Praying through Acts- Acts 19

Daniel R Tidmore

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Intro:

Acts 19:1–2 NKJV

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

The title of my message is, [Theory or Practice].

As we continue to pray through the book of Acts, I want to focus on chapter nineteen.

Something I want to point out in this chapter is the difference between a theory and a practice.

A theory is an idea. It is a suggestion of something that might work, but until it works it is a theory.

Practice emphasizes actually putting that theory to the test to see if it works.

Here is a theory, I can eat what I want, when I want, however much I want, never exercise or work outside, and I will never gain weight.

It is a theory. I can go around telling this theory. But what until I put it into practice. Soon, I will find my theory was false.

Jesus came to the Early Church with a theory- you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

But the theory required practice. They had to learn to wait on Him and to pray.

In each chapter, we’ve seen them put this theory into practice and it has worked!

Acts 1 - promise of power

Acts 2 - received power

Acts 3- exercised power

Acts 4 - prayed for more power

Acts 5- people lied and God displayed His power

Acts 6- conflict arose and God used people of power to help the church

Acts 7- Stephen reminded them of God’s power in history

Acts 8- walked in power to spread Gospel in Samaria

Acts 9- Saul was converted through an encounter with God’s power

Acts 10- the power of God fell on the Gentiles as Peter preached

Acts 11- Peter defended Gentiles receiving power

Acts 12- the church prayed and Peter was released from prison

Acts 13- God sent Barnabas and Paul as a result of prayer

Acts 14- Paul and Barnabas took the gospel to new regions proclaiming God’s message with power

Acts 15- they prayed and God gave powerful discernment

Acts 16- Paul and Silas prayed and praised in prison, and God set them free

Acts 17- Paul stayed consistent in the face of hardships because of his prayer life

Acts 18- Paul prayed and God helped him reach the city of Corinth.

Tonight, we will see Paul go to a new city, Ephesus. God used Paul supernaturally. As I read through this chapter, it was almost as though Paul was putting every theory about God to the test.

Because Paul was a man of prayer, the theories were proved true.

When we pray, we put what we say we believe into practice. Then we stand back and watch as God answers and uses us.

Let’s look at three theories Paul had and see how his prayer life made them work, [Power over Self], [Power over Sickness], and [Power over Satan].

Let’s begin

1. Power over Self

Acts 19:1–2 NKJV

Paul arrives in the city of Ephesus and he meets twelve disciples. From the outside looking in they seemed to have everything one could want out of potential Christ-follower.

Yet they appeared to lack something. They seemed to {have good motives}, {with some understanding about the scriptures} and {about repentance}. Paul finally gets to what, or should I say, who is missing.

He questioned them, (had they received the Holy Spirit?) Literally, in the original language he asked, (having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?)

They were perplexed, they had never heard of the Holy Spirit. They were sincere in their faith, however there was more available for them.

Perhaps he shared his testimony. Whatever he said, he convinced them of their need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6 NKJV

6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

After baptizing them, he laid his hands and they began to speak in tongues and prophecy.

So we see that the theory that people can relinquish power over self by receiving power from God through the Spirit proved to be true.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives us power over ourselves.

And let me add, the theory still remains true, God can give us power over self through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at another theory Paul practiced...

2. Power over Sickness

Acts 19:11–12 NKJV

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

The New Testament church had another theory, Jesus gives power over sickness! Now he is at Ephesus, will the theory work? Will Jesus really show power over sickness in a place that is demonized and full of witchcraft.

God did, but notice that Luke explains Paul did UNUSUAL miracles. This does not mean that miracles were unusual, on the contrary, {miracles}, {healings}, {signs}, and {wonders} were a normal part of the early church.

What Luke meant was these particular miracles were unusual. In this instance, people would take the handkerchiefs or aprons of Paul and when they laid them on a sick or demon possessed person, the people were immediately healed.

-Once in Salem, I shared this scripture and felt prompted that we do this in our service. One of the girls took the handkerchief to her grandmother. The grandmother took it to her sister who was on dialysis and about to die. The lady was healed and lived another few years.

-Just recently my friend Isaac in Oklahoma told me that a couple came to them and asked them to pray over a handkerchief for their mother who was in a coma about to die in Maryland. They prayed and the daughter took the prayer cloth to her mother.

The mom had a turn around, it was such a miracle that they hospital did not charge them. The lady was able to go home to Jamaica and see her entire family one more time. When she returned home, she was ready to go to be with the Lord and promptly passed.

It does not matter whether or not God heals as soon we pray. What is important is that we trust God for healing.

God still heals today. We have to pray and trust God to do what is humanly impossible.

Paul shows that twenty-five years after the Day of Pentecost, the theory of power over self through the Spirit was right, the theory of power of sickness through Jesus’ name was right, but what about the theory of...

3. Power over Satan

Acts 19:13–16 NKJV

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Ephesus was a capitol of magicians and witchcraft. Demonic activity was the norm. There were people who tried to capitalize on this for financial gain.

Seven brothers, who were sons of a Jewish priest, would go to different towns and cast out demons for money.

They {walked up to a demon possessed man}, and {declared, “we cast you out in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”}

This seems logical; they saw this work for Paul, (why couldn’t they do what Paul did?) Their theory of power of Satan did not work without the practice of a consistent walk with God.

They had the right words, but not the right relationship. Notice how the demon answered, Jesus I know, Paul I have heard of, but (who are you?)

Immediately, the one demon possessed man leapt on the seven brothers, and the brothers ran away naked.

Here is the theory. we can get so close to God that the enemy doesn’t have to ask, who are you?

There is a place we can go in God where the enemy will know who we are long before we tell him who we are.

Close:

Theory or practice.

What would have happened if Paul knew the promises of Jesus, but viewed them ONLY as a theory.

Then the New Testament church would have had a great theory, Jesus will save, baptize in the Spirit, heal, and deliver. But the theory would have meant nothing without a PRACTICE!

Instead, Paul took a more radical approach.

He put the theory to the test. As a man prayer, he knew God could help him show others there was someone bigger than self.

He knew God would give power over sickness.

He knew God would give power over Satan.

I like the way Yale University historian, Ramsay MacMullen explained why there was such growth of the New Testament church up though the 4th Century in the Roman Empire:

The manhandling of demons… made physically visible the superiority of the Christian’s patron Power over all others… emphasis on miraculous demonstration…head-on confrontation with supernatural beings inferior to God…”

Paul shows in Ephesus what happens when we continue to pray and practice what we say we believe.

But what happens when we lighten up on prayer?

Revelation 2:1–5 NKJV

1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

How sad for the church at Ephesus. They had all the right theories about God, but something was missing. They lost their love for the Lord.

How do we stay in love with Jesus?

We continue to communicate with Him DAILY!

Let’s take the promises of God, which are theories, until we put them into practice, and pray them through our lives!