1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,576 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast 2 00:00:03,688 --> 00:00:06,584 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,672 --> 00:00:09,672 My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,696 --> 00:00:10,760 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,616 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,648 --> 00:00:16,300 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,120 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,700 for us here today. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:24,696 We are in the book of Acts. 10 00:00:24,728 --> 00:00:26,494 If you have your Bibles, turn there. 11 00:00:26,632 --> 00:00:28,034 Acts, chapter 19. 12 00:00:28,202 --> 00:00:30,590 And we're going to be picking up where we left off. 13 00:00:32,090 --> 00:00:37,682 Last time we were here, Paul was doing these wonderful works as 14 00:00:37,706 --> 00:00:38,354 an apostle. 15 00:00:38,402 --> 00:00:40,950 People were getting healed, people were getting saved. 16 00:00:41,610 --> 00:00:46,130 And in so doing we see that there was this individual who was 17 00:00:46,170 --> 00:00:52,754 possessed and there were these seven sons who came to try to cast 18 00:00:52,802 --> 00:00:56,496 out the demon and, or demons, as we see here, is actually evil 19 00:00:56,528 --> 00:00:57,248 spirits. 20 00:00:57,424 --> 00:01:02,512 And their response was, hey, we know Paul, we know Jesus, but 21 00:01:02,536 --> 00:01:03,632 we don't know you. 22 00:01:03,816 --> 00:01:07,664 And the truth was, is that there were some individuals who wanted 23 00:01:07,712 --> 00:01:09,216 to understand the power of God. 24 00:01:09,248 --> 00:01:11,712 They wanted to exercise the power of God, but they did not have 25 00:01:11,736 --> 00:01:13,344 a relationship with God. 26 00:01:13,472 --> 00:01:15,408 They didn't know Jesus as their personal Savior. 27 00:01:15,424 --> 00:01:16,640 They were counterfeits. 28 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,728 And, and the Bible says that there are a lot of people who want 29 00:01:19,784 --> 00:01:24,038 the benefits and the blessings of walking with God, but they don't 30 00:01:24,054 --> 00:01:24,886 want to walk with God. 31 00:01:24,918 --> 00:01:27,734 And the truth is, is that we cannot understand the power of God, 32 00:01:27,782 --> 00:01:31,110 the provisions of God, the protection of God, without having 33 00:01:31,150 --> 00:01:32,182 a relationship with him. 34 00:01:32,206 --> 00:01:34,998 And we find a relationship with him through Jesus Christ. 35 00:01:35,054 --> 00:01:38,982 And so we know that through all that, Jesus was magnified. 36 00:01:39,046 --> 00:01:40,262 That's the end of verse 17. 37 00:01:40,366 --> 00:01:45,142 The Lord Jesus was magnified and a bunch of people changed their 38 00:01:45,166 --> 00:01:45,686 ways. 39 00:01:45,798 --> 00:01:46,438 Verse 19. 40 00:01:46,494 --> 00:01:50,422 Many of them also, which were curious arts, which used curious 41 00:01:50,486 --> 00:01:53,510 arts, brought their books together and burned them before all 42 00:01:53,550 --> 00:01:53,702 men. 43 00:01:53,726 --> 00:01:56,502 And they counted the price of them and founded 50,000 pieces of 44 00:01:56,526 --> 00:01:57,062 silver. 45 00:01:57,206 --> 00:01:59,382 And so what happens here is that there's these people who are 46 00:01:59,406 --> 00:02:03,942 exercising in paganism, in idolatry, in what we would call the 47 00:02:03,966 --> 00:02:08,614 mystic arts, the dark magic, so to speak, and they come and they're 48 00:02:08,662 --> 00:02:11,078 saved and they get rid of those things. 49 00:02:11,214 --> 00:02:14,462 They turn away from their idols, they turn away from their 50 00:02:14,486 --> 00:02:16,334 evil ways and they turn to Christ. 51 00:02:16,502 --> 00:02:18,030 And, and that's an amazing thing. 52 00:02:18,070 --> 00:02:20,782 It's an amazing thing when we see individuals turn away from those 53 00:02:20,806 --> 00:02:22,558 things that held a grip on them. 54 00:02:22,694 --> 00:02:26,078 Now for us, it's not usually an idol, so to speak, when it comes 55 00:02:26,134 --> 00:02:30,942 to like a gold or silver statue, but many times when we see 56 00:02:30,966 --> 00:02:34,430 people come to Christ now we see Them get rid of those things 57 00:02:34,470 --> 00:02:36,238 that held them back from their. 58 00:02:36,294 --> 00:02:37,214 In their past. 59 00:02:37,382 --> 00:02:42,396 Maybe it's an addiction or maybe it was, you know, a habit or 60 00:02:42,468 --> 00:02:46,508 a sin or an action that they did that was contrary to the word 61 00:02:46,524 --> 00:02:47,116 of God. 62 00:02:47,228 --> 00:02:49,868 And so the Bible clearly says that when people come to Christ, 63 00:02:49,924 --> 00:02:54,044 they turn away from their wicked, they turn away from idolatry, 64 00:02:54,092 --> 00:02:56,316 they turn away from that old way of living. 65 00:02:56,348 --> 00:02:59,340 We even know, as we've been studying Second Corinthians, that 66 00:02:59,380 --> 00:03:02,440 the Bible says that we are new creations, new creatures in Christ. 67 00:03:02,900 --> 00:03:06,812 And so true salvation brings true change. 68 00:03:06,996 --> 00:03:10,332 A true salvation brings a true transformation. 69 00:03:10,396 --> 00:03:11,612 People are changed. 70 00:03:11,676 --> 00:03:15,612 And when people are changed, culture is impacted, our community 71 00:03:15,716 --> 00:03:16,620 is impacted. 72 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:18,732 And that's what we're going to be talking about here this evening. 73 00:03:18,796 --> 00:03:21,100 So remember what came before this. 74 00:03:21,220 --> 00:03:25,852 Paul preaches the gospel in Ephesus, and also other people are 75 00:03:25,876 --> 00:03:26,652 preaching the gospel. 76 00:03:26,716 --> 00:03:28,012 Many people are getting saved. 77 00:03:28,076 --> 00:03:31,596 And what's happening is people are turning away from their idolatry. 78 00:03:31,788 --> 00:03:34,332 And we get to this really interesting story here where the 79 00:03:34,356 --> 00:03:38,830 individuals who were the idol makers are getting upset because 80 00:03:38,870 --> 00:03:40,990 they're basically saying all these people are getting saved and 81 00:03:41,030 --> 00:03:42,862 all of our income is going away. 82 00:03:43,046 --> 00:03:47,582 And we're seeing that the Christians, they're not called Christians 83 00:03:47,646 --> 00:03:50,414 here, they're called the people that are in the way. 84 00:03:50,582 --> 00:03:52,990 And so by the way, Christianity at that point, they, 85 00:03:53,030 --> 00:03:54,206 they called it the way. 86 00:03:54,358 --> 00:03:57,070 And they said these people that are going this way, the way, 87 00:03:57,190 --> 00:04:01,166 they're ruining our economy, they're ruining our jobs, they're 88 00:04:01,198 --> 00:04:03,902 ruining all these things because they're changing from what 89 00:04:03,926 --> 00:04:04,670 they desired before. 90 00:04:04,710 --> 00:04:07,262 And that's what we're going to talk about here this evening. 91 00:04:07,326 --> 00:04:09,646 So let's look at verse number 23. 92 00:04:09,798 --> 00:04:13,342 And it says in the same time as, as all these things are happening, 93 00:04:13,406 --> 00:04:16,606 as, as there's this revival happening in the city of Ephesus, 94 00:04:16,638 --> 00:04:20,766 it says, and in the same time, there arose no small stir about that 95 00:04:20,838 --> 00:04:21,450 way. 96 00:04:21,830 --> 00:04:22,190 So. 97 00:04:22,230 --> 00:04:24,062 So if you don't understand what it's saying there, it says that 98 00:04:24,086 --> 00:04:28,910 there was commotion there, there was chaos because of the way, 99 00:04:28,950 --> 00:04:30,478 or it says that way there. 100 00:04:30,614 --> 00:04:36,254 So basically, Christianity following Christ was changing Ephesus. 101 00:04:36,302 --> 00:04:40,382 It was changing the economy, it was changing the culture, it was 102 00:04:40,406 --> 00:04:43,182 changing what people were doing, it was changing even what 103 00:04:43,206 --> 00:04:44,890 people were spending their money on. 104 00:04:45,270 --> 00:04:47,966 And I think that's an important lesson to see, because 105 00:04:48,118 --> 00:04:52,430 as we see Christ coming into this city, which was a very, very 106 00:04:52,470 --> 00:04:55,550 pagan city, we're going to talk about that as we go along here 107 00:04:55,590 --> 00:04:56,210 tonight. 108 00:04:56,540 --> 00:04:59,988 There was this goddess named Diana that they worshiped and People 109 00:05:00,044 --> 00:05:02,996 from all over the world came to worship in Ephesus. 110 00:05:03,108 --> 00:05:06,308 So Ephesus was not known as a place that was a holy place. 111 00:05:06,364 --> 00:05:08,740 It was not known as a place that was going to follow the law 112 00:05:08,780 --> 00:05:09,156 of God. 113 00:05:09,188 --> 00:05:11,636 It was not known as a place that was going to glorify the true 114 00:05:11,668 --> 00:05:12,116 God. 115 00:05:12,228 --> 00:05:16,340 But as we see people changing, we see that there is an impact on 116 00:05:16,380 --> 00:05:19,400 their society, there's an impact on their culture. 117 00:05:20,060 --> 00:05:22,720 And I want to pause there, and I want to say this. 118 00:05:22,860 --> 00:05:27,640 I believe the Bible teaches that if we as Christians are living 119 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:33,160 publicly for the Gospel, if we are living the way, so to speak, 120 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,872 we should, and we will impact our community. 121 00:05:37,056 --> 00:05:38,760 We will show a difference. 122 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,680 We will make people either uncomfortable because they are not 123 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,928 part of the way, or we will draw people to the way when it comes 124 00:05:45,984 --> 00:05:48,370 to the love of Christ, the truth of Christ. 125 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,558 And that's what was happening here in Ephesus. 126 00:05:50,654 --> 00:05:54,270 Many people were coming to Christ because of the Gospel witness. 127 00:05:54,430 --> 00:05:55,790 Others were upset. 128 00:05:55,870 --> 00:05:59,038 And we're going to study what happens when people get upset, what's 129 00:05:59,054 --> 00:05:59,854 going to go about. 130 00:05:59,942 --> 00:06:01,070 And that's what happens here. 131 00:06:01,110 --> 00:06:04,286 So there's a guy named Demetrius, verse 24, for a certain 132 00:06:04,358 --> 00:06:06,558 man named Demetrius, a silversmith. 133 00:06:06,734 --> 00:06:09,374 Now, the reason why he's mad is because he's. 134 00:06:09,422 --> 00:06:11,646 He's a silversmith and he makes the idols. 