WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:14.369 About that time there occurred no small disturbance 00:00:14.369 --> 00:00:19.649 concerning the way. For a man named Demetrius, 00:00:19.750 --> 00:00:23.750 a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, 00:00:23.829 --> 00:00:27.129 was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. 00:00:28.129 --> 00:00:31.050 These he gathered together with the workmen of 00:00:31.050 --> 00:00:34.429 similar trades and said, Men, you know that our 00:00:34.429 --> 00:00:38.210 prosperity depends upon this business. You see 00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:42.039 and hear. Then not only in Ephesus, but in almost 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.100 all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:48.719 away a considerable number of people, saying 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:54.539 that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 00:00:55.060 --> 00:00:58.740 Not only is there danger that this trade of ours 00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:02.179 fall into disrepute, but also that the temple 00:01:02.179 --> 00:01:06.760 of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless. 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:10.579 and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship 00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:14.379 will even be dethroned from her magnificence. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:19.000 When they heard this and were filled with rage, 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:24.379 they began crying out, saying, Great is Artemis 00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:30.219 of the Ephesians. The city was filled with confusion, 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:34.739 and they rushed with one accord into the theater. 00:01:35.370 --> 00:01:39.349 dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:43.689 traveling companions from Macedonia. And when 00:01:43.689 --> 00:01:47.170 Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples 00:01:47.170 --> 00:01:51.469 would not let him. Also, some of the Asiarps, 00:01:51.489 --> 00:01:55.189 who were friends of his, sent to him and repeatedly 00:01:55.189 --> 00:02:01.030 urged him not to venture into the theater. So 00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:04.760 then, Some were shouting one thing and some another, 00:02:05.019 --> 00:02:09.259 for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:12.800 did not know for what reason they had come together. 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:17.280 Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:21.060 since the Jews had put him forward, and having 00:02:21.060 --> 00:02:24.180 motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:28.560 to make a defense to the assembly. But when they 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:32.150 recognized that he was a Jew, A single outcry 00:02:32.150 --> 00:02:35.289 arose from them all as they shouted for about 00:02:35.289 --> 00:02:39.349 two hours, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! 00:02:40.129 --> 00:02:44.310 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, 00:02:44.969 --> 00:02:49.449 Men of Ephesus, what man is there among all who 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:52.409 does not know that the city of the Ephesians 00:02:52.409 --> 00:02:55.449 is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis 00:02:55.449 --> 00:02:58.750 and of the image which fell down from heaven? 00:02:59.530 --> 00:03:05.000 So, Since these are undeniable facts, you ought 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.479 to keep calm and to do nothing rash. For you 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:13.419 have brought these men here who are neither robbers 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:18.919 of the temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 00:03:19.379 --> 00:03:24.939 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:28.960 with him have a complaint against any man, the 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.939 courts are in session. and procouncils are available. 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:38.259 Let them bring charges against one another. But 00:03:38.259 --> 00:03:40.879 if you want anything beyond this, it shall be 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.000 settled in the lawful assembly. For indeed, we 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:48.419 are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection 00:03:48.419 --> 00:03:52.860 with today's events, since there is no real cause 00:03:52.860 --> 00:03:56.240 for it, and in this connection we will be unable 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:00.469 to account for this disorderly gathering. After 00:04:00.469 --> 00:04:05.810 saying this, he dismissed the assembly. There's 00:04:05.810 --> 00:04:10.650 a common misconception regarding Christianity 00:04:10.650 --> 00:04:15.189 in the world today, and it's nothing new to today, 00:04:15.389 --> 00:04:21.649 but this misconception says that Christianity 00:04:21.649 --> 00:04:28.579 is something that's helpful to one's life. It 00:04:28.579 --> 00:04:31.800 offers them a means of escape from the difficulties 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:36.819 of daily life. If they would be a part of Christianity, 00:04:37.300 --> 00:04:43.339 then their life is surely going to improve. They'll 00:04:43.339 --> 00:04:48.180 become more moral. The Christian religion will 00:04:48.180 --> 00:04:52.920 offer them therapy and help and aid, improvement 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:58.629 in their life to a degree. If you really trust 00:04:58.629 --> 00:05:01.810 in the Lord, then probably most of the issues 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:03.930 in your life are going to fall to the wayside. 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:08.170 God's going to do good things for you. He's going 00:05:08.170 --> 00:05:11.850 to prosper you. He's going to bless you. He's 00:05:11.850 --> 00:05:15.290 going to remove all the major difficulties. He's 00:05:15.290 --> 00:05:19.930 going to take care of everything in your life. 00:05:21.470 --> 00:05:25.149 That's a misconception about what Christianity 00:05:25.149 --> 00:05:29.910 is. The reality is Christianity is something 00:05:29.910 --> 00:05:34.370 much greater. Christianity is something much 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:39.189 different than that. Christianity is greater 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:43.589 than that, and then it's not something we simply 00:05:43.589 --> 00:05:48.350 add on to our life. It's not something that we 00:05:48.350 --> 00:05:54.209 act as an appendage to our life. Christianity 00:05:54.209 --> 00:05:59.290 is a work of God. That completely and totally 00:05:59.290 --> 00:06:04.230 transforms a person. That changes them. That 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:10.850 radically reorients everything about them. Christianity 00:06:10.850 --> 00:06:16.810 actually reconciles sinners. People, living, 00:06:16.949 --> 00:06:19.970 breathing people on this planet who are made 00:06:19.970 --> 00:06:23.649 in the image of God. Christianity actually reconciles 00:06:23.649 --> 00:06:28.120 the gospel of Christ. God reconciles people, 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:34.500 men, to their creator who made them. So that 00:06:34.500 --> 00:06:38.439 they can live in right relationship with the 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:44.120 God who made them. And as a result of that, that 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:48.920 God works in them. That God changes them and 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.259 transforms them. That God guides them and directs 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:55.610 them. He brings them through death. He doesn't 00:06:55.610 --> 00:07:00.350 forget them. That God will receive them into 00:07:00.350 --> 00:07:04.029 glory. That God will return and vindicate and 00:07:04.029 --> 00:07:06.850 justify everything he's said and everything he's 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:09.550 done. And that God will give them the new heavens 00:07:09.550 --> 00:07:14.149 and the new earth wherein righteousness dwells. 00:07:14.149 --> 00:07:18.910 And they will be with him for all eternity. All 00:07:18.910 --> 00:07:22.790 because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:07:22.790 --> 00:07:27.579 on the cross. Christianity is much greater than 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:33.279 something that helps us, that aids us in life. 00:07:33.339 --> 00:07:37.100 The cults do that, brothers and sisters. Mormonism 00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:41.300 can do that. Jehovah's Witnesses can do that. