1 00:00:07,730 --> 00:00:10,810 Please take a seat open your Bibles to the book of Acts 2 00:00:11,570 --> 00:00:15,970 chapter 19. We're kicking off from verse 8 3 00:00:15,970 --> 00:00:22,890 as we finished verse 7, Paul kicks off again. 4 00:00:22,890 --> 00:00:29,010 He's he's the man and it says and he went into the synagogue. 5 00:00:29,010 --> 00:00:35,480 That's Paul spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and 6 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:42,200 persuading two different things concerning the things of the 7 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:48,240 Kingdom of God church. Don't forget Jesus told us how 8 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,880 to pray what to pray right our Father who art in heaven, right 9 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:58,400 hallowed be thy name then what thy Kingdom come, thy will be 10 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,360 done. The reason we're here, the 11 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:06,600 reason we, we gather tonight is to pray and to serve so that 12 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,560 God's Kingdom, which is coming, will come. 13 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,720 OK. And he spoke concerning the 14 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,600 things of the Kingdom of God. So Paul would have spoken about 15 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,560 the death and resurrection of Jesus, who Jesus is, He's the 16 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,480 Messiah that he rose from the dead, would have spoke about the 17 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,760 Holy Spirit. Paul, because he mentions here 18 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,720 the Kingdom of God, he would have spoke about the rapture. 19 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:35,680 He would have spoken about the tribulation and you would have 20 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,960 spoken about the millennial, millennial reign, the 1000 21 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,200 years, because that's all part of the Kingdom of God, and then 22 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,800 the second coming. But when some were hardened, 23 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,160 notice this and did not believe. Now you see, you got the 24 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,400 greatest preacher besides Jesus, his knowledge of the word of God 25 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:01,520 trained under the greatest rabbis in all of Israel and he's 26 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,360 teaching from the word of God under the power and influence of 27 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,840 the Holy Spirit. And notice some were hardened 28 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,360 and did not believe. This is this is where we 29 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,960 struggle. I know I struggle as a pastor. 30 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,800 I kind of wonder why. Why doesn't everyone believe, 31 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,680 you know, when churches are full on a on A at Easter or 32 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,760 Christmas, whatever. Why isn't that those who aren't 33 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,400 saved get saved because we have a free will. 34 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,640 We have a choice and our hearts can be hard soil. 35 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,280 We can hear and not obey. We can know it's the truth and 36 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,520 we can reject it. And so it says and did not 37 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,440 believe but spoke evil of the way. 38 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,240 The way is what the Christians were called. 39 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:55,080 They were called people of the way followers of the way before 40 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,480 the multitude. So what did Paul do you note 41 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,320 this. I think it's important he 42 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:09,480 departed from them sometimes, or Jesus tells us not to cast our 43 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:15,560 pearls before swine. Sometimes we can waste our time 44 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,080 with someone who's just simply not interested. 45 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:25,240 And this is the thing that you and I need to get wise and 46 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,160 discerning is this. Don't waste your time on someone 47 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:37,720 who's a block of wood hard heart, because there surely is 48 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,920 someone who we can spend time with who actually is a sponge 49 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,920 who wants to know. And that's where we need the 50 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,200 leading of the Holy Spirit. And So what does Paul do? 51 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,120 He says, I'm not going to just keep hearing bang on my head or 52 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:54,560 people say, no, I'm not interested. 53 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:56,400 Well, here, let's start again. I'm not interested, not 54 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,280 interested. He departed from them and notice 55 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:04,080 also what he did and he withdrew the disciples for those who 56 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,560 received Christ. He took them out because he's in 57 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,400 the synagogue. He said you guys, let's get out 58 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:17,680 of here, let's move reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus 59 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:23,760 and Tyrannus is not a dinosaur. If you go to Ephesus and how 60 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:29,480 long I have walked through the streets of Ephesus and we see 61 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,920 the library, there's a facade of the library in Ephesus because 62 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:38,880 Ephesus is a lot like Beth Shian in Israel. 63 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,560 It's it's the ruins you can walk through. 64 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,360 You can walk over the paving. It's as it is the paving is the 65 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,440 paving that Paul walked on. When you go to Emphasis in 66 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Turkey, you see the library right next to it. 67 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,440 Then the guides will tell you the Turkish guides next to it. 68 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:01,960 Here was the school of Tyrannis. So you can actually go there 69 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:09,760 and, and walk in the place of Tyrannis was a teacher and he 70 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:14,320 allowed, he was one of those like the philosopher. 