135 00:06:11,758 --> 00:06:15,470 And so all the people, not just in Ephesus, but from all over 136 00:06:15,510 --> 00:06:19,796 the world, when they come to Ephesus, they get their idols from 137 00:06:19,868 --> 00:06:22,436 Demetrius and the other guys that are silver smiths. 138 00:06:22,548 --> 00:06:25,140 And so it says there was a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which 139 00:06:25,180 --> 00:06:27,400 made silver shrines for Diana. 140 00:06:28,140 --> 00:06:29,396 Now who is Diana? 141 00:06:29,428 --> 00:06:30,132 I already mentioned it. 142 00:06:30,156 --> 00:06:32,772 She's the goddess there, the goddess of fertility, that there 143 00:06:32,796 --> 00:06:36,612 was a temple there in Ephesus that everyone would come to and worship. 144 00:06:36,676 --> 00:06:40,036 And it says, and it brought no small gain unto the craftsman whom 145 00:06:40,068 --> 00:06:42,852 he called together with the workmen of like occupation. 146 00:06:42,916 --> 00:06:45,988 So he calls all the silversmiths in, all the idol makers 147 00:06:46,004 --> 00:06:52,700 in and says, sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 148 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,200 He appeals to their pocket, right? 149 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,248 He appeals to money. 150 00:06:58,304 --> 00:07:00,232 He appeals to that filthy lucre, right? 151 00:07:00,256 --> 00:07:03,336 We know that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. 152 00:07:03,368 --> 00:07:05,480 It doesn't say money is the root of all evil, right? 153 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,368 We know that God can use money, but the love of money is. 154 00:07:09,424 --> 00:07:10,168 Is the root of. 155 00:07:10,224 --> 00:07:10,760 Of evil. 156 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:15,122 And so what we can see here is he comes before his co workers here 157 00:07:15,146 --> 00:07:19,522 and he says, guys, we know that we make a lot of money from 158 00:07:19,626 --> 00:07:20,738 making idols. 159 00:07:20,834 --> 00:07:23,874 We know that this is the way that we have become wealthy. 160 00:07:24,002 --> 00:07:30,338 And so he appeals to money here and he appeals to their income. 161 00:07:30,514 --> 00:07:34,642 And, and so he says, moreover, ye see in here that not alone in 162 00:07:34,666 --> 00:07:39,538 Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded 163 00:07:39,554 --> 00:07:45,350 and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods which 164 00:07:45,390 --> 00:07:46,810 are made with hands. 165 00:07:47,230 --> 00:07:51,078 So he's upset because he's losing money, because there's a guy 166 00:07:51,094 --> 00:07:56,358 named Paul who's preaching that gods cannot be made by hands, 167 00:07:56,534 --> 00:08:00,774 that, that anything outside of the true God of Israel found in Jesus 168 00:08:00,822 --> 00:08:02,566 Christ is idolatry. 169 00:08:02,598 --> 00:08:03,926 It's emptiness, it's worthlessness. 170 00:08:03,958 --> 00:08:07,938 And so what we can see is it's impacting their business and they're 171 00:08:07,954 --> 00:08:08,738 upset. 172 00:08:08,914 --> 00:08:11,746 And if we look at what Paul is preaching, Paul is not preaching 173 00:08:11,778 --> 00:08:13,138 against Diana, by the way. 174 00:08:13,194 --> 00:08:16,098 He's not preaching against these false gods. 175 00:08:16,194 --> 00:08:18,146 Paul is preaching the truth of Jesus Christ. 176 00:08:18,218 --> 00:08:21,762 In so doing, he's preaching against these false gods. 177 00:08:21,826 --> 00:08:24,514 And so what we're going to see here is that Paul is not guilty of 178 00:08:24,522 --> 00:08:27,282 preaching against Diana as much as he's guilty of preaching 179 00:08:27,346 --> 00:08:28,322 for Jesus. 180 00:08:28,466 --> 00:08:31,122 And the more people turn to Jesus, the more they turn away from 181 00:08:31,146 --> 00:08:32,310 their idolatry. 182 00:08:32,650 --> 00:08:36,172 And I think that's important to note too, as, as we profess the 183 00:08:36,196 --> 00:08:37,756 word of God to those around us. 184 00:08:37,828 --> 00:08:42,396 And so there was this temple in Ephesus to Diana. 185 00:08:42,588 --> 00:08:42,940 I. 186 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:45,308 I did a little bit of research on it, and it says it was supported 187 00:08:45,324 --> 00:08:47,120 by 127 pillars. 188 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:49,800 Those pillars were 60ft high. 189 00:08:50,100 --> 00:08:52,080 They were decorated with sculptures. 190 00:08:52,420 --> 00:08:56,956 And ultimately what happens is that people are coming from all over 191 00:08:57,028 --> 00:08:57,260 to. 192 00:08:57,300 --> 00:08:59,052 To worship Diana here. 193 00:08:59,236 --> 00:09:03,532 And what we can see is that Paul is not just impacting the city 194 00:09:03,556 --> 00:09:07,244 of Ephesus, but it says that he was going throughout all of Asia, 195 00:09:07,292 --> 00:09:09,116 almost throughout all Asia. 196 00:09:09,308 --> 00:09:12,172 And so there's a spread of the gospel that's happening here. 197 00:09:12,196 --> 00:09:15,868 And so the opposition from Demetrius and these other idol makers, 198 00:09:16,044 --> 00:09:17,020 I would say, was. 199 00:09:17,060 --> 00:09:19,068 It was a compliment to Paul's work. 200 00:09:19,124 --> 00:09:19,724 Right? 201 00:09:19,892 --> 00:09:21,372 But Paul is doing his job. 202 00:09:21,396 --> 00:09:27,040 If the idol makers are upset and, and I would say this, the church 203 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:28,928 is doing its job. 204 00:09:29,064 --> 00:09:32,592 When people against the cause of the gospel are upset, when the 205 00:09:32,616 --> 00:09:34,620 world is upset, we're doing the right thing. 206 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,912 When people that live in the flesh and appeal to the flesh and 207 00:09:38,936 --> 00:09:43,440 talk about lifting up self and you are enough, and, hey, just go 208 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:44,736 after what feels right. 209 00:09:44,808 --> 00:09:48,240 If the people that preach that message are upset, the church is 210 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:49,376 doing the right thing. 211 00:09:49,528 --> 00:09:52,032 And what we can see is that Paul is doing the right thing by 212 00:09:52,056 --> 00:09:52,784 preaching Jesus. 213 00:09:52,832 --> 00:09:55,682 And so therefore, I would say that these guys Getting upset, it 214 00:09:55,706 --> 00:10:00,790 would be a compliment to the work of Paul in his Gospel ministry. 215 00:10:01,210 --> 00:10:06,050 And so people came to Jesus, and in so doing, as they come to 216 00:10:06,090 --> 00:10:08,914 Jesus, they naturally are turning away from those things which 217 00:10:09,002 --> 00:10:11,350 held them and grip them in their sin. 218 00:10:11,850 --> 00:10:15,746 And so I would say that Christianity, true biblical Christianity, 219 00:10:15,778 --> 00:10:19,798 and the gospel work of the church should impact our community. 220 00:10:19,994 --> 00:10:23,790 And, and I think that so many times we're afraid to get out there. 221 00:10:23,830 --> 00:10:25,742 We're afraid to be bold. 222 00:10:25,806 --> 00:10:26,126 Why? 223 00:10:26,198 --> 00:10:29,822 Because the other side of the coin, people that are fighting for 224 00:10:29,846 --> 00:10:32,990 the ways of this world are very bold about what they're about. 225 00:10:33,110 --> 00:10:36,142 And, and so many times I think that there's a fear on our side that 226 00:10:36,166 --> 00:10:39,710 we're going to either fail or there's going to be persecution or, 227 00:10:39,830 --> 00:10:43,502 or we don't want to mix those sides of the aisle. 228 00:10:43,566 --> 00:10:44,942 And what I would say is this. 229 00:10:45,046 --> 00:10:49,216 If we are a church that's living for Christ, we will make change 230 00:10:49,288 --> 00:10:50,016 in our community. 231 00:10:50,088 --> 00:10:50,940 We should. 232 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:52,960 We should live differently. 233 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,880 And I think a lot of times what happens is this. 234 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:55,264 We. 235 00:10:55,352 --> 00:10:55,600 We. 236 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,500 We hear, hey, live a testimony out around you. 237 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:01,260 There was a. 238 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,680 There was a great theologian a while ago that said this. 239 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,380 He said, preach the gospel, speak if necessary. 240 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,320 And, and I get what he's saying is like, we need to live the 241 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,966 gospel and not just talk the gospel. 242 00:11:15,128 --> 00:11:17,866 But sometimes what happens is that we live the gospel but we're 243 00:11:17,898 --> 00:11:20,186 afraid to speak why we're doing what we're doing. 244 00:11:20,258 --> 00:11:24,362 So, like, say, for example, if I show love to my neighbor, I can 245 00:11:24,386 --> 00:11:25,146 show love to my neighbor. 246 00:11:25,178 --> 00:11:27,194 And that neighbor might say, well, that person's really loving. 247 00:11:27,242 --> 00:11:30,586 But if I don't explain why I'm being loving to my neighbor and connect 248 00:11:30,618 --> 00:11:33,350 the dots between the love of Christ, I'm not doing enough. 249 00:11:33,810 --> 00:11:36,682 If I live with integrity in business, okay? 250 00:11:36,746 --> 00:11:39,194 It's not because I just want to have a good business and I want 251 00:11:39,202 --> 00:11:40,962 to have good reviews on my website. 252 00:11:41,106 --> 00:11:43,986 I want to have integrity because God, the one who's changed 253 00:11:44,018 --> 00:11:45,778 my heart, has told me to be different. 254 00:11:45,834 --> 00:11:47,138 And therefore, that's why I'm different. 255 00:11:47,194 --> 00:11:49,218 That's why I'm treating people this way. 256 00:11:49,354 --> 00:11:49,986 And so there's. 257 00:11:50,018 --> 00:11:53,570 There's a connection between how we live to what we preach. 258 00:11:53,730 --> 00:11:56,850 And so don't be afraid to tell people, hey, the reason I'm different. 259 00:11:56,890 --> 00:11:59,842 And the Bible actually says if we live boldly for the cause of the 260 00:11:59,866 --> 00:12:03,378 gospel, people will ask us why we have this hope that's in us. 261 00:12:03,434 --> 00:12:05,042 That's 1 Peter, chapter three. 262 00:12:05,146 --> 00:12:07,770 First Peter, chapter three says there's gonna be people who 263 00:12:07,810 --> 00:12:09,670 ask Us, why we are different. 264 00:12:10,210 --> 00:12:13,770 And it says to give an answer for the hope that's within us, with 265 00:12:13,810 --> 00:12:16,070 meekness and fear, with gentleness and respect. 