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.980 There's many other realities in the world that 00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:47.680 can help us and can make our lives better, but 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.839 none of those religions reconcile a man to the 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:54.560 living God. That's what Christianity and the 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:59.720 gospel of Christ actually does. Now, just because 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:02.699 that's the reality of what Christianity is, that 00:08:02.699 --> 00:08:08.019 doesn't mean that we're going to be free of difficulty 00:08:08.019 --> 00:08:11.519 in our life. That doesn't mean that God is going 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:15.759 to take away all the mistreatment in our lives. 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:17.519 That doesn't mean that God's going to take away 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.180 all the valleys. That doesn't mean that God's 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:23.379 going to take away all the struggles and the 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:26.379 hardships and the rough things of life. Those 00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:30.860 remain. Those stay in the life of the believer. 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:36.620 But the believer is enabled because of the gospel 00:08:36.620 --> 00:08:43.000 to meet those things head on because of the work 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.799 of the Lord Jesus Christ in them and through 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.840 them because of what? He has done. They're able 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:56.779 to respond differently than the world to hardship, 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:04.179 to trials, to opposition, to suffering, to unjust 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:09.019 treatment, to mistreatment in our lives. Christians 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:12.000 are enabled because of the divine work of God 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:16.190 in the gospel. To live and act and respond differently 00:09:16.190 --> 00:09:21.309 to everything than the world around them. The 00:09:21.309 --> 00:09:25.690 Spirit of God dwells within them. Not in the 00:09:25.690 --> 00:09:29.350 world. They are justified by Christ's righteousness. 00:09:29.870 --> 00:09:34.009 They have been born again. They are being sanctified. 00:09:34.230 --> 00:09:37.769 They will be sanctified until they are glorified. 00:09:37.809 --> 00:09:40.649 Until they are brought into heaven and then Christ 00:09:40.649 --> 00:09:45.039 will glorify them. Christians are different because 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:48.559 of the work of God. Christianity is different 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:51.720 because of the work of God. And because of that, 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:55.740 the church and believers respond differently 00:09:55.740 --> 00:10:01.039 to difficulties, hardship, and many other things 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:04.899 in life. We're going to return to Acts 19 today. 00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:10.659 In Acts 19, this may be our last exposition of 00:10:10.659 --> 00:10:13.450 this chapter. We're going to cover the entirety 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:17.309 of this. And I want to cover two things today. 00:10:18.309 --> 00:10:22.750 The source of this disturbance. And then the 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:27.870 character of this disturbance. So as we conclude 00:10:27.870 --> 00:10:31.809 this, just to review a bit, we've seen this mighty 00:10:31.809 --> 00:10:35.470 work of God in Ephesus, haven't we? We've seen 00:10:35.470 --> 00:10:38.240 this. Great move of the Spirit of God. We've 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.659 seen the mighty preaching of the Apostle. We've 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:43.500 seen the church established and the church built. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.659 And as a result of all these people being transformed 00:10:47.659 --> 00:10:51.820 in Ephesus, Ephesus itself is starting to feel 00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:57.840 the effects of the church in the world at that 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:02.840 time. Now, as the Gospel is doing mighty and 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:06.320 great things in Ephesus, it starts impacting 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:10.179 and affecting the lives of those in the culture, 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:15.820 in the world, and society around them. One such 00:11:15.820 --> 00:11:21.620 man is Demetrius, who we read about in verse 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:27.279 24. A man named Demetrius. We know his background, 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:31.320 we know what he's doing, we know his role, we 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:34.970 know what comes of... We know what he does in 00:11:34.970 --> 00:11:37.909 this, so we don't need to review that. But we 00:11:37.909 --> 00:11:41.850 do need to consider the source of this disturbance. 00:11:41.889 --> 00:11:43.970 It's very important for us to understand this. 00:11:44.309 --> 00:11:47.110 So first, let's consider the source of this disturbance 00:11:47.110 --> 00:11:51.190 in Ephesus. Or this unrest, we could say this 00:11:51.190 --> 00:11:57.110 riot. However, we might define it or characterize 00:11:57.110 --> 00:12:00.830 it. So in considering the source of it, I want 00:12:00.830 --> 00:12:04.049 us to think about the ultimate reasons for this 00:12:04.049 --> 00:12:08.429 unrest and for this disturbance in Ephesus. We 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:11.090 say, well, yeah, that's easy. It's Demetrius. 00:12:11.870 --> 00:12:14.509 It's this man, this unbelieving man. But there's 00:12:14.509 --> 00:12:18.210 more going on below the surface that's creating 00:12:18.210 --> 00:12:21.190 this hostility. And we've already mentioned a 00:12:21.190 --> 00:12:23.149 few of these, and we've touched on them briefly 00:12:23.149 --> 00:12:25.610 in past messages, but I want us to think about 00:12:25.610 --> 00:12:31.610 this again with clarity. What is it that's underneath 00:12:31.610 --> 00:12:36.250 the surface? What is it that's unseen, that's 00:12:36.250 --> 00:12:40.009 taking place, that's causing this disturbance? 00:12:41.590 --> 00:12:45.490 That's causing this opposition to the gospel? 00:12:46.590 --> 00:12:50.529 Yes, it's this man, Demetrius, but even more 00:12:50.529 --> 00:12:54.889 than the man. What's going on in the man? What's 00:12:54.889 --> 00:12:57.289 taking place under the surface of Demetrius? 00:12:57.370 --> 00:13:00.120 What's taking place in his heart? What's causing 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:04.399 this man to act like this toward the message 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:07.639 of the gospel, toward the truth, brothers and 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:10.980 sisters? I think we all know the answer. It's 00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:16.519 sin. It's a sin nature. Ephesians chapter 2 helps 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:21.139 us a great deal in understanding what's going 00:13:21.139 --> 00:13:25.200 on, ultimately, that causes hostility towards 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:29.860 the gospel. We read in Ephesians chapter 2, Verse 00:13:29.860 --> 00:13:34.019 1, And you are dead in your trespasses and sins, 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:37.779 in which you formerly walked according to the 00:13:37.779 --> 00:13:40.659 course of this world, according to the prince 00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:44.059 of the power of the air, of the spirit that is 00:13:44.059 --> 00:13:47.779 now working in the sons of disobedience. And 00:13:47.779 --> 00:13:53.259 then listen to this, Among them we too all formerly 00:13:53.259 --> 00:13:57.840 lived in the lusts of our flesh. indulging the 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:01.379 desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were 00:14:01.379 --> 00:14:06.820 by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:12.179 That's pretty deep. That explains a good deal 00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:15.179 about what's taking place in Demetrius that would 00:14:15.179 --> 00:14:19.019 cause him to revolt against the gospel, to hate 00:14:19.019 --> 00:14:24.460 the gospel. We read in Ephesians chapter 5, starting 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:30.149 in verse 7. Chapter 4 starting in verse 17. So 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:33.490 this I say and affirm together with the Lord 00:14:33.490 --> 00:14:37.169 that you walk no longer as the Gentiles also 00:14:37.169 --> 00:14:40.730 walk in the futility of their mind. And listen 00:14:40.730 --> 00:14:44.049 to this. Talking about the Gentiles in Ephesus. 