Sermon Tone Analysis
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Reading of Scripture
Pray
Introduction to Theme
The last verse in this paragraph, Acts 19:20 says:
When Acts has presented a statement like this before, it has usually been something like:
or
But here in Acts 19, something different is said.
It is not that the word of God multiplied, but here it is that we are told “the word of the Lord prevailed.”
To prevail implies a conflict.
To prevail means the word of the Lord was shown to have strength and capability for some purpose (LN).
To prevail means that the reward of increase was not automatic, but it was fought for and won against resistance and opposition.
Acts 19:20 tells us that the word of the Lord not only prevails, but the word of the Lord prevails mightily.
And this should wake us all up!
For this teaches us the realities of the forces that work against the ministry of God’s word.
It is no coincidence that God’s word is called a “sword” (Ephesians 6:17).
The word of the Lord encountered a conflict in this Asian city of Ephesus.
And knowing this prepares us as hearers of God’s word to ask the question —
What kind of opposition might we face as disciples of Jesus who proclaim His word in the world?
Introduction to Text
For three months Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue in Ephesus, dialoging and persuading about the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8).
But in time, the same group in that synagogue that had earlier invited Paul to stay longer (Acts 18:20), eventually became stubborn, disobedient, and insulted the Way before the congregation (Acts 19:8-9).
The word of God really does require a response from all who hear it— a response of faith by believing this is God’s word and it is true and to live by it — or a response in unbelief and rejection that reviles it.
There is only so long that a person can hear God’s word and remain undecided, unmoved or unchanged.
—- Why?
Because there are forces actively working to oppose God’s word.
The longer a person hears without believing, the harder the heart becomes to the truth.
Those who heard Paul in the synagogue were hardened, and became “revilers of the Way” (Acts 19:9).
So after three months, Paul left them, took the disciples and went into the lecture hall of Tyrannus where for two years, Paul used that space every day to dialogue about God’s word to a wider audience.
And it was such that Acts 19:10 says:
Acts 19:10 (b) (ESV)
“…all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”
But not only did the residents of Asia hear the word of the Lord — but they also witnessed the power of the word at work.
I. Acts 19:11-12
Paul’s mission work in Ephesus was accompanied by “extraordinary miracles.”
The word “miracles” is ( δύναμις ) - δύναμις is a word most often translated in the New Testament as “power.”
It is the same word used to describe the power that Jesus promised to his disciples in Acts 1:8 when he said:
In the context of Paul’s mission to Ephesus, this power of God became visible through acts of God called miracles.
And Luke tells us that Paul was not the source of these miracles, but that God was the source of these miracles.
Lest the Ephesians think that Paul is powerful —
— lest we as hearers of this word think that we ourselves have any power or are intrinsically capable of these kind of powerful deeds —
Luke writes clearly that this power belongs to God.
Verse 11 begins by saying: “God was doing” or “God was performing” these miracles “by the hands of Paul.”
God is always the miracle worker.
Paul is not powerful.
Paul is empowered — that is an important distinction.
Paul is an instrument of the Holy Spirit — the Holy Spirit being the One who performs these miracles — so that all who are in Ephesus and so that all in the world may know, that there is a living God in Heaven.
He is not an idol.
And He is powerful — and His power transcends all realms — Heaven and Earth, both the physical and the spiritual.
Note one more description in verse 11 about these miracles of God in Ephesus— Luke writes that these miracles are not just miracles, but are “extraordinary miracles.”
Now, a miracle itself is extraordinary.
By definition a miracle is a manifestation of great power that implies the work of a supernatural force (LN).
We know, as God’s people, what it is like to pray for God to work some kind of miracle, to deliver us or someone else from a circumstance that we can’t deliver ourselves from!
We all know what it is like to need God to intervene in a miraculous way — and the kind of miracles we pray for require God to do something unnatural and extraordinary!
To bring healing.
To give guidance.
To supply provision.
To change a life.
To otherwise make a way where there is no way.
But all miracles are not alike.
There are in fact ordinary miracles, and there are extraordinary miracles.
Miracles of an elevated nature.
The type of miracles God worked through Paul in Ephesus are described as being “extraordinary miracles” —The original Greek language helps us understand this better because it literally reads: “miracles, not the ordinary.”
These are not ordinary miracles, and this tells us something about the spiritually charged climate in Ephesus.
Ephesus was not dealing in the normal realms.
Ephesus would not have been moved by ordinary miracles.
“Ephesus had a reputation as a center for the learning and practice of the magical arts.”
(NIVAC, 515).
In the writings of this day, documents that were found to contain spells or formulas were commonly referred to as “Ephesian writings” (NIVAC, 515).
This was how the city of Ephesus was known throughout the world.
It was a city that was callous to signs and wonders in such a way that what we might call miraculous, they would call normal.
Because they worshiped idols, and dabbled in magic, and gave footholds for the devil and the powers of darkness to thrive.
But in the midst of this, God ACTS.
In a city that was known for the magic arts, known for supernatural manifestations — God met them there, and His word prevailed.
To a people used to ordinary miracles — God showed His power through the working of extraordinary miracles!
God showed the Ephesians that He has power and victory over all that they were dealing in and with — even over the spiritual powers of darkness.
Paul would later write to the Ephesian church, knowing that they understood in a very practical way the reality of spiritual conflict and spiritual opposition this encouragement and command:
We know spiritual warfare exists.
We know that God is opposed by spiritual and demonic forces of evil that manifest themselves in physical ways and through physical institutions — through idol worship and cults.
The Ephesians did not ascribe trivial challenges to the work of the Devil, but they encountered and experienced and witnessed on a regular basis the powers over this present darkness and the spiritual forces of evil.
What kind of extraordinary miracles did God work by the hands of Paul?
We aren’t told all of them, but verse 12 says that they were such that:
It would be miraculous enough for someone like Paul to walk by and with a word or touch cast out a demon or heal a disease directly in the name of the Lord.
But in an extraordinary fashion, these things were happening indirectly through Paul’s clothes!
Something so small and seemingly powerless and even one step removed!
That word handkerchief is something like a sweat-cloth.
And likewise, and apron was something he would wear as part of his work making tents.
Its worth remembering that Paul was not in the miracle business — Paul did not make a living by advertising and performing miracles for financial gain.
And he could have done that, and he could have thrived in Ephesus doing that — because there was a market, a worship, even an interest in these type of things.
Paul instead worked.
He was a tentmaker.
His own hands supplied for his needs.
And when he wasn’t working, Paul was making use of opportunities to teach, in places like the lecture hall of Tyrannus and even from house to house.
Verse 13 introduces us to a group, unlike Paul, who made their living in a different way.
II.
Acts 19:13-14
These itinerant Jewish exorcists travelled around casting out demons.
And the presence of these exorcists shows the need for such exorcisms in Ephesus!
The exorcists would attempt to cast out demons by appealing to a higher power.
So here they “undertook” — or they “attempted” (meaning, they had no success) — they attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus.
Not because they know Jesus --- but because they see the extraordinary miracles being worked by the hands of Paul, they see the power of God being worked through Paul — and don’t miss this —
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