266 00:12:16,370 --> 00:12:20,538 So we're able to live differently, change the culture around 267 00:12:20,594 --> 00:12:23,562 us by telling them that it's Jesus who makes the difference in 268 00:12:23,586 --> 00:12:23,802 our life. 269 00:12:23,826 --> 00:12:24,474 And that was. 270 00:12:24,562 --> 00:12:28,170 That was what was happening there in the time of Paul, there 271 00:12:28,210 --> 00:12:28,410 in. 272 00:12:28,450 --> 00:12:29,310 In Acts. 273 00:12:29,650 --> 00:12:32,266 So it says here, verse 27. 274 00:12:32,338 --> 00:12:37,128 So that not only this, our craft is in danger to be set at not, 275 00:12:37,264 --> 00:12:40,312 but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be 276 00:12:40,336 --> 00:12:41,256 despised. 277 00:12:41,448 --> 00:12:41,800 And. 278 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,700 And so if you see here, he. 279 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,320 He actually appeals. 280 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,064 He's clever in what he's doing here. 281 00:12:47,152 --> 00:12:50,936 He appeals to this crowd in the basis of their financial interest, 282 00:12:51,008 --> 00:12:52,760 which he knows that they're going to be interested in. 283 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,656 So he, like, he's like, guys, our money's going to be taken away 284 00:12:55,808 --> 00:12:57,496 if we keep letting Paul do this. 285 00:12:57,568 --> 00:13:00,664 And these people that are Christians do this, they're going 286 00:13:00,672 --> 00:13:01,944 to hurt our economy. 287 00:13:02,112 --> 00:13:04,100 And then what's the next thing that he says? 288 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:08,380 He appeals here to their civic pride. 289 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,952 He says, so we're going to lose our money, but also that the 290 00:13:12,976 --> 00:13:15,528 temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised and her 291 00:13:15,584 --> 00:13:19,320 magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia in the world 292 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:19,960 worship it. 293 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,424 So he says, guys, we need to keep our identity. 294 00:13:22,472 --> 00:13:23,624 We need to keep our culture. 295 00:13:23,672 --> 00:13:24,984 So what is Demetrius doing? 296 00:13:25,072 --> 00:13:27,080 He's fighting to keep the worldly culture. 297 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,840 He's fighting to keep that Ephesian culture. 298 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,580 He doesn't want the Christian culture to infiltrate and change 299 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,448 what is the status quo. 300 00:13:36,624 --> 00:13:40,640 And the very reason that Demetrius is upset here is the same 301 00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:43,168 reason why the people back in Jerusalem were upset. 302 00:13:43,184 --> 00:13:43,648 With what? 303 00:13:43,704 --> 00:13:45,552 With what Jesus was doing, right? 304 00:13:45,656 --> 00:13:49,376 Jesus was preaching a message that turned status quo on its head. 305 00:13:49,528 --> 00:13:53,136 The Pharisees, the Sadducees, were upset with Jesus because Jesus 306 00:13:53,168 --> 00:13:57,010 was preaching something that was opposing their income, their 307 00:13:57,050 --> 00:13:57,938 finances. 308 00:13:58,114 --> 00:14:02,114 He was preaching something that was opposing their civic pride. 309 00:14:02,162 --> 00:14:05,330 Like, hey, we are better than these people because we believe a 310 00:14:05,370 --> 00:14:07,186 certain way, we do a certain thing. 311 00:14:07,338 --> 00:14:10,114 I was even talking in my Bible study this morning. 312 00:14:10,282 --> 00:14:12,802 You have two groups of people at the time of Jesus. 313 00:14:12,866 --> 00:14:15,682 There was these guys named the Pharisees and the guys named the 314 00:14:15,706 --> 00:14:16,514 Sadducees. 315 00:14:16,642 --> 00:14:18,194 Two different people, right? 316 00:14:18,282 --> 00:14:20,722 They were part of something called the Sanhedrin, which was a 317 00:14:20,746 --> 00:14:22,870 bigger religious leadership group. 318 00:14:22,990 --> 00:14:24,726 But you had the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 319 00:14:24,758 --> 00:14:26,182 They had very different views. 320 00:14:26,326 --> 00:14:27,814 The Pharisees were by the book. 321 00:14:27,902 --> 00:14:30,022 The Pharisees believed in moral integrity. 322 00:14:30,086 --> 00:14:32,566 The Pharisees believed in the afterlife. 323 00:14:32,598 --> 00:14:34,294 The Pharisees believed in the supernatural. 324 00:14:34,342 --> 00:14:35,846 The Sadducees didn't believe in that. 325 00:14:35,918 --> 00:14:36,854 They were much different. 326 00:14:36,942 --> 00:14:38,406 Sadducees didn't believe in angels. 327 00:14:38,438 --> 00:14:42,614 The Sadducees didn't believe in, in an afterlife, in, in eternity. 328 00:14:42,742 --> 00:14:46,502 And so how could the Sadducees and the Pharisees come together to 329 00:14:46,526 --> 00:14:47,704 fight against Jesus? 330 00:14:47,822 --> 00:14:49,620 Well, they had a common enemy, right? 331 00:14:49,660 --> 00:14:52,580 It was Jesus preaching against both of things that they were doing. 332 00:14:52,700 --> 00:14:55,828 And he was saying, all of you people that are focusing on man made 333 00:14:55,884 --> 00:14:58,996 religion are empty and you're missing it and you're abusing people. 334 00:14:59,068 --> 00:15:01,428 And so what happens is, is that these people who are totally 335 00:15:01,444 --> 00:15:04,740 opposite of each other in many ways come together and fight against 336 00:15:04,780 --> 00:15:05,156 Jesus. 337 00:15:05,188 --> 00:15:06,132 And so that's what we're going to see. 338 00:15:06,156 --> 00:15:08,996 We're going to see people in this world uniting against the cause 339 00:15:09,028 --> 00:15:09,748 of the gospel. 340 00:15:09,844 --> 00:15:12,820 Whether they're like minded or not, they're going to fight against 341 00:15:12,860 --> 00:15:13,918 the truth of the gospel. 342 00:15:14,044 --> 00:15:15,290 And so that's what's happening here. 343 00:15:15,330 --> 00:15:20,314 He appeals to their financial need and he appeals to their civic 344 00:15:20,362 --> 00:15:20,922 pride. 345 00:15:21,066 --> 00:15:25,274 And he says, guys, if this message of the gospel continues on, 346 00:15:25,362 --> 00:15:28,346 we're going to lose our identity as the place of Diana. 347 00:15:28,378 --> 00:15:29,882 We're going to lose our magnificence. 348 00:15:29,946 --> 00:15:33,290 We're going to lose all of the influence that we have with the people 349 00:15:33,330 --> 00:15:36,458 around us and all the people that come in and when they heard 350 00:15:36,474 --> 00:15:37,914 these sayings, they were full of wrath. 351 00:15:37,962 --> 00:15:39,194 And so this causes them anger. 352 00:15:39,242 --> 00:15:45,500 This is verse 28 and cried out saying, great is Diana of the Ephesians. 353 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:47,368 So what? 354 00:15:47,424 --> 00:15:50,184 Basically, if you didn't catch what happens here, Demetrius uses 355 00:15:50,232 --> 00:15:52,616 the excuse that maybe someone has used with you. 356 00:15:52,688 --> 00:15:53,896 Well, everyone's doing this. 357 00:15:53,968 --> 00:15:56,380 Everyone in Asia is worshiping Diana. 358 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:58,820 Why do we want to go off of that? 359 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,264 And we got to be very careful with that theology out there, right? 360 00:16:02,352 --> 00:16:04,072 Because that is a type of theology. 361 00:16:04,216 --> 00:16:06,260 Everyone's doing it, so it must be right. 362 00:16:06,630 --> 00:16:10,078 Hey, if, if these people over here are doing it and these people 363 00:16:10,134 --> 00:16:13,166 over here are doing it, hey, I don't really know what the Bible 364 00:16:13,198 --> 00:16:15,022 says about it, but I'm sure we're okay. 365 00:16:15,166 --> 00:16:17,502 The truth is there's going to be some times as Christians that 366 00:16:17,526 --> 00:16:19,090 we have to go against the grain. 367 00:16:19,510 --> 00:16:23,102 Sometimes the majority is not right when it comes to the idea of 368 00:16:23,126 --> 00:16:25,310 what we are to believe and how we are to practice things. 369 00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:28,810 And so Demetrius says, hey everybody, everyone's doing this 370 00:16:29,510 --> 00:16:34,324 and, and he's appealing to their fleshly desires. 371 00:16:34,372 --> 00:16:36,100 And so ultimately they get upset. 372 00:16:36,180 --> 00:16:38,452 Ultimately they begin to chant this chant. 373 00:16:38,596 --> 00:16:41,240 Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 374 00:16:41,660 --> 00:16:44,420 And so what, what comes through this? 375 00:16:44,460 --> 00:16:45,396 Well, let's see what happens. 376 00:16:45,428 --> 00:16:48,600 And it says, and the whole city was filled with confusion. 377 00:16:49,740 --> 00:16:53,880 When, when Satan is at work, confusion reigns. 378 00:16:54,380 --> 00:16:57,924 We know that God is not the author of confusion. 379 00:16:57,972 --> 00:16:58,180 So. 380 00:16:58,220 --> 00:17:00,258 So God is a God of clarity. 381 00:17:00,444 --> 00:17:02,230 God is a God of purpose. 382 00:17:02,310 --> 00:17:03,846 God is a God of order. 383 00:17:03,998 --> 00:17:06,966 When Satan is at work, it's chaos and confusion. 384 00:17:06,998 --> 00:17:09,414 And that's what we see happening here in Ephesus. 385 00:17:09,462 --> 00:17:13,558 As these doctrines of Satan come out into the midst of the Ephesians, 386 00:17:13,654 --> 00:17:15,318 it causes confusion. 387 00:17:15,494 --> 00:17:19,590 And it says here, in having caught Gaius and aristocracy, men 388 00:17:19,630 --> 00:17:22,246 of Macedonia, Paul's companions and travel, they rushed 389 00:17:22,278 --> 00:17:23,990 with one accord into the theater. 390 00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:27,382 So, so they're in this public arena and there's these chants going 391 00:17:27,406 --> 00:17:27,733 on. 392 00:17:27,821 --> 00:17:30,837 And it says, and when Paul would have entered in unto the people, 393 00:17:30,893 --> 00:17:32,101 the disciples suffered him not. 394 00:17:32,125 --> 00:17:33,061 They did not allow him to go. 395 00:17:33,085 --> 00:17:34,949 They said, paul, you can't go in there. 396 00:17:35,069 --> 00:17:37,989 And a certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent 397 00:17:38,029 --> 00:17:40,949 unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into 398 00:17:40,989 --> 00:17:41,749 the theater. 