00:14:45.169 --> 00:14:48.190 Talking about pagan worshippers. Talking about 00:14:48.190 --> 00:14:52.570 Artemis worshippers. Being darkened in their 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:56.720 understanding. excluded from the life of God 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:00.399 because of the ignorance that is in them, because 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:04.240 of the hardness of their heart. And they, having 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:07.840 become callous, have given themselves over to 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.480 sensuality for the practice of every kind of 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:17.480 impurity and greediness. So what's going on underneath 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:23.210 the surface that would cause this man? To be 00:15:23.210 --> 00:15:27.870 so hostile to the preaching of Paul. Brothers 00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:31.529 and sisters, he's dead in his trespasses. Brothers 00:15:31.529 --> 00:15:35.190 and sisters, he's the son of disobedience. Brothers 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:37.889 and sisters, he's a pawn of the devil. Brothers 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:41.750 and sisters, his mind is darkened. And he is 00:15:41.750 --> 00:15:44.929 giving himself over to every form of greed and 00:15:44.929 --> 00:15:49.039 corruption and wickedness in his heart. That's 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.440 what's the deal with this man. There's enmity 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.340 in him because the gospel is pushing back against 00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.519 the things his heart so desperately longs for. 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:02.620 Because his heart so desperately longs for that 00:16:02.620 --> 00:16:05.580 wealth and that prosperity that he covetously 00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:10.759 desires. And the gospel is threatening that reality. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:16.639 This is the ultimate cause. This is the ultimate 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:21.600 reason. For all hostility, opposition, denial, 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:28.960 rejection, and enmity towards Christ, the church, 00:16:29.059 --> 00:16:33.259 and the gospel. It is true today. It will be 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:37.740 true of every generation. Sin in men's hearts 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:43.679 is the cause of opposition to the gospel. It's 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:48.340 the cause of this disturbance. in Ephesus. That's 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.240 true of even Christians, brothers and sisters. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.059 Think about your own life as a believer in the 00:16:54.059 --> 00:16:59.600 Lord Jesus Christ. Why is there a remnant of 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:04.519 hostility in your own heart as a believer towards 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:12.319 holy things, towards holy duties, holy activities, 00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:16.000 towards the Word of God? Towards the preaching 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.640 of the gospel. Why, brothers and sisters, do 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:22.019 we as believers resist the things of God in our 00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:25.539 lives? It's because of sin in our hearts. It's 00:17:25.539 --> 00:17:29.660 because of the flesh. That's why we do it. Now, 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:32.859 that's true of believers, but that's very, very, 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:36.240 very true of unbelievers who don't know Christ. 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:42.380 They reject Christ. They reject the gospel. And 00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:45.210 ultimately, they oppose the things of God. Because 00:17:45.210 --> 00:17:48.769 they love the sin in their hearts and they don't 00:17:48.769 --> 00:17:51.569 want that to be pushed, rattled, shaken, or threatened. 00:17:53.049 --> 00:17:57.650 That's the ultimate cause of this. Now, on a 00:17:57.650 --> 00:18:04.130 more surface level, it's this man, Demetrius. 00:18:04.369 --> 00:18:08.829 It will always be a person. This unbelief, this 00:18:08.829 --> 00:18:13.519 sin, this iniquity. These desires, these lusts 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:16.119 of the flesh will always make themselves manifest 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:20.220 and known through a person. That's what we see 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:24.519 take place in here. Demetrius is acting in accordance 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:28.460 with his heart. Demetrius is acting in accordance 00:18:28.460 --> 00:18:32.559 with his nature. Demetrius is acting in accordance 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:38.079 with the sin in him. But at a more surface level, 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:42.910 we see that this is a man. who lived in Ephesus. 00:18:44.269 --> 00:18:48.250 This is a man who was part of society. This is 00:18:48.250 --> 00:18:52.490 a man who was a part of the cultic practices 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:58.190 and worships of the day. This is a man who was 00:18:58.190 --> 00:19:01.190 a businessman in the world. This is a man who 00:19:01.190 --> 00:19:04.130 had influence and sway in that world, in that 00:19:04.130 --> 00:19:07.650 area, in that place. We see that in this text 00:19:07.650 --> 00:19:15.480 so clearly. This was a man of... the world. That's 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:21.200 the source of this disturbance. It's in the world, 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:26.079 from the world, it's of the world. The place 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.400 where the devil loves to work so much. Now, why 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:35.220 is it important that we understand where the 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:39.579 disturbance comes from? Why do we need to know 00:19:39.579 --> 00:19:43.769 so clearly That this unrest, this disturbance 00:19:43.769 --> 00:19:47.450 arises from this man, Demetrius, from his sin 00:19:47.450 --> 00:19:52.069 and his unbelief from the world. Because in positively 00:19:52.069 --> 00:19:56.309 identifying where it comes from, we can now understand 00:19:56.309 --> 00:20:01.349 where it does not come from. We can now identify 00:20:01.349 --> 00:20:04.950 and we can now understand that the unrest, the 00:20:04.950 --> 00:20:10.849 disturbance, the riot does not come from the 00:20:10.849 --> 00:20:18.009 church. It does not come from the way. It does 00:20:18.009 --> 00:20:21.130 not come from the believers, the Christians, 00:20:21.150 --> 00:20:25.390 brothers and sisters. We see this clearly demonstrated 00:20:25.390 --> 00:20:30.289 in this text in several ways. First, consider 00:20:30.289 --> 00:20:34.650 the reality that it is directly attributed to 00:20:34.650 --> 00:20:41.750 Demetrius, not Paul. Not the church, not Gaius, 00:20:41.750 --> 00:20:45.589 not Aristarchus. It's attributed to Demetrius. 00:20:45.930 --> 00:20:51.849 We also see this strange absence of the churches 00:20:51.849 --> 00:20:54.910 mentioned throughout this narrative as a whole. 00:20:55.069 --> 00:21:00.490 Yet we see them mentioned in verses 29 and 31. 