71 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,640 And so he would run his school and then they would have, 72 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,360 because it's very hot in that area, they would have like a 73 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:27,000 Spanish siesta. And at that time, Paul the 74 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,200 apostle was allowed to go into the hall of Tyrannis and he 75 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:35,680 would teach every day from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 76 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,600 And so people could gather from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 77 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,840 That's how long he taught. Each day people would gather, 78 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,920 receive Christ, and those people then went out and all the 79 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:49,920 churches began all throughout Asia. 80 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,160 It's said that most of the seven churches that are mentioned in 81 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:59,920 the Book of Revelation came from people influenced in this 82 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,480 teaching by Paul and Ephesus. I recommend if you ever get the 83 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,400 opportunity to go to Ephesus, there's no bombs there at the 84 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,640 moment. Also, you get the opportunity 85 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,800 when you go to emphasis see the school Tyrannis and we'll talk 86 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:17,640 about something else later that you'll see there. 87 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:22,600 But it's also where John and Mary lived. 88 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,960 Mary spent her last moments with John living in that area. 89 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,520 So it's a unique place and you can walk the very footsteps. 90 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,360 And this continued for two years, some say more than three, 91 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,360 up to three. So then all who dwelt in Asia 92 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,320 heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jew and Greek. 93 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:53,440 No TikTok, no Facebook, no radio stations. 94 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,560 It was as Chuck Smith used to say. 95 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:04,400 Here's what you do as a pastor. Feed the sheep and healthy 96 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,160 sheep, bigot, other healthy, healthy sheep feed the sheep. 97 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,320 And so the well fed sheep here from Ephesus went out all 98 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,760 through Asia. And notice the reaction. 99 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:24,000 All who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both 100 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,920 Jews and Greeks. It's often made me think, you 101 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,520 know, there is a time and a place for revival meetings and 102 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,120 crusades. Billy Graham showed us that. 103 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:40,280 But also I think the weight, the sheer weight of evangelism, 104 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,240 remember, sits with you and I healthy sheep telling other 105 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:51,360 healthy sheep. Now it says now God worked 106 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,480 unusual. Notice it says unusual. 107 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,560 Now a miracle is something that's out of the normal. 108 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:00,920 So here we got something else defining it. 109 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:06,160 God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. 110 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:11,040 Now notice that sentence and notice this. 111 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,040 God worked the miracles. It wasn't Paul. 112 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,320 Today there would be a ministry of Paul the Apostle. 113 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,400 He's coming. Oh man, come and you let Paul, 114 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,000 Paul, Paul, Paul if he allowed it, but he wouldn't notice. 115 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:33,000 It's God who worked unusual miracles. 116 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:39,159 How by the hands of Paul and notice also it says so that even 117 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,360 handkerchief, that's an English word actually in the Greek it's 118 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:49,200 sweatbands. So as Paul, his whole time that 119 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:55,080 he's here in emphasis not taking any money, he is he is teaching 120 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:00,240 from 11:00 to 4:00 every day. And the rest of the time he is 121 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,840 labouring remember sewing and making tents and he worked 122 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,760 really hard that he sweat. So he's sweating because it's, 123 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,920 it's hot nepesis and he would toil away. 124 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,360 And so he would take his, his sweatband after he's been 125 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:18,680 working on canvas and pulling things, working gnarly hands and 126 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:20,600 everything. And, and then he'd Chuck the 127 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,360 sweatband down. Then he'd Chuck his, his apron 128 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,240 down that he'd used because he's working on this stuff. 129 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:32,120 And people would grab them and they, they just said, oh man, 130 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,200 I've got this, this Paul, you know, he teaches down there. 131 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,000 My mom's sick. I just put this on her and they, 132 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,320 it's from Paul. Oh well, Lord. 133 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,520 And So what happens here? Here's something you can't 134 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,760 explain it. God's not in the box. 135 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,240 God's doing it. It's unique. 136 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,760 It's not something they go, OK, next Sunday we're going to have 137 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,680 a whole pile of handkerchiefs and sweat bands here from the 138 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:03,120 pastors, and you can just take them and throw them on someone 139 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,040 who's sick and they go, that smells of sweat. 140 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:15,640 No, it's a point of contact and what was happening. 141 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,680 Remember, like it says in Peter's shadow passed over 142 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,640 people did that the stirring of the water and the pool so long 143 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,520 what's happened and it's like different times people can come 144 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,560 forward for prayer and and and and they're ready. 