399 00:17:41,909 --> 00:17:44,805 Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly 400 00:17:44,837 --> 00:17:48,549 was confused and more part knew not wherefore they were come 401 00:17:48,589 --> 00:17:49,077 together. 402 00:17:49,213 --> 00:17:53,573 So some people are there chanting and yelling, and they don't 403 00:17:53,581 --> 00:17:54,437 even know why they're there. 404 00:17:54,493 --> 00:17:54,725 That's. 405 00:17:54,757 --> 00:17:55,949 That's kind of how it goes. 406 00:17:56,069 --> 00:17:58,206 The, the way that Satan works is the mob mentality. 407 00:17:58,238 --> 00:18:00,670 You get some people going and that's how it keeps going. 408 00:18:00,710 --> 00:18:01,166 And so there's. 409 00:18:01,198 --> 00:18:02,542 There's no clarity. 410 00:18:02,606 --> 00:18:04,910 It's all about just the mob mentality. 411 00:18:05,070 --> 00:18:08,638 And then what happens is this, and this is really interesting. 412 00:18:08,734 --> 00:18:12,878 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude and the Jews, putting 413 00:18:12,894 --> 00:18:13,230 him forward. 414 00:18:13,270 --> 00:18:15,982 And Alexander beckoned with his hand and would have made his 415 00:18:16,006 --> 00:18:16,910 defense unto the people. 416 00:18:16,950 --> 00:18:20,942 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the 417 00:18:20,966 --> 00:18:24,446 space of two hours, cried out, great is Diana of the Ephesians. 418 00:18:24,478 --> 00:18:27,624 So there's this guy named Alexander who is Jewish. 419 00:18:27,672 --> 00:18:31,160 And basically he comes out to say, hey, Paul doesn't speak for 420 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:31,592 us. 421 00:18:31,696 --> 00:18:34,216 Paul is a different thing than what we are. 422 00:18:34,288 --> 00:18:36,952 And they basically just hear that he's a Jew and liken him to 423 00:18:36,976 --> 00:18:37,368 Paul. 424 00:18:37,464 --> 00:18:41,112 And they, it says here they, they cried out with one voice in 425 00:18:41,136 --> 00:18:44,940 the space of two hours, greatest Diana of the Ephesians. 426 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:47,752 Now this doesn't make sense to you. 427 00:18:47,936 --> 00:18:52,370 You know, some of you have gone to a stadium and heard them 428 00:18:52,410 --> 00:18:55,138 chant, you know, go eagles or whatever. 429 00:18:55,234 --> 00:18:57,282 And, and that's exactly what's happening here. 430 00:18:57,306 --> 00:19:00,658 They're chanting this Chant great is Diana of the Ephesians over 431 00:19:00,714 --> 00:19:02,670 and over again for two hours. 432 00:19:03,370 --> 00:19:05,010 Now, this is interesting. 433 00:19:05,090 --> 00:19:05,442 This is. 434 00:19:05,466 --> 00:19:06,306 This is interesting. 435 00:19:06,338 --> 00:19:07,170 Why are they doing this? 436 00:19:07,210 --> 00:19:10,162 Well, they're doing this to try to change the narrative. 437 00:19:10,306 --> 00:19:10,658 This. 438 00:19:10,714 --> 00:19:13,938 This repeated chant, it probably was really chilling to hear 439 00:19:13,994 --> 00:19:17,764 for the Christians, but it was there for two hours and. 440 00:19:17,842 --> 00:19:21,312 And think of how this is sounding to the Christians. 441 00:19:21,376 --> 00:19:24,112 Basically, we are opposing you, and we're willing to say this 442 00:19:24,136 --> 00:19:27,660 for two hours and think about how much of a waste this was. 443 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,224 And I think that's sometimes what the world is trying to do. 444 00:19:30,312 --> 00:19:32,832 The world is trying to get us as a culture to chant things that 445 00:19:32,856 --> 00:19:36,944 don't mean anything for a long time, like to get ourselves so entranced 446 00:19:36,992 --> 00:19:39,520 with the things of this world that we get distracted from what 447 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:40,580 really matters. 448 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:42,800 And that's exactly what was happening here. 449 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:43,732 They were chanting. 450 00:19:43,856 --> 00:19:44,348 They were. 451 00:19:44,404 --> 00:19:45,644 They were so distracted. 452 00:19:45,692 --> 00:19:48,684 And for us, it's not chanting great as Diana of the Ephesians. 453 00:19:48,812 --> 00:19:51,740 But there are some things in our life that we can do that can 454 00:19:51,780 --> 00:19:54,636 cause us to be so distracted from the truth that we've allowed 455 00:19:54,668 --> 00:19:55,516 ourselves to tell. 456 00:19:55,588 --> 00:19:59,200 Have culture tell us what to believe and what to celebrate. 457 00:19:59,860 --> 00:20:02,604 And I would tell you, as a church, we have to be so careful 458 00:20:02,732 --> 00:20:05,820 about what we celebrate, because it might sound good, it might 459 00:20:05,860 --> 00:20:08,892 sound attractive, it might be what everybody is saying, but we 460 00:20:08,916 --> 00:20:11,824 have to stand on guard and say, no, that is not in accordance 461 00:20:11,872 --> 00:20:13,392 to what God tells us to believe. 462 00:20:13,496 --> 00:20:15,968 No, that is not what's in the word of God. 463 00:20:16,144 --> 00:20:16,688 And for. 464 00:20:16,744 --> 00:20:19,216 For us in our culture today, it's this. 465 00:20:19,368 --> 00:20:20,960 You know, and. 466 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,600 And I don't want to be careful about picking out specific things, 467 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:25,344 but, you know, watch this on the Internet. 468 00:20:25,392 --> 00:20:25,904 It's okay. 469 00:20:25,952 --> 00:20:27,020 Everyone does it. 470 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:28,160 Okay? 471 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:29,408 Entertain yourself with this. 472 00:20:29,464 --> 00:20:30,624 Everyone does it. 473 00:20:30,792 --> 00:20:33,660 Treat this person this way because everyone does it. 474 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,206 Be dishonest with this person because everyone does it. 475 00:20:37,328 --> 00:20:40,394 And over and over again, we hear from culture that it's okay. 476 00:20:40,442 --> 00:20:40,698 Why? 477 00:20:40,754 --> 00:20:44,682 Because they can justify it through means of, hey, it's benefiting 478 00:20:44,746 --> 00:20:45,402 you. 479 00:20:45,586 --> 00:20:47,050 You are the centerpiece of this. 480 00:20:47,090 --> 00:20:48,874 And that's been the lie from the very beginning. 481 00:20:48,922 --> 00:20:50,906 The lie from the very beginning is that you are God. 482 00:20:50,938 --> 00:20:51,882 That's humanism. 483 00:20:52,026 --> 00:20:53,034 You are God. 484 00:20:53,162 --> 00:20:54,202 Do what's best for you. 485 00:20:54,226 --> 00:20:56,986 And that's what we see here in Ephesus. 486 00:20:57,098 --> 00:20:59,066 They don't love Diana, by the way. 487 00:20:59,218 --> 00:21:01,830 They don't look at Diana as someone who is. 488 00:21:02,370 --> 00:21:04,970 Maybe some of them were deceived, but I think a lot of these 489 00:21:05,010 --> 00:21:06,754 people remember back. 490 00:21:06,842 --> 00:21:08,098 Why is Demetrius upset? 491 00:21:08,114 --> 00:21:10,690 It's not because Diane is being Blasphemed. 492 00:21:10,770 --> 00:21:14,370 Demetrius is upset because he's losing money, he's losing his 493 00:21:14,410 --> 00:21:15,394 way of getting the income. 494 00:21:15,442 --> 00:21:16,466 So it's all about him. 495 00:21:16,538 --> 00:21:19,602 So Demetrius is upset just because it's not good for him. 496 00:21:19,706 --> 00:21:20,722 And so what does he have to do? 497 00:21:20,746 --> 00:21:22,674 He has to try to get everyone else on board. 498 00:21:22,842 --> 00:21:26,226 And so it's not a matter of them being so upset with the religion 499 00:21:26,258 --> 00:21:26,866 of Paul. 500 00:21:26,978 --> 00:21:30,514 It's more about the idea that this Christian way is all about dying 501 00:21:30,562 --> 00:21:34,724 to self and not lifting up them themselves as God. 502 00:21:34,772 --> 00:21:39,396 And so instead of chanting out great is the Lord God, Jesus Christ, 503 00:21:39,468 --> 00:21:42,020 they're chanting this total opposite thing. 504 00:21:42,060 --> 00:21:47,028 And you know, I think in our culture today, you know, every, every, 505 00:21:47,084 --> 00:21:49,156 you know, we have freedom of speech. 506 00:21:49,188 --> 00:21:52,468 And so everyone wants to, you know, say that, oh, you can say anything 507 00:21:52,484 --> 00:21:54,292 you want in America and everyone's okay with that. 508 00:21:54,316 --> 00:21:56,520 The truth is, is that you start talking about Jesus. 509 00:21:57,110 --> 00:22:00,334 Try getting on live television and talk about Jesus and the gospel, 510 00:22:00,462 --> 00:22:02,510 they start getting very uncomfortable with that. 511 00:22:02,630 --> 00:22:05,614 You know, everything else is, is totally fine. 512 00:22:05,662 --> 00:22:07,166 Everyone just embraces it. 513 00:22:07,238 --> 00:22:08,622 And, you know, that's wonderful. 514 00:22:08,686 --> 00:22:09,454 That's your truth. 515 00:22:09,502 --> 00:22:10,606 And we're going to embrace that. 516 00:22:10,678 --> 00:22:13,710 You start talking about our truth as Christians, which is the 517 00:22:13,750 --> 00:22:14,286 truth. 518 00:22:14,398 --> 00:22:17,358 The way problem comes is that a lot of people get upset. 519 00:22:17,374 --> 00:22:18,366 Now why is that the case? 520 00:22:18,438 --> 00:22:21,022 Because that is the one truth that contradicts the lies of this 521 00:22:21,046 --> 00:22:21,518 world. 522 00:22:21,654 --> 00:22:23,450 And we're preaching something different. 523 00:22:24,290 --> 00:22:25,434 We're biblical Christians. 524 00:22:25,482 --> 00:22:26,490 We are preaching something different. 525 00:22:26,530 --> 00:22:28,362 It's not about self, it's about him. 526 00:22:28,466 --> 00:22:30,570 It's not about our ways, it's about his ways. 527 00:22:30,650 --> 00:22:32,026 It's not about the almighty dollar. 528 00:22:32,058 --> 00:22:34,010 It's about ultimately God's economy. 529 00:22:34,130 --> 00:22:37,290 And God's economy is much different than the economy of this 530 00:22:37,330 --> 00:22:37,530 world. 531 00:22:37,570 --> 00:22:40,950 And so he goes on to say more here. 532 00:22:41,250 --> 00:22:46,538 He says, but let's look at verse number 35. 533 00:22:46,674 --> 00:22:49,386 And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, ye 534 00:22:49,418 --> 00:22:53,392 men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how, that 535 00:22:53,416 --> 00:22:56,240 the city of Ephesus is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, 536 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,416 of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 537 00:22:58,528 --> 00:23:01,472 Seeing then that these cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be 538 00:23:01,496 --> 00:23:03,728 quiet and to do nothing rashly. 