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:05.269 But really, that's about it. I mean, think about 00:21:05.269 --> 00:21:08.920 the size of this narrative. Think about, this 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:12.599 is the largest narrative in Acts 20 about Paul's 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:14.940 ministry, and there's just a little blurb about 00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:19.819 Paul in it. Everything else is about the pagan 00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:23.500 worshippers in Ephesus, the unbelieving men and 00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:25.940 world that were outside of the church and had 00:21:25.940 --> 00:21:29.799 no part in the church. So we see the strange 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:33.920 absence of the church, and we see in the end 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:38.799 of this narrative that the... City clerk literally 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:43.759 exonerates the church of any guilt or wrongdoing. 00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:49.200 And where does he place the lawlessness? Where 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:52.140 does he place the guilt? Where does he place 00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:56.200 the wrongdoing and the fault for this riot? Where? 00:21:56.779 --> 00:22:01.079 With these men of Ephesus? With these unbelieving 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:05.799 men in Ephesus? What does he say? He says, for 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:07.619 you have brought these men here who are neither 00:22:07.619 --> 00:22:11.420 robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:15.740 The church isn't breaking the law. The church 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:18.240 is not robbing our temples. They're not committing 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:21.099 sacrilege to the place where we worship our pagan 00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:24.259 gods. They're not blaspheming against Artemis. 00:22:24.579 --> 00:22:27.420 The town clerk knows this and understands this 00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:32.869 clearly. So then if Demetrius And the craftsmen 00:22:32.869 --> 00:22:35.490 who are with him have a complaint against any 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:39.529 man. The courts are in session. And procouncils 00:22:39.529 --> 00:22:42.549 are available. Let them bring charges against 00:22:42.549 --> 00:22:46.890 one another. But if you want anything beyond 00:22:46.890 --> 00:22:51.289 this, it shall be settled in a lawful assembly. 00:22:51.869 --> 00:22:54.910 And then he even talks about how they're in danger 00:22:54.910 --> 00:22:59.609 of Rome coming down on Ephesus because they won't 00:22:59.609 --> 00:23:03.720 be able to give any explanation. for this unreasonable, 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:09.940 unlawful assembly of 25 ,000 people in the theater. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:15.180 Where does this disturbance and this unrest rise 00:23:15.180 --> 00:23:20.660 from in Ephesus, brothers and sisters? It comes 00:23:20.660 --> 00:23:25.480 from the world of unbelieving men, not from the 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:32.019 church of Jesus Christ. This is important. For 00:23:32.019 --> 00:23:35.940 a few reasons. Because it shows us something 00:23:35.940 --> 00:23:40.460 about the mission and the purpose of the church 00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:45.440 in the world. What the church was doing and what 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:50.160 the church was not doing in Ephesus, doesn't 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:54.279 it? It shows us that the church was not going 00:23:54.279 --> 00:24:00.910 around stirring up unnecessary riots. The church 00:24:00.910 --> 00:24:03.410 was not going around stirring up unnecessary 00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:07.509 disturbance and provoking the authorities under 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:11.109 which it lived, under which it preached the gospel. 00:24:11.569 --> 00:24:16.490 The church was not doing this. What was the church 00:24:16.490 --> 00:24:21.309 doing? The church was proclaiming the gospel 00:24:21.309 --> 00:24:25.369 of Jesus Christ. The church was being faithful 00:24:25.369 --> 00:24:29.480 to the truth of apostolic. It was gathering. 00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:33.759 It was worshiping. The mission of the church 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:38.119 in the world in Ephesus and now is the faithful 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:41.799 preservation and proclamation of the gospel of 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:44.940 Jesus Christ for the establishment of churches 00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:48.500 in the world and for the strengthening of those 00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:52.180 churches. That God might be worshipped in all 00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:56.299 the world. That's the mission. That's the purpose 00:24:56.299 --> 00:25:01.180 of the church, and the world. The church and 00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:07.319 Paul knew. They understood that the gospel directly 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:13.019 influences sinners. It transforms them, brothers 00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:18.819 and sisters. When someone hears the gospel and 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:21.640 what Christ has done in his life, his death, 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:24.920 and his resurrection, when someone hears that, 00:25:25.210 --> 00:25:27.910 and the Spirit of God applies that to their hearts. 00:25:29.009 --> 00:25:31.809 When the Spirit of God seals them and dwells 00:25:31.809 --> 00:25:35.789 them and starts to work in them, when the Spirit 00:25:35.789 --> 00:25:38.869 of God starts to sanctify them, when He definitively 00:25:38.869 --> 00:25:41.150 sanctifies them and breaks them with the dominion 00:25:41.150 --> 00:25:44.309 of sin in their life, when the Spirit of God 00:25:44.309 --> 00:25:46.950 comes into a person's life and regenerates their 00:25:46.950 --> 00:25:52.410 heart, they are never the same. Ever. They are 00:25:52.410 --> 00:25:55.869 completely and totally transformed. Their thinking 00:25:55.869 --> 00:26:02.369 is different. Their morals become different. 00:26:02.549 --> 00:26:05.769 The whole direction and orientation and way of 00:26:05.769 --> 00:26:09.710 their life is different, isn't it? The gospel 00:26:09.710 --> 00:26:14.509 has directly influenced them. The gospel has 00:26:14.509 --> 00:26:17.789 directly changed them and impacted them and influenced 00:26:17.789 --> 00:26:23.519 them and re... oriented the whole of their being. 00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:26.799 We see this evidence all throughout Acts 20, 00:26:26.900 --> 00:26:31.039 don't we? But the church also understood, and 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:33.700 this is what we see, the church also understood 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:39.880 that the gospel indirectly affects, impacts, 00:26:40.119 --> 00:26:47.299 and changes society, culture, and the world around 00:26:47.299 --> 00:26:52.880 them. Those are the results of the direct influence 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:57.460 of the gospel on sinners. But here's the thing, 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:00.980 brothers and sisters. This is what we need to 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:04.920 understand. What was the mission of the church? 00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:10.859 What was the purpose of the church? Why was Paul 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:14.940 so actively preaching the gospel and calling 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:18.339 men to repentance? The mission of the church 00:27:18.339 --> 00:27:21.220 was a proclamation of the gospel that sinners 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:24.299 might be converted and brought into the church. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:27.680 The mission of the church was not the transformation 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:33.259 of Ephesus. That's important for us to grasp. 