145 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,920 They, they had this, this touch of faith in their lives that 146 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,280 they think if I get that sweatband put on me from Paul, 147 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:43,080 Oh man, Lord. And so that as that point of 148 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,880 contact, certain people will go and, and God moves. 149 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,520 It's like some people you can play hands on and pray for them. 150 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,240 Nothing's happened. But some people come out and, 151 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:59,000 and, and, and, and they're already believing and the point 152 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:00,800 of contact. They, they, I'm ready, Lord, 153 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,200 bang. And it's got nothing to do with 154 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:05,400 the the person putting their hands on. 155 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,560 It's the point of contact. It's the woman. 156 00:11:08,560 --> 00:11:13,200 Remember, if I could just touch the tassel of Jesus pressure, 157 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:18,360 she was ready because Jesus says, Oh, I I since virtue's 158 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:23,000 gone out of me, power's gone out of me because she was if I can, 159 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,800 if I can just touch, I know I'll be healed. 160 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,000 So there was that point of contact. 161 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,880 But Please note this, this is God working. 162 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,160 Can't put him in a box. It's not this is how we're going 163 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:38,400 to do it. We're all going to have 164 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:40,200 handkerchiefs, we're all going to have sweatpants. 165 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,600 We're all going to try and reach out and touch, touch someone as 166 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:44,680 they're going past. No. 167 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:52,480 And the diseases left them and notice evil spirits went out of 168 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,520 them. This is explain it. 169 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,960 No, you can't. This is God moving. 170 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,440 You know when you can explain what's happening, then it's 171 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,800 probably not God. It's God moving because you've 172 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,360 got to go. We don't know how this works. 173 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:10,880 To God be the glory. Then some of the itinerant 174 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:17,880 Jewish exorcists notice there's a this is a lead on to these 175 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,560 people. Wow, this is war. 176 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:23,880 What's going on here because Ephesus was like that took upon 177 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:28,360 themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who 178 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:32,840 had evil spirits. Why they're in business. 179 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:39,120 They were using the name of Jesus for their own self 180 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:50,480 promotion and funding, saying we exercise you by Jesus whom Paul 181 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:55,600 preaches. So also there were seven sons of 182 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:01,040 Skeeva, a Jewish chief priest who did so now when they did 183 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,200 this, notice what happens here and the evil spirit. 184 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,640 This would have been the first time for these guys who'd been, 185 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,880 you know, travelling around selling, you know, fake snake 186 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,800 oil stuff and doing oh, yeah, we're praying for you. 187 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,080 Oh, you're better now. Great. 188 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,800 Oh, cast this out. Cast out the, you know, cast out 189 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:23,240 that there was the demon, Demon of gluttony and the demon of 190 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:24,680 tiredness. You know, someone yawn. 191 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,960 Oh, demon of tiredness. No, I'm just tired. 192 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:30,560 Demon of gluttony? Well, let's put a lock on the 193 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,840 fridge because the demon of gluttony would just force me to 194 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,960 go to the fridge, you know? No, the evil spirit answered, 195 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:38,640 said Jesus. I know. 196 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,840 And note that James tells us that too. 197 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:47,880 The devil, the demons know who Jesus is. 198 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,520 How often would Jesus go? And the demons will go, Oh no, 199 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:57,240 no, don't cast this out yet. And Paul, I know that's 200 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:03,360 interesting, but who are you interesting When Jesus returns, 201 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,160 remember Matthew 7, that scary verse? 202 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,720 Lord, Lord, have we not done this in your name? 203 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,640 Jesus says, I don't even know who you are. 204 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,400 Oh, I, I've been in the ministry casting out demons. 205 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:21,280 I don't know who you are. Then the man in whom the evil 206 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:28,320 spirit was leapt on them, overpowered them and prevailed 207 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:33,200 against them and actually beat them up so that they fled out of 208 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:37,920 that house naked and wounded. Let me say this about demonic 209 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:44,520 works like this. Occasionally we've experienced 210 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:51,160 it and it's it's something that you don't go looking for. 211 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,200 It's something you only deal with when you are having to 212 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,640 confront it because it it is People take on the strength of 213 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:04,440 10 men. People do just amazing things. 