539 00:23:03,904 --> 00:23:06,992 So this guy, he's like the town mayor, basically, he comes out 540 00:23:07,016 --> 00:23:08,960 and says, hey, you know, don't be so rash about this. 541 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:10,352 Don't be so violent about this. 542 00:23:10,456 --> 00:23:13,056 You know what, you should just be quiet because Paul is not preaching 543 00:23:13,088 --> 00:23:13,776 against Diana. 544 00:23:13,808 --> 00:23:15,696 He's preaching the truth of, of Jesus. 545 00:23:15,808 --> 00:23:18,794 For, for ye have brought hither these men which are neither 546 00:23:18,842 --> 00:23:21,866 robbers of churches nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 547 00:23:21,898 --> 00:23:25,066 He says, paul has not blasphemed, Diana. 548 00:23:25,178 --> 00:23:27,386 Paul has not done anything wrong to you. 549 00:23:27,538 --> 00:23:31,082 You're just upset because these people are different than you. 550 00:23:31,106 --> 00:23:32,202 That's what he's saying here. 551 00:23:32,226 --> 00:23:34,682 So he says, wherefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen which 552 00:23:34,706 --> 00:23:37,930 are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open. 553 00:23:37,970 --> 00:23:41,146 He says, bring it before the law, bring it as a legal thing. 554 00:23:41,298 --> 00:23:43,716 And there are deputies that can deal with this. 555 00:23:43,818 --> 00:23:48,784 Let them and plead one another, but if ye inquire anything 556 00:23:48,832 --> 00:23:52,512 concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. 557 00:23:52,576 --> 00:23:56,016 So he basically says, hey, instead of making this a mob, instead 558 00:23:56,048 --> 00:23:59,168 of being chaotic about this, instead of being vigilantes, that's 559 00:23:59,184 --> 00:24:02,192 going to basically kill all these Christians, how about you just 560 00:24:02,216 --> 00:24:04,304 go and make it all a legal process? 561 00:24:04,472 --> 00:24:07,392 So it's amazing that this unbeliever brings some sanity to 562 00:24:07,416 --> 00:24:11,312 the situation, for we are in danger to be called in question for 563 00:24:11,336 --> 00:24:12,848 this day's uproar. 564 00:24:12,944 --> 00:24:16,160 This gives us the reason why he's upset with their uproar. 565 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,320 He's not fighting for the cause of the gospel. 566 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,432 He says, if Rome finds out that we are chaotic like this, if 567 00:24:22,456 --> 00:24:24,592 you know anything about history, Rome would come in and with 568 00:24:24,616 --> 00:24:27,504 an iron fist and basically take care of business if there was 569 00:24:27,512 --> 00:24:29,376 any chaos, any mob mentality. 570 00:24:29,488 --> 00:24:32,272 So he says, before we bring any attention to ourselves, we need 571 00:24:32,296 --> 00:24:33,024 to stop this. 572 00:24:33,112 --> 00:24:34,960 Again, a very selfish way to. 573 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,272 To go about it, but it was helpful for the cause of Christianity. 574 00:24:38,416 --> 00:24:41,456 Says there there being no cause whereby we may give an account 575 00:24:41,528 --> 00:24:42,704 of this concourse. 576 00:24:42,752 --> 00:24:45,536 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. 577 00:24:45,568 --> 00:24:49,300 He dismisses this fellowship and actually that word assembly, 578 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,448 fellowship is the same word that we get our fellowship, koinonia. 579 00:24:54,624 --> 00:24:57,760 And so this is an ungodly fellowship that that's coming together. 580 00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,904 And by the way, we can have that in our society. 581 00:24:59,952 --> 00:25:01,744 There can be ungodly fellowships. 582 00:25:01,872 --> 00:25:04,624 And so in contrast to the church, which is a godly fellowship, 583 00:25:04,672 --> 00:25:07,834 this assembly of people who were stirred up with their fleshly 584 00:25:07,882 --> 00:25:12,474 desires and ultimately the message of the enemy was an assembly 585 00:25:12,522 --> 00:25:12,874 themselves. 586 00:25:12,922 --> 00:25:16,490 And so this city clerk comes out, he basically says, hey, have 587 00:25:16,530 --> 00:25:19,786 some rationale, be careful, because Rome could come and wipe 588 00:25:19,818 --> 00:25:20,314 us out. 589 00:25:20,402 --> 00:25:22,666 So let's be careful about how we fight against the enemy. 590 00:25:22,698 --> 00:25:26,218 And this is God using this is God, I believe this is God using 591 00:25:26,274 --> 00:25:29,098 someone who's unsaved for the cause of the furtherance of the gospel. 592 00:25:29,194 --> 00:25:32,420 And we see that actually happening quite frequently in scripture. 593 00:25:32,610 --> 00:25:36,208 And so God is sovereign Enough God is powerful enough not to allow 594 00:25:36,264 --> 00:25:38,048 this to stop his plans. 595 00:25:38,144 --> 00:25:42,240 But what we can know that as Christians, we could be the same 596 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:42,480 way. 597 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:46,224 We should be influencing our society just as those Christians 598 00:25:46,272 --> 00:25:47,136 did in Ephesus. 599 00:25:47,168 --> 00:25:50,820 And so God worked mightily here in Ephesus, in revival. 600 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:56,384 But so was the enemy just as much as God was working in Ephesus. 601 00:25:56,432 --> 00:25:58,866 So the enemy was fighting against the message of the gospel. 602 00:25:58,968 --> 00:26:02,814 And just as much as the gospel is being worked out in our country 603 00:26:02,902 --> 00:26:04,270 today, in our world today. 604 00:26:04,310 --> 00:26:05,770 So the enemy is at work. 605 00:26:06,070 --> 00:26:10,590 And it's very clear if you study the book of Ephesians and if 606 00:26:10,630 --> 00:26:14,286 you study the book of Acts and see the stories there in Ephesus 607 00:26:14,398 --> 00:26:17,166 that there was spiritual warfare going on. 608 00:26:17,318 --> 00:26:19,742 If you read the book of Ephesians, Paul writes about the 609 00:26:19,766 --> 00:26:22,094 armor of God, which is all about fighting against the enemy, 610 00:26:22,142 --> 00:26:24,910 fighting against the evil works of Satan. 611 00:26:24,990 --> 00:26:27,150 And I would encourage you to read that Ephesians, chapter six. 612 00:26:27,190 --> 00:26:29,942 Because the very same church that's founded here is the very same 613 00:26:29,966 --> 00:26:32,230 church that that book is, is written to. 614 00:26:32,270 --> 00:26:35,862 And so anytime God is at work, Satan is going to try to thwart that. 615 00:26:35,886 --> 00:26:37,638 Satan is going to try to fight against that. 616 00:26:37,774 --> 00:26:40,182 And so Satan is at work in America, let's be honest. 617 00:26:40,246 --> 00:26:41,910 I mean, all you got to do is look out there. 618 00:26:41,950 --> 00:26:43,686 Satan is at work, but God is at work too. 619 00:26:43,758 --> 00:26:45,942 And God is far more powerful than the enemy. 620 00:26:46,006 --> 00:26:48,170 Therefore, as a church, we can be bold. 621 00:26:48,750 --> 00:26:50,550 As Christians, we can be bold. 622 00:26:50,710 --> 00:26:53,478 And, and I think that's one of the areas that, that we have failed 623 00:26:53,494 --> 00:26:57,592 in as a church for many years is that we're afraid to go into our 624 00:26:57,616 --> 00:27:00,856 society to try to impact our society, because, hey, society's 625 00:27:00,888 --> 00:27:01,416 too far gone. 626 00:27:01,448 --> 00:27:04,536 But the Bible says very clearly that we are called to impact 627 00:27:04,608 --> 00:27:05,144 our society. 628 00:27:05,192 --> 00:27:08,552 And naturally, and I would say supernaturally speaking, if we just 629 00:27:08,576 --> 00:27:11,432 live as Christians publicly, we will affect our society. 630 00:27:11,576 --> 00:27:14,744 And the Bible says that the gospel message can be a stumbling 631 00:27:14,792 --> 00:27:15,688 block to people. 632 00:27:15,824 --> 00:27:18,520 So Jesus is actually the stumbling block. 633 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,736 And what we can see in the case of preaching the gospel message 634 00:27:21,768 --> 00:27:24,130 is that some will believe and some will fight against that. 635 00:27:24,170 --> 00:27:25,170 Some will be indifferent. 636 00:27:25,250 --> 00:27:26,866 But that's not our job to figure it out. 637 00:27:26,938 --> 00:27:29,170 Our job was not to say, well, you know what, everyone's just been 638 00:27:29,210 --> 00:27:31,586 indifferent to the gospel, so we're done preaching the gospel. 639 00:27:31,698 --> 00:27:34,642 It's our job to preach the gospel even if nobody believes, because 640 00:27:34,666 --> 00:27:37,778 the Bible doesn't say, preach the gospel and make sure that everyone 641 00:27:37,834 --> 00:27:38,226 gets saved. 642 00:27:38,258 --> 00:27:40,390 The Bible just tells us to preach the gospel. 643 00:27:40,890 --> 00:27:42,514 We're not the ones that are bearing the fruit. 644 00:27:42,562 --> 00:27:45,522 All we are doing is presenting the gospel to those around us. 645 00:27:45,626 --> 00:27:48,642 And I believe that the gospel is powerful, and I believe that our 646 00:27:48,666 --> 00:27:49,506 culture can be changed. 647 00:27:49,538 --> 00:27:53,596 And so this, this chapter here teaches us a very important lesson, 648 00:27:53,628 --> 00:27:58,960 that when there is true revival in the midst of the church, 649 00:28:00,020 --> 00:28:02,520 society will change. 650 00:28:03,380 --> 00:28:06,860 It'll either change for the good towards the truth of the gospel, 651 00:28:06,940 --> 00:28:09,916 or it will fight harder against the gospel message. 652 00:28:09,948 --> 00:28:13,548 But there will be some impact to Christians living boldly within 653 00:28:13,684 --> 00:28:14,760 their community. 654 00:28:15,380 --> 00:28:18,092 And so I think that that's something for us to learn and say, 655 00:28:18,116 --> 00:28:22,782 you know, have I, in the way that I live my life, publicly display 656 00:28:22,846 --> 00:28:26,610 Christ so much to say that it has impacted my society? 657 00:28:27,590 --> 00:28:30,174 And, and I would say that if you look through history and if you 658 00:28:30,182 --> 00:28:33,134 look through scripture, Christianity, for the most part, 659 00:28:33,222 --> 00:28:35,850 has benefited society over the years. 660 00:28:36,710 --> 00:28:38,974 Now you will hear some arguments that, well, Christians 661 00:28:39,022 --> 00:28:40,990 have brought a lot of evil to the world. 662 00:28:41,030 --> 00:28:42,974 There's been wars and there's been killings. 