No Small Disturbance: How to Walk Into Conflict
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Scripture
Scripture
About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.
For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen;
these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.
“You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
“Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.
Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.
Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven?
“So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.
“For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.
“But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.
“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”
After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
God uses His Word to inform us of our situation.
House Arrest
Michael Cohen scheduled to go on house arrest after Covid-19 outbreak at his prison.
How many of us feel like we’re on house arrest? We don’t have ankle monitors, but we may feel forced into your home and stuck. Waiting for direction. Even now, your church ministries are planning how we can safely and quickly reopen, but we are waiting on local and state governments to rescind the existing stay at home orders and release new guidelines for how we can move forward. We are keeping in touch with our Assiociation, CSBC, legal counsel and insurance company requesting advice and counsel as we get ready to be a church in a Covid-19 world.
Protest
News reports of protests from Michigan, Texas, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, even Brazil and Huntington Beach, California
Demetrius
Silversmith
Idol making
Made silver shrines of Artemis
Brought a lot of profit to the craftsmen
Gathered businessmen who made money from idol making to meet about Paul
Noted that people all throughout Asia are turning away from false gods (May our message be as well known). May denizens of hell meet to how effective our ministry is.
Involved the whole city
Young Frankenstein
“A riot is an ugly thing...and it’s about darn time that we had one!”
This meeting began a riot that had to be moved to the theater in Ephesus,
Theater
The largest theater in the ancient world.
Cut into the side of Mount Pion
Faced west toward the harbor.
Current capacity approx. 24,000. Likely it was around 17,000 in Paul’s day.
I. That’s No Moon: NO IDOLS
I. That’s No Moon: NO IDOLS
Let’s go back to where this all started. These men were involved in what business? Idol making
Supermooon
For us, a supermoon appeared on April 7th or 8th and appeared a large pink moon.
A supermoon happens when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal, although the difference is hard to spot with the naked eye.
March 9 at 1:48 P.M EDT
April’s Full Pink Moon: April 7 at 10:35 P.M. EDT
May’s Full Flower Moon: May 7 at 6:45 A.M. EDT
Artemis
Context
Greek Goddess of the moon
Diana (Roman name)
Numerous shrines and one temple (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world)
Idol “fell from heaven” and temple erected around it.
19:27 temple of the great goddess Artemis. The archaic Ionic temple of Artemis measured 220 by 425 feet, with 127 marble columns each 62 feet high. The lowest drums of the 36 western columns were carved with reliefs. The statue of the goddess was displayed in an inner room of the temple.
Possibly meteorite. We have the Artemisian Idols and they depicted a multibreasted woman. It is possible that this artifact that ell from heaven may have been a meterorite that resembled such a thing.
Skip Heitzig of 30,000 Feet
“It fell from heaven because heaven didn’t want it.”
Nothing New: False Gods / Idols / Idolatry
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Idola latria
Idol service, “worship”
Idols and who they represented were called “gods” in the near east
Believe that the object itself was not their “god” but that their god somehow attached itself to or inhabited the idol. The idol would be served, an attempt to have relationship and appease or manipulate the being.
1. GOD SAID NO
1. GOD SAID NO
DON’T MAKE THEM, DON’T WORSHIP THEM
DON’T MAKE THEM, DON’T WORSHIP THEM
DON’T MAKE IDOLS
Exodus 20:2-5
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
When it comes to worship, accept no substitutes.
2. Idols can be demonic
2. Idols can be demonic
“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—
You are grown fat, thick, and sleek—
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scorned the Rock of his salvation.
“They made Him jealous with strange gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger.
“They sacrificed to demons who were not God,
To gods whom they have not known,
New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not dread.
Shedim = demons
Low ranking divine beings
Also used in other near east religions/cultures
Sometimes, referred to as “gods” in the scriptures or the sons of God
God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers.
When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
3. You have one intermediary
3. You have one intermediary
Idols serve as intermediaries.
Israel sought an intermediary with God in Moses.
All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.
Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”
When he didn’t come back, they sought an idol to serve as an intermediary between them and God.
“For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’
God has only one intermediary, that is Christ Jesus.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
4. God has one perfect image
4. God has one perfect image
God made man in His image, but we messed up
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Image
When we don’t look like someone we are said to be a pale reflection.
Little children love to draw pictures of their family, their parents.
How many of us have put up images on our walls and on our fridges. Pictures our little ones drew of us. Many are missing fingers or have too many. Some show us impossibly tall or ridiculously short.
Wii Fit avatar. Dad, you’re really fat.
God knew that you and I would fail in representing His image to the world. He knew that He would have to represent Himself to a fallen world where you and I could not due to our sin and brokenness.
GOD became the perfect image for us in Christ Jesus
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
We don’t want to oversimplify this, because we can create idols not only with our own hands, but with our minds as well. We can allow almost anything, real or abstract take God’s place of supremacy in our hearts. Any idol we create will not do.
Once we have our eyes on Jesus, how can we handle a riotous situation?
How do we respond to Fear boiling into possible violence?