214 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,240 And I often hear people carrying on and saying I do this and I do 215 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:13,480 that and you know, against the devil and I'm going hold it. 216 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,640 Let God do all that work. Keep on the other side of the 217 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,640 Lord. Keep the Lord between you and 218 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:27,120 anything else like this because unfortunately people are 219 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,440 attracted to this and they're going to be more and more 220 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,920 attracted to this sort of behaviour as we get closer to 221 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:43,640 the rapture because it's it's a show and it takes the attention 222 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:49,240 away from Christ, his and his salvation, his grace and his 223 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:54,400 peace. This became known both to all 224 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,640 Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus. 225 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:03,400 And notice what happened. Fear fell on them, and the name 226 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:09,600 of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And notice this verse 18 And 227 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,720 many who had believed. So people who received Christ in 228 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:19,320 Ephesus came confessing and telling their deeds. 229 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:25,400 Also many of those who had practised magic brought their 230 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:30,120 books together, burned them in the sight of all, and they 231 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:35,360 counted up the value of them, and it totalled 50,000 pieces of 232 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,960 silver. So the word of the Lord grew 233 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:46,040 mightily and prevailed. Now what's happened here is 234 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,040 Paul's been teaching about the Kingdom of God and we're going 235 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,040 to see it mentioned later. Paul said there's no such thing 236 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:53,800 as idols. You know, there's, you can't 237 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:57,040 worship idols. And what's happened is the Holy 238 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,880 Spirit has got hold of these people who have come to the Lord 239 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:05,280 and all of a sudden he's made them aware of, you know what 240 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,119 that thing I've had in my house, so that thing I've been 241 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:16,520 listening to or been being involved with is wrong. 242 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:21,000 It's not good. And I need to get that out of my 243 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,359 house. I need to remove that and have 244 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,960 nothing to do with that. It's like today, people can come 245 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:33,760 to church and they've read their horoscope before they come or 246 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,880 they've gone to a palm read. Oh, it's no big deal. 247 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:37,880 You know, God's with me. But I'll just, I'll just go and 248 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:38,920 check it out. Where are the holidays? 249 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:43,840 Get someone to read my palm or, or, or something like that. 250 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:51,680 And here's the deal. Jesus says, don't play with 251 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:54,560 fire. What? 252 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,880 And the question we have to ask ourselves in our lives, are 253 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:04,320 there things that perhaps we are holding onto or that we're 254 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:11,640 playing with? Because in Matthew 18-9, and 255 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:17,120 I'll read it to you, Jesus makes the statement. 256 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:26,600 He says Matthew 18. If your hand or your foot, verse 257 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,880 8 causes you to sin, cut it off, cast it from you. 258 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,720 It's better for you to enter into life lame or maimed rather 259 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,800 than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the 260 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,320 everlasting fire. If your eye causes you to sin, 261 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,840 block it out, cast it from you. It is better for you to enter 262 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,360 into life with one eye rather than having two eyes and to be 263 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:54,200 cast into hell fire. Now this is not literal. 264 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,360 Jesus doesn't tell you to attack your body. 265 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,760 But what he's saying is if there's areas of your life that 266 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:09,480 you're involved with that you that you deal with that you play 267 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:14,560 around with that cause you to send, for example, talking to a 268 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:20,840 man who had a problem with pornography and he he had his 269 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,760 problem with pornography was through the Internet. 270 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,160 So I said to him, this is this is how you fixed it. 271 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,960 You get off the Internet. If you're going to be on the 272 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,160 computer, you have it in the kitchen with your wife and 273 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,880 children so that they can see the screen as you know. 274 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,120 So I can't do that. I said, you're missing the 275 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:42,360 point. You got to deal with this. 276 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,040 You can't just oh, well, I'll be better at it. 277 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,240 No, you won't. No, you won't. 278 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:55,400 Jesus says cut it off. And so often as believers, 279 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:56,920 people kind of like, you know, you asked them off. 280 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:58,480 So what were you doing at the time? 281 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,480 Oh, well, I was, I was in this place where I probably shouldn't 282 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,880 have been hanging out with these people, where I shouldn't hang 283 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,120 out. I was doing this that I 284 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,080 shouldn't. And you go in my mind, I'm 285 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,320 thinking. Well, what do you expect? 286 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:16,640 You can't have a living, loving, powerful relationship with God 287 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:22,040 and be playing around with things that are causing you 288 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,240 harm. That's why these people, Paul, 289 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,720 didn't go, hey, everybody, go in your house and go through this, 290 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,120 go through that. No, people were convicted by the 291 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:31,240 Holy Spirit and they brought this out. 292 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,440 But it tells you just how bad Ephesus was. 293 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,080 It's said that Ephesus was the centre of Satanic worship. 