Are You Ready for Something Amazing?
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s message about the workings of the Holy Spirit really starts a few verses before our lectionary reading. So I will include the beginning of the chapter to set the context for the events. The story is that of Paul preaching and his friends performing extraordinary miracles of healing and facing serious opposition in the coastal city of Ephesus. You see there were people in Ephesus who did not believe in Jesus but were still trying to use his name to prompt the work of the Holy Spirit. But they no more knew Jesus and God than the man in the moon. And the demons they were trying to remove revolted for they knew the difference between the power of Jesus and the fake idol worshipers of the city. Trying to be something you are not is a big mistake and a bit humorous really in the face of the power of the Holy Spirit. So after a rather dramatic fail of itinerant Jewish exorcists a riot was taking place. Those who had something to loose were fearful of Paul continuing to preach. But God was up to the challenge to see justice reign. So, Are You Ready for Something Amazing?
Scripture: While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them. He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
Acts 19.1-12 (NRSV)
When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travel companions. Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theater. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” But when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. You have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another. If there is anything further you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Acts 19:28-41 (NRSV)
Message: Now Paul has seen opposition before, but this is was serious. The whole city of Ephesus is in an uproar. This was no small disturbance; this was a full-scale riot! They grabbed two of Paul’s companions and brought them into a 25,000-seat amphitheater. And there was shouting going on in the stadium for two hours. And how did all of this get started? This all got started because some people thought Paul was going to ruin their business with his preaching. One silversmith name Demetrius got all of this stirred up. He convinced some other silversmiths that Paul was going to destroy their business. He convinced them that Paul was their enemy because he preached against the idols that they made. He convinced them that Paul was a threat to the great goddess Artemis. He convinced them that Paul was a threat to the temple of Artemis. But it is clear what Demetrius was really interested in was really only money. He was simply upset because he believed that Paul was going to ruin his business, so he got the whole city in an uproar. This was certainly extraordinary opposition for which God was going to provide an extraordinary response. Friends, opposition to God is nothing new. All the prophets had to face this challenge. As usual, God took care of problem. There was nothing to worry about. Paul did not have to do anything. Paul’s companions did not have to do anything. God used the city clerk to stop the riot. Paul and his companions escaped unharmed. But do not underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in this situation. This was certainly an extraordinary event that demonstrates how the Holy Spirit works. It was extraordinary that after a citywide riot Paul and friends escaped unharmed. It was extraordinary that after a citywide riot Paul did not even have to explain or defend himself. So what lesson can we learn from all of this? Here is the take away. The Holy Spirit is an extraordinary power that we need to seek in our lives but not to control. In order to prepare ourselves for the extraordinary power of God in our lives, we need to have a lifestyle of repentance. And know this, when we have this extraordinary power pushing us into the future, evil will oppose us. When we have this extraordinary power, changing us God will take care of us. I would guess that many are still working in the power of the flesh, in the power of their own intellect, and their energy, their enthusiastic zeal, but with poor effect. Know this, it is God’s timing of the amazing miracle of grace in the Holy Spirit that is the power behind what is really happening.
Pray we are baptized not just for repentance but with the touch of the Holy Spirit for transformation. Pray the Holy Spirit helps us to pray. Pray the Holy Spirit guides us, gives us new life and gifts and fruit. Pray the Holy Spirit teaches us. Pray the Holy Spirit speaks and reveals things to us. Pray the Holy Spirit encourages us and testifies to the power of Jesus. Pray the Holy Spirit gives us power to be witnesses for Jesus. Pray we move in the Holy Spirit. Pray we walk with the Holy Spirit. Pray we have faith in the Holy Spirit. Pray we grow in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray we experience an extraordinary power working behind the scenes. Pray we believe in God’s provision. Pray the Holy Spirit calls us into service and gives us a spirit of boldness and inner strength that joyously confirms the truth of Christ. Pray the Holy Spirit keeps us free and obedient. Pray the Holy Spirit lives inside us and spill over into the world in which we live transforming us into the image of Jesus, even as we pray in His name to the Father.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 