II. There’s a Riot Going On: STOP, THINK, SEEK, ACT
II. There’s a Riot Going On: STOP, THINK, SEEK, ACT
A. STOP and refocus on God
A. STOP and refocus on God
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”
Paul wanted to run out and get into the fray. He’s got at least 17,000 people in an auditorium, what an opportunity to preach.
B. EXAMINE Your Motives
B. EXAMINE Your Motives
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Reason for Protest
Fear
Private but Primary Reasons
People are afraid that their profits were being harmed by Paul and his ministry.
At this time, Ephesus was beginning to lose it’s position in the Mediterranean as a major hub of culture and trade.
Demetrius notes that Paul’s teachings were affecting not only Ephesus, but the Entirety of Asia.
Could you imagine if a church moved into Las Vegas and so many people were touched by it’s ministry that Casino owners started riots because their business was affected?
Public but Secondary Reasons
Fear of loss of religious/cultural identity. Stirred up their pride. This was what was used to stir the populace.
III. Seek Wise Counsel
III. Seek Wise Counsel
The wisdom of the brethren
Disciples prevented Paul from Going .
The wisdom of friends
The wisdom of friends
Asiarchs (who were friends)
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 19
The upper-class civic rulers who were in charge of the administration of Ephesus. Their insight and reaction into the circumstances demonstrate the serious nature of the riot caused by Demetrius.
The wisdom of outsiders
The wisdom of outsiders
The Clerk (The Ephesians needed wisdom)
Aka - city secratary
manages records and accounts for a Roman City
Represents the city to Rome.
Simmer down now
The clerk addressed the crowd with wise words
These guys aren’t hurting anyone
Not temple robbers
Not blasphemers
Take it to the courts
Employs rhetorical pattern common of the day
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
Review (v35)
Thesis (v36)
Argument (vv37-39)
Appeal (v40)
A riot will bring judgment on Ephesus
Roman intervention in city life would leave many dead and Ephesus with more Roman control
Find the best way to deal with the situation
The wisdom of God
The wisdom of God
God promises to show His children.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
God’s ways are best
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.
Wisdom is in His Word
“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
D. ACT upon God’s Revelation
D. ACT upon God’s Revelation
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Once we know where God is leading we have to move forward.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
How do we approach as Christians?
How do we approach as Christians?
A. STOP and refocus on God
Do not give in to fear and respond in panic
B. EXAMINE Your motives
Am I responding in fear, greed, jealousy, etc.
C. SEEK: Seek wise counsel
1. Seek friends in the Lord
2. Seek outsiders, other who are different than me
3. Seek God above all else
D. ACT upon God’s revelation
Do we protest?
Do we protest?
Michigan , New York, Brazil. Around the world people are beginning to protest their lockdown conditions.
Not all protests are wrong
Protestant
We Christians come from a proud tradition of protesting.
Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Wycliffe. Yet these men who protested the heresy being forced upon them and others, the oppression of the word of God. They sought not their own voice, but defending God’s so that people might know the truth of Jesus Christ and not a perverted picture of Him that was being portrayed by the church of their time.
Examples
Unfair application of the Law
No Drive In Church
Kentucky church cited for holding a drive in service. People came to the parking lot and stayed in their cars as the Pastor preached. That Thursday the mayor banned any drive in Easter services and threatened that officers would write down license plates of those who attended. In light of possible fines, jail time, quarantines, this issue went before Justice Walker. He said,
Louisville must be able to prove that it's using the least restrictive means to prevent the spread of the disease. Moreover, if sitting in cars did pose a significant danger of spreading the virus, Louisville would close all drive-throughs and parking lots that are not related to maintaining public health, which they haven’t done,
Walker reasoned that he didn't see any evidence that the church's parking lot is more dangerous than other parking lots that remain open.
Nor is there any evidence that churches are less essential than every other business that is currently allowed to be open – liquor stores among them
No Singing in Church
Fox News: April 15th 2020
Mendocino County, a coastal county with a population of 86,000, banned churches from singing while recording online worship services, unless the individuals sang from home.
Four individuals only were allowed to record from one place and "no singing or use of wind instruments, harmonicas or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through projected droplets shall be permitted unless the recording of the event is done at one’s residence," according to the county order that also applies to concert halls, auditoriums, temples and playhouses.
Albert Mohler (President of the Southern Seminary and public voice in Southern Baptist Convention)
Churches should respect the Stay at Home
many of these orders and guidelines from the CDC do not violate religious liberty
Christians have a duty out of love of neighbor to comply with general policies that attempt to abate the spread of the coronavirus.
governments are justified in ruling that all mass assemblies ought to cease for a definable period of time. That is rational government policy.
Churches should stand up, however, if policies target or single out churches and religious groups,
Now it becomes an unconstitutional violation of religious liberty.
"To be clear, authorities can and should require that churches respect and maintain physical distancing between all the very limited participants in a streamed worship service,"
"It is an entirely different matter, however, to tell Christians that they cannot sing in praise and honor of God,”
Wake-up
A common term in the service or even in jail is “so many days, and wake-up.” A way to show when your required time is over. You and I are on house arrest waiting for our freedom. Maybe today is the time to wake up and respond.