Sermon Tone Analysis

Wisdom for Living from the Word of God

The Book of Acts - Part 70

Acts 19:23-41 (Initial reading: vs. 23-29)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - January 18, 2015

BACKGROUND:

*In tonight's Scripture, Paul was on his third missionary journey.

His team was reaching many people in the city of Ephesus.

They saw the Hand of God at work in amazing ways.

And Acts 19:10 tells us "this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."

*By the time we get to vs. 20, the two years were just about up, and God was leading Paul to new places.

Verse 21 shows us the plans that were coming together in Paul's heart.

There, God's Word says, "Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'''

*Paul had great plans, but unexpected trouble was heading his way.

With this background in mind, let's get started by reading Acts 19:23-29.

And as we read, please think about how this 2,000-year-old story can give us some of the wisdom we need for life today.

INTRODUCTION:

*Two of the guiding principles in my preaching have always been that the Bible is completely true, and it is completely relevant.

God's Word is not just some ancient document.

It is totally relevant to life today.

*Of course, John 3:16 has a lot more meaning for us than Deuteronomy 3:16.

But everything in the Word of God has something to say about the way we live today.

With this truth in mind, let's look at this near-riot in Ephesus 2,000 years ago.

We will surely find some wisdom that we need today.

1.

First and foremost is that we should walk in the way of Christ.

*Walk in the way of the Lord.

This is the "way" Luke mentioned in vs. 23, when he said, "About that time there arose a great commotion about the Way."

*Luke used this word "Way" to describe Christianity 3 other times in the Book of Acts, and I like this word, because Christianity IS a way of life.

It's the way of faith and hope.

It's the way of love.

And it's the way of the cross.

*In John 14:6, on the night before Jesus died on the cross for us, He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me." Christianity is the way of salvation.

It's the way of grace.

And it's the only way to true righteousness.

*In the late-2000s, our Becky was Director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Miami.

Surely, I knew that Miami wasn't in the Bible Belt.

But I was really surprised when Becky told me that 95 percent of the people in Miami do not go to church.

-- 95 percent!

*My sister Leslie and I were talking about that, and I guessed their religion was the beach, or sports, or golf or partying.

But Leslie said, "No it's all the same.

It's all the 'Me' religion.

It's all about me, and what I want to do."

*Leslie was right: It's all about me.

How are we ever going to overcome the "Me" problem?

There is only one way: The way of Jesus Christ.

Christianity is the only way to righteousness.

It's the only way to Heaven.

And it's the only way to eternal happiness.

*David Jeremiah told the story of lonely woman who lived in London many years ago.

She was 100 years old when a missionary stopped by to see her, and she trusted in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

Later she said: "How wonderful, and how good the Lord has been in sparing me these 100 years that I might learn the way of life!"

When she died, they put these words on her gravestone: "Born 1825 -- Born Again 1925."

(1)

*She found the way to Heaven and happiness, because she found Jesus Christ.

She trusted in Jesus as her Lord and Savior!

2. And everybody should walk in the way of Christ.

-- We also should observe our opposition.

*God's Church has always faced stiff opposition in the world, and we need to understand our opposition.

It does no good to bury our heads in the sand.

We need to seek information and understanding.

We need to be aware and get informed about those who oppose the way of Jesus.

God's Word helps us in vs. 23-29.

So, what can we learn here about our opposition?

[1] First, they are often motivated by greed.

*We see this truth in vs. 23-27:

23.

About that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.

24.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.

25.

He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.

26.

Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

27.

So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.''

*"This trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute."

John Phillips gave great insight about this incident, and here's part of what he said: "Diana of the Ephesians was a monstrous obscenity, an image gross and repelling, whose rites were licentious in the extreme.

She was really the goddess Artemis, the ancient mother goddess of Asia Minor.

*Her temple at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The ugly image of Artemis enthroned in that temple was supposed to have come down from heaven.

And is believed to have been a meteorite roughly shaped to resemble a woman with many rows of breasts.

*She was served by troops of priestesses whose function was to pander to the carnal lusts of the image's worshippers.

The Ephesian silversmiths were united by a guild whose patroness was the goddess.

They had chosen to honor Artemis as their guardian and protector.

One of their most profitable products was miniature silver statues of her image. . .

The impact of Christianity at Ephesus was so great that sales of those useless statues had fallen drastically.

*No greater comment could be made on the wholesome nature of Christianity than the way it cleaned up this moral and religious sewer of the ancient world.

No greater comment could be made on human greed and wickedness than the resulting fury of the silversmiths.

Entrenched wickedness is always militant against the gospel, when the gospel begins to make an impact in cleaning up society."

(2)

[2] Our opposition is motivated by greed, and they are holding on to false hope.

*As Demetrius the silversmith said in vs. 27, "Not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship."

They were putting their hope in a lifeless piece of rock, when the only true hope for the world is the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ!

*That's why King David wrote these wise words in Psalm 62:5-8:

5. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6.

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

7.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Selah.

*The only true hope for the world is the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ!

So, when Paul later wrote to the Christians at Ephesus about the days before their salvation, in Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul said:

12. . .

At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having NO HOPE and without God in the world.

13.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ.

[3] The blood of Jesus Christ is the only real hope of the world, so our opposition is holding on to false hope.

Sadly, they have very strong support.

*A mob of these misguided people was on the scene in vs. 27-28 as Demetrius finished his rant by saying: