The Progress of the Word Brings the Persecution of the World
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· 8 viewsThe progress of the Word inevitably results in persecution of the world.
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History shows that wherever Christianity takes root and Christians faithfully walk in the Word they have a profound impact on people and their practices.
the result is often opposition and at times, fierce persecution
throughout the books of Acts we’ve seen how the HS, through the Gospel, powerfully changed lives, and as believers lived in faithfulness to the Word, the Gospel spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria into the farthest parts of the earth
and, as the Gospel spread, those who walked and talked according to the Word, had such an impact on their culture, that unbelievers rose up in opposition and often persecuted them
which by the way, only served to push the Gospel further and further abroad!
history also shows that when Christians don’t walk and talk according to the Word they are tolerated and sometimes even embraced by the world
Compromising Christians don’t have to worry about opposition or persecution!
last week we saw how in Acts 19:8-20 the progress of the Word was transforming Ephesus and the surrounding region
that transforming power was also working within the church
Christians were confessing and repenting from sinful attitudes, behaviours and practices
it caused some believers to surrender their magic scrolls and publicly burn them in spite of their high value
Through Paul’s preaching of the Word the Holy Spirit transformed lives at every level of society and from every kind of background.
this is God’s plan and purpose for the church
preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God produces transformed lives
as believers walk and talk according to the Word they come into conflict with their culture
Satan, the “ruler of this world”, wants to maintain his power over people, keeping them in spiritual darkness
at the same time the progress of the Word lived out in the lives of faithful believers causes the light of the Gospel to shine forth, transforming people and their sinful practices
when that happens Satan either appears as an angel of light to corrupt believers from within or he goes about as a roaring lion seeking to frighten believers into silence
in the synagogue there was hardness - lion
in the exorcists hypocrisy - false light
in our passage today, we will discover Satan roaring like a lion, seeking to silence Christians through an angry mob
we will also learn that though Satan opposes the progress of the Word, Jesus is mighty, able to overcome all opposition
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Future Plans
Future Plans
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
at the end of his 2nd missionary journey Paul stopped in Ephesus, spoke in the synagogue, was warmly received and invited to keep teaching them
because he was on his way to Jerusalem to fulfill a vow, he left, promising to return if the Lord willed it
Paul did return on 3rd missionary journey
after strengthening the churches he planted on his 1st missionary journey he came to Ephesus where he taught in the synagogue for 3 months
when they became stubborn in their unbelief and started speaking evil of the things Paul was teaching them, he took those who had believed and taught them in the hall of Tyrannus
for 2 years he taught them the whole counsel of God and they in turn took what they had learned, put it into practice and shared it wherever they went
Luke tells us that as a result “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord”
As Paul surveyed the amazing progress of the Gospel he began setting his sights further abroad.
“Paul resolved in the Spirit”
he was committed to the will of God, not his own
rather than settle down in Ephesus, he planned to go to Spain via Rome after passing through Macedonia and Achaia
his reason for this round about route is explained in 1 Cor 16:1-4
Paul wrote this while he was in Ephesus,
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Paul had a deep concern for the poor believers in Jerusalem
wanted the churches he planted to learn their dependence on one another
wanted individual believers to learn how to love practically, with their money meeting the needs of other believers
Timothy & Erastus
a reminder that Paul’s ministry was a team effort
Although Paul was the chief spokesman there were many who worked with him, helping him accomplish the mission God had assigned to him.
although the Spirit was directing Paul to future church planting opportunities he did not leave immediately, choosing to remain a while longer to take full advantage of the open door in Ephesus
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
so Paul is near the end of his 3 yr ministry in Ephesus
he’s planning a round about trip to Rome through Jerusalem in order to bring funds for the church there
after that he plans to travel to Spain to continue his missionary work
Life Lesson:
Paul had an unceasing, burning passion to spread the Gospel of Jesus throughout the world
his life was consumed with the Great Commission
he could not fulfill that passion without the help of others like Timothy and Erastus
Present Opposition
Present Opposition
23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way.
“the way” = Christianity
some were upset with the effect Christianity was having on their business
A sign of a healthy church: disrupting the culture through the transformation of sinners into saints who walk in the Way of Christ.
24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen.
Demetrius
What he was:
Demetrius was a successful businessman with a great influence and power over others.
