. It appears not to be Paul who takes these clothing items and lays them on the ill, but others who apparently did believe in the magical properties of the clothing of a healer. Furthermore, one must pay close attention to the flow of the narrative here, which concludes with the repudiation of magical recipes and books. The function of this narrative would seem, at least in part, to be to get Luke’s audience to reject magic and trust in the power of God and God’s word. In this regard Luke was on the side of religion rather than magic, if with Arnold one agrees that “in religion one prays and requests from the gods; in magic one commands and therefore expects guaranteed results.” (Witherington)
Greek mythology (Artemis)
Assertion
Evidence
Commentary
The temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
“A fertility cult is a type of nature worship that attempts to safeguard the fertility or productiveness of plants, animals, and people. Fertility cults usually focus on a certain deity, and followers believe that, by propitiating that god or goddess, fruitfulness will result.
Fertility cults were common in ancient pagan religions, where certain rites were performed at certain times to ensure fertility and avoid drought and barrenness. Common rituals included the sacrifice of animals—and sometimes humans—as well as shrine prostitution. Evidence of fertility cults have been found throughout the world, including in Egypt, the Americas, Europe, India, China, and the Middle East.
In the Old Testament, the Canaanite religions included fertility cults, usually focused on Baal and Asherah. When King Josiah brought reforms to Judah, he had to clear the temple of many things associated with fertility cults (2 Kings 23:4–7). In Jeremiah’s time, a rebellious group of Judeans insisted upon worshiping the “Queen of Heaven.” Note how they associate their ceremonies with fruitfulness: “We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we [did before]. . . . At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine” (Jeremiah 44:16–18). This worship of the Queen of Heaven was a fertility cult.
The Greek and Roman gods of New Testament times included fertility goddesses such as Aphrodite (Venus), Artemis (Diana), and Demeter (Ceres). Most fertility cults emphasized the changing of seasons, nature, and the productivity of crops. The center of Diana worship was in Ephesus, where Paul eventually brought the gospel. The silversmiths who made idols of Diana opposed what Paul was doing (Acts 19:23–24). The silversmiths were afraid of losing business and started a riot against Paul, since many people were trusting in Jesus and turning away from Diana (Acts 19:25–41).
In the Bible, God rightly condemns fertility cults and rituals. Much of the Mosaic Law dealt with the detestable practices of the Canaanite pagan religions. Specifically, God commanded the Israelites not to set up altars to Baal or plant trees to Asherah (Deuteronomy 16:21). Scripture repeatedly condemned the horrible practice of sacrificing children to Moloch, which was done in part as a fertility rite (Leviticus 18:21). Furthermore, God also denounced shrine prostitution and prohibited any Israelite from becoming a shrine prostitute (Deuteronomy 23:17). Despite these commands, the Israelites often disobeyed God and participated in these fertility cults. One time, the Israelites “yoked themselves to Baal of Peor” (Numbers 25:5, ESV), sacrificing to Baal and engaging in blatant immorality. In judgment, God sent a plague that killed 24,000 people (Numbers 25:9).
Although most fertility cults have died out with time, some elements are still found in smaller sects within religions such as Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism. Fertility rituals are still practiced today in some Wiccan and neo-pagan groups. Any teaching that personifies the earth and nature or that speaks of a “mother goddess” is harking back to the ancient fertility cults.
God is the only One who can bring about fertility. Life and death are in His hands (Deuteronomy 32:39). The attempts of fertility cults to ensure fruitfulness were and are futile because the Lord is in control of all things. He brings about seasons (Daniel 2:21), rain (Matthew 5:45), and crops (Leviticus 26:3–4). God alone is responsible for opening and closing wombs of both humans and animals (see Genesis 29:31; 30:22; Exodus 34:19; 1 Samuel 1:5). Worshipping false gods only brings about spiritual slavery, and Baal, Asherah, and the Greek and Roman gods were not true gods at all.” (GotQuestions.org)
Conclusion
Conclusion
Restate
Review
Reflect / Apply
Repentance goes from the head to the hand. Look at the lives of the magicians. They burned the books! They recognized that Jesus is Lord, for even the demons say, “Jesus I know…” and the magicians repent of their physical deeds, “confessing and divulging(revealing, hence giving up their power of secrecy) their practices.” Sin entangles you. Give it up. Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus. He is the only God worth following, the only transcendent being worthy of reverence or respect. The Lord is in control of all things. He causes the rain to begin and end. He makes the sun rise from the east and set in the west. Only he has the power, the authority, to heal and cast out demons and forgive sins. There is only one God that you can trust in, and his name is Jesus.