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:38.200 There are indirect results from people being 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:42.440 changed. Absolutely. It affects the world in 00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:44.859 which we live. It affects the culture in which 00:27:44.859 --> 00:27:47.359 we walk and we breathe. It impacts everything 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.440 around us. But brothers and sisters, the mission 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:55.079 of the church is not to change the world. The 00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:58.500 mission of the church is to transform sinners 00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:02.559 to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:09.980 If we get the mission off, our methods, And our 00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:16.680 tactics all get off. We give ourselves the things 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:19.339 we ought not to give ourselves. We act in ways 00:28:19.339 --> 00:28:22.759 we ought not to act. We go about it in a different 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:26.700 way if we're trying to transform the world than 00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:29.400 if we're trying to transform sinners through 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:33.859 the proclamation of Jesus Christ. We have to 00:28:33.859 --> 00:28:39.390 know our mission. We have to know our purpose 00:28:39.390 --> 00:28:46.009 in the world. Why do we say this? Why has this 00:28:46.009 --> 00:28:49.809 got to be said? Why is this so vitally important? 00:28:50.869 --> 00:28:53.650 Because it's so clear in the text of Scripture, 00:28:53.849 --> 00:28:58.329 especially in the book of Acts. Because men will 00:28:58.329 --> 00:29:01.349 go around saying things such as this that condemn 00:29:01.349 --> 00:29:03.809 the church and condemn the people of God. They 00:29:03.809 --> 00:29:06.049 will say things such as this. The problem with 00:29:06.049 --> 00:29:10.390 the church today. is that it's not causing riots 00:29:10.390 --> 00:29:15.890 anymore. Now, brothers and sisters, we've understood 00:29:15.890 --> 00:29:20.430 Acts 19. The church was not the cause of the 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:24.470 riot. Now, these things may result because of 00:29:24.470 --> 00:29:27.829 the church's faithfulness. And what do they mean 00:29:27.829 --> 00:29:32.329 by that? There is some truth to that. The church 00:29:32.329 --> 00:29:35.430 needs to be better and more faithful at proclaiming 00:29:35.430 --> 00:29:38.170 the Scriptures. Absolutely. But if they mean 00:29:38.170 --> 00:29:42.069 that the church is felling in its mission to 00:29:42.069 --> 00:29:45.509 take the gospel directly to the world and the 00:29:45.509 --> 00:29:49.190 culture and society and transforming it, then 00:29:49.190 --> 00:29:55.670 we can't go with that. We have to know our mission. 00:29:55.890 --> 00:30:00.069 We have to know our purpose. The preservation 00:30:00.069 --> 00:30:03.730 and proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:07.680 for the establishment and strengthening of churches 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:11.019 in this world that He might be worshipped all 00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:18.599 over the globe. These are important things. And 00:30:18.599 --> 00:30:20.859 they're things that we have to address and we 00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:23.859 have to discuss and they have to be brought forward 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:29.019 from the pages of Scripture. So we see this disturbance 00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:37.009 comes about because the world, responds with 00:30:37.009 --> 00:30:42.210 this antithetical attitude towards it because 00:30:42.210 --> 00:30:46.109 the church is being faithful. And they respond 00:30:46.109 --> 00:30:49.809 in hostility. The church was not the source. 00:30:51.150 --> 00:30:55.650 The unbelieving world was the source of this 00:30:55.650 --> 00:30:59.130 disturbance. Now consider with me also the character 00:30:59.130 --> 00:31:03.779 of this disturbance. What do I mean by the character? 00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:09.599 What was it like? What was the nature of this 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:13.480 disturbance? How would we characterize it? The 00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:17.519 text actually characterizes it a great deal for 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:21.920 us. It characterizes it as a progressive thing. 00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:26.359 A progressive movement of events in Ephesus. 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:30.759 Think about it. It starts with Demetrius. He 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:34.720 gives his speech to the craftsmen guild. It moves 00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:38.539 to the guild. They start their chant. Then what 00:31:38.539 --> 00:31:43.460 does it say? The city was essentially set on 00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:50.680 fire. The city was in chaos and disorder. It 00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:53.660 says that they were enraged. From there, they 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:56.940 grab Gaius and Aristarchus. And what do they 00:31:56.940 --> 00:32:01.519 do? They rush in to the theater. which held probably 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:05.559 about 25 ,000 people to our knowledge today. 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:09.380 And then it's referenced as a gathering or an 00:32:09.380 --> 00:32:14.299 assembly. It turns into a mob in Ephesus. So 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:18.940 it wasn't just Demetrius and a few guys. It started 00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:22.140 out as Demetrius and a few guys, and then it 00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:26.279 turned into the whole city going into disorder 00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:31.119 and confusion. It's characterized as a progressive 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:35.500 event, but it's also described as being very, 00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:40.359 very intense. It says that they were filled with 00:32:40.359 --> 00:32:44.420 rage in verse 28. It says they did these things 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:49.500 with one accord. In a sense, it's almost as though 00:32:49.500 --> 00:32:52.660 the crowd wasn't even discriminatory about what 00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:56.500 was taking place. They were so much confusion 00:32:56.500 --> 00:33:00.740 and there was so much intensity that they didn't 00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:04.039 care who or what was there. Think about Alexander. 00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:07.940 Why did the Jews come to this assembly? Well, 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:10.680 I think the Jews came to make sure that everybody 00:33:10.680 --> 00:33:14.680 knew they weren't with the church. We're not 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:18.700 with Paul. So what did they do? They pushed this 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:21.500 man, Alexander. Alexander is going to make a 00:33:21.500 --> 00:33:26.650 defense of the Jews. of Judaism. He tries to, 00:33:26.789 --> 00:33:29.950 but they recognize that he's the same nationality 00:33:29.950 --> 00:33:34.210 as the apostle, and that's it. He doesn't get 00:33:34.210 --> 00:33:37.769 a word in, does he? No, they quiet him, and what 00:33:37.769 --> 00:33:42.130 do they do? They continue to chant for two more 00:33:42.130 --> 00:33:49.890 hours. It's an intense, chaotic scene that's 00:33:49.890 --> 00:33:56.009 taking place. Why is Luke presenting it to us 00:33:56.009 --> 00:34:02.670 the way that he is? What does Luke want us to 00:34:02.670 --> 00:34:07.109 take away and see and understand from this narrative 00:34:07.109 --> 00:34:13.670 about this mob? He wants us to see and understand 00:34:13.670 --> 00:34:18.389 that this is the terrible result of unrestrained 00:34:18.389 --> 00:34:26.119 carnality and pagan worship. He wants his readers 00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:30.179 to know and to understand this is not what Christianity 00:34:30.179 --> 00:34:35.460 is like. This is not what the church of Jesus 00:34:35.460 --> 00:34:39.519 Christ is like. This is not what the gospel does 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:43.760 to a person. This is not how the gospel affects 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:46.480 the world and affects the culture and affects 00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:50.219 society. This is not what believers in Jesus 00:34:50.219 --> 00:34:52.980 Christ are like. This is what pagans are like. 00:34:53.670 --> 00:34:57.789 This is what Artemis worshippers are like. That's 00:34:57.789 --> 00:34:59.650 what he wants us to understand. That's what he 00:34:59.650 --> 00:35:03.750 wants us to take away. That these people are 00:35:03.750 --> 00:35:08.969 living out unrestrained sin in their life. He 00:35:08.969 --> 00:35:12.929 wants us to see the terrible result of depravity. 