God tests His people in the wilderness and gives them His statute

One of the commands of disciple-making and the Christian life is for believers to encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Many more commands to encourage one another are found throughout the New Testament. As we examine Acts 20:1-12 this Sunday, we will see the importance of Paul’s ministry of encouragement among the churches.

Acts 20 begins the last phase of the book. Paul begins heading back to Jerusalem where he will be arrested and taken to Rome. Acts 20 is Paul’s farewell tour of the churches among his missionary journeys. He will never return to them again. Therefore, he spends significant time and energy visiting them again to encourage them in verses 1-12. The rest of the chapter chronicles Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders. Paul understands the importance of encouraging one another as we see the day approaching.

When the Bible speaks of encouragement (also translated exhort or comfort), it isn’t just patting each other on the back and saying kind words. Encouragement is not just telling people they are good enough, strong enough, smart enough, or more able than they think. It is to come alongside another believer bringing Christ-centered truth and help to their greatest need. It is reminding other disciples of God’s promise and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to help other disciples stand in truth regardless of the circumstances. That is what Paul is doing in these verses.

But what does that have to do with a young man falling asleep, tumbling to his death, and being raised miraculously by Paul? We will discover that together Sunday.

Moses and Israel sing praises to Yahweh for His great deliverance and salvation

In the final section of Acts 19:21-41, we witness a riot in Ephesus. A group of silversmiths who make idols for the great temple of Artemis in Ephesus recognize that their business has slowed down considerably. People have changed. They are no longer buying their idols and visiting the Temple of Artemis. The leader of the silversmiths, who’s name is Demetrius, correctly diagnoses the problem. That guy named Paul has filled the province of Asia with the teaching of Jesus Christ. The gospel has gone forth in not just Ephesus, but all of Asia and it has changed people’s lives. Churches have been planted and souls have been saved. And because of the gospel’s advance in this region, the culture has changed. Paul and the disciples have not been picketing the temple or causing disturbances to get idolatry outlawed. They have been plodding along day after day, sharing the gospel and making disciples.

This is how cultures are turned to the living God - one heart at a time. A society’s culture (meaning their shared values, beliefs, and way of life) doesn’t come from anything except the hearts of the people within the culture. In order to turn a culture back to God, people’s hearts must be changed and only the gospel can do that. Idolatry wasn’t diminishing in Ephesus because of any political or social action. It was diminishing because more and more people were being won to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit was changing their values, beliefs, and practices.

But we must also be ready, because when people’s idols are threatened they lash out just as this emotional mob does in Ephesus. They are enraged that their goddess Artemis and her temple were being dishonored. They had their identity wrapped up in their idolatry so when it was threatened, they devolved into an emotional frenzy shouting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Yet here we are two thousand years later - there are no more Artemis worshipers. Her temple in Ephesus is in pitiful ruin - but the gospel of Jesus Christ still stands and still saves. There is hope for culture. There is hope for lost loved ones. There is hope for eternity. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And our call is to plod along for all of our lives sharing that good news and watch God change lives.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." That is what Jesus taught the disciples to pray. And that is indeed our prayer today. Christ’s followers long for the day when the kingdom of God is fully consummated in a new heavens and new earth, where there is no more sin, suffering, sickness, death, or evil. When everything will be as God intended in the garden of Eden forever. And as God moves miraculously in the book of Acts, we have seen that kingdom breaking into reality as diseases are healed and evil spirits are cast out. The kingdom of God is advancing in the gospel’s spread and all the effects of the fall flee before it.

As we study Acts 19:8-20, we see power of Jesus’ name as the gospel continues going forth conquering the domain of darkness. In this passage, Paul stays in Ephesus for over two years preaching and teaching in a single location and God uses him to reach the entire Roman province of Asia. But also we find a very strange occurrence of miracles here, even for the context of Acts. God brings healing and deliverance from evil spirits through the handkerchiefs and aprons of the Apostle Paul. Even Luke calls these "extraordinary" miracles.

Through these "extraordinary" miracles and the preaching of Paul, the name of Jesus is infamous in the city of Ephesus. So much so that some professional Jewish exorcists begin using the name of Jesus in their business as a magic formula to wield His power over spirits. And when you compare these two scenes together, you see the power of Jesus name. Seven exorcists are overpowered by a single man with an evil spirit as the domain of darkness reigns over fallen man. Parroting Jesus’ name offers no help for those who don’t know Jesus. But, so great is our King and the gospel of His kingdom that in His name, an inanimate napkin conquers the darkness of this world. The power of Jesus name is such that even the most feeble of instruments is used mightily for His kingdom. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And His kingdom has come in power in our hearts.

Sunday we will examine the first seven verses of Acts 19. These verses are infamous for being misused as proof-texts by many different groups. One need only read through Acts 19:1-7 to understand how various theological groups hang their hat on this passage. In the text, Paul runs into some "disciples" as he returns to Ephesus. Paul asks if they received the Spirit when they believed. They reveal that they are actually disciples of John the Baptist and Paul tells them of the fulfillment of John’s ministry in the gospel of Jesus. These disciples of John received the gospel and are Baptized into the name of Jesus. Yet it isn’t until Paul lays his hands on them that the Holy Spirit falls on them and they begin speaking in tongues and prophesying.

Sunday we will address the many questions concerning this passage. Why does the Holy Spirit delay coming until Paul lays his hands on them? Why does Paul ask about their baptism? What does it mean to be baptized in Jesus’ name? Why do we see tongues and prophesying happen again? As we study the passage we will seek clarity on all these questions, but this text is also the word of God for the church today, so the most important question we will answer is, "What is the Spirit saying to us in this text, and how must we respond?"

The final plague comes to pass and Israel is brought out of Egypt by the deliverance and power of God

Acts 18:1-17 showed us the encouragement Jesus provided the weary and fearful Paul in Corinth. Jesus came to Paul telling him not to be afraid and gave him promises of Christ’s presence and protection. Jesus fulfilled His promise as Paul stood before the Roman proconsul in Corinth and was set free. In the second half of chapter 18, Paul begins the return journey to his home church of Antioch. But as Luke transitions from Paul’s second missionary journey to his third, we get a glimpse of a cross section of faithful disciple-makers in the early church.

Of course Luke continues to show us Paul, who has devoted himself to the Lord and separated himself for Christ’s service. But as he begins the third journey on his way to Ephesus, we find him going back through the same territory he visited on the first two journeys. It would have been much quicker and easier to sail back to Ephesus, but Paul was just as devoted to strengthening the believers (i.e. making disciples) as he was planting churches.

That is par for the course where Paul is concerned. We have seen that before. But we are also shown that investing in making disciples was also the practice of Priscilla and Aquila, as they come along side a man named Apollos and explain the way of God to him more accurately. And then Apollos himself goes to Corinth to help the church there. From the sending out of Paul, we see a cascading wave of new disciples, becoming disciple-makers, who become disciple-makers. Investing ourselves in making disciples is the calling Jesus gave to every believer. As we devote ourselves to the service of Christ, we find that first our lives must be devoted to Him, and then to the mission He has given to make disciples.