Acts 19:11-20 // For the Church, For the City // Week 2

Introduction

Acts 19:11–20 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

We have one of the strangest stories in the Bible, but I will say… I HAVE BEEN wanting to preach this passage for SO long, guys!

It is strange, because Ephesus was strange. Ephesus was a city full of witchcraft. The god, Artemis, was the primary God of the city.

CIT: The gospel breaks the strongholds of the enemy in our lives, our churches, and our cities.

Explanation

Acts 19:11–12 ESV

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

God was doing great things through Paul. A real movement of the Holy Spirit was happening in Ephesus.

Articles of Paul’s clothing and items that had touched Paul were healing people.

Diseases were healed, and evil spirits were cast out using these items that had touched Paul.

Paul was anointed by God for a specific work. He was casting out demons, healing, etc.

Acts 19:13–16 ESV

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

The sons of Sceva (a Jewish high priest) were performing exorcisms.

Itinerate exorcists from Israel were common in the Greco-Roman world, not necessarily because they were effective but rather they were exotic. Their Hebrew chants were strange and different. They were found throughout the Empire.

Interestingly - this group claims to be the sons of the high priest. We have no record of their father, Sceva, ever being a high priest. More likely, they were charlatans.

They were speaking to the demons by the Jesus that Paul proclaims.

The demon responded, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

“Jesus I know.”

That demon had no qualms about the Word Made Flesh, the One from Everlasting.

One day, Christ word would banish him forever.

In fact, demons submitted to Jesus in the gospels

“Paul I respect.”

Does Satan respect your work?

Without Christ, your work is without any respect of Satan, but outside of that truth, do you do anything that beats against the doors of hell?

The man with the spirit leapt on them and beat them until they were naked and wounded.

They were beaten badly.

If you started a fight with your clothes, and at the end of the fight you have no clothes - you lost very badly.

What is the point of this story?

These men were using the name of Jesus without taking up the cross of Jesus.

They thought Jesus was a name to be invoked instead of a God to be worshipped.

They wanted the power of Jesus without Jesus, Himself.

When we carry Jesus name, we carry Jesus authority into this world.

Acts 19:17–20 ESV

And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Jesus name was extolled. We often think extolled means to praise, but the bettter definition is to exalt, magnify, or glorify. The greek word, “megalyno,” where we get the word mega.

When the name of Jesus begins to be esteemed, revival often breaks out. When Christ is exalted, revival is beginning. According to Edwards, intense religious emotion, involuntary bodily effects, intense religiocity, and praise of God that brings attention to self are not signs of revival. BUT when people TREMBLE at the name of Jesus, God moves in powerful ways.

Revival is exactly what happened.

Those who had been saved came and confessed their sins and divulged their practices.

When Jesus is big, sins are small. You say, “No, that sin is to small for me to confess. You have just revealed to me that the sin is bigger than you think it is.”

With a fear of the Lord, they came and received God’s grace and walked with him.

They brought books of magic arts and burned them.

The entire worth of those magic books was 50,000 silver pieces.

If they were denarii, the total cost was 5.5 million dollars.

If they were talents, the total cost was nearly 1.5 billion.

Application

Angels and demons are a reality of the Bible, so they are a reality for us.

Whatever God asks us to do, we are given his authority to do it in the name of Jesus by the power of Jesus.

I heard a preacher once say, “My son asked God if he could shoot fireballs out of his hand, and I told him go ahead and ask, because God might grant it.

WRONG. God grants as we ask in accordance with his will.

God is not giving you the authority to create a larger bank account. He grants you authority as your live lines up with his mission.

Revival starts with an esteem for the name, person, and work of Jesus Christ.

You might be confused and beaten down and broken in your life.

You also just might be confused about where to start. START THERE. Esteem Christ and look to Him.

Invitation

Gospel - Jesus saves.

Rededication - Return to Jesus

Surrender to ministry