294 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:44,000 Satan was he was in this place. Satan is not omnipresent, but 295 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,040 it's telling us by this Satan was at Ephesus. 296 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,800 But notice what happened when the people did this. 297 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,080 The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. 298 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,040 People got serious about their walk with God. 299 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:04,480 You know, there are things that in my life, in and of 300 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,880 themselves, you may think, well, that's nothing really bad, But 301 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,400 God has convicted me about saying, Keith, you can't be 302 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,160 involved in that anymore because it makes you behave in the 303 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,400 flesh, it makes you carnal when you're involved with that. 304 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:24,680 So to me it's a bad thing. Now, when these things were 305 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,200 accomplished, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed 306 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:33,280 through Macedonia and Archaea to go to Jerusalem, saying, after 307 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,920 I've been there and here he mentions it because we're 308 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,160 entering a new section now of the Book of Acts. 309 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,640 He says, I got to go to Rome. Paul was going to go to Rome, 310 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:44,640 wasn't he? But he wasn't going to go to 311 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,600 Rome on a tram or a train. He was going to go as a 312 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:52,160 prisoner. So he sent into Macedonia two of 313 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,120 those administered to him, Timothy and Erastus. 314 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,080 But he himself stayed in Asia for a time, and he stayed there 315 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,760 because Paul was collecting an offering. 316 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,840 That's why he was going to Jerusalem. 317 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,000 He was gathering an offering from the Gentile churches, and 318 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,640 he was going to take it to the starving, impoverished church in 319 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:18,200 Jerusalem. And about that time there arose 320 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:23,320 a great commotion about the way for certain man named Demetrius, 321 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:28,840 A silversmith who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no 322 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,720 small profit to the Craftsman. They're making a killing on. 323 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,120 They sell on this stuff. He called them together with the 324 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:38,440 workers of similar occupations. So they're all all the people 325 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,120 that make the idols and said, man, you know that we have our 326 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:44,280 prosperity by this trait. This is how we make a living. 327 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,600 Moreover, you see in here that not only at Ephesus, but 328 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,160 throughout almost all Asia, they knew this. 329 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:55,280 Paul has persuaded and turn away many people saying that they are 330 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,240 not gods which are made with hands. 331 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:01,800 That's what Paul was preaching. So not only is this trade of 332 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,280 ours in danger of falling into disrepute. 333 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:09,080 It's funny that this this shonky tribe falling into danger of 334 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:14,920 disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may 335 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:19,360 be despised on her magnificence destroyed whom all Asia and the 336 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:22,440 world worship. Diana is also called Artemis. 337 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:29,000 Now, this great temple that was in Ephesus, this this idol was, 338 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:33,120 they believe, they believed it came from Jupiter or from Zeus. 339 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,560 It fell out of the sky. So it's probably a meteorite. 340 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,160 Then they carved this grotesque creature out of it. 341 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,680 And the temple of Diana was one of the seven wonders of the 342 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:50,000 world at that time. It was, it had 127 pillars 343 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,000 throughout this massive building. 344 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:58,320 And they were 60 feet high, these pillars holding up this 345 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,120 magnificent. Now, the thing about the grounds 346 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:04,800 of the Temple of Diana was this, it was also a treasury. 347 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:09,560 So all the banking and the trade of the world happened at Diana. 348 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,000 And if you're a criminal and you had done something harmful or 349 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,480 someone, if you went in and into the grounds of the Temple of 350 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:22,440 Diana, you couldn't be arrested. So it was a place where a lot of 351 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:28,120 really nice people hung out and it had all these priestesses who 352 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,600 used immorality as part of the worship of this place. 353 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,520 So it just tells you what sort of place Ephesus really was. 354 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,960 And so the whole city when they when they heard this, they were 355 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,400 full of anger and cried out saying great is Diana of the 356 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,280 Ephesians. So the whole city was filled 357 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,760 with confusion. Rust into the theatre and with 1 358 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:57,640 accord now the theatre holds 24,000 people and it's still 359 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,640 there. Hell and I have sat in this very 360 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,800 theatre, it's still you can go in. 361 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,920 It's like it was built yesterday in Ephesus and they said this 362 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,960 massive mob rush into the theatre. 