00:35:13.389 --> 00:35:16.510 There's vague similarities between this scene 00:35:16.510 --> 00:35:22.980 and the children of Israel and the revelry. Whenever 00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:26.780 Moses is up on the mountain, or the worshippers 00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:29.800 of Baal, when they're seeking to disprove the 00:35:29.800 --> 00:35:34.980 God of Israel with the prophets, we see that 00:35:34.980 --> 00:35:38.880 Luke wants us to understand that this is the 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:43.739 result of unbelief. That this is the result of 00:35:43.739 --> 00:35:48.340 the devil working to oppose the gospel of Christ. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:58.730 The devil loves... chaos, and disorder. The devil 00:35:58.730 --> 00:36:04.750 loves carnality, brothers and sisters. Don't 00:36:04.750 --> 00:36:07.889 forget that. Why does Jesus teach us to pray 00:36:07.889 --> 00:36:12.349 the way that we ought to pray? Why does Jesus 00:36:12.349 --> 00:36:14.929 tell us and teach us and instruct his disciples 00:36:14.929 --> 00:36:19.349 to pray for the protection of God from the devil 00:36:19.349 --> 00:36:22.869 to keep us from sin? Because the devil knows 00:36:22.869 --> 00:36:27.909 how to play on the nature of man. The devil knows 00:36:27.909 --> 00:36:31.010 how to play on the thoughts and the desires and 00:36:31.010 --> 00:36:33.050 the longings of men. He knows how to pull the 00:36:33.050 --> 00:36:37.329 strings of their heart. The devil loves carnality, 00:36:37.510 --> 00:36:42.570 fleshliness, immorality, disruption, chaos, and 00:36:42.570 --> 00:36:46.170 disorder, just like we see in this text. The 00:36:46.170 --> 00:36:50.170 world is the devil's playground. Now we see these 00:36:50.170 --> 00:36:55.670 things. And they're all set in stark contrast 00:36:55.670 --> 00:37:03.110 to Gaius, Aristarchus, Paul, and the Asiarchs, 00:37:03.110 --> 00:37:08.630 aren't they? Here's the crowd going wild. Here's 00:37:08.630 --> 00:37:14.030 the crowd with their unrestrained depravity and 00:37:14.030 --> 00:37:19.170 carnality. And then here's these two traveling 00:37:19.170 --> 00:37:24.849 companions of Paul. They were not justifiably 00:37:24.849 --> 00:37:30.030 taken. Why did they get taken? It was guilt by 00:37:30.030 --> 00:37:34.070 association. They were Paul's traveling companions. 00:37:35.650 --> 00:37:38.750 They knew it. These men have been with Paul. 00:37:38.949 --> 00:37:41.150 I've seen them with Paul. The one that's always 00:37:41.150 --> 00:37:43.469 preaching about Christ. We've seen them. We've 00:37:43.469 --> 00:37:45.130 seen them with the way. We've seen them with 00:37:45.130 --> 00:37:48.710 the church. Take them. They lay hold of them 00:37:48.710 --> 00:37:51.300 and they bring them in. To the crowd. They bring 00:37:51.300 --> 00:37:56.900 them in to the amphitheater. They're treated 00:37:56.900 --> 00:38:04.059 as innocent. Bystanders. Who are unjustly. Laid 00:38:04.059 --> 00:38:09.880 hold of. And dragged. By the crowd. To suffer 00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:12.960 the judgment. Whatever that would have been. 00:38:18.030 --> 00:38:23.789 I think that these men, being from Macedonia, 00:38:23.909 --> 00:38:32.289 most likely witnessed or heard of Paul's unjust 00:38:32.289 --> 00:38:36.690 suffering in Philippi. If you remember in Acts 00:38:36.690 --> 00:38:39.750 chapter 16, the events which took place there, 00:38:39.909 --> 00:38:46.380 we read in Acts 16 verse 22, the crowd rose up 00:38:46.380 --> 00:38:50.820 together against them. And the chief magistrates 00:38:50.820 --> 00:38:54.559 tore their robes off them and proceeded to order 00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:57.980 them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck 00:38:57.980 --> 00:39:05.199 them with many blows, they threw them into prison, 00:39:05.260 --> 00:39:09.940 commanding the jailer to guard them securely. 00:39:12.300 --> 00:39:17.539 And he, having received such a command, threw 00:39:17.539 --> 00:39:19.800 them into the inner prison and fastened their 00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:23.280 feet in the stops. But about midnight, Paul and 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.679 Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise 00:39:26.679 --> 00:39:29.320 to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 00:39:30.599 --> 00:39:33.659 How does Paul and Silas respond to their unjust 00:39:33.659 --> 00:39:42.460 treatment? How does Paul and Silas respond? Well, 00:39:42.480 --> 00:39:46.179 I think the same way that Aristarchus and Gaius 00:39:46.179 --> 00:39:50.760 respond. Dependence on the Lord, brothers and 00:39:50.760 --> 00:39:55.480 sisters. Looking to Christ. Having their affections 00:39:55.480 --> 00:39:59.219 set otherworldly. Having their affections set 00:39:59.219 --> 00:40:02.880 on Christ. They didn't lose balance. Did they? 00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:08.210 Even whenever this comes upon them. Paul and 00:40:08.210 --> 00:40:10.269 Silas, they don't lose balance in their life. 00:40:10.309 --> 00:40:11.929 They don't compromise their virtues and their 00:40:11.929 --> 00:40:15.929 values, their faith. They don't give up everything 00:40:15.929 --> 00:40:18.090 they've said they believe about Christ. They 00:40:18.090 --> 00:40:21.590 don't forsake Christ. What do they do? They worship 00:40:21.590 --> 00:40:26.409 God. They sing with joy in their hearts. Brothers 00:40:26.409 --> 00:40:28.849 and sisters, they trust in the Lord in the face 00:40:28.849 --> 00:40:33.659 of this unjust treatment. And I think that Aristarchus 00:40:33.659 --> 00:40:36.559 and Gaius did the very same thing, being his 00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:40.179 traveling companions from Macedonia. I think 00:40:40.179 --> 00:40:43.400 they emulated the great apostle and his sufferings. 00:40:44.780 --> 00:40:51.599 I think that they understood the situation they 00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:55.920 were in that was out of their control. The situation 00:40:55.920 --> 00:41:00.599 they were in was dire. And all they could do 00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:04.019 was worship the living God who made all that 00:41:04.019 --> 00:41:06.920 there is and trust in their Lord Jesus Christ. 00:41:08.860 --> 00:41:11.139 Brothers and sisters, sometimes that's all we 00:41:11.139 --> 00:41:17.159 can do is look to the Lord Jesus. I believe that 00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:20.340 these two men suffered like Paul suffered in 00:41:20.340 --> 00:41:25.820 Ephesus. How different these believers responded 00:41:25.820 --> 00:41:33.710 than Ephesus. How different and distinct was 00:41:33.710 --> 00:41:38.190 their response from the unbelieving pagans around 00:41:38.190 --> 00:41:45.869 them? Totally different. Then we have Paul. Paul's 00:41:45.869 --> 00:41:49.090 response in this text. Think about Paul's response. 00:41:49.409 --> 00:41:51.789 He doesn't seem to be around when this is taking 00:41:51.789 --> 00:41:56.090 place. And then, whenever the crowd assembles 00:41:56.090 --> 00:42:02.429 in the amphitheater, Paul is anxious to go in. 00:42:02.849 --> 00:42:07.269 Now, this is no small disturbance, remember? 00:42:07.969 --> 00:42:11.690 This is a violent scene. And here's the aged 00:42:11.690 --> 00:42:16.730 apostle. We don't know exactly how old. Probably 00:42:16.730 --> 00:42:22.150 seven to nine years left on his life. He's aging. 00:42:22.789 --> 00:42:25.889 He's been through a lot in his life. But here's 00:42:25.889 --> 00:42:31.269 this bold -hearted. courageous apostle who loves 00:42:31.269 --> 00:42:36.409 Aristarchus and Gaius, who loves those men. They're 00:42:36.409 --> 00:42:38.909 his traveling companions. He spent a lot of time 00:42:38.909 --> 00:42:41.650 together with them. He wants to go in. He wants 00:42:41.650 --> 00:42:43.730 to go in to be with them, and most likely he 00:42:43.730 --> 00:42:47.050 wants to go in and try and calm the crowd. Here's 00:42:47.050 --> 00:42:51.809 this man who's selfless. He doesn't care about 00:42:51.809 --> 00:42:54.349 his own life. He doesn't care about what's taking 00:42:54.349 --> 00:42:56.889 place to him. He wants to go in and be with his 00:42:56.889 --> 00:43:00.690 brothers in Christ. I'm reminded of Acts chapter 00:43:00.690 --> 00:43:04.849 20, directly following this section, in verse 00:43:04.849 --> 00:43:08.230 24, where Paul says, But I do not consider my 00:43:08.230 --> 00:43:13.909 life of any account as dear to myself, so that 00:43:13.909 --> 00:43:16.630 I may finish my course in the ministry which 00:43:16.630 --> 00:43:20.210 I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly 00:43:20.210 --> 00:43:25.670 of the gospel of the grace of God. Why is the 00:43:25.670 --> 00:43:29.769 crowd the way they are? Why is Demetrius doing 00:43:29.769 --> 00:43:32.510 the things that Demetrius is doing? Ultimately, 00:43:32.510 --> 00:43:35.429 it's selfishness, brothers and sisters. It's 00:43:35.429 --> 00:43:41.050 selfishness. And then here we have Paul being 00:43:41.050 --> 00:43:46.269 selfless in the midst of this opposition, in 00:43:46.269 --> 00:43:50.070 the midst of this tumultuous crowd and scene. 