Acts 20:13-21

13 Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, while we traveled by ship. 14 He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mitylene. 15 The next day we sailed past the island of Kios. The following day we crossed to the island of Samos, and* a day later we arrived at Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.
18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

In this passage we get the focus of Paul’s messages. It was the same message to everyone, whether or not they were Jews or Greeks. Repent of your sinfulness, Turn your life toward God and put your faith in Jesus Christ. This is the message of the gospel. It doesn’t matter if you get people to agree with you that there is a God if they do not agree that they are sinful and need to turn from their sin. It doesn’t matter if they understand Jesus Christ died on a cross for their sin if they are not willing to live their lives fully for Him. It doesn’t matter how much they do for Jesus if their faith is not in what Jesus did for them. This is the message made simple. This is what Paul gave away everywhere he went. Don’t make this gospel more complicated than it is and don’t make it say less than it does. Tell people you share Christ with what they need to know. Keep it simple and uncomplicated. Have a good weekend and cap it off with a great day of worship on Sunday!

Acts 20:7-12

7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper.* Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper,* and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.

Here are some people who were hungry for the Lord. They came together with the Apostle Paul to partake of communion and hear from Paul about the Lord. It was the longest meeting recorded in the Bible. It seems the Paul’s preaching went on all day and into the night until a young man dozed off sitting on a window sill and plunged 3 stories to his death around midnight (It amazes me that even Paul’s preaching could put people to sleep). But God was gracious and healed the boy who later went home totally pain and injury free. That in itself is an amazing story but I think the most important part of the story is what happened after this miracle. They went back upstairs and shared in the Lord’s Supper together. In other words, they worshipped God by focusing on the reason for the miracle, Jesus death and resurrection! That would have been a moving end to an unforgettable service in the early church, but it wasn’t the end of the evening. They ended up staying all night long with Paul talking about the Lord until dawn when he had to finally leave. That is incredible, not because of the length of the service, but because of their obvious hunger for the things of God. That’s what it comes down to in our lives. The length of the service is not the point, nor our willingness to stay up all night talking about Jesus. It is all about our desire and priority to know all we can about the Lord. Jesus said, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Keep that in mind as you work your way through the week and come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper this Sunday!

Acts 20:1-

Look at the first thing Paul did as the uproar in Ephesus settled down. He went to all the believers and encouraged them. Some were probably afraid of what could happen to them and some were probably feeling like they should not tell anybody they were a follower of Christ. So Paul went and built up the body before he left. Then look at what Paul did in Macedonia! He went through all the towns and encouraged the believers in those towns. Everyone needs to be encouraged now and then. Everyone needs to know that they are doing the right thing and are in the right place. Even Paul needed encouragement and took along a lot of friends and fellow missionaries as he went into Greece and Macedonia. Don’t take the role of encouragement lightly. Build up those who are around you. Thank them for being a part of the work at Cedarwood. Encourage them that God will continue to work in us as we faithfully endure life and it’s surprises. Everyone needs encouragement. May I challenge you to ask the Spirit of God to give you an opportunity to encourage someone you know today!

Acts 19:28-41

28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.
38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

Step away from confusion! It is usually a sign that the enemy is hard at work in people’s lives and you will not be able to get through to them. I recall sitting in my office on one occassion where an individual would acknowledge to me that what I was saying was true but kept saying to me “but I’m confused, I don’t understand!”. I never did get through to that person and eventually had to ask them to leave our fellowship. I have found that confusion is usually a sign the enemy is present and hard at work in an individual or a crowd. Just look at all the confusion that took place in Ephesus once Demetrius arosed the crowd. Many did not even know why they had assembled but just joined in with the chants of the crowd. This was truly a demonstration of a “crowd mentality” fueled by Satan. Paul was wise not to go into the Arena. We can learn from this information. There is no need to press forward with truth when it cannot be heard due to confusion or rejection. Stay away from enemy held ground unless God makes it abundantly clear you are to enter in for His glory! Otherwise, look to share truth with those who are open and ready to hear truth! Ask God to lead you to those who will listen and are ready to respond to His good news!

A Testimony of God’s Handy work.