363 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,440 Some therefore cried out no notice this. 364 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,480 Some therefore cried out one thing and some another. 365 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:23,240 Yes, no. Maybe what are we complaining 366 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,320 about? I don't know, but yes, no. 367 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,080 And it was just like it was just like that. 368 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:36,000 It's quite a comedy here. And so they whole city was 369 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,120 filled with confusion rushed in with 1 accord. 370 00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:44,320 Having seen Skyast and Erastus Macedonians, Paul's travel 371 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,960 companions. When Paul wanted to go in, Paul 372 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,400 said I'll go and speak to them. So this is a it's not going to 373 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,000 Optus. And he said, yeah, I'll go man 374 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,880 24,000 man, I can I can bring the gospel here. 375 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,160 They said, no, you're not going in there. 376 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,800 And the disciples were not allowing. 377 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:06,080 Then some of the officials of Asia who were his friends sent 378 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,680 to him pleading that he would not venture into the theatre. 379 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,600 Some therefore cried one thing and some another for the 380 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,840 assembly was confused. What is God? 381 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,960 God is not the author of confusion. 382 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:22,280 So who's running this riot? It's Satan and most of them did 383 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,280 not notice this why they had gathered here. 384 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:26,800 Why are you here, Charlie? I don't know. 385 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,080 I thought there was free beer. I'm here to Well, isn't isn't 386 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:32,000 the football game on? No, I'm here to protest. 387 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,680 And they just didn't know what was going on. 388 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,600 And they drew Alexander out on the multitude and the Jews 389 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,960 putting him forward. And Alexander was a Jew and 390 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,640 Alexander motion with his hand wanted to make his defence to 391 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,160 the he's got nothing to do with the Jews here. 392 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,280 But when they found out that he was a Jew, they all with one 393 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,480 voice said no, get rid of it, get rid of him, get rid of him. 394 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,280 So he wasn't popular at the moment. 395 00:26:55,280 --> 00:27:00,040 So the big hook came out on the stage and dragged him off and 396 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:04,600 they for two hours shouted great as Diana of the Ephesians. 397 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:09,120 And when the city clerk kind of like the CEO chief executive 398 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:12,760 officers better thing of the city had quieted the crowd. 399 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:17,240 He said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there does not know that 400 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,000 the city of the Ephesians is a temple guardian of the great 401 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,840 goddess Diana. And the image which fell down 402 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:26,600 from Zeus, notice so that tells us it is pretty much a 403 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,640 meteorite. Therefore, since these things 404 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:31,560 cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet. 405 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,400 Do nothing rashly, for you've brought these men here, who are 406 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,760 neither robbers of temples. Notice this, nor blasphemers of 407 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,640 your goddess. And I, I, I, I note that so 408 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:51,040 often what we do as Christians, we want to run down and people, 409 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:52,960 you know, you think, oh, there's nothing wrong with that. 410 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,920 Run down other religions and things like that, fine. 411 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:01,400 But I find here kind of like a correcting path here to say, 412 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,480 hey, don't worry about all the others mob. 413 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:11,120 This is what you ought to do preach repentance, salvation, 414 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,920 Kingdom of God, Jesus death on the cross, Christ crucified. 415 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,560 That's Paul said, I've come to bring you nothing else but 416 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:22,880 Christ crucified sometimes. And I remember at a a pastors 417 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,400 conference and some people when when the abortion thing was 418 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:32,440 really up in arms throughout America and churches were going 419 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,680 down and protesting at the front of these places. 420 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,920 And and and one of the Calvary Chapel pastors from San Diego, 421 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,720 Mike McIntosh, he said, people were ringing me up and say we 422 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,200 don't see any Calvary Chapel people coming down and 423 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,320 protesting with what's going on. What you are you pro abortion? 424 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,680 He said, no, no, no, we pray against abortion. 425 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:55,720 And they actually ran a whole ministry, I forget, called the 426 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:59,440 the House of Ruth, where pregnant women could come to the 427 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,360 church and they would assist them in their pregnancy. 