ACTS 19:21-41
"Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"
From the world's perspective, Jesus is not good for business! In this week's text, the lost world is angry once again with those that follow Jesus, but for reasons we have not yet seen in our story. We have seen the world throw stones because of their unbelief in Jesus. We have seen the world put believers in jail because they would not follow orders to stay quiet about their mission. We have even seen the anger of the world over theological differences created by the messiah coming that changed all they knew from the Old Testament Law. However, we have not yet seen the conflict driven by the war of the gods.
In Acts 19, the followers of Christ are not coming against self-righteous pharisees or the uneducated church. In this week's text, the followers of Jesus are against those who have placed their allegiance and life to other gods. During this time period, the people lived for other gods and also made their living making shrines and other treasures based off their religion.
When Paul and his band of believers enter the scene, the people of Ephesus quickly saw that the Gospel was not only bad for business, but also disrespectful towards their other god. People who heard the Gospel and followed Christ, would leave their past life and also their past idols that they worshiped. So, no idols meant no shrines and no shrines meant no money.
Remember, Jesus was not good for business!
What we see in the scriptures is that idol worship is harmful on many angles. First and most important, the worship of anything others than our Lord is sinful. The scriptures tell us that God is a jealous God and desires our first and best. Loving anything more than God puts great tension in the most important relationship in our life. Tension with God is a weight in life that none of us should ever desire. The Bible tells us that it is impossible to truly love and worship more than one thing.
We also see that when one worships other gods, there's no true unity with God's people and His church. In idol worship, we experience adultery in our relationship with God and when we are not faithful to God, relationships in God's church never feel peaceful or genuine. In idol worship, we are in constant hiding and ready to defend our stances, creating great tension in God's church. God's church was meant to be a place of safety, peace, and worship. When we gather, holding hands with other gods, tension enters a place of peace.
Lastly, in idol worship we become controlled by the world; prostituted by the enemy. This week's text mirrors the story of the demon possessed girl early in the book of Acts. The world nor the enemy wanted to let loose of the young girl, because the young girl profited them greatly. This is what we see in idol worship then and this is what we see today. Nothing has changed!
When we love other things more than God, we are doing the work of the enemy! Please wake up church and see the dangers of the false gods and the destruction they bring upon you and those that you love. Anything that is good and becomes great can easily turn dangerous. This can be our jobs, money, family, kids, hobbies, and the list can go on and on.
Love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Repent and turn from false gods. Remember, God is real and this truth should shake us to our core and transform our life in every way imaginable.
Stay faithful church.
In Acts 19, the followers of Christ are not coming against self-righteous pharisees or the uneducated church. In this week's text, the followers of Jesus are against those who have placed their allegiance and life to other gods. During this time period, the people lived for other gods and also made their living making shrines and other treasures based off their religion.
When Paul and his band of believers enter the scene, the people of Ephesus quickly saw that the Gospel was not only bad for business, but also disrespectful towards their other god. People who heard the Gospel and followed Christ, would leave their past life and also their past idols that they worshiped. So, no idols meant no shrines and no shrines meant no money.
Remember, Jesus was not good for business!
What we see in the scriptures is that idol worship is harmful on many angles. First and most important, the worship of anything others than our Lord is sinful. The scriptures tell us that God is a jealous God and desires our first and best. Loving anything more than God puts great tension in the most important relationship in our life. Tension with God is a weight in life that none of us should ever desire. The Bible tells us that it is impossible to truly love and worship more than one thing.
We also see that when one worships other gods, there's no true unity with God's people and His church. In idol worship, we experience adultery in our relationship with God and when we are not faithful to God, relationships in God's church never feel peaceful or genuine. In idol worship, we are in constant hiding and ready to defend our stances, creating great tension in God's church. God's church was meant to be a place of safety, peace, and worship. When we gather, holding hands with other gods, tension enters a place of peace.
Lastly, in idol worship we become controlled by the world; prostituted by the enemy. This week's text mirrors the story of the demon possessed girl early in the book of Acts. The world nor the enemy wanted to let loose of the young girl, because the young girl profited them greatly. This is what we see in idol worship then and this is what we see today. Nothing has changed!
When we love other things more than God, we are doing the work of the enemy! Please wake up church and see the dangers of the false gods and the destruction they bring upon you and those that you love. Anything that is good and becomes great can easily turn dangerous. This can be our jobs, money, family, kids, hobbies, and the list can go on and on.
Love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Repent and turn from false gods. Remember, God is real and this truth should shake us to our core and transform our life in every way imaginable.
Stay faithful church.
SCRIPTURE TO GO ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE
Read Exodus 33 as this will be referenced during the message on Sunday.
Posted in Year One