The Awesome Power of Living Missionally

Series: Missional Living

Acts 19:1-10

Acts 19:1–10 (NLT)

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.

2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

7 There were about twelve men in all.

8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.

9 But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

Introduction:

Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was dramatic. It was a ministry that zeroed-in-on the Mission of Christ.

T.S.: Acts 19 contains some key lessons on the power of living missionally and the transformation that the gospel can bring to individuals and to a community.

I- LIVING MISSIONALLY MEANS PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS CLEARLY. (Acts 19:1–9).

A- Salvation only through receiving the Good News of Jesus. (Acts 19:1–3).

Acts 19:1–3 (NLT)

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.

2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

These men were disciples of John the Baptist, who were still looking for the coming Messiah.

They had repented of their sin as John preached, but they had not yet received the saving presence of Christ in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

They were still unsaved.

B- The message of salvation necessitates a decision to accept Christ or reject him. (Acts 19:4–7).

Acts 19:4–7 (NLT)

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

7 There were about twelve men in all.

Paul made the message clear to these disciples of John the Baptist.

These men chose to place their faith in Christ.

Individuals must make the choice for themselves.

There were some who rejected and some who accepted the good news message in the city of Ephesus.

Acts 19:8–9 (NLT)

8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.

9 But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

c. Just as there were in Jesus’ day.

(John 1:11-12)

John 1:11–12 (NLT)

11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

3. The Holy Spirit indwells only people who have received Christ.

a. The twelve that Paul originally confronted received a pentecost-type manifestation, others who believed in Ephesus did not.

b. Either way, he was still present in those who believed.

(Ephesians 1:13)

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

II- LIVING MISSIONALLY MEANS KEEPING KINGDOM GOALS IN MIND. (Acts 19:10 – 20).

A- The Word of Jesus Being Proclaimed. (Acts 19:8,10).

Acts 19:8 (NLT)

8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.

Acts 19:10 (NLT)

10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

Paul preach the gospel for over two years in the city, and the gospel spread all over Asia.

When you and I live missionally, one of our primary goals is that the Word of God be proclaimed and spread far and wide.

This means that we share the Word of God and do our best to promote its spread. (Go, Pray, and Give).

(Acts 1:8)

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

(2 Thessalonians 3:1)

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NLT)

1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

B- The Power of Jesus Being Released. (Acts 19:11 – 12).

Acts 19:11–12 (NLT)

11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.

12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

God did supernatural things to confirm his message.

God makes it evident when he is moving.

Another goal of a Christian who is living missionally is to see the power of God displayed through transformed lives.

Brother Ramsey at CBC - set free from addiction to cigarettes.

Demoniac of the Gadarenes set free by Jesus.

People who have experienced radical conversion.

Why do we not pray for God’s power to move as he once did?

C- The Name of Jesus Being Magnified. (Acts 19:13-17).

Acts 19:13–17 (NLT)

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”

14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this.

15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”

16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.

God will confirm his servants and expose pretenders.

God demonstrated his power over sin and Satan.

As a result of all that took place, the name of Jesus became revered and honored.

The goal of a believer who is living missionally is not self-glorification, but the glorification of Christ!

(2 Corinthians 4:5-7)

2 Corinthians 4:5–7 (NLT)

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

D- The Disciples of Jesus Being fully transformed. (Acts 19:18-19).

Acts 19:18–19 (NLT)

18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.

19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.

As God continued his move, Christians became fully surrendered to Christ.

Those who were involved in sinful and occult practices burn them in a public bonfire.

Note that these people did not sell their items they burned him. They did not want them in the hands of others because of their lies and degrading influence. These items cost a great deal. A piece of silver was one day’s wage, so 50,000 pieces of silver equaled 50,000 working days (or 137 years) worth of wages.

The goal for missional living is true transformation from the inside-out.

(Romans 12:1-2)

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

E- The Mission of Christ Advancing. (Acts 19:20).

Acts 19:20 (NLT)

20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

1- Notice the marks of the mission of Christ advancing...

a. The Good News message about Jesus “spreads widely.”

b. The Good News message has a “powerful effect.”

Lives were transformed

Acts 19:18-19

Acts 19:18–19 (NLT)

18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.

19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.

The whole of communities was affected.

The Name of Jesus honored (Acts 19:17, 20)

Acts 19:17 NLT

17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.

Acts 19:20 NLT

20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

The officially-sanctioned practices of sin challenged (Acts 19:23-41)

Conclusion:

When you and I make the choice to live missionally, in the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s awesome power is released. This results in the clear, powerful Good News of Jesus is proclaimed and promoted. This results in transformed lives and changed dynamics in our community and beyond.

The question that you and I must answer is are we willing to openly choose to live missionally, purposefully pursuing the missional goals as the purpose for our lives?