Reaching Cities for Idiots
Acts 19v1-41
The mp3 of this talk can be found here (Extreme Church 12)
God has, and will have no rivals.
Before anything was created, God was. Everything was created by God and for God. And this was, and is good!
When Moses asks God for his name, he is told ‘I am who I am’. Self defining. Incomparable. There is no one he is like, no other god we can compare him to. 'I am like...' No! 'I am who I am’!
When God revealed his character to his people through the ten commandments, he began by saying –
‘I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any other gods beside me.’ Ex 20v2-3
But does God have rivals?
Do we worship any other gods beside him?
· Enemy of God 1 – Myself!
Every day I am faced with a question. We are all faced with the same question. Who is your God?
If I make a mistake, what happens when I am confronted about it? We know that God has said that lying is dishonourable to God and the wrong thing to do because it covers over sin and evil. It hides it rather than dealing with it justly, and it devalues those we lie too. But when I decide to lie anyway, what am I saying?
What I am saying is 'God is wrong, and I am right. I know better than God.' Which means, in effect, I am saying I am better than God. I make myself an enemy of God because God will have, and has no rivals. There is only one God.
God has enemies – and the Bible is clear, that the first enemies we need to think about are ourselves!
Paul, writing to a bunch of Christians in a Turkish town said this -
‘You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.’ Col 1v21
· Enemy of God 2 – Evil in the Spiritual realm
The Bible never gives a thorough dissertation on the spiritual world and spiritual realm. But what it does do consistently and thoroughly, is lift the corner of reality so that we can see a spiritual realm that is more real than this world, and is a battle ground. We see evil spirits at work, spirits that are powerful and destruction bent to the core. We see a Devil who is opposed to God and to his people on every level. We see evil staking its claim to rule over the universe, setting itself up in opposition to God. In the bible, and today, we see people worshipping and living their lives oriented around Satan. But God will have no rivals because he has no rivals.
At certain times in history, these rivals to God have been personified, idols that people choose to worship who represent gods of one form or another.
Acts 19 highlights to stupidity of any rival to the one true God, but what is interesting is this; these things are seen more in cities than anywhere else because people attract people with similar beliefs, lifestyles and desires and dreams. Wealth, entertainment, pleasure, escape. You find them all, in abundance in cities like Sunderland, or cities like Ephesus.
The question is, what is it that transforms cities and communities and individuals who are enemies of God? In what are we placing our hope that we can impact our cities for good? Our social involvement and action? Our programmes? Spectacle? Loving people well?
No. It is the life-changing, transforming power of faith in the name of the Lord Jesus because that is the way that God gets his throne back. And he will get his throne back, as we shall see. In fact, any rivals are really just dust. He does reign.
Acts 19 describes three incidences in the life of the early church, and particularly of the apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus.
· 19v1-7 - Jesus Rules
Acts 19v1-7 seems a strange little story, but it tells us some very important things about the growth of the church.
It does matter what you believe.
Repentance is not enough – we need Jesus! John's baptism was a baptism pointing forward to Jesus anyway! These early believers (for that is what Luke calls them) who had already been baptised, ere baptised again, having heard and believed the truth of Jesus. They were baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus becasue it is about him. His is the authority and power. He transforms and changes lives. He gives new life (signalled by the coming of the Holy Spirit).
In fact, this close knit relationship between Jesus resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit is so important that Paul’s opening line is ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit?’. Belief in Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit are inseperable so the question is – DO YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS? This is receiving the Holy Spirit!
The answer to transforming cities and lives is not just to diagnose the problem – recognising our sin (though this is important). It is getting the right God on the throne. It is acknowledging the power and authority of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It is about repentance, and acknowledging the Lordship, power and authority of Jesus Christ. Have you done that?
· 19v8-20 – only Jesus rules
The second little incident is really a series of incidents that tell us something very important. Cities and lives are transformed when the name of Jesus is the only hope. It is not one of many that is added to a list, but it is exclusive!