00:43:50.130 --> 00:43:56.869 How different. The Apostle Paul responds from 00:43:56.869 --> 00:44:02.329 Ephesus. How distinctly different does he act 00:44:02.329 --> 00:44:09.090 towards the threat of his life and that of the 00:44:09.090 --> 00:44:13.309 other disciples than Ephesus and Demetrius does 00:44:13.309 --> 00:44:19.550 towards his wealth, towards his prosperity. How 00:44:19.550 --> 00:44:24.010 differently the Apostle... Then we have the disciples 00:44:24.010 --> 00:44:30.030 who wisely and prudently restrain the apostle 00:44:30.030 --> 00:44:34.349 Paul and his anxiousness to get into the crowd. 00:44:34.889 --> 00:44:38.170 The wisdom and the prudence of these disciples 00:44:38.170 --> 00:44:41.449 to restrain him back from entering in because 00:44:41.449 --> 00:44:44.710 they know the world needs the apostle and his 00:44:44.710 --> 00:44:47.909 preaching. They know the world needs the gospel 00:44:47.909 --> 00:44:51.230 as... through the apostle. He was significant. 00:44:51.530 --> 00:44:53.829 He was important. If he goes in there, he's going 00:44:53.829 --> 00:44:57.849 to die. He's going to be torn to shreds. So what 00:44:57.849 --> 00:45:00.710 do they do? They hold him back. And then we have 00:45:00.710 --> 00:45:05.730 the Asiarchs. We don't know exactly what they 00:45:05.730 --> 00:45:08.829 were. Most likely they were very high ranking 00:45:08.829 --> 00:45:13.090 officials in the city. They knew how these things 00:45:13.090 --> 00:45:16.659 operated. They knew how these things worked, 00:45:16.719 --> 00:45:19.440 and they most likely knew how this was going 00:45:19.440 --> 00:45:23.780 to be resolved by the town clerk. And they're 00:45:23.780 --> 00:45:28.599 telling Paul repeatedly, don't venture in. Why? 00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:38.980 Because he's going to die. We see the wisdom, 00:45:39.079 --> 00:45:44.679 the prudence. We see the trust. of these disciples, 00:45:45.139 --> 00:45:47.820 and we see the knowledge and understanding of 00:45:47.820 --> 00:45:52.940 these Asiarchs at work against the background 00:45:52.940 --> 00:45:59.139 of this unbelieving culture and society in Ephesus. 00:45:59.360 --> 00:46:06.239 How different they all are in comparison, in 00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:12.349 contrast, to the response of Ephesus. All of 00:46:12.349 --> 00:46:17.349 it accentuates the differences in how they respond 00:46:17.349 --> 00:46:20.969 to the opposition, the mistreatment, and the 00:46:20.969 --> 00:46:25.110 difficulty between the church and the unbelieving 00:46:25.110 --> 00:46:32.949 world. Brothers and sisters, we need Christians 00:46:32.949 --> 00:46:39.449 and churches that know how to suffer well in 00:46:39.449 --> 00:46:46.400 this world. We need believers in Jesus Christ 00:46:46.400 --> 00:46:53.340 who know how to suffer like Jesus Christ. We 00:46:53.340 --> 00:46:58.119 need men. We need women. We need young people 00:46:58.119 --> 00:47:02.760 who count their lives as nothing, who are selfless, 00:47:02.880 --> 00:47:05.860 who are wise, who are prudent in this present 00:47:05.860 --> 00:47:09.500 evil age. We need men and women who are willing 00:47:09.500 --> 00:47:13.659 to suffer for the sake of what is right. Men 00:47:13.659 --> 00:47:15.900 and women who are willing to suffer for the sake 00:47:15.900 --> 00:47:18.519 of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the truth of the 00:47:18.519 --> 00:47:24.559 gospel, to suffer well. This is relevant for 00:47:24.559 --> 00:47:28.900 every single person in here. This is relevant 00:47:28.900 --> 00:47:31.960 for all of you who know Jesus Christ. Do you 00:47:31.960 --> 00:47:36.780 know why? Because Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 00:47:36.780 --> 00:47:44.519 5 that a perennial mark Of the believer. The 00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:47.420 perennial mark of the one who is a part of his 00:47:47.420 --> 00:47:53.739 kingdom. Is to be blessed by persecution and 00:47:53.739 --> 00:47:57.199 suffering. Blessed are those who have been persecuted 00:47:57.199 --> 00:48:00.739 for the sake of righteousness. For theirs is 00:48:00.739 --> 00:48:04.579 the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people 00:48:04.579 --> 00:48:08.639 insult you. And persecute you. And falsely say 00:48:08.639 --> 00:48:11.420 all kinds of evil against you. Because of me. 00:48:12.880 --> 00:48:16.039 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven 00:48:16.039 --> 00:48:19.699 is great. For in the same way they persecuted 00:48:19.699 --> 00:48:23.460 the prophets who were before you. Brothers and 00:48:23.460 --> 00:48:26.960 sisters, we're not all going to suffer the same 00:48:26.960 --> 00:48:30.159 way. We're not all going to suffer the same time. 00:48:30.219 --> 00:48:33.840 We don't all suffer the same way and at the same 00:48:33.840 --> 00:48:37.360 time in the same capacity. But we all suffer 00:48:37.360 --> 00:48:40.780 and have hardship. We all experience mistreatment. 00:48:40.780 --> 00:48:44.199 We all experience opposition and antagonism in 00:48:44.199 --> 00:48:47.739 our lives. Every single one of us is just going 00:48:47.739 --> 00:48:52.019 to look differently. Every single one of us. 00:48:52.940 --> 00:48:57.400 As we think about these things, there are times 00:48:57.400 --> 00:49:01.079 when I'm greatly concerned about the church in 00:49:01.079 --> 00:49:08.809 America. Why? Because of the... The glorious 00:49:08.809 --> 00:49:15.309 privileges and rights that we enjoy. Because 00:49:15.309 --> 00:49:18.110 of the many blessings and the prosperity and 00:49:18.110 --> 00:49:21.969 the wealth that all of us enjoy as Americans. 00:49:22.389 --> 00:49:27.309 As Christians in this nation. I worry about the 00:49:27.309 --> 00:49:32.349 church and believers and their capacity to suffer. 00:49:33.590 --> 00:49:40.550 Why? Because there are times, brothers and sisters, 00:49:40.710 --> 00:49:47.530 where we get comfortable. Where we almost expect 00:49:47.530 --> 00:49:54.349 ease. We continue to expect the same privileges. 00:49:55.190 --> 00:49:59.349 We continue to expect the same rights. I'm not 00:49:59.349 --> 00:50:03.840 talking nationally here. I'm talking about the 00:50:03.840 --> 00:50:08.400 reality that we can at times fall into a cycle 00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:12.059 of comfort in our lives to such a degree that 00:50:12.059 --> 00:50:16.739 we forget the principles of Christian suffering. 00:50:18.199 --> 00:50:28.360 We get so comfortable. It worries me. And if 00:50:28.360 --> 00:50:34.699 the church is incapable, Of suffering will. Often 00:50:34.699 --> 00:50:42.219 times that church. Will respond and act. And 00:50:42.219 --> 00:50:46.880 react. To opposition. Difficulty. Suffering and 00:50:46.880 --> 00:50:53.039 hardship. Mistreatment. How? In the exact same 00:50:53.039 --> 00:51:00.480 way. As the unbelieving world. Not like the church 00:51:00.480 --> 00:51:04.679 of Jesus Christ. Not like those who have been 00:51:04.679 --> 00:51:08.840 bought by the precious blood of the Lamb. Not 00:51:08.840 --> 00:51:11.659 like those who know their eternal reward in heaven. 00:51:11.760 --> 00:51:13.900 Not like those who are in possession of eternal 00:51:13.900 --> 00:51:18.059 life. Not like those who are indwelled by the 00:51:18.059 --> 00:51:20.519 Spirit of God and have the truth and believe 00:51:20.519 --> 00:51:23.659 in spiritual, invisible, and eternal realities. 00:51:26.260 --> 00:51:30.679 We have to remember. That as believers in Jesus 00:51:30.679 --> 00:51:34.380 Christ, we must suffer well to honor our Lord 00:51:34.380 --> 00:51:37.360 in whatever capacity that is. In whatever way 00:51:37.360 --> 00:51:42.840 that is now and in our lives to come. In this 00:51:42.840 --> 00:51:46.239 world, that is. What does that mean to suffer 00:51:46.239 --> 00:51:53.840 well? First, it means that we suffer unjustly. 00:51:54.440 --> 00:52:11.840 We read in 1 Peter chapter 2. In 1 Peter chapter 00:52:11.840 --> 00:52:19.280 2, he writes, For this finds favor, if for the 00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:23.519 sake of conscience toward God a person bears 00:52:23.519 --> 00:52:28.980 up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For 00:52:28.980 --> 00:52:33.599 what credit is there if, when you sin and are 00:52:33.599 --> 00:52:36.239 harshly treated, you endure it with patience? 