428 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:04,160 And so they wouldn't have bought that. 429 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,920 And then they would either look after the child and the mother 430 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,040 or that they would do make sure that the child went through the 431 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,560 full term, was born and they had the House of Ruth. 432 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,560 That's how they ran it. But he says, and I never 433 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,600 forgotten him saying this, he says, if ever I'm to be 434 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,440 arrested, there's only one thing I'm to be arrested for and 435 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,520 that's preaching the gospel. And you know, sometimes we can 436 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,840 get into a hobby horse and we, why aren't you enjoying that? 437 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,800 Well, you're not, you're not as Christian as we are. 438 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,160 And you, you pick up the fence. You're not pick up the fence. 439 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,120 You have your, you pick it up, you sign. 440 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,240 And no, no, let's get it straight. 441 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,320 Chuck Smith said, how do you, how do you show what's a crooked 442 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:45,280 stick? Simple. 443 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:47,160 You lay a straight stick next to it. 444 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,680 That's what you and I do. I remember as a new believer 445 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:54,920 going through Bible college or going through Bible college and 446 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,280 I and I'd run after the Jehovah Witnesses, I'd run after the 447 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,800 Mormons and I'd say, hey, you guys, you know, you're preaching 448 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,600 false this. And I chase after them and want 449 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,120 to argue about, you know, this and that. 450 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,760 Can't argue with them because they just say black, white, 451 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,920 white, black, black and you know, it's all this and they 452 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:15,080 just ran around around the circle and I realised I'm 453 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,960 wasting my time. What I've got to do is I've got 454 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:23,520 to know the truth. I've got to know the Bible and 455 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:28,640 that in season and out of season, if someone asks me, tell 456 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,640 me how do I get saved? Who is Jesus? 457 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:35,120 I share the gospel. Sometimes we can and I know I 458 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:41,240 got I was really into that and I just, I'm doing stuff and God's 459 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,720 going, what are you doing over there? 460 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,840 How about spending time with me? How about getting to know more 461 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,400 about me? How about doing what I want you 462 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,200 to do instead of what you think's a good idea? 463 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:58,480 And so sometimes I think we waste so much energy and effort 464 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,160 in doing things we think's a good idea and everyone else 465 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,120 should be doing it. And God says I don't care about 466 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,880 that. I care about the person that you 467 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:13,800 walk past or buy a coffee or for the checkout person and that I'm 468 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,920 going to turn the light on that person one day when you were 469 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,720 there and they're going to ask you, did you go to, do you go to 470 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:19,640 church? What do you think? 471 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,920 And that's when you're going to be turned on. 472 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:30,960 That's when you're to minister. And so here it says, therefore, 473 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,560 since these things cannot be denied, for you've brought these 474 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:39,640 men verse 37 here, who are near the robbers of temples, no 475 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,640 blasphemers of begot us. Therefore, if Demetrius and his 476 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,560 fellow Craftsman have a case against anyone, hey, go to the 477 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:51,480 courts, there's a court, go to the magistrate, get us sorted. 478 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,000 But if you have any other enquiry to make, it shall be 479 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,520 determined in the lawful assembly, not in this great riot 480 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:00,600 that's going on. Why? 481 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:05,280 And here's the thing behind it, verse 40 For we are in danger of 482 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,880 being called in question for today's uproar. 483 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:12,760 Here's the deal. Ephesus was a free ruling Roman 484 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,040 colony. Go about Ryan's not going to 485 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:17,880 bother with you. Everything good, But you have a 486 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,000 riot there and Ryan's going. What's going on? 487 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:22,520 That's right down there. You know what? 488 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,720 We're coming in. We're going to take over. 489 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,480 We're going to settle the place and we'll run the show. 490 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,680 And that's what he's saying. Be careful. 491 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,240 We, we don't want to go back to oppression. 492 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,640 We have free reign here. We've been given freedom and 493 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:43,440 licence by Rome. Let's let's be wise here because 494 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,920 it says there being no reason that we may give to account for 495 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,000 this disorderly gathering. And when he had said these 496 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:57,200 things, he dismissed the assembly going out of time. 497 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:03,760 Finish on this one thing. Often we complain about being 498 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,920 persecuted, we complain about our government. 499 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,600 It's anti Christian. It is isn't it? 500 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,720 We complain about our local government and everything else 501 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,520 like that. Here's the deal, we should be 502 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:19,160 thankful that they are. Why? 503 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:24,320 Because the moment the government says you mop, you're 504 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:25,800 all good. You know what happens? 505 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,960 We lose all power and the church stops growing. 506 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:31,000 The church.