Ephesus was a remarkable city. It was stuffed full of temples for worship of various deities. It was the centre of the worship of a Goddess called Artemis, in fact its temple to Artemis was one of the seven wonders of antiquity. Ephesus was self-conscious about being a city of ‘spirituality’ – it is just that people did mind which 'spirit' you worshipped. Of course, Roman culture would have been like that anyway. And in some ways we are very similar today. Certainly, most of our worship is of a different sort, but it is not unusual to hear people speaking about their spirituality, and it is certainly not unusual to see people doing the sorts of things that would have happened in Ephesian worship, we just don’t call it worship. But the claims of Jesus are exclusive.
In v 8-10, Paul argued persuasively about Christ, but some religious people rejected his message and publicly opposed what he was teaching which ultimately lead to a public ministry. Paul taught for 2 years in a public context so that everyone heard the message. Strategic planning on God’s part!
Then in v11-12 we see God do some amazing things through Paul. No doubt, they were amazing. but they were unusual and not the norm. It seems to be just Paul doing them, and they are so unusual that they attract real attention. But these miraculous signs were not separate from Paul's, or God's task. It was a demonstration of power that came from God. It was not magic. It opposed evil, and was more powerful than any magical or evil power of the day..
Today, some would deny these things happened, even people who follow Christ. But Jesus did them, women being healed when they touch his cloak. This is the power of God at work in amazing ways.
So, should we aim to copy them? Well, that is not the point. These things were unusual, and they were God at work. Paul was an apostle, and not everyone was doing these things, even then.
This city was a city where the spiritual battle was visible (v13-20). Evil Spirits were at work in people's lives; lives devoted to the worship of gods and idols who really just enslaved them. In fact, the dealing with these evil spirits was a bit of a business, a spectacle. People dedicated their lives to trying to drive out evil Spirits. Was Pauls message, and ability to transform lives just being added to the mix? Is the life transforming work of Jesus something we can just add on to our set of beliefs and values – and use to our own purposes?
No. But that didn't stop some Jews trying to dabble, with disastrous results.
These Jews had no doubt heard Paul. In fact, they were copying him. But they sought to mimic Paul whilst not believing themselves in the name of Jesus in any way other than as a source of power. Like plugging in to the mains.
But the name of Jesus makes exclusive claims. ‘No other Gods but me.’
Belief in Jesus, and the message of Christianity is not just a game, as they discovered. It is not just about a personal allegiance, although it is that. It is about honouring the Son of God. A solemn fear descended on the city as people began to take seriously what was happening. This power was different, qualitatively different and was definitely not to be messed with.
As a result, those who were involved in the occult and magic gave it up! Yes, they believed and confessed their sin, but they burnt all their gear too. They could have sold it and made a little money, but they counted the cost. You can have no other God. And as a result the message travelled the world.
And notice too that this exclusivity is divisive. Reading on through the rest of Ch 9 we see riots happening in Ephesus. Riots caused, essentialy because the Christians are, (or are potentially) taking business away from the craftsmen who make shrines.
Faithful following of Jesus Christ is not always quiet and peaceful. Sometimes it is far from it! The lifechanging work of Jesus provokes sharp responses. It is disruptive, unsettling and provocative – because it is true.
Only Jesus rules you?
In many ways we live in a world very similar to that which Paul confronted. He knew his message was true, powerful and life changing because he wasn’t just speaking a message. It was introducing people to Jesus Christ – the Son of God who reigns over the universe now, and will one day be seen to by every part of creation. Trying to live a good life, admitting that we are inadequate people and therefore need to try harder is not enough to secure an eternity wit him. We need to know Jesus as our ruler and as our Lord. Do you?
And knowing Jesus as the one who transforms us, and who our lives orient around is not just an add on. He requests exclusivity, an exclusivity that isn’t always easy and peaceful but is always good. What will that mean for you?
So here are a few questions to answer in your own heart before God?
· Have you put your trust in Jesus as your King who you serve?
· Are you trying to add Jesus to your life, rather than give your life to Jesus?
· What things are getting in the way (beliefs, possessions, attitudes, habits) that you need to get rid of?
It is time to be real with ourselves and God. Reaching cities must start with reaching individuals. Reaching individuals must start with God's transforming you and me!