00:52:36.800 --> 00:52:40.480 But if when you do what is right, and suffer 00:52:40.480 --> 00:52:44.480 for it, you patiently endure it and find favor 00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:49.480 with God. True suffering, brothers and sisters, 00:52:49.579 --> 00:52:55.840 suffering well means suffering unjustly. It means 00:52:55.840 --> 00:53:01.960 we aren't bringing about the persecution. We 00:53:01.960 --> 00:53:04.619 aren't dangling the carrot because we have a 00:53:04.619 --> 00:53:08.619 murder complex. We aren't asking for it. We aren't 00:53:08.619 --> 00:53:11.360 provoking it. We aren't looking for it. We aren't 00:53:11.360 --> 00:53:13.860 trying to stir it up and bring it about. But 00:53:13.860 --> 00:53:19.079 it's unjust. We live faithfully, and we're mistreated, 00:53:19.199 --> 00:53:24.619 and we continue to live faithfully. It's always 00:53:24.619 --> 00:53:29.980 unjust. We have to be careful. Because there's 00:53:29.980 --> 00:53:35.469 a temptation always in suffering. in mistreatment, 00:53:35.469 --> 00:53:39.170 in opposition, in friction. There's always the 00:53:39.170 --> 00:53:43.050 temptation to what, brothers and sisters? To 00:53:43.050 --> 00:53:47.369 sin. There's always the temptation to give in 00:53:47.369 --> 00:53:51.010 to the carnality. There's always the temptation 00:53:51.010 --> 00:53:56.050 to bite the stick the devil is dangling the carrot 00:53:56.050 --> 00:54:00.230 in front of you. There's always the temptation. 00:54:03.239 --> 00:54:07.579 To sin. We read in chapter 4 of the same book 00:54:07.579 --> 00:54:18.860 in 1 Peter. Peter says this. In verse 15. Make 00:54:18.860 --> 00:54:21.639 sure that none of you suffers as a murderer. 00:54:22.679 --> 00:54:28.019 Or a thief. Or evil doer. Or a troublesome meddler. 00:54:28.760 --> 00:54:33.670 But if anyone suffers as a Christian. He is not 00:54:33.670 --> 00:54:37.469 to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this 00:54:37.469 --> 00:54:43.530 name. Don't suffer for the wrong reasons. Don't 00:54:43.530 --> 00:54:48.690 suffer because of the way we act. Don't suffer 00:54:48.690 --> 00:54:51.050 because of our methodology and our behavior towards 00:54:51.050 --> 00:54:54.210 the world. Our unbelieving friends and our unbelieving 00:54:54.210 --> 00:54:58.150 neighbors. Don't suffer because of our treatment 00:54:58.150 --> 00:55:04.380 of others. Suffering well means suffering unjustly. 00:55:04.820 --> 00:55:09.840 But it also means maintaining Christ -like character 00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:17.079 in suffering. If we turn back to 1 Peter 2, we 00:55:17.079 --> 00:55:20.739 read these words. For you have been called for 00:55:20.739 --> 00:55:26.679 this purpose, since Christ also suffered for 00:55:26.679 --> 00:55:30.480 you. leaving you an example for you to follow 00:55:30.480 --> 00:55:35.400 in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any 00:55:35.400 --> 00:55:39.119 deceit found in his mouth. And while being reviled, 00:55:39.300 --> 00:55:42.719 he did not revile in return. While suffering, 00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:45.820 he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself 00:55:45.820 --> 00:55:49.519 to him who judges righteously. And he himself 00:55:49.519 --> 00:55:52.940 bore our sins in his body on the cross so that 00:55:52.940 --> 00:55:56.079 we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 00:55:56.639 --> 00:56:00.599 For by His wounds we are healed. For we are continually 00:56:00.599 --> 00:56:05.460 straying like sheep. But now you have returned 00:56:05.460 --> 00:56:11.960 to the shepherd and guardian of your soul. Suffering 00:56:11.960 --> 00:56:16.659 well, brothers and sisters, means being like 00:56:16.659 --> 00:56:19.480 Jesus Christ, your Lord, your Master, and your 00:56:19.480 --> 00:56:25.530 Savior. Listen. You are never going to be more 00:56:25.530 --> 00:56:30.789 like Christ than when you are suffering for the 00:56:30.789 --> 00:56:35.010 Lord Jesus. When you are bearing up for conscience 00:56:35.010 --> 00:56:37.550 sake. Do you understand that? That was a large 00:56:37.550 --> 00:56:40.989 part of his life. That's a large part of the 00:56:40.989 --> 00:56:43.489 gospel, brothers and sisters. His suffering. 00:56:44.489 --> 00:56:49.849 And those who follow him ought to suffer like 00:56:49.849 --> 00:56:52.920 him. regardless of the situation, what it is. 00:56:53.119 --> 00:57:00.400 Our response should be in Christ -like character. 00:57:01.559 --> 00:57:10.219 The temptation arises in suffering to forsake 00:57:10.219 --> 00:57:18.800 holiness, to forsake godliness. The temptation 00:57:18.800 --> 00:57:25.480 arises To compromise our character. But brothers 00:57:25.480 --> 00:57:30.659 and sisters, what are we called to? To imitate 00:57:30.659 --> 00:57:35.480 the Lord Jesus Christ in his suffering. Ultimately, 00:57:35.480 --> 00:57:40.360 we find that suffering well means looking to 00:57:40.360 --> 00:57:44.420 the future and Christ's return and our reward. 00:57:44.820 --> 00:57:48.480 We read in Hebrews chapter 10 and we'll close 00:57:48.480 --> 00:57:53.500 following this. Starting in verse 32, but remember 00:57:53.500 --> 00:57:57.239 the former days when after being enlightened, 00:57:57.440 --> 00:57:59.320 and listen to the language of this, brothers 00:57:59.320 --> 00:58:03.460 and sisters, consider what these Christians were 00:58:03.460 --> 00:58:07.019 going through. Consider what they were dealing 00:58:07.019 --> 00:58:11.320 with in their hearts. But remember the former 00:58:11.320 --> 00:58:15.559 days when after being enlightened, you endured 00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:20.340 a great conflict of sufferings. Partly by being 00:58:20.340 --> 00:58:24.780 a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, 00:58:24.880 --> 00:58:30.000 and partly by becoming sharers with those who 00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:34.519 were so treated. So he's saying that there's 00:58:34.519 --> 00:58:37.400 two different ways these Hebrew Christians were 00:58:37.400 --> 00:58:40.000 suffering. Some of them were suffering because 00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:42.920 they were being public spectacles. They were 00:58:42.920 --> 00:58:45.900 being shamed publicly. But he's saying that there 00:58:45.900 --> 00:58:49.730 was another way. That there was a group of believers 00:58:49.730 --> 00:58:53.110 who were being compassionate and sympathizing 00:58:53.110 --> 00:58:56.530 with those who were being persecuted. And as 00:58:56.530 --> 00:58:58.750 a result of their faithfulness to those Christians, 00:58:58.989 --> 00:59:04.489 they then became persecuted. For you showed sympathy 00:59:04.489 --> 00:59:07.550 to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure 00:59:07.550 --> 00:59:10.449 of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves 00:59:10.449 --> 00:59:14.980 a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, 00:59:15.019 --> 00:59:17.599 do not throw away your confidence, which has 00:59:17.599 --> 00:59:21.440 a great reward, for you have need of endurance, 00:59:21.579 --> 00:59:24.179 so that when you have done the will of God, you 00:59:24.179 --> 00:59:27.840 may receive what is promised. For yet in very 00:59:27.840 --> 00:59:31.320 little while, for yet in a very little while, 00:59:31.579 --> 00:59:38.099 he who is coming will come and will not delay. 00:59:38.880 --> 00:59:44.130 But my righteous one shall live by faith. And 00:59:44.130 --> 00:59:48.449 if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in 00:59:48.449 --> 00:59:51.590 him. Listen to what he says about believers in 00:59:51.590 --> 00:59:55.610 Christ. But we are not those who shrink back 00:59:55.610 --> 00:59:59.829 to destruction, but those who have faith to the 00:59:59.829 --> 01:00:05.730 preserving of the soul. Suffering well means 01:00:05.730 --> 01:00:11.059 looking... to the blessed return of the Lord 01:00:11.059 --> 01:00:14.179 Jesus Christ and the reward and the glory that's 01:00:14.179 --> 01:00:17.820 coming with that. If we'll look forward to what 01:00:17.820 --> 01:00:20.360 Christ is going to do because of what Christ 01:00:20.360 --> 01:00:22.800 has done on the cross, brothers and sisters, 01:00:22.940 --> 01:00:26.420 not only will we endure and persevere to the 01:00:26.420 --> 01:00:28.380 end, but we will be able to have confidence, 01:00:28.659 --> 01:00:32.000 joy, and hope in the midst of our suffering in 01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:36.050 this life. That's what we have to do if we're 01:00:36.050 --> 01:00:38.989 suffering and experiencing hardship. Look to 01:00:38.989 --> 01:00:41.829 Christ. Look to the vindication and the glory 01:00:41.829 --> 01:00:44.710 and the reward that is to come and the pleasing 01:00:44.710 --> 01:00:50.150 our Lord and our Savior. Brothers and sisters, 01:00:50.309 --> 01:00:58.449 we see in this text, in Acts chapter 19, that 01:00:58.449 --> 01:01:02.800 the world responds a certain... to having their 01:01:02.800 --> 01:01:07.599 idols threatened. But we see that the church 01:01:07.599 --> 01:01:12.400 responds very differently from the world when 01:01:12.400 --> 01:01:17.019 it is opposed, when it suffers, when there's 01:01:17.019 --> 01:01:18.400 hostility towards it.