2-24-08

Acts 19:23-27

23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.* He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”

Evil comes in many forms but what I would like you to consider today is that all evil starts with self centered thinking. Look at what happened in Ephesus and why it happened. The silversmith was concerned with the amount of business he was loosing because of the number of people who had converted to Christianity. He was not concerned at all about the false god Artemis. He was concerned about his pockets and used the opportunity to create a riot. It was his self centered thinking that allowed evil to fill his heart. Isn’t that what Jesus was also addressing when he told the Pharisees that it’s not what go into a man that defiles him, but what is already in their hearts. James says, “you lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel…… you ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so you may spend it on your pleasures.” Evil starts with self centered thought and can set up any number of evil scenarios. Ephesus was enveloped in a riot all for the sake of one man who thought profits were more important than changed lives. Don’t let your self centered thinking open you up to evil!

Acts 19:21-22

21 Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit* to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” 22 He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.

You may look at this and ask yourself, “how did Paul know it was the Spirit that was compelling him to go over to Macedonia. The key is in the word “compelled”. It is translated to give you the impression it was placed on his heart by the Spirit. When we take into consideration what the Spirit was demonstrating through the Apostle in the previous verses, it is not hard to understand why Paul was feeling directed by that same Spirit to move on into Macedonia. He was sensitive to what God was doing as demonstrated by his remaining in Ephesus for two years and moving away from the synagogue to the market place to reach more people. When we are in a place where we are listening and seeking God’s direction, we can rest assured that He will lead. When we are more concerned about what we think or feel, we can rest assured that God is not leading. Paul wanted to be directed and the word “compelled” tells us God was the one putting it in his heart. If you want confident direction from God, set aside your feelings and your opinions and humbly submit to His Spirit. After all, it was Jesus who told us that the Spirit would come and lead us into all truth (John 14, 15, 16).

Acts 19:17-20

17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. 18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. 19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars.* 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.

God upheld the name of Jesus inspite the attempts of the sons of Sceva to use it as an incantation for their own personal gain. They were not interested in following Jesus, just using what they perceived as magical power to make a profit. When the news had spread around the town as to what happened when these magicians tried to do what Paul had done without trying, it brought a “solemn fear” over the people. That means they realized this was not just magic, but it was the very power of God in their midst. When God really shows up, it changes lives. Those who were practicing occultic activities in Ephesus repented and turned to Jesus. I marvel at all the hoopla that has gone in some so called “Healing” meetings where they claim the power of God falls on the people and their is no real lasting benefits to the Kingdom. When it’s truly God people take notice. We should take notice when the world doesn’t! When they take notice its not about our meetings and the things that take place in them, it’s all about God. When God acts in our midst people are wary of their sin and want to get right with God lest they come under His awesome judgement. When was the last time you saw people in the occult running into a church to repent? Satan’s power was real to the magicians of Ephesus, but God’s power dwart it and they came in droves. The next time you hear of services in some Church where God is showing up in power, ask if the people of the town are coming in large numbers to repent and turn to God. When God acts in our midst…………….

Acts 19:13-16

13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

This is a perfect example of the Sermon that was preached at Cedarwood on Sunday. Praying “In the name of Jesus” is not a formula for getting what we want. It’s not the words that accomplish the end results you are looking for. Here are some men who are trying to cast out demons. I’d say that was a good thing. They were trying to do so by saying “I command you in the name of Jesus!” The bad thing about it was they were treating it as an incantation, a believe that the power was in using the name, not in appealing to the authority behind the name. Sometimes we do the very same thing without even thinking about it. We may end our prayers “in the name of Jesus” thinking it is the proper way to punctuate our request rather than seeing at as an appeal to Jesus authority over all things. When we pray “in Jesus Name” we are not tacking on magical words that work for us, we are calling upon the Lordship and the authority of Jesus and submitting to His will in all things. So don’t just tack it on, lift it up!

Acts 19:11-13

11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

Reading and understanding the scriptures is all about focusing on key words. Some who read this passage see all the miracles that took place using items that had touched the Apostle Paul and claim that is the focus. If you focus on those words you may leave your devotions thinking that you could use items (handkerchiefs) or holy water provided by others who claim to be God’s servants to get your healing. This is exactly the kind of poor exegesis that is done by those very same so called leaders to make a case for having you send a donation to get your holy cloth, or holy water, or miracle bookmark to receive a healing from God. Notice the important Key words start the paragraph and follow the preceding paragraph. Those words are….GOD GAVE! God gave Paul the power to perform miracles for the sake of the Gospel in Ephesus. It was God’s choice and God’s gift. Focusing on Key words like these help us to focus on the Key of the passage: It is not the miracles. The focus is God and His grace. Let that be your focus as you start this week. God can and does give His power to perform the miraculous. But that is His choice, His gift, and His timing!