663 00:28:43,102 --> 00:28:43,550 Yes. 664 00:28:43,630 --> 00:28:47,758 People in the name of the institution of church, without having 665 00:28:47,814 --> 00:28:49,830 Christ in the mix have done that. 666 00:28:49,870 --> 00:28:50,230 Yes. 667 00:28:50,310 --> 00:28:53,190 But the truth is, is that anytime the gospel is present, anytime 668 00:28:53,270 --> 00:28:56,342 Jesus is the head, anytime there's a church that's following 669 00:28:56,446 --> 00:29:00,662 after his command of making disciples and, and, and training 670 00:29:00,726 --> 00:29:03,478 people to go out and make more disciples, anytime that's happening, 671 00:29:03,494 --> 00:29:05,958 there's been a positive impact on society. 672 00:29:06,054 --> 00:29:07,830 And I think that we can do the same. 673 00:29:07,870 --> 00:29:09,958 And I don't think America's too far gone. 674 00:29:09,974 --> 00:29:11,670 I don't think this world is too far gone. 675 00:29:11,830 --> 00:29:14,214 There's a lot of people that live defeatist mindsets. 676 00:29:14,262 --> 00:29:17,834 And the concept of, well, you know what, the world is so evil already, 677 00:29:17,922 --> 00:29:20,650 so they're already going, and so let's just go ahead and focus 678 00:29:20,690 --> 00:29:22,010 on what we have right here. 679 00:29:22,130 --> 00:29:24,522 I don't feel like that is what God would like us to do. 680 00:29:24,546 --> 00:29:27,402 I don't think, according to scripture, that we should just give 681 00:29:27,426 --> 00:29:28,330 up and say, you know what? 682 00:29:28,370 --> 00:29:29,274 Satan has won. 683 00:29:29,362 --> 00:29:31,226 Evil is better than good. 684 00:29:31,298 --> 00:29:32,730 We have to go back and say, you know what? 685 00:29:32,770 --> 00:29:35,930 Even though it's dark, even though it's a struggle, even though 686 00:29:35,970 --> 00:29:38,762 that sometimes we're going to face opposition, we have to try to 687 00:29:38,786 --> 00:29:39,802 impact our society. 688 00:29:39,866 --> 00:29:40,234 Now. 689 00:29:40,322 --> 00:29:42,528 Sometimes we think about it in too big of a scale. 690 00:29:42,674 --> 00:29:45,140 Sometimes we think, well, how can I impact this world? 691 00:29:45,260 --> 00:29:47,860 Well, the way that you impact this world is by impacting those 692 00:29:47,900 --> 00:29:48,580 around you. 693 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:53,252 The way that you impact people for the gospel of Jesus Christ is 694 00:29:53,276 --> 00:29:55,940 by impacting those that you have influence with. 695 00:29:56,060 --> 00:30:01,252 Okay, so where is the most natural place for me to preach the 696 00:30:01,276 --> 00:30:02,040 Gospel. 697 00:30:02,380 --> 00:30:05,332 The easiest place for me to preach the gospel is literally in 698 00:30:05,356 --> 00:30:05,940 my home. 699 00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:06,868 Okay? 700 00:30:07,044 --> 00:30:10,432 So the way that I see it is that my wife and my children are 701 00:30:10,456 --> 00:30:13,840 my number one people, that I am to lead to Christ, that I am to 702 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,664 show the truth of Jesus Christ. 703 00:30:15,752 --> 00:30:18,064 Now I have the benefit of being a pastor of a church. 704 00:30:18,112 --> 00:30:21,024 And so I have a little bit more of an extended sphere of influence 705 00:30:21,072 --> 00:30:24,224 and the concept that on Sunday mornings I have a captive audience 706 00:30:24,272 --> 00:30:24,880 for the most part. 707 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,064 Okay, they're here, they might not agree with what I'm saying, but 708 00:30:28,072 --> 00:30:30,380 I have an opportunity to preach the gospel to them. 709 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,400 But that doesn't mean that I'm the only person who is to do that. 710 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,264 The Bible actually says that all of us have a sphere of influence 711 00:30:37,312 --> 00:30:38,336 that we are to influence. 712 00:30:38,368 --> 00:30:40,964 So I can't be in your home, but you're in your home. 713 00:30:41,052 --> 00:30:43,440 So there's a gospel mission right there. 714 00:30:44,940 --> 00:30:47,620 I don't go to the same places that you go every single day. 715 00:30:47,660 --> 00:30:50,228 Some of you might have a place that you go every single day. 716 00:30:50,364 --> 00:30:53,860 Maybe you have a routine, hey, that's your gospel message. 717 00:30:54,020 --> 00:30:54,884 That's your mission. 718 00:30:54,932 --> 00:30:55,956 That's your impact. 719 00:30:56,108 --> 00:30:57,156 So impact your community. 720 00:30:57,228 --> 00:31:01,076 Some of you have opportunities to maybe even interact with people 721 00:31:01,148 --> 00:31:02,480 in your community. 722 00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:07,622 Maybe you know, a business owner or a politician or a teacher 723 00:31:07,686 --> 00:31:09,030 or a first responder. 724 00:31:09,110 --> 00:31:12,934 You have an opportunity to impact people around you, your neighborhood. 725 00:31:13,062 --> 00:31:15,174 And, and that's what we can see in the early church. 726 00:31:15,222 --> 00:31:18,630 One of, we're looking at the Book of Acts, authentic church through 727 00:31:18,670 --> 00:31:19,142 scripture. 728 00:31:19,206 --> 00:31:21,990 And one of the things that's very clear in the Book of Acts is 729 00:31:22,030 --> 00:31:25,910 that the church impacted people on a day to day basis. 730 00:31:25,990 --> 00:31:27,318 It wasn't like a Sunday morning. 731 00:31:27,374 --> 00:31:30,822 Okay, everyone, we're going to put out a really good product in 732 00:31:30,846 --> 00:31:31,702 Ephesus, okay? 733 00:31:31,766 --> 00:31:33,882 We're going to get all the right music, we're going to make 734 00:31:33,906 --> 00:31:36,170 sure our houses are adorned just properly. 735 00:31:36,250 --> 00:31:38,730 We're going to make sure the candlelight in the window is just 736 00:31:38,770 --> 00:31:39,130 perfect. 737 00:31:39,210 --> 00:31:41,658 And we're going to put together the best entertainment we've 738 00:31:41,674 --> 00:31:42,234 ever had. 739 00:31:42,322 --> 00:31:44,202 And people in Ephesus are going to come to Christ. 740 00:31:44,306 --> 00:31:47,946 That wasn't the main way that people reach people for the cause 741 00:31:47,978 --> 00:31:48,698 of the gospel. 742 00:31:48,794 --> 00:31:51,002 The main way that people reached people for the cause of the 743 00:31:51,026 --> 00:31:54,458 gospel was they lived out Jesus Christ in the marketplace. 744 00:31:54,634 --> 00:31:57,786 They went to the temple, they went to the synagogue and appealed 745 00:31:57,818 --> 00:32:00,814 to people who were hungry for the gospel and said, hey, you know 746 00:32:00,822 --> 00:32:00,942 what? 747 00:32:00,966 --> 00:32:02,174 You're looking for hope somewhere. 748 00:32:02,222 --> 00:32:03,758 Paul used this as an example. 749 00:32:03,854 --> 00:32:05,166 You guys are looking for the unknown. 750 00:32:05,198 --> 00:32:06,446 God, I know the unknown God. 751 00:32:06,478 --> 00:32:08,190 Come and know him in the truth. 752 00:32:08,270 --> 00:32:09,610 And so it's a going. 753 00:32:10,070 --> 00:32:13,130 And what has happened in our society today? 754 00:32:13,430 --> 00:32:14,446 Why has this happened? 755 00:32:14,478 --> 00:32:17,486 I don't know, other than the fact that it makes a lot of sense 756 00:32:17,518 --> 00:32:21,198 for a lot of people that we create a product and the product 757 00:32:21,254 --> 00:32:22,862 is, hey, we're going to have church. 758 00:32:23,006 --> 00:32:26,542 And it's going to be this one day a week thing, and we are going 759 00:32:26,566 --> 00:32:30,298 to try to impact our world through church, the worship service 760 00:32:30,354 --> 00:32:31,050 itself. 761 00:32:31,210 --> 00:32:32,870 But what's happened is this. 762 00:32:33,250 --> 00:32:34,922 So much of this has become. 763 00:32:35,026 --> 00:32:38,474 Well, we're going to try to fabricate a situation that looks 764 00:32:38,522 --> 00:32:43,018 like worship, that sounds like worship, that. 765 00:32:43,074 --> 00:32:45,850 That smells like worship, that that feels like worship. 766 00:32:45,930 --> 00:32:48,682 But really just doing this to bring people in and then we get them 767 00:32:48,706 --> 00:32:49,530 here, and then we. 768 00:32:49,570 --> 00:32:51,802 We set our hooks in and we got the Christian hooks in. 769 00:32:51,906 --> 00:32:52,346 I'm. 770 00:32:52,378 --> 00:32:57,406 I'm not against having a very organized, powerful worship service, 771 00:32:57,558 --> 00:33:01,390 but if our outreach ministry is the worship service, we are missing 772 00:33:01,470 --> 00:33:04,174 the point because it's called a worship service. 773 00:33:04,262 --> 00:33:06,350 Now, is the gospel presented on a worship service? 774 00:33:06,390 --> 00:33:08,014 Yes, because that's why we're worshiping. 775 00:33:08,142 --> 00:33:10,878 But if, if someone came up to our church and they said, what's 776 00:33:10,894 --> 00:33:11,854 your outreach ministry? 777 00:33:11,902 --> 00:33:13,790 Well, we have a Sunday morning service at 10:30. 778 00:33:13,830 --> 00:33:15,470 No, no, that's not the outreach ministry. 779 00:33:15,550 --> 00:33:18,270 The outreach ministry must be just that, outreach. 780 00:33:18,350 --> 00:33:21,712 We have in reach ministries, and we should have inreach ministries. 781 00:33:21,846 --> 00:33:22,236 Right? 782 00:33:22,308 --> 00:33:27,276 We should have ministries that fortify and encourage fellow believers 783 00:33:27,308 --> 00:33:28,316 here in our midst. 784 00:33:28,428 --> 00:33:29,772 But there has to be. 785 00:33:29,876 --> 00:33:34,140 There has to be a ministry that we go, how can we go reach our 786 00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:35,468 community for the gospel? 787 00:33:35,564 --> 00:33:40,396 And just as we saw Paul and the Christians there in Ephesus impacting 788 00:33:40,428 --> 00:33:42,924 people for the good, people were changing. 789 00:33:42,972 --> 00:33:44,492 People were getting rid of their idols. 790 00:33:44,556 --> 00:33:47,756 So we can impact Middletown, Delaware, we can impact New Castle 791 00:33:47,788 --> 00:33:49,748 county, we can impact the state of Delaware. 792 00:33:49,884 --> 00:33:51,280 You know what I mean? 793 00:33:51,660 --> 00:33:52,020 I. 794 00:33:52,060 --> 00:33:57,700 I transparently will sometimes look at our culture and say, wow, 795 00:33:57,860 --> 00:33:59,332 it's gotten so bad. 796 00:33:59,516 --> 00:34:01,040 How could we make an impact? 797 00:34:02,220 --> 00:34:03,508 I'm going to tell you, and I'm. 798 00:34:03,604 --> 00:34:06,852 Some of you historians out there, correct me if I'm wrong, but 799 00:34:06,876 --> 00:34:10,996 I don't think Delaware is as bad as Ephesus and Corinth yet. 800 00:34:11,068 --> 00:34:11,620 Okay? 801 00:34:11,700 --> 00:34:13,860 And you might say, well, it gets progressively worse. 802 00:34:13,940 --> 00:34:15,690 I think, folks, it's cyclical. 