“a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis”
models of the Temple
the Temple of Artemis was a wonder of the world at that time and attracted a large number of visitors who would buy these shrines to bring home with them
Artemis from “artemeas” meaning “safe and sound”
associated with health and help
exercised lordship over supernatural powers
helped in childbirth
sometimes depicted as a huntress armed with a bow - goddess of death
Who he was:
“brought no little business to the craftsman”
He may have employed many craftsmen and possibly contracted work out to related trades.
was influential in helping them make a great deal of money
other craftsman would have made these shrines out of wood or clay
only terra cotta shrines have been unearthed likely because the great value of silver led to their being melted down
What he did:
25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.
Appealed To Money (25)
money is the main issue
if sales were not down it is unlikely D would have been upset
however, to ensure that he gets the desired response he also appeals to their way of life and their devotion to their god
26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
Appealed to Work Loss (26-27a)
“this Paul” = contempt
the reason: persuading and turning a great number away
the value of the scrolls that were burned points to a large number of Christians
also the spread of the Gospel so that it seemed that all Asia was turning to Christ
his summary of Paul’s teaching: “gods made with hands are not gods”
this of course was not the main point of Paul’s Gospel message which was, repent and believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins
that “god made without hands are not gods” is most obvious but they refused to accept this knowing that doing so would mean the end of their trade and their wealth
although this is not Luke’s point, Jesus Himself taught that money is a great obstacle to coming to faith in Christ and staying faithful to Him
as a result power of the Gospel, people were turning from idols to Christ
Appealed to Piety (27b)
Demetrius’ final appeal to their love of their goddess was the key that turned them into an angry mob.
he says, the temple will be counted as nothing and Artemis deposed
temple took 220 yrs to build
built with the wealth of world rulers
pillars were donated by kings and rulers, often covered with gold
if people abandon the temple, Artemis will cease to hold sway over the people
Life Lessons:
D was able to measure the progress of the Word on his bottom line!
the progress of the Word on unbelievers and believers had an effect on the local economy
Christians living out the Word were having an effect on their income, their religion and their reputation
Opposition to Christianity is often motivated by money.
when the Gospel affects people’s bank accounts they take notice!
what kind of effect are we having on our society?
remember how the Ephesian believers were affecting the worship of Artemis
first, sinners were being saved through the Gospel
second, believers were living out the Word thereby bringing down the sinful practices of their society
note that this was the result of a renewed passion for purity and holiness among the Ephesian believers!
how did all this begin?
1 man totally committed to the Word!
he had a great effect because he was sold out to the Gospel
as he preached the Gospel, people were saved
and as he taught them the whole counsel of God they walked and talked accordingly and the sins of society were dealt with
societal change does not come through protests or legislation but by sinners being saved, living holy lives and then making disciples who live just like them
A Confused City (Acts 19:28-34)
A Confused City (Acts 19:28-34)
28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Demetrius was so successful in whipping up the craftsmen that they went about shouting, stirring up the city with confusion.
their cry: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”
this would have been called out during the annual festivals devoted to the goddess
Artemis considered the founder and guide of the city
her name and image was stamped on their coins and official docs
they looked to her as their protector and provider
29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel.
theatre:
place of public and spontaneous meetings
seated 20-30k
Gaius and Aristarchus were recognized as Paul’s co-workers and were dragged along by the crowd to the theatre
Aristarchus from Thessalonica and was imprisoned with Paul
nothing is known of Gaius
30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.
Paul was well acquainted with angry mobs and was unafraid to stand before them.
he probably relished the fact that he would have such a large audience to preach to!
however, Paul’s courage and zeal was tempered by the disciples’ wisdom
31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.
Asiarchs were civil leaders who answered to the Roman Procurator who ruled the province
Asiarchs were elected officers who hosted the games and festivals in honour of the gods at their own expense.
a patriotic, honorary office that was highly sought after
that they were Paul’s friends shows how far both his influence and his preaching progressed!
they were likely influenced by his miracles and teaching and sought him out much like Herod sought out John the Baptist (Mk 6:18,20) and Felix conversed with Paul (Acts 24:26)
it is remarkable that those who were chosen to host games and festivities in honour of Artemis at their own expense would seek Paul’s welfare!
Life Lessons:
we should never expect the world to be happy with Christianity or its effects
True Christianity is a disrupter and unbelievers don’t like this.
the progression of the Word will always have financial repercussions both on the saved and the unsaved!
the saved burned 50,000 pieces of silver worth of magic scrolls
D and his followers burned with anger over their loss of income
the power of selfishness and greed
D was willing to incite a riot in order to get what he wanted
the main issue for him was money and he was willing to use his influence and his religion to inflame others to protect it
What drives our world: the lust of eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. (1Jn 2:16)
covetousness, evil desire & pride are a deadly combination!