803 00:34:15,820 --> 00:34:19,006 If you look at ancient Rome, there was some pretty crazy debauchery 804 00:34:19,038 --> 00:34:22,510 that was going on back then, but there was enough power in the 805 00:34:22,550 --> 00:34:25,118 gospel to change people for the cause of the gospel. 806 00:34:25,214 --> 00:34:29,262 And just the same power that changed people from Corinth and Ephesus 807 00:34:29,326 --> 00:34:32,702 to come to a place where they trusted in Jesus and they lived that 808 00:34:32,726 --> 00:34:34,990 life and saw others come to Christ is the same power that we 809 00:34:35,030 --> 00:34:37,230 use today for the cause of the gospel. 810 00:34:37,390 --> 00:34:41,438 And so I encourage you to think about how you can impact your 811 00:34:41,494 --> 00:34:47,501 society by living and teaching and preaching and proclaiming the 812 00:34:47,525 --> 00:34:49,129 gospel to those around you. 813 00:34:49,509 --> 00:34:51,485 Some might say, I can't preach a message. 814 00:34:51,597 --> 00:34:52,781 I can't get up and talk. 815 00:34:52,885 --> 00:34:53,677 That's okay. 816 00:34:53,773 --> 00:34:55,133 That's not the only way to preach. 817 00:34:55,261 --> 00:34:56,541 That's one way to preach. 818 00:34:56,685 --> 00:34:57,821 There's other ways to preach, though. 819 00:34:57,845 --> 00:35:01,021 There's other ways that we can impact people by living boldly for 820 00:35:01,045 --> 00:35:03,389 the cause of the gospel, by living differently. 821 00:35:03,549 --> 00:35:07,581 And I would encourage you to take the messages that we have at 822 00:35:07,605 --> 00:35:11,118 Middletown Baptist Church and share that and proclaim that. 823 00:35:11,254 --> 00:35:13,406 And, man, I love the creativity. 824 00:35:13,518 --> 00:35:17,450 Put out stuff for the delivery people, right? 825 00:35:18,230 --> 00:35:20,846 Find creative ways that you can impact people. 826 00:35:20,918 --> 00:35:23,742 Because the Bible doesn't say, hey, you know what? 827 00:35:23,926 --> 00:35:25,902 There's one way to get the gospel out. 828 00:35:26,006 --> 00:35:29,214 The Bible gives us the gospel and gives us the freedom to proclaim 829 00:35:29,262 --> 00:35:31,170 the gospel in many different ways. 830 00:35:31,830 --> 00:35:34,110 You know, we have social media, right? 831 00:35:34,150 --> 00:35:35,896 And some people say that's the. 832 00:35:36,078 --> 00:35:38,420 That's the problem with this world, social media. 833 00:35:38,540 --> 00:35:39,684 I agree to many degrees. 834 00:35:39,732 --> 00:35:41,716 Social media can be used for wrong things. 835 00:35:41,788 --> 00:35:43,348 Internet can be used for wrong things. 836 00:35:43,484 --> 00:35:46,788 But God has also given it to us so that we can use it and redeem 837 00:35:46,804 --> 00:35:48,280 it for the cause of the gospel. 838 00:35:48,860 --> 00:35:49,780 That might not be you. 839 00:35:49,820 --> 00:35:51,940 You might say, pastor, you don't want me anywhere near a social 840 00:35:51,980 --> 00:35:52,500 media account. 841 00:35:52,540 --> 00:35:53,972 Okay, I understand that. 842 00:35:54,076 --> 00:35:59,012 But God has given you your talents and your gifts and your opportunities 843 00:35:59,076 --> 00:36:00,100 to get your message out. 844 00:36:00,140 --> 00:36:02,500 Because people that you can get the message out to might not 845 00:36:02,540 --> 00:36:06,262 listen to me, but because of your influence with them, you can 846 00:36:06,286 --> 00:36:07,190 get the gospel to them. 847 00:36:07,230 --> 00:36:10,022 And so let's think about how we can impact our society. 848 00:36:10,086 --> 00:36:14,470 Wouldn't it be great if, you know, if you drive around, there 849 00:36:14,510 --> 00:36:20,006 are different places that are propagating messages and actions 850 00:36:20,038 --> 00:36:22,950 that are completely against the gospel. 851 00:36:23,110 --> 00:36:26,310 Wouldn't it be amazing that if there was a revival in our country 852 00:36:26,350 --> 00:36:28,342 that all those places would go out of business? 853 00:36:28,526 --> 00:36:29,618 Wouldn't that be awesome? 854 00:36:29,734 --> 00:36:31,962 Wouldn't it be awesome that all these places that are preaching 855 00:36:32,026 --> 00:36:34,874 and teaching the opposite of what Jesus preaches said, you know 856 00:36:34,882 --> 00:36:34,954 what? 857 00:36:34,962 --> 00:36:36,922 No one's even showing up anymore because we have all these 858 00:36:36,946 --> 00:36:38,250 Christians who are living differently. 859 00:36:38,330 --> 00:36:42,122 The problem is, is that instead of the church impacting the 860 00:36:42,146 --> 00:36:45,114 world around us, we've allowed the world around us to impact the 861 00:36:45,122 --> 00:36:45,306 church. 862 00:36:45,338 --> 00:36:47,514 So much so that the people in the church are so comfortable with 863 00:36:47,522 --> 00:36:49,882 the things of this world that we don't even see anything needs 864 00:36:49,906 --> 00:36:50,538 to change. 865 00:36:50,674 --> 00:36:53,370 And I'm not here to say that we have to live in a monastery and 866 00:36:53,410 --> 00:36:55,530 live away from culture, because that's not what these people 867 00:36:55,570 --> 00:36:56,620 did back at this time. 868 00:36:56,730 --> 00:36:58,104 They lived in the marketplace. 869 00:36:58,152 --> 00:36:58,408 They. 870 00:36:58,464 --> 00:37:00,408 They walked by the temple of Diana. 871 00:37:00,504 --> 00:37:03,496 They understood what was around them, but yet they still impacted 872 00:37:03,528 --> 00:37:05,192 people for the cause of the gospel. 873 00:37:05,256 --> 00:37:08,952 So live differently, as First Peter, chapter three says, live in 874 00:37:08,976 --> 00:37:11,752 such a way that people will see a difference in you. 875 00:37:11,856 --> 00:37:13,752 And they ask the reason that you have hope. 876 00:37:13,776 --> 00:37:15,080 And you give them that answer. 877 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:16,648 And the answer is Jesus Christ. 878 00:37:16,704 --> 00:37:19,592 The reason why I can be this way is because, Jesus Christ, the 879 00:37:19,616 --> 00:37:22,344 reason why I'm coming out of my way to bring you cookies and a 880 00:37:22,352 --> 00:37:24,322 letter is not because, you know what? 881 00:37:24,346 --> 00:37:26,674 I just want you to make sure you take care of my house more than 882 00:37:26,682 --> 00:37:27,490 the other houses. 883 00:37:27,570 --> 00:37:31,698 It's so that you can know that Jesus is the only way to salvation. 884 00:37:31,874 --> 00:37:34,754 And that is the exciting thing that we have, is the Gospel message. 885 00:37:34,802 --> 00:37:39,010 And so Paul and the other Christians there in Ephesus were 886 00:37:39,050 --> 00:37:39,954 impacting their society. 887 00:37:40,002 --> 00:37:40,706 So can we. 888 00:37:40,778 --> 00:37:45,058 We're going to continue on in the Book of Acts next week, and we're 889 00:37:45,074 --> 00:37:49,132 going to see Paul visits Macedonia and Greece, and we're going 890 00:37:49,156 --> 00:37:52,124 to see that there's an individual raised from the dead. 891 00:37:52,252 --> 00:37:54,924 And there's going to be a lot of really interesting stuff happening 892 00:37:54,972 --> 00:37:56,876 here in the Book of Acts. 893 00:37:56,908 --> 00:37:58,972 I hope that the Book of Acts has been an interesting study for 894 00:37:58,996 --> 00:37:59,560 you. 895 00:38:01,140 --> 00:38:01,820 You know, more. 896 00:38:01,860 --> 00:38:04,668 The more I read the Book of Acts, the more I see. 897 00:38:04,804 --> 00:38:07,020 And again, by the way, the church at Acts didn't have it all 898 00:38:07,060 --> 00:38:08,812 right, by the way. 899 00:38:08,836 --> 00:38:10,284 There were still problems with them. 900 00:38:10,372 --> 00:38:12,364 They were still trying to figure things out. 901 00:38:12,532 --> 00:38:15,160 But the more and more I read, this is what's interesting. 902 00:38:15,240 --> 00:38:18,780 The more and more I read what the Bible has to say about church 903 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:23,032 in the Book of Acts, in the pastoral, epistles, in all the New 904 00:38:23,056 --> 00:38:23,416 Testament. 905 00:38:23,448 --> 00:38:26,392 The more you read about the church in the Bible, the more you 906 00:38:26,416 --> 00:38:30,648 see how far we have drifted as an American church when it comes 907 00:38:30,704 --> 00:38:32,900 to the things that God sees as important. 908 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:38,440 It's so shocking when you read what's in the Bible about the church, 909 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,660 not what culture says about the church, not what tradition says 910 00:38:41,700 --> 00:38:42,380 about the church. 911 00:38:42,460 --> 00:38:45,052 But the more you read the Bible, the more you see that we have 912 00:38:45,076 --> 00:38:47,388 drifted away from what matters. 913 00:38:47,564 --> 00:38:47,900 And. 914 00:38:47,940 --> 00:38:49,628 And so we have to get back to that. 915 00:38:49,684 --> 00:38:51,756 So what does The Bible say about church. 916 00:38:51,948 --> 00:38:52,892 And you know what? 917 00:38:52,916 --> 00:38:58,156 For some people, they say church is not, church is not church 918 00:38:58,188 --> 00:38:59,308 unless I have this. 919 00:38:59,444 --> 00:39:00,572 I understand that. 920 00:39:00,676 --> 00:39:04,924 But if, if, if we are so caught up in the things of the Bible 921 00:39:04,972 --> 00:39:07,404 actually warns against being so caught up with man's traditions 922 00:39:07,452 --> 00:39:09,664 that we miss out on what the gospel has to say. 923 00:39:09,812 --> 00:39:11,160 There are a lot of things that we do that are good. 924 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:12,072 Traditions are a good thing. 925 00:39:12,096 --> 00:39:13,208 I love tradition. 926 00:39:13,384 --> 00:39:16,888 Actually, my wife would argue that I'm too much of a person that's 927 00:39:16,904 --> 00:39:19,144 in tradition and having to do things the same way. 928 00:39:19,232 --> 00:39:20,760 She's like, hey, you know, break out of that. 929 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:21,112 You don't have. 930 00:39:21,136 --> 00:39:23,320 We don't have to do the same thing every year on the same day. 931 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:24,584 I'm a creature of habit. 932 00:39:24,632 --> 00:39:27,992 So if anyone understands feeling comfortable with doing the 933 00:39:28,016 --> 00:39:29,640 same thing over and over again, I get that. 934 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:30,280 I like that. 935 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:31,528 That's my comfort zone. 936 00:39:31,624 --> 00:39:34,008 I would like to do the same thing over and over every single 937 00:39:34,024 --> 00:39:35,106 day for the rest of my life. 938 00:39:35,208 --> 00:39:37,134 But the truth is, is that I can't. 939 00:39:37,262 --> 00:39:40,142 Because what happens is, is that if I put tradition before the 940 00:39:40,166 --> 00:39:42,782 gospel, well, I can't do that because that's not something that 941 00:39:42,806 --> 00:39:43,918 I've ever done before. 942 00:39:44,054 --> 00:39:47,710 I have now put my tradition, which might be a good tradition, 943 00:39:47,790 --> 00:39:50,094 before what Jesus has called me to do. 944 00:39:50,262 --> 00:39:53,070 And if Jesus calls me to change, I have to change. 945 00:39:53,110 --> 00:39:54,878 I don't care if it's uncomfortable. 946 00:39:55,054 --> 00:39:59,342 And the more I think as Christians we should feel, I think 947 00:39:59,366 --> 00:40:03,854 we should embrace being uncomfortable for the gospel, comfortable 948 00:40:03,902 --> 00:40:07,502 in Christ, but uncomfortable with how we profess ourselves to 949 00:40:07,526 --> 00:40:08,142 those around us. 950 00:40:08,166 --> 00:40:10,894 And so be praying about that, be praying about how we as a church 951 00:40:10,942 --> 00:40:11,822 can do that. 952 00:40:11,926 --> 00:40:14,062 And one of the things that I've been working through recently, 953 00:40:14,166 --> 00:40:16,302 and it's something that I wasn't planning on talking about 954 00:40:16,326 --> 00:40:19,370 tonight, but we have a minute or two, so I want to share this. 955 00:40:20,310 --> 00:40:24,222 If you go back and read about the church and you go back to read 956 00:40:24,246 --> 00:40:29,096 about the body, we have made a mistake over the years by making 957 00:40:29,168 --> 00:40:37,720 a distinction between what people call laity laypeople and ministers, 958 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:39,688 full time Christian workers. 959 00:40:39,824 --> 00:40:42,040 And there's been this distinction that there's some big 960 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:42,780 difference. 961 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:48,680 There are qualifications for pastors and deacons, but God did 962 00:40:48,720 --> 00:40:52,504 not intend for it to be that pastors and deacons are the ones 963 00:40:52,552 --> 00:40:53,688 doing all the work. 964 00:40:53,824 --> 00:40:56,866 And, and everyone else just comes and says, okay, we're beneficiaries 965 00:40:56,898 --> 00:40:58,322 of that, or vice versa. 966 00:40:58,386 --> 00:41:01,490 The Bible didn't say that pastors sit back and don't do anything. 967 00:41:01,570 --> 00:41:05,026 And so what the Bible says Very clearly is that we are all parts 968 00:41:05,058 --> 00:41:05,950 of the body. 969 00:41:07,770 --> 00:41:11,106 Recently people said, well, you know, as pastors are, this way 970 00:41:11,178 --> 00:41:13,150 they don't have to deal with the things in the real world. 971 00:41:13,690 --> 00:41:15,234 I'm gonna speak for a pastor. 972 00:41:15,362 --> 00:41:17,026 Some of the other pastors might vouch for me. 973 00:41:17,098 --> 00:41:19,010 We still have to deal with all the things of the real world. 974 00:41:19,050 --> 00:41:19,570 Real too. 975 00:41:19,610 --> 00:41:20,218 Okay. 976 00:41:20,354 --> 00:41:22,842 I, I thought when I became a pastor, all those temptations are 977 00:41:22,866 --> 00:41:24,986 just going to go away because I'm going to be living in a. 978 00:41:25,058 --> 00:41:26,218 No, that doesn't happen. 979 00:41:26,354 --> 00:41:26,650 So. 980 00:41:26,690 --> 00:41:28,874 So as a pastor, I understand your struggle. 981 00:41:28,922 --> 00:41:29,610 Now I don't. 982 00:41:29,690 --> 00:41:33,370 I get the blessing of not having to go into a workplace and 983 00:41:33,410 --> 00:41:35,514 having to deal with all the things of this world. 984 00:41:35,682 --> 00:41:39,546 But the truth is, is that if we see, well, that's pastor and he's 985 00:41:39,578 --> 00:41:42,234 different, or that's, that's the deacons and that's the church 986 00:41:42,282 --> 00:41:42,666 leadership. 987 00:41:42,698 --> 00:41:43,866 And we're just, just. 988 00:41:43,938 --> 00:41:46,378 I heard someone say a long time ago, I'm just a church member, 989 00:41:46,434 --> 00:41:46,852 folks. 990 00:41:46,946 --> 00:41:48,700 There's no just a church member. 991 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:50,944 Every member is a minister. 992 00:41:51,112 --> 00:41:54,432 Not every member is a pastor, but every member is a minister, a 993 00:41:54,456 --> 00:41:55,392 servant of Jesus Christ. 994 00:41:55,416 --> 00:41:56,992 How did Paul introduce himself? 995 00:41:57,056 --> 00:41:58,780 I'm a servant of Jesus Christ. 996 00:41:59,080 --> 00:41:59,840 That's what we are. 997 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:01,776 That's we all servants of Jesus Christ. 998 00:42:01,928 --> 00:42:04,656 And so the moment we start to make distinctions that this ministry 999 00:42:04,688 --> 00:42:07,920 over here is more important or this ministry over here is less important, 1000 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:10,784 that's the point where we start losing sight of what really 1001 00:42:10,872 --> 00:42:11,312 matters. 1002 00:42:11,376 --> 00:42:14,628 Because what has happened is it's become institutionalized. 1003 00:42:14,784 --> 00:42:16,828 What's the pastor gonna bring us this week? 1004 00:42:16,964 --> 00:42:17,580 What's what. 1005 00:42:17,620 --> 00:42:19,676 What product is this church putting forward? 1006 00:42:19,828 --> 00:42:21,756 And, and I get that, I understand that. 1007 00:42:21,828 --> 00:42:24,748 But if we are looking at it from the perspective of the early 1008 00:42:24,804 --> 00:42:28,012 church, you know, where the early church used to meet, where 1009 00:42:28,036 --> 00:42:30,396 do they meet their houses. 1010 00:42:30,508 --> 00:42:34,876 Okay, so I'm not saying that we're gonna go back to that, okay? 1011 00:42:34,908 --> 00:42:36,620 Because we couldn't fit all of you guys in our house. 1012 00:42:36,740 --> 00:42:39,052 And you probably don't wanna go to our house either for church. 1013 00:42:39,116 --> 00:42:39,852 That would be weird. 1014 00:42:39,916 --> 00:42:40,284 But. 1015 00:42:40,372 --> 00:42:46,020 But there wasn't an expectation of grandeur. 1016 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:48,928 The grandeur was not found in the building that they were meeting 1017 00:42:48,984 --> 00:42:49,152 in. 1018 00:42:49,176 --> 00:42:51,660 The grandeur was found in who they were worshiping in Christ. 1019 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:57,712 And so if we get our eyes off of that, we get our eyes off of the 1020 00:42:57,736 --> 00:42:58,576 true message of the church. 1021 00:42:58,608 --> 00:43:02,224 And so I will digress in that area, but I will say this. 1022 00:43:02,392 --> 00:43:04,864 The more I've been studying the book of Acts, the more challenged 1023 00:43:04,912 --> 00:43:09,072 I am to allow ourselves as a church to get to a place where we 1024 00:43:09,096 --> 00:43:10,220 can be that way. 1025 00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:17,064 And so the more the church is a 24, 7, 365 life. 1026 00:43:17,232 --> 00:43:22,248 I mentioned this morning, we are an organism, not an institution. 1027 00:43:22,424 --> 00:43:23,288 Okay? 1028 00:43:23,464 --> 00:43:25,980 We are living, breathing. 1029 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:30,824 We have a purpose and that each one of you are valuable in that 1030 00:43:30,912 --> 00:43:33,480 peace that God has instilled into our lives. 1031 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:35,810 And so I'm thankful for this church. 1032 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:38,254 I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve here. 1033 00:43:38,422 --> 00:43:42,142 I'm thankful for the willingness of people to see the 1034 00:43:42,166 --> 00:43:44,062 message of the need for the gospel. 1035 00:43:44,206 --> 00:43:46,782 And I'm excited to see what God's going to do in Middletown. 1036 00:43:46,846 --> 00:43:49,262 And the beauty is that there's other churches doing the same thing. 1037 00:43:49,366 --> 00:43:51,678 And we're going to have opportunities to impact Middletown. 1038 00:43:51,694 --> 00:43:53,502 We're going to have opportunities to impact Maryland. 1039 00:43:53,566 --> 00:43:55,742 We're going to have opportunities to impact New Jersey. 1040 00:43:55,886 --> 00:43:56,398 Who knows? 1041 00:43:56,414 --> 00:44:00,974 We're going to have in the future have impact all over the world. 1042 00:44:01,142 --> 00:44:04,080 Maybe Middletown Baptist Church will send out a missionary 1043 00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:08,412 that goes to a foreign land and we can support them and we can, 1044 00:44:08,436 --> 00:44:13,276 we can plant a church in another continent and we can see 1045 00:44:13,348 --> 00:44:14,716 God's work happening. 1046 00:44:14,828 --> 00:44:16,588 So, so let's think about it that way. 1047 00:44:16,644 --> 00:44:19,948 Let's, let's, let's be entrepreneurial with the gospel. 1048 00:44:20,124 --> 00:44:22,892 Like, I know we want to be business minded when it comes to 1049 00:44:22,916 --> 00:44:23,196 the church. 1050 00:44:23,228 --> 00:44:25,612 And we've been, there's, there's importance to that. 1051 00:44:25,636 --> 00:44:28,892 We do things decently in an order, but I think we should take 1052 00:44:28,916 --> 00:44:30,092 that even to the gospel. 1053 00:44:30,156 --> 00:44:32,160 How can we be creative in the gospel? 1054 00:44:32,300 --> 00:44:34,296 How can we see something started? 1055 00:44:34,368 --> 00:44:35,944 How can we see something growing? 1056 00:44:35,992 --> 00:44:39,320 How can we see more people hear the truth of Jesus Christ? 1057 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:42,380 And so that's, that's our goal here for the church. 1058 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:45,464 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1059 00:44:45,512 --> 00:44:46,264 podcast. 1060 00:44:46,392 --> 00:44:48,980 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 1061 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:51,576 If you would like to find out more information about our church 1062 00:44:51,608 --> 00:44:55,272 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1063 00:44:55,416 --> 00:44:57,662 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1064 00:44:57,696 --> 00:45:03,250 You, you could also email me directly at Josh Massaro at middletownbaptistchurch. 1065 00:45:03,330 --> 00:45:03,906 Com. 1066 00:45:04,058 --> 00:45:07,570 If you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 1067 00:45:07,610 --> 00:45:10,710 along for future podcast and updates. 1068 00:45:11,050 --> 00:45:12,082 Thank you so much. 1069 00:45:12,186 --> 00:45:13,074 God bless. 1070 00:45:13,202 --> 00:45:14,330 Have a wonderful day.