D’s love of money drove him to deception, riot and possibly murder
money was his master, driving him to spiritual ruin
his love of money drove him to violence just as it did for Judas!
32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Jews were afraid because Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism
put forward Alexander
rejected because Jews were known to be opposed to all gods and were thus very unpopular
A Wise Mayor (Acts 19:35-41)
A Wise Mayor (Acts 19:35-41)
The town clerk was the highest city official, something like a mayor.
drafted decrees determined by the city council, controlled city funds, chaired city meetings, answered to the Roman proconsul who governed the province
His Message:
nothing should disturb the confidence of the city
no one doubts Ephesus is the keeper of Artemis temple
they have stone from heaven (not made with hands)
he appeals to the commonly held belief that meteorites like this were sent from the gods
His Testimony:
no crime committed
no one could accuse them of stealing from the temple or of speaking evil of it
no one less than the chief city official exonerated Gaius and Aristarchus and by extension Paul and the rest of his team
that he did so in such a public setting shows how true this was
he declared them innocent knowing that no one could challenge him!
what Peter spoke of was fulfilled
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
His Warning:
if there is a grievance there is a process
courts - took place on market days before judges
proconsuls - Roman governors who decided on cases that were appealed
regular assembly - city meetings to amend or enact by-laws
The real danger was not Paul’s teaching but the Romans!
any kind of rioting was dimly viewed by the Romans who had a reputation for severely punishing any who did so
could lose favour of proconsul
guilds could be disbanded
city official punished
city could lose is power to self-govern
Life Lessons:
Just as Paul was delivered from the attack of the Jews in Corinth God rescued him from the mob in Ephesus.
God sometimes uses surprising means
in this case the Asiarchs and the Mayor all of whom were unbelievers
when God does call us to suffer he never wastes it
example of Paul and Silas in Philippi
This event shows the power of the Word to transform the life and culture of a city and a region.
through the progress of the Word, lives were transformed at every level of society
however when that happens opposition almost always arises
Satan wants to maintain his power over people by blinding their eyes and keeping them in darkness
at the same time the light of the Gospel transforms lives and as they live as salt and light they threaten his control
the self interest of religious, social and business groups will drive them to attack and even kill
Opposition may manifest itself in different ways but the name of Jesus is powerful, able to overcome all opposition, even the demonic.
Personal Application:
Personal Application:
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Paul did not consider the suffering he endured as something out of the ordinary but rather common for anyone committed to living a godly life. (2 Tim 3:12)
this leads to a couple of important questions,
“why is it that we as Christians have it so easy here in Canada?”
what we have been learning throughout the book of Acts, is that Christians who are being transformed by the Word, transform their world and this tends to produce opposition which often leads to persecution
If we are not being opposed or persecuted we must ask what impact, if any, the Word is having on our lives!
with the increasing hostility of our government and our society to Christianity many are wondering, “will we ever have persecution here in Canada?”
according to our study of Acts 19 we are asking the wrong question!
we should be asking, “is there any reason why we should be persecuted?”
In what way are we making such a difference for the kingdom of God that doing so would stir up opposition to us?
in what way does the average Canadian Christian stand out from society so that the offence of the cross (Gal 5:11) is clearly experienced?
problem of thinking that believing on Jesus, going to Church and giving money is where our responsibility begins and ends
being a life changing Christian is much more than this!
it is practical and it is verbal
practical: living a holy life by thinking God’s thoughts
verbal: testifying to Christ and speaking out against sin
the testimony of Acts 19:8-20 is that when the Word does impact how we live and speak, we in turn impact our community and that inevitably raises opposition
no opposition = no impact
The tendency of most North American Christians is to make the Gospel as attractive to sinners as possible.
water down the Gospel and ramp up the entertainment
making our churches sinner friendly as opposed to a stumbling block the world keeps tripping over and cursing because it is out of place
ignore what the bible says about sin and accept everyone as ok
embrace all who are sincere no matter what they believe
present the Gospel as the cure all to life’s problems
Paul’s method:
unashamedly preach the whole Gospel believing it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16)
teach the whole counsel of God to those who believe and practice discipline against those who go astray
the result: God changes lives and cities and cultures and beliefs and practices
our only responsibility: be faithful to the Word
applies both to the church and the individual
give an illustration of repeatedly hurting myself on something and my temptation to curse
READ 1 Peter 2:1-12 and comment on the fact Jesus is the Living Stone rejected by men because He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (8)
we as Christians are built on top of Him like living stones with a calling to proclaim the excellencies of God
if we are are to be such a people,
we must live in this world as sojourners (11a)
we must abstain from the passions of the flesh (11b)